THE WHITE KNIGHT STRATAGEM/ MURDER ROOMS

UK, 2001, 90 minutes, Colour.
Ian Richardson, Charles Edwards, Rik Mayall, Anette Crosby, Beatty Edney, Ron Donachie, Anton Lesser, Ronald Pickup, Henry Ian Cusick.
Directed by Paul Marcus.


This is the fifth film in a series made for British television going back over the influence of Edinburgh’s Dr Bell and his work with the young medical student Arthur Conan Doyle.

Ian Richardson, with his sonorous voice and presence, had played Sherlock Holmes twice. Here is Dr Bell. Charles Edwards has a sincere and earnest presence as Doyle. Surprisingly, the investigating officer, later unmasked as villain, is played in a very serious vein by comedian Rik Mayall. There are quite a number of British character actors in supporting roles including Ronald Pickup, Anette Crosby.

The setting is the late 19th century. Dr Bell is called in for investigations but is not officially part of the police force. He shows many of the characteristics of Sherlock Holmes, seeking for evidence, examining clues. He enjoys working with his protégé on the investigations. However, Doyle becomes sympathetic to the police inspector that Dr Bell had humiliated.

The film opens with a suicide in a factory and the plot opens up quite a lot of background to this death. The woman operating the factory has a villain husband who is murdered. Later it emerges that she hired the killer, was in a relationship with the inspector, concealed this although her maid and friend were aware of something. The inspector has been sacked but reinstated, under suspicion from Dr Bell, with Doyle is sympathetic to him because of his wife has had a stroke and has written an expert book on chess. Two men who had made a loan to the owner of the factory are murdered.

The film recreates the atmosphere, is entertaining in the elaborate murder mystery and investigation, foreshadowing Sherlock Holmes.


1. Audiences’ perennial interest in Sherlock Holmes? As a person? As a detective? His methods and style?

2. The series, Arthur Conan Doyle in Edinburgh, as a medical student, his relationship with Dr Bell? Interest in investigation? Learning from Dr Bell about criminality and investigation? His decision to write? Dr Bell urging him to work in medicine rather than writing?

3. The recreation of the period, Edinburgh as a city, the streets, the buildings, factories? Homes? Offices and rooms? The musical score? Costumes and decor?

4. The opening, the factory, the disturbance, the woman falling to her death? Return to the scene later? The explanations of the woman, her death? Her husband and his murder? Mystery, investigated by Blaney, her relationship with him? Her plan for the killer? The alleged relationships with the other men? The loan? The deaths of the men who made the loan?

5. Dr Bell, his work, reputation, age and experience? His friendship with Doyle? His visit to the father of the dead man? His later return and investigating his room? The anger of the father, and his later donation to help those in need of being in an institution? Doyle and his visit to his father in the institution, his father’s outburst, his younger brother, Dr Bell and his interest in the younger boy and the gift of the?

6. Dr Bell and Blaney, their hostility, Blaney and his alleged drinking, his investigation of the murder case, being assigned to the next case, the range of encounters with Dr Bell, animosity?

7. The recreation of the murders, clues, not a common thief, the gloves left behind? The possibility of a female killer? The use of the gloves as a clue? Milburn and his denial, the salesman giving the truth, his admission? His work with Starr, loans, alleged rivalries? His wife and her testimony? Her relationship with Starr? Milburn as suspect, his murder?

8. The story of the cricket game, the man observing, the boy giving the name of Blaney? Milburn and his being ambidextrous?

9. The interrogation of the housekeeper, the maid, their loyalty to the dead woman? The knowledge of a relationship?

10. Dr Bell, his apology to Blaney? Then working out who was the culprit? Doyle and his concern about Blaney’s wife and her stroke? Her book and his admiration? The realisation that Blaney had written it?

11. Blaney, his confrontation of the criminal, shooting him? Accusing him? Dr Bell and the documents, noting the dust on the shelf? Blaney pulling the gun, his elaborate explanation and confession, the threat to the policeman present, Blaney shooting himself?

12. Doyle, the experience of working with Dr Bell, writing, his later career?