Starring Sherlock Holmes [Hardcover]

David Stuart Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2006

Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed on screen more often than any other character in history.This beautifully produced book is the definitive illustrated guide to the films and television series featuring the master detective, with an unprecedented collection of colour and black and white stills, posters, lobby cards and behind-the-scenes shots, including much rare and previously unpublished material. Every Sherlock Holmes film and TV series is covered (including foreign and lesser known productions), from the silent movies, through the famous portrayals of Basil Rathbone and Peter Cushing, up to the celebrated television series starring Jeremy Brett and beyond. Also covering the stage and radio works, the Holmes world and Conan Doyle himself, this book is simply a must for any Holmes fan.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

British Holmes expert Davies has updated the original 2001 edition of his comprehensive, copiously illustrated look at the film and TV portrayals of the great detective. As such, this is a must-have for die-hard Sherlockians, though film students and others may fault the author for not having done a better job of balancing breadth with depth. There are interesting tidbits and trivia throughout, starting with the earliest known Holmes film, Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900), which ran for less than a minute. Davies intersperses his chronological survey of the films with chapters on such topics as Dr. Watson, prominent actors in the Holmes role (most notably Basil Rathbone and Jeremey Brett), and radio adaptations. Some might wish for more comparative analysis of, say, the many (mostly unsuccessful) efforts to translate The Hound of the Baskervilles to film. In addition, given that the last serious Holmes movie, Murder by Decree, appeared in 1979, more discussion of why such a staple of the cinema has fallen on hard times would have been welcome. Finally, in a page devoted to unmade films, Davies (Sherlock Holmes and the Scroll of the Dead) devotes disproportionate space to his own pastiches. Still, those who fondly remember Chris Steinbrunner's classic The Films of Sherlock Holmes (1978) will find much to like.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

Slickly presented ...the text itself is satisfyingly thorough. A genuine pleasure to browse through, this truly is a class act. -- Film Review 1 October 2001

Well-researched ... A hugely enjoyable read from end to end. Undoubtedly one of the best Sherlock tomes. -- Total Film magazine 1 October 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Titan Books (UK); 1St Edition edition (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840232501
• ISBN-13: 978-1840232509
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,984,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quality overview of the cinematic Sherlock Holmes, January 25, 2006

By 

Charles Prepolec (Calgary, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starring Sherlock Holmes (Hardcover)

For those interested in the film, television and stage portrayals of Sherlock Holmes, David Stuart Davies book Starring Sherlock Holmes is a `must have'! This beautifully designed and laid out large format hardcover is a treat in nearly every way. Most noticeable on the first read through are the glorious illustrations, nicely balanced between monochrome and colour, many of which seem to be previously unpublished, while images from some rather obscure productions are also present. While the pictures alone nearly justify the book, Davies text is equally rewarding.

The book begins with an introduction by Ian Richardson followed by a few pages of background on Conan Doyle, it then moves into a solid breakdown of films in a chronological manner. The early silent films are lumped together over 4 pages in a general overview sort of way, although Eille Norwood and John Barrymore each receive their own two-page spread. From those Davies moves into the talkies, generally giving one or two pages to each film, with major series (such as those featuring Wontner and Rathbone) being accorded individual title listings. The film listings are occasionally broken up by the insertion of nice background/overview pieces such as Basil Rathbone: The Ideal Holmes, Curtain Up: Sherlock Holmes on Stage and Jeremy Brett: Dancing in the Moonlight. These inserts allow the author a chance to range beyond specific titles and address various trends, periods or influential actors. My only criticism of the inserts is that these are occasionally teasers with rare photographs dropped in without much explanation other than a caption (as in a photo of Frank Finlay as Conan Doyle with Richard E. Grant as Sherlock Holmes from a production entitled "he Other Side) or productions given short shrift in one or two-line mentions (as in the Russian Holmes series featuring Vasily Livanov). Television productions are included, although anything prior to the 1950's Sheldon Reynolds series is lumped into a 4-page insert entitled Holmes in View: The Early Television Adventures. Major series such as the Wilmer and Cushing productions of the 1960s each receive a 2-page spread with individual episodes being listed only in the Filmography section (which includes general production data, air dates and key cast lists) at the end of the book. Needless to say, Jeremy Brett and the Granada series receive a great deal of coverage, with separate 4-page spreads for each series and 2-pages apiece for each of the individual 2-hour productions. The titles represented are extremely current and run up to and include the recent Matt Frewer version of The Sign of Four.

The layout for each of the specific programs is nicely done, with a tight synopsis heading each listing followed by interesting commentary, liberally laced with appropriate photographs, on the particular production under consideration. While I often find myself disagreeing with David Stuart Davies analyses, I found the writing to be both highly enjoyable and informative. Quotations from other critics are regularly included, adding a nice balance. While the book has the benefit of being the most up-to-date at the moment, it doesn't make previous books on the topic, including the authors own Holmes of the Movies, redundant. The level of detail provided here on specific productions is not generally as far-reaching as in some other books of this type, but the sheer breadth and beauty of Starring Sherlock Holmes, plus the amazing array of photographs, makes it a worthwhile compliment to the Holmes film-analysis bookshelf

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Film Reference Book, September 22, 2009

By 

Karen R. Haynes (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen (Hardcover)

Great updated reference book on the Sherlock Holmes mysteries of film, TV, etc. Since pictures continue to be made about Holmes you have to update every now & then. Great pictures throughout. Also interesting information. A must for the Sherlock Holmes fan.

4 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfied customer, June 4, 2008

By 

Honey (Cherry Hill, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book very much. I learned a lot on this subject of which I was not aware. After I finished reading, I went on-line to see if I could find any other books on the subject.