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flammentanz · 9 months

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To @cackled0g and to @holmesoldfellow

Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend Dr. Watson have a very long tradition over here in Germany. Personally I’m an avid fan since my teens when I watched “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1939) starring the immortal Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce when it was first broadcast on East German television in 1984.

Nearly all important film adaptions of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson have been dubbed and broadcast in Germany either in the cinema or in television. Here are a few examples:

In 1969 and in the early and mid Eighties East German television first dubbed and broadcast nearly all movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. All films about the Nazi issue were only dubbed after the fall of the wall. All films are relaesed on DVD and they are are frequently repeated. Theses films are so hugely popular over here that Basil Rathbone is considered as the epitome of Sherlock Holmes by most viewers. For me personally he is the reason for my lifelong enthusiasm for Sherlock Holmes. “The Hound of the Baskvervilles” in the first German dubbed version from 1984: https://youtu.be/sD9M7pxP7Nk

In the early and mid Eighties East German television dubbed and broadcast the Russian television series starring Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin. It was very well received but never hugely popular in the former GDR and was never repeated since its premiere. This series was never broadcast in West German television, Sadly not all dubbed films still exist in the archives but the remaining ones have been released on three DVDs in 2019 in the German version. As for me I simply love these two wonderful actors in these roles and so I made a video tribute in honour to their unforgettable portrayals: https://youtu.be/0jaSdOrntDc

The miniseries “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1982) starring Tom Baker and Terence Rigby as Holmes and Watson were dubbed and broadcast at East German television in 1985.

In the mid and late eighties East German television dubbed and broadcast the Granada series starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes. The series didn't achieve anywhere near the popularity with the general public as it enjoys in the English-speaking world. The series was only very rarely repeated but is now completly available on DVD.

The Hammer film “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1959) starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and André Morell as Dr. Watson was a great success in West Germany. The German dubbed version can be watched here: https://youtu.be/SWgtjG8O_qQ The television series starring Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock as Holmes and Watson was never broadcast on German television. The episodes were only dubbed for DVD in 2017.

In 1962 Terence Fisher directed the movie “Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes” (Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace”) starring Christopher Lee as Sherlock Holmes and Thorley Walters as Dr. Watson. The cast included numerous German and Austrian actors includig Hans Söhnker (1903 - 1981) as Professor Moriarty. Fun fact: actor Harry Wüstenhagen, who dubbed Christopher Lee in this movie also dubbed Ian Richardson, John Neville and Nicol Williams in their portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. This movie is available on DVD as well as the other ones I mentioned.

“Murder by Decree” (1979) starring Christopher Plummer and James Mason as Holmes and Watson was dubbed in West Germany and called “Mord an der Themse” (“Murder at the Thames”). It is available on DVD. The German dubbed version can be watched here: https://youtu.be/AANCR2K17F0

In 1982 West German television dubbed and broadcast the series “Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson” starring Geoffrey Whitehead and Donald Pickering. It was quite a success but only very rarely repeated. Meanwhile it is available on DVD. German dubbed episodes can be watched on YouTube: https

Sherlock Holmes in Germany

Alwin Neuß (1879 - 1935) was the first German actor to play the master detective in a movie. In 1914 he played Sherlock Holmes in “Der Hund von Baskerville” (”The Hound of the Baskervilles”). This silent movie was so successful that three sequels were made between 1914 and 1915. Oddly enough Dr. Watson does not appear in them at all. The first film can be watched here: https://youtu.be/PMhVAqef2nY

"Der Hund von Baskerville" (“The Hound of the Baskervilles”) made in 1929 is the last German silent movie about an adventure of Sherlock Holmes. It was directed by Richard Oswald (1880 - 1963), who also directed a German version of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" with three sequels (1914/15) starring Alwin Neuß. Oswald also wrote the screenplay for the very first film version of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” in 1914 which was directed by Rudolf Meinert. The cast is international: an American actor as Sherlock Holmes, a Russian actor as Dr. Watson, a German actor as Stapleton, an Italian actor as Sir Henry Baskerville, an Austrian actress as Beryl Stapleton, an Austrian actor as Dr. Mortimer and a German-Baltic actor as Barrymore. Remarkably, Fritz Rasp (1891 - 1976), who portrays the demonic Stapleton in this movie, plays the servant Barrymore in the sound film version "Der Hund von Baskerville" from 1937. This version is available on DVD and can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dOO1BwcpP_g

