Customer Reviews

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Collection

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To love Conan Doyle's great detective Sherlock Holmes was never so satisfying as when the brilliant actor, the late and profoundly missed Jeremy Brett, breathed life into his fictional bones giving us arguably the greatest depiction of the Baker Street sleuth ever captured on film.

For me, Brett's is the truest Holmes ever attempted in movies or TV, and the Granada productions more authentically Victorian-era London than any made before this fantastic series or since.

There are some who deride Brett's later portrayals of Holmes, when the actor was very ill and had lost the sleek, angular look that Holmes had been endowed, both by his creator Doyle and his most popular illustrator, Sidney Paget. For me, that criticism is pure balderdash.

When taken in its entirety, the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series stands the test of time as the definitive telling of the stories, the later episodes underscoring Brett's courage as he faced personal tests that shattered his emotional and physical well-being. I would argue that it is that very human element in Brett's portrayal that makes his Holmes so breathtakingly accurate, compelling and poignant. Holmes denied his humanity and in so doing became more vulnerable as a human being exposing deep character flaws and weaknesses. In Brett, we not only see but feel those shortcomings, and something deeper, too: each person's ultimate struggle to find his or her place in life before death calls us home.

There are 36 episodes and five feature-length films in the Brett-Granada series that spanned 1984 to 1994. Holmes' "Boswell," otherwise known as Dr. John Watson, was adeptly played by David Burke until 1985, then Edward Hardwicke for the remainder of the series. This box set, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, represent the last of the episodes and were produced in 1994 by June Wyndham-Davies. After a decade as Holmes, Brett filmed these last episodes then died Sept. 13, 1995.

The episodes collected here include: The Three Gables; The Dying Detective; The Golden Pince-Nez; The Red Circle; The Mazarin Stone; and the Cardboard Box. (The Dying Detective is especially haunting as Holmes feigns a fatal illness to capture a killer and it is obvious that Brett is very ill.)

Other boxed sets from MPI include the remainder of the series: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; The Return of Sherlock Holmes; The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes; and the Featured Film Collection that includes The Master Blackmailer, The Last Vampyre, The Eligible Bachelor, The Sign of Four, and the immortal Hound of the Baskervilles.

I am thrilled that MPI has FINALLY put the entire series out on DVD. I also remain deeply grateful to Jeremy Brett and everyone involved in creating these productions.

This is a nice final edition to the 21 disc Sherlock Holmes collection (featuring Jeremy Brett). Unfortunately, Jeremy Brett was terminally ill during the filming of these episodes. He eventually died of cardiomyopathy in 1995. His failing health is quite noticeable in these final mysteries. Ironically, it was most evident in "The Dying Detective," where Holmes fakes a terminal illness to capture the killer. This would have been a great episode if it had been filmed when Brett was in better health. Holmes (Brett) is absent completely from one of the episodes ("The Mazarin Stone"). Sherlock's brother Mycroft and Dr. Watson solve the case this time around. Mycroft also plays a vital role in "The Golden Pince-Nez," an episode missing Dr. Watson. Both episodes are OK, but lack the strong chemistry between Watson and Holmes. "The Cardboard Box" is one of the darkest Sherlock Holmes programs and depicts a particularly dramatic and ugly result of infidelity and jealousy. The episode takes place during the Christmas season, which provides an interesting backdrop not seen in other episodes. The best case in this collection, though, is "The Red Circle," which depicts a young couple escaping the vengeful wrath of an Italian mob/terrorist organization. It is the most suspenseful and intriguing mystery in this set.

This collection also includes an interview of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's son Adrian. He gives the interviewer a tour of a Sherlock Holmes museum and provides commentary and insight into the personality traits and legacy of Sherlock Holmes.

Overall, this a good set to have. And it is transferred from the original negative, so the visual quality is pristine. But I would make sure you have the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," "Return of Sherlock Holmes" and "Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" collections first. They are more consistent and feature a healthy, vibrant Jeremy Brett.

Finally, MPI media is releasing the fifth and final installment of the critically-acclaimed Granada Television "Sherlock Holmes" series on DVD! Suffice it to say these are the finest and most "authentic" productions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes ever made. Most fans consider the late Jeremy Brett to be the quintessential Holmes, and Edward Hardwicke is a fine actor in his own right and a most excellent Dr. Watson.

Sadly, Jeremy Brett was in quite bad health when these final episodes were created and would die several years after. Too bad. He was a gifted actor and should rightly be credited with "bringing to life" one of the 20th Century's most beloved fictional characters.

People may quibble about liberties taken here and there with the stories, but for the most part the "Memoirs" series, like all the others, is very high quality, well-written, produced, and acted. Again, I'm anticipating techno-files may complain about the "transfer" as they have on past releases, but I believe MPI has done the best they can and the DVD is still FAR superior to owning these on videocassette.

Don't purchase these as an introduction to the series, start with the "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." However, if you're here, its probably because you already own the 3 prior DVD packages, "Adventures," "Feature Film Collection," and "Return," all of which are excellent.

