Product Details

• Actors: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams, Colin Jeavons
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Mpi Home Video
• VHS Release Date: December 15, 1994
• Run Time: 50 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302360811
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #281,286 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Sir James Damery (David Langton) approaches Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) with a special request from an "illustrious client" (read: King Edward) to intercede in the marriage of Violet De Merville (Abigail Cruttenden) and Baron Gruner (Anthony Valentine), the latter an Austrian nobleman and vile fellow who almost certainly murdered his first wife. Holmes's meeting with Gruner is soon followed by a murderous attack upon himself by the Baron's goons; an outraged Dr. Watson (Edward Hardwicke) has to channel his thoughts of revenge into a bit of undercover work on behalf of the detective. This intense and even shocking episode from the long-running Granada Television series is based on one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's personal favorites from his Holmes canon. Brett and Hardwicke, as usual, are outstanding as Doyle's dynamic duo. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Sherlock gets Beaten Up!!, February 2, 2005

By 

Stephen Pletko "Uncle Stevie" (London, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: Illustrious Client [VHS] (VHS Tape)

+++++

This movie is based on the story "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client" (1927) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930). This is the first movie I saw where Jeremy Brett plays Sherlock Holmes and Edward Hardwicke plays his aid, Dr. Watson.

This movie is about Holmes being asked to prevent a marriage between an evil Baron (Anthony Valentine) and the daughter (Abigail Cruttenden) of a famous general who is in love with the baron. Two questions arise:

(1) How can Holmes prevent a marriage? (This is the mystery.)
(2) Can Holmes withstand the evil forces at the baron's command?

As Holmes investigates, he learns that the baron has a strange hobby where he "collects women." This knowledge makes it more imperative that he prevent the upcoming marriage. The baron does not make it easy for him. Two of the baron's henchmen badly beat up Holmes!

Jeremy Brett does a good job capturing the essence of the famous gumshoe in his performance. Those familiar with Nigel Bruce who played Dr. Watson opposite Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes will find Watson's character completely different. Edward Hardwicke plays Dr. Watson much more serious. In this movie, Watson is integral to the plot.

Finally, the props, cinematography, and background music for this movie are well done.

In conclusion, this is a fun movie which I feel serves as an excellent introduction to Jeremy Brett portraying Sherlock Holmes!!

(1991; 50 min; British drama; made for TV; full screen; color)

+++++

4.0 out of 5 stars Holmes gets bruized, March 15, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: Illustrious Client [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a great Jeremy Brett. It is about a man who marries all his wives and kills them or does something horrbile like pouring acid on a lady. At the end, that same lady throws acid on his face. He keeps a journal of each of is wives. He puts a picture and descirption for each one on each page! Two thugs go after HOlmes and Holmes gets the upper hand of them but they finaly beat him clubbing him with their canes. He has so many bruizes when their finished. This is a classic!

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Illustrious Client, October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes: Illustrious Client [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a very good Granada television series episode. It goes along with the book and it has very good acting (as well as all of the other episodes).