The sound film "Der Hund von Baskerville" (“The Hound of the Baskervilles”) was made in 1937 by Czech director Carl Lamač. The film has a great atmosphere and a cast of then very popular German actors. Especially Erich Ponto (to foreign film viewers very well known for his sinister role as Dr. Winkel in “The Third Man”) as Stapleton and Fritz Rasp (who mostly played sinister roles during his long film career) are great. Unfortunately actor Bruno Güttner (1909 - 1945) as Sherlock Holmes is pretty bland in his role, he even was dubbed by a more experienced actor in this film. Fritz Odemar (1890 - 1955) gives a good and amusing performance as Dr. Watson and does not portray him as a buffon. The movie is available on DVD and can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XrbMR9NZkVc

“Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war” (“The man who was Sherlock Holmes”) (1937) is a crime comedy directed by Austrian director Karl Hartl. The film starres Hans Albers as Morris Flynn and Heinz Rühmann as Macky McPherson. Albers (1891 - 1960) and Rühmann (1902 - 1994) were two of the most popular German actors at that time, and they are still very popular over here. The film deals with two broke English private detectives who decide to pose as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to get lucrative jobs. The official authorities obviously do not know that the English master detective and his friend are only products of the imagination of writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and want them to to solve the theft of the Red and the Blue Mauritius. When their real identity is established, they are taken to court for fraud. Only now writer Conan Doyle (played by actor Paul Bildt without a moustache) declares that he is the spiritual father of Holmes and Watson. As he is very satisfied with the appearance of Flynn and McPherson, they are acquitted by the court. The false Holmes and Watson even sing a song called “Jawohl, meine Herr’n” (“Yes, gentlemen”) while taking a bath. This crime comedy is very entertaining, I can't find any hints of the Nazi period it was made. The movie was released on DVD and can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vWz-ZYIKsEI

Altough Holmes and Watson were immensly popular in East Germany there was never made a movie nor a television film or series especially about them. There are only exist spoofs.

In the Seventies the drawing of the lottery numbers were enriched in East German television with short films of different genres. When the number 19 was drawn it was always a humourous crime film. In three of them appaered the English master detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful friend Dr. Watson. In "James, der Butler" ("James, the butler") we see Ezard Haußmann, who later dubbed Vasily Livanov in "The Hound of the Baskervilles", and Hannes Stelzer. In the monochrome version of "Spuk im Schloss" ("Haunting in the castle") Jürgen Frohriep and Horst Torka played Holmes and Watson. Torka repeated his role as Watson in a new and colorized version of the same story while Alfred Struwe played Sherlock Holmes. These episodes are part of the DVD edition “Die Tele-Lotto Kurzkrimis”. Alfred Struwe returned to the role of Sherlock Holmes in 1979, when he played in a spoof with the absurd title "Kille Kille Händchen" ("Kill, kill little hand"). Photos of it can be seen here: https://www.tumblr.com/flammentanz/626097658197622784/completely-unknown-german-sherlock-holmes-in-the?source=share

The East German children movie “Unternehmen Geigenkasten” (“Operation violin case”) made in 1984 deals with two school boys who want to solve crimes like Holmes and Watson after they have seen “Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war” on television. This film can be watched here: https://youtu.be/5CDlfPl6ibU

“Sherlock Holmes und die sieben Zwerge” (“Sherlock Holmes and the Seven Dwarfs”) made in 1992 by director Günter meyer was one of the last big production of East German television after the fall of the wall. The eight part children series starres Alfred Müller (1926 - 2010) - a big star in East Germany - as newly retired Detective Inspector Hans Holms (the only real connection to the master detective is his name and sometimes his clothings) who looks after his grandchildren Anne and Martin while his daughter and his son-in-law are abroad. With the help of a magical armchair, Holms and his grandchildren can travel to Wonderland, where they are inter alia asked by the seven dwarfs to search for the kidnapped Snow White and meet other fairy tale characters. Their great adversary in all adventures is a demonic black magician. The whole series is available on DVD. The trailer can be watched here: https://youtu.be/blrc8cE6jSk