Are these worth purchasing? Absolutely. High quality, intelligent, and family-friendly entertainment you can enjoy for a lifetime. Pull out every couple of years to watch them over and share with friends and family.

I've enjoyed many portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. None has delighted me quite as much as Jeremy Brett's. This collection of the final six hour-long episodes from the Granada series are a mixed lot, and they may only be for those of us who MUST own the complete Holmes/Brett DVD library. But there is one absolute gem here, "The Cardboard Box." This clever adaptation resets Doyle's classic story during Christmas, and the result is macabre enough to put a grin on the faces of even the gloomiest Sherlockians.

Jeremy Brett has always been one of my favorite actors to portray Holmes. Also, in general, the Granada productions he starred in were great (or at least decent) adaptations of the original Conan Doyle stories and David Burke and Edward Hardwicke, the two actors who portrayed Watson, were a great improvement over past portrayals of the good doctor as nothing more than a bumbling fool. (I had loved David Burke as Watson, but came to like Edward Hardwicke even more, once I got used to the change. Hardwicke seemed to fit my own vision of Watson in the original stories even better than Burke.)

That being said, this last of the Brett series is varied in quality. I had missed these episodes when originally broadcast and am aware that Brett was very ill when filming. However, that is not the only problem with this set. Frankly, at least one of these adaptations here is ludicrously bad and others mediocre. I am aware that part of this mediocrity could be due to the original stories, which are not Conan Doyle's best, but, as far as I can tell, this mediocrity is more the fault of the scripts and productions. The acting is still consistently good for the main part.

1. The Three Gables--I enjoyed this one. Both Brett and Hardwicke excellent. The story, if expanded, is mainly as shown in the original story.

2. The Dying Detective--Brett and Hardwicke's acting, especially in the conclusion, is not to be rivalled. But the adaptation adds so much to the Conan Doyle story that it is really difficult to remember which parts of the script were actually from the original story. However, I understand why they felt compelled to add so much; the later Conan Doyle stories were almost too short to be adapted into hour-long TV scripts. (Makes you wonder if the producers should have quit when they were ahead. They had already adapted all the best stories.)

3. The Golden Pince-Nez--Not a bad adaptation, but it suffers from the total absence of Edward Hardwicke as Watson. In this outing Mycroft substitutes for his character and if not quite as out of character as he is in "The Mazarin Stone" (also adapted in this collection) he is still no substitute for that wonderful Holmes/Watson chemistry so ably re-created by Brett and Hardwicke.

4. The Red Circle--Another interesting, if expanded, adaptation. Acting by all concerned consistently good.

5. The Mazarin Stone--This one fell into the ludicrous category. It is now my understanding that this adaptation was more based on a Conan Doyle play, adapted from his stories, than on the original tales. But that still doesn't excuse the almost total absence of Holmes (Brett was too ill to act) and the totally out of character running around by his substitute, brother Mycroft.

Also "The Three Garridebs", another Conan Doyle story which is jumbled up in this adaptation with "The Mazarin Stone", has always been a personal favorite of mine. Not because it is really one of the best Conan Doyle stories, but because Watson is shot in the leg by the villain and you get to see Holmes get all teary eyed. Since Brett as Holmes is barely in this adaptation at all and you have a ridiculously active Mycroft in his place, none of this moving scene between Holmes and Watson survives the adaptation. Instead you have the silliness of Watson being wacked by the villian with a diamond cleaver.

All is all this is a very bad adaptation, with some not so good, or even silly acting--I became quite bored with Nathan Garrideb's laughably silly sisters. In this adaptation it is the sisters who contact Holmes rather than Nathan Garrideb. Again, something not indicated in the original story at all. Not being familiar with the Conan Doyle play this adaptation is based on, I'm not sure how much of this is Conan Doyle (who late in his career could write some pretty bad Holmes stories) or due to the adaptaters who wrote the TV script.

6. The Cardboard Box--from the ridiculous to the sublime. This adaptation is almost better than the original story. Even though I knew where it was heading, it really kept up its suspense and the acting, especially by the man who played the sailor husband, was superb. It also was nice to see both Brett and Hardwicke working together again.

The one thing that I really enjoyed in this last of the Granada Sherlock Holmes series was Brett's hair. In some of his later Holmes portrayals, but earlier than these, Brett's hair was cut ludicrously short and he only looked good when wearing a hat. I am aware that the changes in hairstyle may have been related to his various illnesses, but it was nice to see his hair longer again even if he was probably even more ill in these last broadcasts.

Despite some real problems with some of the decisions made by the producers, it was really enjoyable to see Brett essay the Great Detective one last time. Sad that such a great actor had to die so young. The only other thing I've seen him in is the Audrey Hepburn/Rex Harrison film adaptation of "My Fair Lady"; Brett plays Freddie and I wonder if that is really him singing. He looks almost exactly like a younger, thinner version of himself as Sherlock Holmes.

My final assessment: For the most part this is worth the money and the time, but don't expect the perfection of the earliest of the Granada Holmes series.

Let me preface this review by saying I'm a huge fan of Brett's work as holmes, and I now own the entire Brett sherlock holmes DVD library. Every penny well spent, I think.

