#a study in terror

[holmesiansource]

A STUDY IN TERROR (1965) dir. James Hill

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Portrayals of Inspector Lestrade

Having just finished my list of my favorite fictional detectives, I felt it was time to return to my absolute favorite of the bunch: Sherlock Holmes. In the past, I have done lists related to Holmes himself, as well as his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson, and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. I recently revisited those three countdowns to see if I would change anything, and…at the moment, no, I think they’re still pretty solidly set. HOWEVER, I’ve never gone over any of the other major characters in the Sherlock Holmes universe since those three. I haven’t covered his other allies, or any other noteworthy antagonists he faced. So, I decided it was time to fix that problem. These lists WILL have descriptions, but they’ll be very brief, partially just because I don’t have a TON to say about most of the characters/portrayals involved. We’ll start off with a Top 10 devoted to Scotland Yard’s most competent detective, Inspector Lestrade.

In the books, Lestrade is one of Holmes’ closest compatriots. While the super sleuth frequently interacts with various Scotland Yard officers, Lestrade is the most recurring, and has the most rapport with Sherlock. Their relationship is an…interesting one, to say the least. On the one hand, the two do care about each other, and there is some level of mutual respect under their respective, prickly surfaces. However, the pair bicker constantly, and always seem to be trying to one-up each other. Holmes concedes that Lestrade is probably the best detective at the Yard, but with the caveat that he is “the best of a bad bunch.” Lestrade, meanwhile, often tries to downplay Holmes’ unique skills in favor of boosting his own ego, and is forever frustrated by Sherlock’s antics. At the same time, he recognizes Holmes is very helpful to himself and the force, and for all his faults, he always manages to help the Inspector catch the crooks in the end. Indeed, the main reason Lestrade usually fails is because he ironically tends to jump the gun: he’s someone who fails to look at the big picture, or else notice the smaller details, which is what Holmes is very good at. If he just took his time more, he could probably get to the bottom of things more quickly…but Holmes can do all that in an instant, so it’s a good thing he’s hanging around. Different interpretations throughout adaptations and reimaginings of the Holmes universe have reinterpreted Lestrade in a number of ways (and with no less than two different pronunciations of his name; “Leh-strawed” seems to be the most common, but a couple choose to say “Less-trade”). Some versions of him are more comical and bungling, while some are more serious but still not quite as brilliant as Holmes. Some make the character more bullheaded and easily angered, while others make him more supportive and friendly. Many of the best find some sort of balance between these disparate elements; while he may not get the kudos that Holmes and Watson get, Lestrade is an interesting character in his own right, with a lot of layers writers, actors, and directors can play with. Having said that, here are some I particularly enjoy. So STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW! Here are My Top 10 Favorite Portrayals of Inspector Lestrade.

10. Frank Finlay, from A Study in Terror & Murder By Decree.

Finlay played Lestrade, by sheer coincidence, in two completely different films that have the same premise: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper. He looks, sounds, and generally behaves exactly the same in both movies, too. It’s rather uncanny, really.

9. Eddie Marsan, from the Guy Ritchie Films.

In the first film, Lestrade is a major character, and the way they play with his relationship with Sherlock is surprising; it’s just a shame he’s little more than a cameo in the second film.

8. Jeffrey Jones, from Without a Clue.

Arguably the most bumbling version of the character on this list. However, since this movie is an outright comedy, I don’t mind this. Plus, Jeffrey Jones is just a lot of fun as an actor, in general.

7. Peter Madden, from the 60s BBC Series.

In some ways, I think this might be the most book-accurate take on Lestrade, especially in terms of physical appearance. Madden only played the character in the first season of the series; in the second season, actor William Lucas took over. Weirdly enough, Madden did appear in the second season playing a completely different character in one episode. Not really sure why he was recast.

6. Dennis Hoey, from the Universal Films.

Alongside Jones, the most bungling version of Lestrade, frequently used as comic relief. In most of the films - not all, but most - he makes Nigel Bruce’s infamously doofy Watson look like a genius in comparison. He’s a lot of fun, though, and the chemistry between the three performers is great every time.

5. Rupert Graves, from Sherlock.

Arguably the most serious version of Lestrade on the list. I love the sort of normalcy he brings to the crazy world of Holmes and Watson, and the way he’s able to just put up with all the nonsense Sherlock shoves onto him, as well as find ways to rein Holmes in.

