The Silent Sherlocks

[Convict13]

I thought I would pass on the news that on this day in 1916 William Gillette made his film debut in Essanay's Sherlock, sadly it is a lost film.  

 

https://twitter.com/ChicagoNitrate/status/466933700651790338/photo/1

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Thanks for the reminder, Convict13...how cool is that!

[Arcadia]

Wow, that is awesome!

[Carol the Dabbler]

Gillette was the first Holmes on stage as well, wasn't he -- with permission directly from Arthur Conan Doyle himself.

 

I must say he looks like Sherlock Holmes.  I suppose he did his best to look like the Paget illustrations -- and then Gillette's "look" influenced subsequent Holmesian actors, and so on, down to this very day.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

 

Gillette was the first Holmes on stage as well, wasn't he -- with permission directly from Arthur Conan Doyle himself.

 

 Yup, he was.....went to England to do publicity for the Holmes play he was pushing. He dressed as Holmes before he stepped off the train to meet Doyle. Deerstalker hat, inverness cape and all. Doyle was absolutely taken with him and his uncanny likeness of his Holmes.

[Ultragonk]

Good find, I hate that it's a lost film. I'd love to see Holmes and Watson with the over exaggerated movements you had in silent films. 

[Pawse]

The William Gillette..!

[Pawse]

I thought I would pass on the news that on this day in 1916 William Gillette made his film debut in Essanay's Sherlock, sadly it is a lost film.

 

https://twitter.com/ChicagoNitrate/status/466933700651790338/photo/1

 

What a wonderful pic!

[jesskayding]

I love this! How cool is that. That's incredible acting when you can't use words. It is sad the film is lost. I would love to see that.

[Pawse]

Also, in 1922, John Barrymore (Drew Barrymore's grandfather) played Holmes in a silent movie entitled Sherlock Holmes. It centered on Holmes outwitting Moriarty who was blackmailing a Crown Prince. Strangely, it concludes (from the plot line I saw from Wikipedia) Holmes getting ready for his honeymoon with the girl whose sister was going to marry said Crown Prince.

[Pawse]

Also, there was a 1900 "lost" movie entitled Baffled. It's less than two minutes. There are no clues as to who played Holmes. There's no Watson, just a burglar who appears, disappears and reappears like those characters did in that 1970s show called Rentaghost. Baffled was finally found in the 1960s.

[jesskayding]

Cool. If they ever discover that silent movie... They could probably make a few bucks if they put on the big screen. I'd pay for that. Nice bonus if they throw in historical commentary throughout or at the end.

[Bendydoodle Cantaloupe]

*BUSTS INTO ROOM CARRYING SHOVEL* hello yes I am ready to search

[jesskayding]

Okay Benny. Let us know when you find it.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I'll bring the bullseye lantern!

[jesskayding]

Hay y'all could RP searching for lost Sherlock relics. I had been following the other RP y'all were doing. Its interesting.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

You could always join us.

[jesskayding]

I'm not very good @ it. Y'all seem to be good @ it. Like reading a story.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Thank you. That's the way it should be.

[jesskayding]

Yup I checked y'all out last night.

[Convict13]

The BFI is on the search for the lost film of A Study in Scarlett.  

 

[jesskayding]

That would be incredible. I hope they are successful during my lifetime.

[Convict13]

There was a little more about the BFI search today, and a photo of James Bragington who plays Holmes is this missing film. I hopethey find it one day.  I read the review, that was interesting, they seemed more excited about Mormons being onscreen than the story itself.

 

 

 

[Carol the Dabbler]

Yes, I noticed that the first article you linked to claimed that

 

The story traces Brigham Young, a prominent Mormon figure in history on his journey across America with his Mormon followers to Salt Lake City.  Whilst on the journey, a series of murders take place, which Holmes solves through his magnificent powers of deduction.

 

... which does not strike me as a fair summary of Doyle's story.  I wonder if the movie was considerably simplified by taking Holmes himself to Utah?

 

[jesskayding]

I can even see a little Benedict in James' face.