SHERLOCK HOLMES IN NEW YORK
US, 1976, 93 minutes, Colour.
Roger Moore, Patrick Macnee, Charlotte Rampling, John Huston, Gig Young, Signe Hasso, Leon Ames, Jackie Coogan.
Directed by Boris Sagal.
A very entertaining telemovie, made with care and style. Conan Doyle's detective and his assistant Dr. Watson have always been popular from the times of silent films. Basil Rathbone seemed to incarnate the detective. In the seventies there were various humorous and fictitious attempts to explore Sherlock Holmes and his character as well as portray the stories - for example Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes with Robert Stephens and Colin Blakely, Mel Brooks's style humour with Gene Wilder as Sherlock Holmes's Smarter Brother, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore clowning in The Hound of the Baskervilles and the elegant Seven Per cent Solution where Nicol Williamson as Sherlock Holmes met Freud (Alan Arkin).
This is a fictitious story of Holmes and his love for Irene Adler and his confrontation with Moriarty. Roger Moore is an unusual selection for Sherlock Holmes and is perhaps a bit contemporary and bland. However, Patrick Macnee (John Steed of The Avengers) is excellent as Dr. Watson (playing in the Nigel Bruce fashion). Charlotte Rampling is an alluring Irene Adler. John Huston turns Professor Moriarty into an Irish archvillain. There are good supporting performances from such veterans as Signe Hasso as a governess and Gig Young as McGray? the banker. Sets and decor are excellent and the film has the light touch - aided by the score of Richard Rodney Bennett. Direction is by Boris Sagal, who directed such films as The Omega Man and many telemovies.
1. The appeal of Sherlock Holmes? The perennial appeal over the decades? The character of Sherlock Holmes, the archetypal detective? His personality, characteristics? Dr. Watson and the combination of the two? The atmosphere of the period? The elementary detecting techniques?
2. The inventiveness of the screenplay? How well did it cohere with Conan Doyle's conception of Holmes, Watson, Moriarty? With Conan Doyle's stories? The adaptation of Sherlock Holmes for an audience of the seventies?
3. The qualities of the film as a telemovie? The cast, acting skills, décor, score? The blend of the detective story with comic touches? Interest sustained for the home viewing audience?
4. How successful was Roger Moore as Sherlock Holmes? Audience expectations about Holmes - his appearance, manner, speech, detection? Expectations of Roger Moore from his screen and television roles especially as hero and detective? Holmes as detective, his melancholy habits, violin, drugs, etc.? The romance in Sherlock Holmes's life and the place of Irene Adler? The confrontation with Moriarty? Holmes’s achievement, arrogance and complacency, human touches?
5. Audience interest in Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes? The background of their love? Irene's son and his similarities with Sherlock Holmes? The establishing of the relationship between the two and Moriarty's use of the relationship: the theatre tickets and their tradition, the charred tickets, the break between the two and the perpetual love, the son, Holmes's rushing to New York, rescuing Irene, rescuing her son? The importance of Irene accusing Holmes of fear? His inability to relate fully to her? A side view of Holmes’s humanity?
6. The character of Iroene, Charlotte Rampling's appearance, presence? As an actress, her initial distress, her admission of the kidnapping, her concern for her son and joy to have him back, the importance of her speech about Holmse's fear, her happiness at the end?
7. Patrick Macnee's style as Dr. Watson? Audience expectations of his character? As doctor, slow, lacking in humour? His contributions to Holmes's detection? The humour of his anti-New York and American comments? A foil to Holmes?
8. Moriarty as the personification of evil? John Huston's appearance, Irish accent? The initial confrontation and the threats, the boast of the crime of the century, his presence in New York and his minions, his overall plan and its achievement, the menacing room and his escape? The kidnapping of the boy? His living for another day and challenge to Holmes?
9. The theatricality of Sherlock Holmes? His various disguises? The opening confrontation with Moriarty, his disguisinghimeelf as the Italian for the regaining of Irene's son, the fanatic with his poster of The End Is At Hand? Holmes's ability to elude people, his theatrical imagination?
10. The character of Moriarty? The embodiment of evil? His challenge to Holmes? The overall plan, the crime of the century, the use of the tickets, Holmes's visit to the theatre and his ability to spy on him, to get him back to Irene's home, his presence in New York, the warehouse as headquarters, his betraying his friends, the whole gold plan?
11. The character of the police inspector? Their interrogation of Holmes and asking for his alliance and their dismay at Holmes's not collaborating with them? Holmes's reasons? The room with the gold missing? The contrast of the room full of gold?
12. The minor characters - the watchers outside Holmes's hotel. Moriarty's minions, the governess and her demonstration about the kidnapping of the boy, the kidnapping actress? Set scenes such as the interviews. the eluding of the watchers, the rescue from the hotel, Moriarty and the elaborate chase throughout the streets of New York?
13. The fact of Moriarty living to fight another day and Holmes ready to combat evil? Why are Sherlock Holmes stories so enjoyable?
