Reply With QuoteBrett was a bit too camp for Sherlock (IMHO). Basil Rathbone FTW.
Basil Rathbone
Peter Cushing
Ian Richardson
Arthur Wontner
Jeremy Brett
Vasily Livanov
Benedict Cumberbatch
Robert Downey, Jr.
Jonny Lee Miller
Somebody else
Famously, Holmes is the most portrayed literary character in stage, film, and television history. So who is your favourite and why?
Jeremy Brett came incredibly close to the Holmes of my imagination. Apparently he had many similar personality traits to the character.
Brett was a bit too camp for Sherlock (IMHO). Basil Rathbone FTW.
Another vote for Basil Rathbone...
RDJ for me.
Apologies for the delay, the poll is now added.
Brett; it was the series I enjoyed the most.
Basil R. vs the Nazis stretched things a wee bit far despite being entertaining.
Peter Cushing
Christopher Plummer in the excellent 'Murder by Decree'.
With James Mason giving a superb portrayal of Dr Watson.
i grew up watching Basil R and much as i like many others Basil is my default.
on a slight tangent can anyone tell me the name of the "chinese?" detective around the same era? fat bloke in white suit always referring to number one son/nephew.
Agree with Jeremy Brett - clearly set in Victorian times (unlike BR) and gave a warts and all portrayal of the character in line with the books.
Another Jeremy Brett fan here, I have always loved the Holmes stories and regularly revisit them. Brett is the closest portrayal of the character to date, especially in the earlier series he is simply superb. Brett was bipolar, which heightened his mannered and nuanced performance as Holmes, making his sudden flashes of manic thought, wit and melancholic malaise truly convincing. Brett filmed 41 of the Conan Doyle stories over a period of ten years which really evoked the Victorian era in superb detail. Holmes, for me, works best in the times and settings imagined by ACD.
J
+1. While there have been a few watchable actors, no one quite has 'it' that comes close to Cushing's performances. Whenever I read Conan Doyle it's Cushing in my mind's eye.Originally Posted by Mr.D
Another vote for Peter Cushing
Charlie Chan?
Much as I enjoyed Rathbone as Holmes, I always felt Jeremy Brett was Sidney Paget’s illustrations personified.
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Jeremy Brett for me (although it's a win by -just- a nose over Basil R), The Red Headed League is still one of my favourite TV programs of all time.
Now if it's 'best' Dr Watson then Nigel Bruce by several legnths.
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Love basil
But the one who's truest to the originals is Jeremy by a mile
Guess Jeremy takes it for me
Tony Stark
Only joking. I’m too young to remember Basil Rathbone, so it has to be Jeremy Brett for me.
That's my guess too.
Basil Rathbone is my preference.
I do pick up the occasional AC Doyle book. They're still very readable.
Bas for me although he only just beats out Jeremy Brett.
Bas had the classic Holmes profile and I enjoyed the atmosphere of the old films, less so the propaganda Universal films of the forties.
Cheers,
Neil.
I agree with Neil. I grew up watching Basil Rathbone and then Jeremy Brett. Brett was how from reading the books I would say the character was internally and mannerisms etc, but Basil was how I always thought and still think Sherlock looked like.
Brett for authenticity; Rathbone for pure Ham entertainment.
Benedict cumberbatch....
Only joking!!!!!! Jeremy Brett for me whenever I read the books it's him I picture in my mind.
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I liked Jeremy Brett also, although Ian McKellen was excellent in Mr Holmes. Slightly different though because he was playing a very old version of him (albeit with flash backs)
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Basil for me, watching the old films as a youngster fixed him firmly in my mind as Sherlock Holmes.
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Has to be Rathbone for me, although I agree he was more extrovert than the Holmes of the books.
I found something about Brett’s mannerisms just incredibly irritating.
Thought Jeremy Brett was tremendous as Holmes.
I'm pleasantly surprised that you've kindly included Vasily Livanov to the list M. IIRC he was given MBE for the role
Last edited by VDG; 3rd September 2018 at 20:55. Reason: Shpelling
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I'm surprised that you're surprisedI'm pleasantly surprised that you've kindly included Vasily Livanov to the list M. IIRC he was given MBE for the role
What's even more surprising is that a few days before this thread I was rekindling my interest in Sherlock Holmes and wanted to watch the Russian one but couldn't understand so found this:
https://sovietmoviesonline.com/tv-se...a-vatsona.html
Voted for Basil, though there are several worthy contenders.
I have to admit to rather enjoying the Guy Ritchie incarnation though I think that has more to do with the style of the films and the interaction between Holmes and Watson. As such, I enjoy it for what it is rather than for it being a particularly good representation of an iconic fictional character. In that respect, I also rather enjoyed Robert Stephens' portrayal in "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes".
The character of Holmes is so iconic that even the irreverent Mel Brooks thought that he couldn't take the mickey out of him and resorted to the device of " Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother".
Well played Sir, well playedI'm surprised that you're surprised
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I voted Basil Rathbone on the basis that his was the classic performance. However it was a close run thing as I thoroughly enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch's "on the spectrum" portrayal and the intensity (and diction) of Jeremy Brett.
It's like James Bond, I suppose, you enjoy most the actor you first saw in role.
Basil for my vote but Brett captured his personality well in my opinion.
Ian
Basil Rathbone, he had gravitas for the character
I enjoyed the Rathbone movies as a kid - there seemed to be an awful lot of them, and they were shown on TV a lot. But Jeremy Brett was head and shoulders above the rest IMO, in a role which reportedly consumed and obsessed him. For me, the definitive Holmes.
A surprising low score for Cushing so far I think
He is the best one by far for me, he added a certain gravitas to all the roles that he played and Holmes was one of his finest
Basil Rathbone for me..An American playing legendary fictitious "English" character. I cam remember as a kid watching these films on a friday teatime on BBC2..Happy days, scarlet claw was my favourite
Ernie
Superb.. "Jack the Ripper"...forgot about this..nice one
Ernie
Was this "The voice of Terror" ?? or something like that??Brett; it was the series I enjoyed the most.
Basil R. vs the Nazis stretched things a wee bit far despite being entertaining.
Ernie
Never fear. Although Basil lived and worked in the US for most of his career, he was undoubtedly British.
He only played him once, but Christopher Plummer was an excellent, but different Holmes in Murder By Decree.
James Mason was Watson. I’ve always liked the film despite it not being a Conan-Doyle story. It’s Jack the Ripper v Holmes with some interesting performances from a swathe of British actors.
Jeremy Brett has got to win this by a landside, he was just superb!
Out of those listed, Jeremy Brett but I think Douglas Wilmer was excellent in the 60s tv series and was the best Holmes from my point of view.
Interestingly, according to Wiki The Sherlock Holmes Society considered Wilmer to be the definitive Sherlock Holmes.
Last edited by JeremyO; 6th September 2018 at 18:59.
Is there anywhere to watch Douglas's portrayal online? A lot of the Sherlock Holmes society including the former president cited him as their personal favourite.
Anyone know?
JB all the way IMO, he was just mesmerising. I must confess that I quite like how RDJ plays him in the Ritchie films, better than I would expect a yank to have managed. Cumberbatch looks like a sexually confused 6th former having an existential crisis but the screenplays are good.
Last edited by Padders; 7th September 2018 at 21:54.
1st world war veterans Rathbone and Bruce are the only pairing that matter as Holmes and Watson.
Basil Rathbone was also the best Sheriff of Nottingham
Cheers T.T., just checked IMDB, he was born in South Africa..Johannesburg, thanks for the correction re nationality
Ernie
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