Educational Media Reviews Online

This film, narrated by well-known British actor Patrick Macnee, takes the viewer to the many places in modern-day London that the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, visited in Victorian London in the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 4 novels and 56 stories. Conan Doyle was a "consulting eye doctor with an unsuccessful practice" who left medicine to become a writer. With a recreation of Holmes' study in the lodgings at the fictional 221 B Baker Street address as a backdrop, Macnee revisits the pubs, hospitals, libraries, train stations, restaurants, streets and parks (some of which still exist today) frequented by Holmes and his faithful companion and scribe, Dr. John Watson. At each stop, wonderful black and white vintage photographs depict the modern building, street or railway station the way it looked in Victorian London. The Westminster Library, St. Bart's Hospital, St. Eustace Railway Station, and Covent Garden (which was originally an open-air market) are seen through the eyes of Holmes and Watson. Mr. Macnee also reads passages from the stories or novels that were set at each locale and discusses Holmes' relationships with Watson, the detectives of Scotland Yard, his arch enemy Moriarity, his brother Mycroft, and the various other characters that he encounters in the pages of the Conan Doyle stories.

Another aspect of the film is a history of some of the numerous actors who portrayed Sherlock Holmes in both silent and sound movies. The fictional detective, the most widely portrayed character on screen, first appeared in a one-minute movie in 1900 and in 1912 the first British movie featuring Holmes was made. Actor Elie Norwood played Holmes in forty-seven films. Conan Doyle, who visited the movie set, is said to have approved of Norwood's rendition of his character. Arthur Wontner who first played Holmes in 1932 was said to most physically resemble the original illustration of the detective. Basil Rathbone starred in fourteen movies in the 1940's, which dealt with themes pertinent to that time period. It was enjoyable to watch film clips of these actors to see how each one brought the character to life in his own unique way.

Patrick Macnee was a good choice as narrator of the film. His stylish and elegant manner enhanced the production and his reading of the various passages from the stories brought the characters and locales to life. The sound and color quality of the film is very good and modern film technology is skillfully combined with vintage still photographs and old film clips.

This film is recommended for public libraries and larger academic libraries that own Conan Doyle's works.