Your Favourite Dr Watson

[billy farmer]

I know we already have a thread on your favourite Sherlock Holmes i thought i would start a new thead to see who Brit Movie Members favourite Dr Watson is and what other Watsons they liked. I first saw the Basil Rathbone Homes films in the early 1980's and they introduced me to the world of Sherlock Homes and i have been a big fan ever since, i have always liked Nigel Bruce's performance as Dr Watson despite his bumbling portrayal and i have always thought Rathbone and Bruce made a great team, their are many other film Watsons i like including Andre Morell, Donald Houston and James Mason, the best TV Watsons for me are Nigel Stock, David Burke and Edward Hardwicke all faithful to Conan Doyle's Watson, the Granada Holmes Series was a great triumph, i visited Baker Street in 2002 and saw many props from the Granada Series at the Sherlock Holmes Memorabilia Company, Michael Williams was also the Perfect Watson to Clive Merrison's Holmes on the Radio.

[batman]

My top 5 would be ....



1 - Andre Morell (Peter Cushing's Watson in Hammer's Hound of the Baskervilles)

2 = David Burke (Jeremy Brett's Watson #1)

2 = Edward Hardwicke (Jeremy Brett's Watson #2)

4 - Nigel Bruce (Basil Rathbone's Watson)

5 - Kenneth Welsh (Matt Frewer's Watson in a series of Canadian TV films)

[James Fox]

David Burke, though I've never heard Michael Williams' version (as I'm a big fan, he might very well be my favorite).

[ChuckEddie]

My favouite Watson was Nigel Stock, to the Holmes of Douglas Wilmer(my best Holmes) and Peter Cushing.



I did like both David Burke and Edward Hardwicke to Jeremy Brett.



Ian Hart also did a good job with Richard Roxburgh/Rupert Everett.

[moonfleet]

¤ Robert Duvall in Sherlock Holmes Attaque L'Orient- Express aka The 7% Solution



¤ Alan Cox as young Watson in Pyramid of Fear ====> The scene in the cemetery, where he hallucinates being attacked by pastries is hilarious ...



Moon.

[smiffy]

name='batman']My top 5 would be ....



1 - Andre Morell (Peter Cushing's Watson in Hammer's Hound of the Baskervilles)

2 = David Burke (Jeremy Brett's Watson #1)

2 = Edward Hardwicke (Jeremy Brett's Watson #2)

4 - Nigel Bruce (Basil Rathbone's Watson)

5 - Kenneth Welsh (Matt Frewer's Watson)

Excellent choices bats , have to agree with all except I would choose Nigel Bruce over Andre Morell for the big screen watson .

[didi-5]

My top five would be



Edward Hardwicke to Jeremy Brett's Holmes

Colin Blakley to Robert Stephens

H Marion Crawford to Ronald Howard

Nigel Stock to Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing

David Burke to Jeremy Brett

[Dr. Schreck]

Bats nailed down quite a good collection, although my choices differ a bit. My faves would be:



1. André Morell

2. Edward Hardwicke

3. Sir John Mills

4. James Mason

5. David Burke

[wadsy]

Nigel Bruce

Andre Morell

Donald Houston

Edward Hardwicke

Nigel Stock

[torinfan]

John Mills



I also like the "Up at Bat" episode of Gilligan's Island where the Professor is Sherlock Holmes and the Skipper is Col. Watney in a dream sequence that Gilligan has. Watney sounded funnier than Watson. One of my favorite GI episodes.

[gumby1987]

Ben Kingsley to Michael Caine's Holmes in the comedy "Without a Clue" - a nice twist on the idea, and its one of my favourite big screen double acts.

[CaptainWaggett]

[mallee59]

name='gumby1987']Ben Kingsley to Michael Caine's Holmes in the comedy "Without a Clue" - a nice twist on the idea, and its one of my favourite big screen double acts.

I agree, excellent choice

along with Edward Hardwicke and David Burke

mallee

[billy farmer]

Some excellent Watsons listed above, i also enjoyed the performances of David Healy and Donald Churchill as Watson in the two Ian Richardson Holmes films The Sign Of Four and The Hound Of The Baskervilles, i have always thought that it was a shame that Ian Richardson didn't make more Holmes films.

[EHV_Emmetts]

name='gumby1987']Ben Kingsley to Michael Caine's Holmes in the comedy "Without a Clue" - a nice twist on the idea, and its one of my favourite big screen double acts.

Watson (Kingsley) who is the real sleuth - 'Dr. Watson - The Crime Detective' hires a bad actor called Reginald Kincaid (Caine) to play Holmes.

[GoggleboxUK]

David Burke for me, faultless.

[jaycad]

without a doubt it has to be david burke for me-closely followed by edward hardwicke then nigel stock! burke's watson is closer in terms of age to bretts holmes and a bit more feisty than hardwicke which gives him the edge for me! all three don't succumb to the stereotype (that nigel bruce's watson gave birth to)that watson was a bumbling idiot-although conan doyle refers to watson as 'holmes' rather stupid friend' in a 1936 filmed interview, i think he was playing up to the stage versions of his characters as the text doesn't portray watson as an idiot-rather an enthusiastic and loyal friend and advocate of holmes' practice! the calibre of edward hardwickes portrayal is measured by the fact that he is ranked alongside of burke even though he replaced him! and nigel stocks watson was the first serious portrayal from what i've seen.

[will.15]

Since no one has mentioned his name (I hope I remeber it correctly), I liked Marion Crawford very much in the 1950's TV series, playing the role with humor, but not a complete idiot like-you-know-who.

[Dr. Schreck]

name='jaycad']nigel stocks watson was the first serious portrayal from what i've seen.

The first was André Morell in Hammer's version of The Hound of the Baskervilles, in fact - energetic, trusty, and quite the military type. Stock's was quite good, but sometimes a bit blockheaded, I think. Marion Crawford had too much of the Nigel Bruce mode to my taste, but then I think Ronald Howard not a very good Holmes ...



I mentioned Burke already as one of my fave Watsons. I do prefer Hardwicke to him, though. Burke was all surprise, excitement, almost worshipping Holmes. Hardwicke was a bit more down-to-earth, and it was clear that, while appreciating Holmes, he took the detective's eccentricities with humor - which must have been the only way to survive Holmes, especially Bretts.

[Windthrop]

I generally agree with all the above ....... but would add



James Mason



&



Ian Hart



To me it is not just a question of fidelity with the texts but is there chemistry between Holmes and Watson and in that sense Rathbone and Bruce are still amongst the very best along with Cushing and Morell and Brett and Burke/Hardwicke.



The double act I still haven't seen is Geoffrey Whitehead and Donald Pickering. There were some good directors on the series - Val Guest, Freddie Francis and Roy Ward Baker - and Anthony Burgess amongst the writers. There is a brief clip on Youtube but little else has been seen of it.