4. Archie Duncan, from the 50s TV Series.

This Lestrade is able to be extremely funny without actually being a moron; while he always needs Holmes to help him out, it’s mostly just because he’s impulsive and hotheaded, and therefore doesn’t always think things through or notice the details Sherlock notices. (Just like in the books.) Duncan, like Peter Madden, would weirdly play other characters in the show BESIDES Lestrade, including a villain in one story. Very talented performer who was always good to see in action!

3. The Version from Moriarty the Patriot.

This is probably the most friendly and encouraging version of Lestrade on the list, though he still gets righteously annoyed with both Holmes AND Moriarty in the series. I love his energy and the integrity the character has in the show; like Holmes, he’s willing to bend the rules to see justice done, and will never give up no matter what, which explains why they like each other above all else.

2. Akiko Morison, from Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century.

This version is a female descendant of the original inspector, named Beth Lestrade. She actually was more of a standout to me in this show than Watson was! Once again, this version isn’t depicted is an idiot - she’s fiery, strong, and very good at her job, with great instincts. Her problem is that, once again, she doesn’t always pick up on the details or fully understand the situation, which leads to conflict and her need to have Holmes around.

1. Colin Jeavons, from the Granada Series.

The definitive take on Lestrade, just as Jeremy Brett was the definitive take on Holmes, in my opinion. Jeavons plays Lestrade as a slightly pompous and rather sarcastic police officer, but he also seems to be one of the versions of the character who has the best sort of relationship with Sherlock. I love the chemistry between the pair, and how they each seem to sort of admire each other, though neither will ever admit it. At the same time, that competitive rivalry between the two has rarely been showcased better. Altogether marvelous.

[lexie-squirrel]

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2022:

83. A Study in Terror (1965) - Dir. James Hill

[sherlockholmesbracket]

Perhaps Sherlock from A Study in Terror (1965), played by John Neville.

People sure like putting Holmes on the case of the ripper! Sherlock Holmes!

[bakerstreetbabble]

Wrapping up 2023 with a Sherlock Holmes movie!

Here we are, in the last several hours of 2023, and I thought I'd spend an hour and a half watching a Sherlock Holmes film that I'd never seen before: the 1965 film, A Study in Terror, starring John Neville as Holmes and Donald Houston as Watson, as well as Anthony Quayle as Dr. Murray, and Frank Finlay as Lestrade. (A young Judi Dench plays a small role, too.)

The film pits the world's greatest detective against that most frightening of 19th-century killers, Jack the Ripper! To be honest, there's not really a whole lot of impressive deduction to be found in the film, but it is pretty enjoyable anyway. Neville is quite good as Holmes, and Houston is a solid Watson. Frank Finlay (who played Iago in Laurence Olivier's rather infamous Othello) is quite good as Lestrade, and Robert Morley's portrayal of Mycroft Hoimes is quite entertaining. I won't give away any of the plot, as part of the enjoyment of any Jack the Ripper film is trying to figure out the identity of the killer.

It's certainly not the best Sherlock Holmes film I've ever seen, but it's far from being the worst. Apart from some hairdos that looked considerably more mid-60s than Victorian in style, most of the costumes and sets looked pretty good to me. And the movie's pace is fairly quick, so it never gets boring. Overall, a pretty enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half! (You can watch the film at the YouTube link below.)

Thanks for reading, and I'll be back in 2024 for more Sherlockian fun!

[jirving]

Widower

[tadpal]

patron saint of sharp objects

[anne-is-confused]

sorry jopson i know this is your moment but she's just so pretty here :(

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Leonid Pasternak (1862-1945) "The Night Before the Exam" (1895) Oil on canvas Post-Impressionism Located in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France

[clandestinegardenias]

I just taught a sociology class on masculinities this past semester and I had my students do a media analysis of masculine representation in a movie or show of their choosing and—

Now I’m constantly thinking about The Terror.

And of course there’s SO MUCH THERE, I could do a fucking thesis, probably, but

I’m so interested in James Fitzjames and his relationship to masculinity, particularly as a performance. He’s so incredibly image-conscious, and has HAD to be in order to hide the realities of his birth. He buys into the social norms and goals of his time, HARD. He also has, as is slowly revealed in the show, a variety of more feminine longings and traits that are probably part and parcel of his insecurities.

So he adopts this sort of…overperformed masculinity, but a very specific upper-socioeconomic British Navy type. It also makes him very bragadocious (the China story) in an attempt to cover over those insecurities, and I think this is part of why Francis dislikes him at first.

Because Francis also has a variety of reasons to be insecure in his masculinity, potentially, as an Irish man. He’s denied the upper eschelons of male privilege (marrying Sophia, having command of an expedition) despite performing well on all expected metrics.

