Holmes and Watson return

[Gary D.]

I’m glad that our local PBS is showing Sherlock Holmes, beginning with the earliest episodes. Except for the most famous of the stories, I tend to forget the solution, which is fine with me.



Edward Hardwicke is not in the first series. I like the first actor playing Dr. Watson, but, to me, Hardwicke was the definitive Dr. Watson, as was Jeremy Brett's Holmes. I've lost track of who's played the detective and his doctor sidekick--excluding Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, of course.



I am prejudiced in favor of Edward Hardwicke, since I was a fan of his father, Sir Cedric. Doubtless, the detective will be solving crimes long after most of us are no longer on the planet. I hope Brett and Hardwicke stay the standard to play against.

[faginsgirl]

It has taking me years to get used to watching Jeremy Brett, good actor but such a sinister looking man, I used to turn off when he used to come on, he gave me the creeps so much.



xx

[EHV_Emmetts]

name='Gary D.']I’m glad that our local PBS is showing Sherlock Holmes, beginning with the earliest episodes. Except for the most famous of the stories, I tend to forget the solution, which is fine with me.



Edward Hardwicke is not in the first series. I like the first actor playing Dr. Watson, but, to me, Hardwicke was the definitive Dr. Watson, as was Jeremy Brett's Holmes.

David Burke played Dr. Watson in the first series.

[batman]

name='Gary D.'] I like the first actor playing Dr. Watson, but, to me, Hardwicke was the definitive Dr. Watson

IMHO the definitive Watson is David Burke from the first series .... he captured the slight playfulness in the literary character's personality perfectly and was about the right age too. Hardwicke, while excellent in his own right, is a bit too old to be called the 'definitive' Watson. The best cinema Watson IMHO was Andre Morell in Hammer's HOTB.

[Windthrop]

name='batman']IMHO the definitive Watson is David Burke from the first series .... he captured the slight playfulness in the literary character's personality perfectly and was about the right age too. Hardwicke, while excellent in his own right, is a bit too old to be called the 'definitive' Watson. The best cinema Watson IMHO was Andre Morell in Hammer's HOTB.

EH was certainly slightly more 'traditional' than Burke. I thought EH was still very good. AM was no spring chicken himself when he played the part either. Hammers THOTB is regarded by many Baker St. Irregulars as the best of the Holmes films. Apart from a weak hound it still stands up well IMHO.

[David Brent]

I read this week that Guy Ritchie's next film will be about Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jnr. playing the lead role.



Strange choice . Surely that part should always go to a Brit actor.



Dave.

[batman]

name='David Brent']I read this week that Guy Ritchie's next film will be about Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jnr. playing the lead role.



Strange choice . Surely that part should always go to a Brit actor.



Dave.

Preferably, but Downey is good enough to bring it off IMHO.

[Steve Crook]

name='batman']Preferably, but Downey is good enough to bring it off IMHO.

He's good as an actor, he did Chaplin very well.

But is he still a bit flakey and unreliable as a person?

He seems to have got over the substance abuse stage



Steve

[batman]

name='Steve Crook']He's good as an actor, he did Chaplin very well.

But is he still a bit flakey and unreliable as a person?

He seems to have got over the substance abuse stage

Steve

The producers of Iron Man had nothing but praise for Downey's professionalism and attitude. For him to have been entrusted with the lead in a huge 'blockbuster' production he must have impressed the money men, and we all know how big a say they have in such things.

[maturin]

name='batman']IMHO the definitive Watson is David Burke from the first series .... he captured the slight playfulness in the literary character's personality perfectly and was about the right age too. Hardwicke, while excellent in his own right, is a bit too old to be called the 'definitive' Watson. The best cinema Watson IMHO was Andre Morell in Hammer's HOTB.

Absolutely agree about David Burke. I wonder why they made the change? Sadly, he doesn't seem to have done much of any significance afterwards.

[batman]

name='maturin']Absolutely agree about David Burke. I wonder why they made the change? Sadly, he doesn't seem to have done much of any significance afterwards.

