Product Details

• Actors: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Rosalie Williams, Eric Porter
• Producers: John Hawkesworth
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Mpi Home Video
• VHS Release Date: March 28, 1995
• Run Time: 52 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 630341849X
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #275,682 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

An old schoolmate of Dr. Watson's, Percy Phelps (David Gwillim), has asked the long-time friend of Sherlock Holmes to intercede on his behalf with the famous detective. Phelps, a member of the Foreign Office, has stolen a copy of a naval treaty with serious international consequences, but the document has been missing for two months. His nerves shattered from worry, Phelps is under the care of his fiancée (Alison Skilbeck), but so far the treaty has not surfaced. Holmes (Jeremy Brett), aided by Watson (David Burke), agrees to take the case, which is handsomely adapted in this episode from the Granada Television series. As usual, Brett is the most fascinating, most complex, and truest of the many Holmes portrayals in film and TV history, Burke is solid as the good doctor, and Rosalie Williams is delightful in her fleeting appearance as the Baker Street housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the truest adaptations of the Doyle stories, October 19, 1999

By A Customer

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This review is from: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Naval Treaty [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Jeremy Brett richly deserved an acting award (which he sadly never received) for his faithful portrayal of Sherlock Holmes as Doyle actually wrote him. THE NAVAL TREATY shows a bit of the Great Detective's softer side-and his somewhat bizarre sense of humor. In this episode, Holmes appears to take leave of his senses and starts spouting philosophy about the cosmic significance of a moss-rose right in the middle of a case. Of course, he has his reasons... When Percy Phelps receives his treaty he dances about the room shrieking with joy. These episodes are both from the original story and are faithfully reenacted as a direct result of the actor's insistence on remaining true to Arthur Conan Doyle. Bravo, Mr. Brett. One other fascinating aspect of THE NAVAL TREATY is the portrayal of the class system of the time: note how casually the police burst into a poor woman's home and take her away from six or seven hungry children with no assumption that she might in fact be innocent. I found this one of the most important points made in the program. It really is a story of the social inequities of the time. It's also fun to see how the villain badly underestimates Holmes' abilities and lives to pay for it. My one complaint about this episode: The slow motion camera is an anachronism and seems out of period, smacking as it does of modern action pictures. But that's a small complaint.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brett in Fine Form, May 2, 2000

By 

Michael B. Bruneio (Macungie, PA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Naval Treaty [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Holmes is brilliant most notably because of his seemingly effortless success in giving depth to a difficult character such as Holmes. In this installment, (as well as well as "The Dancing Men,") we see more of Holmes' difficult side: he barely hides the fact that he does not like his client! Percy Phelps' weak constitution clearly grates on Holmes, but as Phelps is an old school chum of Watson's, he decides to help him anyway. The scene where Holmes leaves Phelps and his strong-willed fiancee up in the air as to whether or not he will help them, shows just how acerbic Holmes could be; even Watson is stunned by Holmes' lack of tact. The acting is up to the stars' usual fine standards, but the supporting players, most notably Phelps, leave a bit to be desired. Phelps' character hams it up a bit much in his breakdown scenes, and he comes off a wimp and not deserving of our sympathies. The character of his fiancee is so tight and stuffy, one fails to see what even a milquetoast like Phelps is doing with her. The production values are quite good, and on the whole, this episode is recommended, most notably for Brett's intricate performance as Holmes.