The Sign of Four 1932/The Speckled Band 1931

[Nick Beal]

I've just started to explore the pre-Rathbone Sherlock Holmes pictures, all of which would seem to be in the public domain and available in endless box sets of Detective Movie compilations from the likes of Mill Creek and Alpha. I found I had five different copies of THE SIGN OF FOUR (1932), all in the form of similarly atrocious prints. The best (least atrocious!) of these had that intermittent little tell-tale white rectangle at the top right of the screen that used to appear before commercial breaks on UK television. This print was from Nostalgia Family Video BTW. I wondered therefore if I am right and that SIGN OF FOUR has played on UK TV and whether any board members have a 'better' copy to sell or trade.
There's much discussion on the IMDB about the possible existence of a longer cut of the outstanding Raymond Massey version of THE SPECKLED BAND (1931), which again exists in Public Domain limbo.The IMDB gives a run time of " 90 minutes/ USA 66 minutes" but all the available versions seem to run for around 48 minutes, despite stating otherwise on the packaging. Is there a more complete version out there? FWIW the best copy I've found of this is a pin-sharp (if battered) print that's available for a few pounds on a 2004 dual layer disc from a company called Classic Entertainment accompanied by SILVER BLAZE aka MURDER AT THE BASKERVILLES (1938) and BLAKE OF SCOTLAND YARD (1936).

[didi-5]

I have the same versions as you, the 48 minute Speckled Band and the horrible print Sign of Four. They were part of a set with the Reginald Owen Study in Scarlet. I don't know of any other longer versions around, sadly.

[Gerald Lovell]

The copy I have came from Sinister Cinema and although I haven't watched it for a while, I think it's as good as the copy I recorded offair when the film was shown on Channel 4 a number of years ago.

[image45]

I would be happy to see some more Eille Norwood 1920's silent Sherlock Holmes episodes!

[didi-5]

I would be happy to see some more Eille Norwood 1920's silent Sherlock Holmes episodes!

So would I! I have the three which have been released to DVD and seen one other. They're very good indeed and he was an excellent choice for Holmes. He played the part on stage as well and must have been closely identified with the Great Detective for most of the 1920s.

[Gerald Lovell]

Me too. Conan Doyle admired Norwood's portrayal and said "He has that rare quality which can only be described as glamour, which compels you to watch an actor eagerly even when he is doing nothing." Norwood had a taste for loud dressing gowns, mind you; thankfully for that, his films were silents!

[image45]

So would I! I have the three which have been released to DVD and seen one other. They're very good indeed and he was an excellent choice for Holmes. He played the part on stage as well and must have been closely identified with the Great Detective for most of the 1920s.

Could I ask what the other Eille Norwood 1920's silent Sherlock Holmes episode you watched was please?

The double lengh version of Hound of the Baskervilles looks an amazing Norwood episode.

[CaptainWaggett]

Possibly the Mazarin Stone - I saw it at the Barbican a couple of years ago and maybe Didi did too.