David Burke wasn't able to carry one because he had accepted a job at the RSC after Jeremy Brett told him he wasn't going to do any more Holmes episodes. Brett then changed his mind and left DB up the creek. Burke was apparently really upset by this but he and Brett remained friends until Brett died. Hardwicke was an excellent replacement but, as DB7 said, he was a more traditional, stoic Watson rather than the more lively Watson of the books as was played by DB.

[maturin]

name='batman']David Burke wasn't able to carry one because he had accepted a job at the RSC after Jeremy Brett told him he wasn't going to do any more Holmes episodes. Brett then changed his mind and left DB up the creek. Burke was apparently really upset by this but he and Brett remained friends until Brett died. Hardwicke was an excellent replacement but, as DB7 said, he was a more traditional, stoic Watson rather than the more lively Watson of the books as was played by DB.

I see. Well I always liked him in Shakespeare - I seem to recall he played Gloucester in the BBC cycle.

[EHV_Emmetts]

David Burke (I)



David Burke revived his role as Watson for this programme.



"Biography" Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective (1995)

[djdave]

Notwithstanding Jeremy Brett's talented portrayal of the Victorian super sleuth, the very best Holmes was Christopher Plummer in 1979's Murder By Decree.



Plummer showed a sensitive side to Holmes: the scene with Genevive Bujold is quite moving.

[batman]

name='djdave']Notwithstanding Jeremy Brett's talented portrayal of the Victorian super sleuth, the very best Holmes was Christopher Plummer in 1979's Murder By Decree.



Plummer showed a sensitive side to Holmes: the scene with Genevive Bujold is quite moving.

Plummer is very good in MBD, but the portrayal is very different from the Holmes of the books. Plummer's portrayal of Holmes in the 70s TV version of Silver Blaze is much more 'Doyle-ian'. It is an excellent version of the story.

[Irongiant]

name='batman']David Burke wasn't able to carry one because he had accepted a job at the RSC after Jeremy Brett told him he wasn't going to do any more Holmes episodes. Brett then changed his mind and left DB up the creek. Burke was apparently really upset by this but he and Brett remained friends until Brett died. Hardwicke was an excellent replacement but, as DB7 said, he was a more traditional, stoic Watson rather than the more lively Watson of the books as was played by DB.

That contradicts what I had heard, ie that Burke left "to spend more time with his family". Although I suspect that is a standard explanation when an actor wants to leave a production for more 'negative' reasons which they don't want to bring to light.



I recall that Brett was suffering badly from depression (remember that he was bipolar) and had a breakdown around the period when he said he wasn't doing any more Holmes (his wife had just died) - so presumably he decided to do some more once he had recovered.



And for the record, I enjoy both portrayals of Watson but Hardwicke has the edge in my books.

[Sleepin_Dragon]

Burke is very good but Hardwicke had more time to settle into the part, better chemistry between him and Brett, definitely the definitive Watson :-)

[Panavision]

I remember reading that David Burke left because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Where've I heard that before? He's married, I think, to Anna Calder Marshall, so I suppose he would want to!



:- ) Johnny

[Freddy]

This are two quotes from JB's IMDb entry



"Edward is even more remarkable. I'll give you an example. You can publish it or not, it makes no difference to me. When I came out of the asylum, the person who collected me was Edward Hardwicke. He took me to an Italian restaurant. I had a pasta and a glass of red wine. He then drove me back to my home where we sat and had a cup of tea. It was Edward Hardwicke. He is one of the loveliest people, and I suppose he is the best friend that any man has ever had....in life. Which is after all how Doyle describes Watson."



(about David Burke) "The last time we finished filming together, I went down to the same train and waved goodbye to him. That was absolutely devastating. I don't know how I got back to the hotel. I thought 'What are we going to do now?' I was so proud of him for going back to his son. There would be more happy marriages if fathers went back to their children. His son was only two at the time."



Regards



FReddy

[batman]

name='Panavision']I remember reading that David Burke left because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Where've I heard that before? He's married, I think, to Anna Calder Marshall, so I suppose he would want to!



:- ) Johnny

DB has gone on record as saying that he had wanted to do more Holmes episodes but that JB said he didn't. DB then accepted a job with the RSC. He said that he was upset when he heard that JB had changed his mind but that he was happy to continue with the RSC as it meant he had been able to spend more time with his family. JBs decisions about the Holmes series were indeed influenced by his health.