For a serises about famous detectives the television movie “Sherlock Holmes liegt im Sterben” (“Sherlock Holmes is dying”) was made for the West German television in 1954. It starres Ernst Fritz Fürbringer (1900 - 1988) as Sherlock Holmes and Harald Mannl (1904 - 1964) as Dr. Watson. The complete movie is lost, there is only this fragment that still exists: https://youtu.be/LGvELtv6Q10

“Der Hund von Baskerville” (“The Hound of the Baskervilles”) was made for West German televsion in 1955. It was directed by Fritz Umgelter and starres Wolf Ackva (1911 - 2000) as Sherlock Holmes and Arnulf Schröder(1903 - 1960) as Dr. Watson. I don’t know if this movie still exists in the archives.

“Das Zeichen der Vier” (“The Sign of Four”) was made for West German television in 1974 starring German actor Rolf Becker (born in 1935) and French actor Roger Lumont (born in 1934). It was never repearted since, and I don't know if it still exists in the archives. Here are Becker and Lumont:

In 1966 the television movie “Conan Doyle und der Fall Edalji” (“Conan Doyle and the case Edalji”) directed by Karlheinz Bieber was made. It starres Paul Klinger (1907 - 1971) - who mostly played likeable roles and was very popular because of it in Germany (because of his sonorous voice he also was a verya renowned voice actor) - as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film is based on facts that took place from 1903 until 1907. Young Indian solictior George Edalji was exposed to racist hostilities and was wrongly accused of animal mutilations. Arthur Conan Doyle made his own investigations which led to an acquittal of Edalji. In the movie Conan Doyle uses the methods of Sherlock Holmes to solve the case. The film is available on DVD and can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/32H3PmBcJrM Paul Klinger as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:

In 1968 Germany got its own Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at last. In 1967 the WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk), a local TV channel of the West German television, produced a six episode television series about the English master detective Sherlock Holmes. Strangely enough, the series was not broadcast under the title “Sherlock Holmes” but the opening credits name the author Arthur Conan Doyle. The series was based on translated scripts written for the BBC series starring Douglas Wilmer. The series was first aired on Sunday afternoons from from October 1, 1967 to March 18, 1968.

Erich Schellow (1915 - 1995) - actually a theater star, that only rarely appeared in movies and on television (the critic Friedrich Luft said about him “He speaks like a God!”) played Sherlock Holmes, while his faithful friend Dr. John H. Watson was played by Paul Edwin Roth (1918 - 1985). The actors knew each other from their theater work in Berlin and got along very well during the filming.

Paul May, a renowned director in film and television with a long-standig career, had a certain idea of Sherlock Holmes from the start. He wanted an impeccable, dignified, and noble master detective. To create a contrast to other television detectives at that time May avoided any action scenes. Erich Schellow wanted to play a bit more depraved Holmes including the use of cocaine but May refused strictly. In 1991 Erich Schellow was made an honorary member of the German Sherlock Holmes Society.

Paul Edwin Roth were allowed more liberties to portray Dr. Watson and he gladly took the opportunity. He is not a buffoon but instead he is amusing and witty (sometimes he even philosophizes), has a perfect name and address memory, he knows how to handle a weapon (usually his army revolver) and is a faithful friend in all situations. His favorite words are “very interesting”, a fact on which he comments ironically in “Das Haus bei den Blutbuchen” (“The Copper Beeches”)

While the use of cocaine was refused by the director, the consumption of tobacco and alcohol by Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is immense. Even dear Mrs. Hudson (Austrian actress Manja Kafka), who is not only a devoted maid (not a landlady as she actually is) but also amusingly cheeky, is hard-drinking. The running gag within the series is that the cane of the umbrella of Dr. Watson serves as a vessel for alcoholic beverages.

It’s incomprehensible that this wonderful series was only repeated once in 1991 and never since. Sadly Germany’s Sherlock Holmes was never given the the attention and appreciation he deserves. Fortunately this gem was released on DVD in 2012 and re-released in 2021.

For any information about Erich Schellow and Paul Edwin Roth as Holmes and Watson please check my blog.