Yet he takes a very different approach from James. Once he realizes he’ll never be allowed to meet the hegemonic ideal, he kind of just…stops trying. He rejects the performance, the ideal, all of it (and also is uhhh super depressed and reliant on alcohol). And I think he sneers at James because James is doggedly doing the very performance Francis is fed up with.

Then. Later. He learns how much of it WAS a performance to cover up for those self same “failings” of being an outsider that plagued Francis himself. And that bonds them. Besides the fact that Francis APPRECIATES femininity, respects it, in a way that a lot of the other men don’t (see his relationships with both Sophia and Silna) and probably appreciates whatever feminine aspects of himself James chooses to reveal.

But BACK TO JAMES, I gotta talk about the dress scene.

It hurts so much. Because James BUYS INTO Carnivale, and it allows him to express his more feminine creative side in a way that is socially acceptable—it’s for the morale of the men, and maybe finally James’ true self can be a BOON to his role as leader instead of a drawback. He has the opportunity to combine those masculine and feminine parts of himself and have that combination be CELEBRATED and lauded as good leadership.

And then. The blood at his hairline. And reality comes crashing back down. And he doesn’t wear the dress.

Anyway, this is just some preliminary ramblings. Obviously a lot more going on here, esp re: intersectionality and race and class.

[cashmere-caveman]

when u are a guy who is super normal about his boss and also his boss' wannabe arch-nemesis (more terror text post memes)

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Portrayals of Mycroft Holmes

In my last couple lists for the supporting cast of Sherlock Holmes, I discussed two of his closest allies: Mrs. Hudson and Inspector Lestrade. It’s now time for another of his allies, though perhaps the most begrudging of them all: his elder brother, Mycroft Holmes. Mycroft is an intriguing character, because there are essentially two completely different ways to portray him. In the original books, Mycroft is declared to be even smarter than Sherlock is, which is already quite interesting. What makes him even more fascinating, however, is the reveal of his career: Mycroft “IS the British Government.” He’s the head of political and military intelligence, his power seemingly second only to the Prime Minister and the Royal Family themselves. With so much power and brilliance, one would expect Mycroft to be a rather imposing figure…but in Conan Doyle’s stories, the character is actually depicted a sort of comical figure. Mycroft is a sort of stereotypical, pompous bureaucrat in the books; like Sherlock, he’s a trifle eccentric, as well as rather pompous and slightly foppish in demeanor. The humor comes from his blustering attitude and exaggerated rotundity, which are completely at odds with the potential for something more dangerous when you realize what and who he really is. As a result of this dichotomy, different reimaginings and adaptations of Mycroft tend to gravitate more towards one side or the other: some versions play the character very much in the Conan Doyle vein, as a comically uppercrust caricature. Others, however, have focused much more on his political prowess, making him a much more serious character, with the humor stemming now from his dandy manners and the relationship he has with his brother. In the books, Sherlock and Mycroft have a SLIGHT sibling rivalry, but they actually seem to get along fairly well; most reinterpretations, however, really play up that rivalry and have the two constantly at each other’s throats…but when push comes to shove, that brotherly love still shines through. With so many different ways to handle Mycroft, choosing my favorites was rather difficult: this duality to the character and the way he’s been portrayed means that he is both easy to mess up and yet hard to mess up at the same time, if you can imagine such a paradox. I think, however, that the choices I’ve made are more or less finite, though a few may rise or fall on the scale depending on my mood, more than anything else. With that said, here are My Top 10 Portrayals of Mycroft Holmes!

10. Rhys Ifans, from Elementary.

It took me a while to warm up to this version of Mycroft, but ultimately I did come to like him. In here, instead of being the head of British intelligence, Mycroft is simply an AGENT of said intelligence: he’s essentially this universe’s version of James Bond, a suave and classy spy for MI6, who works under the facade of a restauranteur. While I do have a few issues with this take on the character, overall I think it’s an interesting one; a big part of what makes him good comes from Ifans’ acting.

9. Robert Morley, from A Study in Terror.

This Mycroft COULD have been in my Top 5, at the very least, if he had a larger role. Morley is probably the most book-accurate take on Mycroft ever, but he’s only in the film for a couple of short minutes, and…well…frankly, he has absolutely NO purpose to be in the story at all. I feel like someone just included him BECAUSE they wanted to see Robert Morley play this character, and…fair play to them, I suppose, I’m glad it happened. I just wish he had more of a reason to be there, and more screentime in his pocket.