Sadly, Jeremy Brett's illness began to take a serious toll on the series at the end, and the quality suffered - but not because of Jeremy!

Of the six episodes here, there are 3 brilliant gems and 3 stinkers. One might simply buy the good ones and not bother with the rest.. anyway, here's the lowdown:

The Three Gables: overwrought melodrama, with actress Mary Ellis engaging in some woeful overacting.
The Dying Detective: One of Brett's finest, as he outwits an amateur scientist at his own game.
The Golden Pince-nez: Watson's gone, and Mycroft takes his place. It has its moments, but the chemistry of watson+holmes is sorely missed. I don't know who directed this one, but the over-artsy direction did not help make up for watson - Bad.
The Red Circle: One of the most suspenseful stories. Thoroughly enjoyable.
The Mazarin Stone: Holmes is gone this time, watson and mycroft solve the case. Mycroft is completely out of character, and the end is ridiculous.
The Cardboard Box: One of my all-time favorites. A truly worthy finale for one of the greatest TV series ever.

One of my favorite episodes in the entire Granada Sherlock Holmes series is "The Blue Carbuncle." I only mention it because I feel that in order to truly appreciate this fine production of six stories, you have to view it in light of the context of the entire series. In "The Blue Carbuncle," one of the earliest episodes filmed, you find a classic Holmes story set at Christmastime with a younger, more energetic Jeremy Brett still discovering the promising exuberance of a new role. The story is filled with joy and humor---filmed before days when a beloved wife would die of cancer, before a diagnosis would be made of manic-depression, and before treatments and medication would ultimately deprive all of us of a truly gifted man who died too soon in the prime of life. When we fast forward to "The Cardboard Box," the last episode filmed in the series (and also set at Christmas time), we've come full circle and realize why Jeremy Brett was such a success in a part that so many others believed had no substance. Rather than concentrating solely on the rational, intelligent side of the character, Jeremy Brett gave us over the course of 41 dramatizations of Conan Doyle stories a completely developed emotional man. Of course, the deterioration in his health, particularly in these last six episodes, is shocking. Nothing can conceal it, but also nothing can conceal the fact that this Holmes has become emotionally involved in his cases. He can no longer treat them or the people involved as mental exercises or mere problems to be solved. This is a truly vulnerable Holmes, and as a result he's not a Holmes that we just respect, like the great Basile Rathbone's. This is a Holmes that we love and care for. However, viewers need to be warned that there is a very high emotional price to be paid for becoming involved with this Holmes. By the time he utters his last words in "The Cardboard Box," all of us faithful "Watsons" realize that this Holmes has seen enough horror, enough brutality and cruelty. There will no longer be any more adventures that willingly draw us from our beds in the middle of the night, no more "games afoot," and sadly of all, no more miraculous resurrections from the depths of the Reichenbach Falls. One can easily imagine that in keeping with the spirit of his creator Conan Doyle, this Holmes is ready to go off into permanent retirement on a quiet farm, never to work on another case again. It is heart-wrenching, however, that he had to take with him the very best actor that ever played the role.

With this box set I have now completed my Brettish Sherlockian set. I am personally well pleased with the quality of DVD's (actually better than the adventures of Sherlock Holmes); and the stagings, and backgrounds are amazing.
Brett; to me has the definitive portrayal of the master detective in each of these box sets, which make up the best of ACD's Baker Street adventures of our favorite sleuth.
Indeed his illness in hind sight does show; but the excellent acting overshadows this as one is caught up in the chase.
Edward Hardwicke simply put "owns" the role of Dr. Watson. He's great, and consistantly delivers his best.
I have just purchased a movie with Rupert Everett as Holmes, and to say the least Everett is no Brett in this role.
This Brett set will be a well purchased jewel for any Sherlockian fan.

Jeremy Brett was the definitive Holmes and all who know the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and those who have seen Brett's portrayal, will agree. These last releases of MPI have mastered prints from the original Granada tapes and they are easily the best pristine prints of the series. Though Brett was in poor health, he still does an amazing job as Holmes. The last portrayal of Brett as Holmes is included in this set, "The Cardboard box." There were sound problems on the first MPI release on two episodes, from "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. One." These were "The Dancing Men" and "The Naval Treaty." Perhaps MPI could go back and re-master that first volume with these fantastic Granada master tapes?

Don't be put off from buying this series because it doesn't rate as high as "Casebook" or "Return", or the fact that Jeremy Brett was very sick and his performance wouldn't be up to snuff!! It is every bit the equal of "Casebook" and I personally like it more. The Dying Detective and the Mazarin Stone are two of my favorite episodes, and I own all 36!! Cardboard Box, Superb!!
The Three Gables is probably the weakest of the six, and it is still outstanding. Brett is somewhat bloated, and his energy level is clearly waning, but he manages to pull it off because he is such a superb actor. Edward Hardwicke, great, as always. God bless these two guys, and I won't forget David Burke, the other superb Watson. I Thank all the people at Granada Television for creating these 4 series. I will treasure them forever!!!