Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History [Hardcover]

Alan Barnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004

This illustrated filmography—the most comprehensive ever published—is the ultimate guide to the screen appearances of Arthur Conan Doyle’s immortal sleuth.Revised Edition

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For fans of the original British detective (or, if you prefer, "the first pop icon of the modern age") comes Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History. Alan Barnes (Quentin Tarantino A to Z), who formerly edited Doctor Who Magazine and is now on staff at Judge Dredd Magazine, summarizes all the great sleuth's celluloid moments, breaking movies down into "the mystery," "the investigation" and "the solution," and offering cast lists and other facts, as well as a bit of astute criticism.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Copiously illustrated with rare photographs and including a helpful chronology.” -- Library Journal

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Reynolds & Hearn; 2nd edition (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903111781
• ISBN-13: 978-1903111789
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,730,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't take Holmesian intellect to know this is a must-buy, August 13, 2004

By 

Darren Harrison "DVD collector and reviewer" (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History (Hardcover)

There are no words which seem to adequately describe just how good SHERLOCK HOLMES ON SCREEN: THE COMPLETE FILM AND TV HISTORY by Alan Barnes is: The word "comprehensive," while accurate, just doesn't seem to go far enough.
A lifelong Sherlockian I purchased this handsome 288 page hardback updated edition with high hopes and I was not disappointed. Barnes decision to take an A to Z organizational approach may not be everyone's ideal, but he does provide a film and television chronology towards the end of the book to appease those of us who prefer that type of listing.
As the title indicates every film and television appearance by the Sherlock Holmes character including a number of which I was previously unaware. Barnes gives more behind the scenes production notes, details of the mysteries and the solutions and in some cases these are quite extensive. For example I found the details behind the Peter Cushing television series of Holmes adventures fascinating and entertaining and his notes on what it took to bring SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE to the screen, entertaining and revealing. Who knew that the movie had been intended to be the start of a franchise - with the script for the second planned movie eventually being filmed as A STUDY IN TERROR with John Neville in the Holmes role.
Barnes even includes movies and television episodes with more questionable ties to Sherlock Holmes. He gives high praise to Disney's animated THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE but the Spielberg produced YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES fares less well. In addition there are entries for the two STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episodes that featured Prof. Moriarty and even THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN gets a mention for its Holmesian references.
With listings that include not only alternate titles for the movies, but also surprisingly in depth cast listings, running times and some very rare photo's, this volume is a must-own for any self respecting Sherlock Holmes fan, and anyone with even a mild curiosity about the character.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for film buffs and Sherlock Holmes fans, July 17, 2003

By 

Sean Brady (Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History (Paperback)

This book has yet to leave my bedside table since I purchased it a few months ago. It's not only an extremely well researched book but a very entertaining read as well, packed with information that is revealing (eg, how Jeremy Brett's personal problems impacted upon the Granada tv series) and sometimes surprising (eg, Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers were the original choices for Holmes and Watson for Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes').

Alan Barnes and his fellow contributors go into great detail about the films and television shows they cover, and give their personal opinions about each entry. You may not agree with all of the views expressed, but they are well written and certainly give the reader food for thought.

The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs. This is important as it's likely that many people will never get to see the films they are taken from, particularly some of the early silent films that are lost or older and more obscure films and television shows that have yet to get a video or DVD release.

This book has proven invaluable to me as it has introduced me to tv series and films that I previously knew little or nothing about like the Arthur Wontner films and the Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing BBC tv series. I also gained an insight into the little known Ronald Howard tv series from the 1950s. It was also great to read of the BBC 4-part presentation of The Hound Of The Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who star Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes. I saw this when it was first shown on tv in Australia and it hasn't been screened again, so it was quite nostalgic to read about it and see a photo of Baker in his Holmes costume.

This book is an essential addition to the library of any Sherlock Holmes fan or film buff. You won't find another book that covers Sherlock Holmes history in film and television so thoroughly.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference guide to screen Sherlocks, May 30, 2002

By 

Lady Blakeney "bookworm221" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sherlock Holmes on Screen: The Complete Film and TV History (Paperback)

Sherlock Holmes on Screen is literally an A to Z guide to all of the cinematic Sherlocks, from the earliest silents to the most recent television depictions from Muse Entertainment. There are photos aplenty (all in black and white) as well as great insight into each Sherlockian plot and portrayal. All of the familiar Holmeses are here [Basil Rathbone] and some not-so-familiar [Christopher Plummer] . I was glad to see the compliation also included the underappreciated films "The Great Mouse Detective" and "Young Sherlock Holmes". And although I am not one who gushes over every single episode of the Jeremy Brett/Granada Studios series, it was nice to see the "landmark" show covered in depth. Overall, a fine addition to anyone's collection.