8. Peter Jeffrey, from Hands of a Murderer.

In this period remake of “The Woman in Green” (one of the Basil Rathbone films), Jeffrey’s Mycroft ends up being kidnapped by Professor Moriarty, who is seeking information he wishes to sell to enemy agents. (Which actually sounds similar to a completely different Rathbone movie, “Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon,” but I digress.) While his role is relatively peripheral, I enjoy Jeffrey’s work with the character, and they really play around wonderfully with the relationship between the two brothers.

7. Richard E. Grant, from Sherlock: Case of Evil.

While Mycroft’s role in this film is small, his presence is important: it’s revealed that part of the reason he is such a reclusive figure is because he was captured and tortured by Moriarty (after the previous pick, I’m sensing a pattern) during Sherlock’s first encounter with his arch-nemesis. Mycroft’s brain is as sharp as ever, but his body still bears scars. This is one of the most supportive takes on the character out there, and Grant plays him very well.

6. Boris Klyuyev, from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson. 

Arguably one of the funniest versions of Mycroft, in my opinion. This Russian-made TV film series used Mycroft fairly often, and he was always fun to see in action, really leaning into the comedy of the character from the original stories, and even doing a few new things with him, such as having him help Mrs. Hudson during “The Tiger Hunt” (their adaptation of “The Empty House”). Very, very amusing to watch.

5. The Version from Moriarty the Patriot.

This version takes some obvious cues from the rendition from “Sherlock,” portraying Mycroft as a more traditionally handsome, limber fellow, and really emphasizing his power as “the very embodiment of the British government.” However, he’s a much “warmer” character than the BBC version, which I think helps make him stand out, and gives him a little more of the humor that was present in the original stories. In Japan, he's voiced by Hiroki Yasumoto; the English dub is played by "Black Butler" star himself, J. Michael Tatum.

4. Stephen Fry, from the Guy Ritchie Films.

Mycroft appears in the second film, “Game of Shadows,” in another case of a “small but important” sort of role. Some of the funniest scenes in the film are thanks to him, and he’s also important in terms of the movie’s climax and conclusion. Fry is a shockingly book-accurate take on the character for the modern era, both in appearance and portrayal, and I think that’s a big part of why I like him. For all the things these films did differently from Conan Doyle, Mycroft almost feels ripped straight out of the pages.

3. Christopher Lee, from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.

Lee was the first “serious” Mycroft, depicting the character as a more athletic and icy sort of character. This is ironic, since “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes” is mostly rather comedic in nature, although it does have its hard edges. With that said, while he is a bit more dramatic than earlier interpretations, he still has a lot of humorous bits and moments. Plus, it’s Christopher Lee: of COURSE he’s awesome.

2. Mark Gatiss, from Sherlock.

Gatiss not only plays Mycroft in the series, but is also one of its chief creators. As if the guy needed MORE power. This version rather famously plays up Mycroft as a very, VERY authoritarian figure: much colder and more mean-spirited than almost any other interpretation. At times, he’s more of an antagonist than a protagonist in the show. However, he does still have a heart hidden under his dictatorial ways, a fact that’s made clear literally from the start of the series, and does help Sherlock out in various ways throughout the show. I was sorely tempted to make him number one…hopefully the person I chose instead won’t disappoint.

1. Charles Gray, from the Granada Series.

Gray first played the character in the film “The Seven Per-Cent Solution,” but it’s the Granada series (with Jeremy Brett as his younger brother) that I REALLY recognize him for. Alongside Robert Morley (and possibly Stephen Fry), I would argue that this is the most book-accurate take on Mycroft there’s ever been. I love how even though he is depicted as the generally more lighthearted figure from the original stories, he’s not played up as a caricature or a cartoon, and can be serious when the moment calls for it. The show even had two episodes where Mycroft took the place of each of the Baker Street gang, with one episode teaming him up with his brother, and another teaming him up with Watson. Gatiss may be more recognizable nowadays, but for me, Gray IS Mycroft, just as Brett IS Sherlock and Colin Jeavons IS Lestrade, plain and simple.

[match-0-stick]

Look! The same white man over and over again.

Ok I tried to make them look different from each other but I swear, the first time I watch The Terror, especially in that dim yellow light, I thought they just copy and pasted the same dude over and over.

Especially Little and Collins

Also ignore that I spelled Dundy’s name wrong, I could’ve sworn it had a u in it.

[silknest]

[wantsusdead]

FRANCIS CROZIER — 1.01 'Go For Broke' ◈ [crozier gifs] ◈