Review: The Sherlock Holmes Collection

“The Sign of Four”: Every year for several years on the anniversary of her father’s disappearance, Miss Morston has received pearls and a mysterious map with four names written on it, including her father’s. Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Stock) are called in to investigate. An oddball figure named Thaddeus Sholto (Paul Daneman) claims to have some knowledge in the matter. “The Blue Carbuncle”: Holmes and Watson investigate the theft of a priceless blue gem on behalf of a domineering Lady Morcar (Madge Ryan).

 

In the mid 60s, the BBC broadcast two seasons of Sherlock Holmes mysteries, both with Nigel Stock as Dr. Watson, and with Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing playing Sherlock Holmes for a season each. Almost all of Wilmer’s season has survived, but only about 5 episodes of the Cushing season have survived to this day. I purchased (very cheaply at under 5 bucks, I might add) a DVD with two of Cushing’s episodes, which are the subject of this review.

 

Everyone has their preferred Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and for me Peter Cushing is probably my favourite, even if his Hammer stablemate Christopher Lee (who played Holmes three times, as well as Mycroft Holmes and Sir Henry Baskerville, the latter opposite Cushing as Holmes) is probably a bit closer to the Arthur Conan Doyle model, so too Douglas Wilmer and Basil Rathbone for that matter. However, Cushing really nails the master of deduction side to the character and is a lively and energetic presence. So having already seen Cushing play Holmes in Hammer’s “The Hound of the Baskervilles” and his swan song in the part in the TV movie “Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death”, I sought any opportunity I could to see his Holmes in the BBC series. I have to say that one of the episodes is vastly more enjoyable than the other, through no fault of Cushing who is as always terrific as Holmes. Nigel Stock meanwhile, may not be an intellectual match to Cushing’s Holmes, but he’s thankfully portrayed as being very competent in his own right in both episodes. In fact, Stock may be my favourite Watson, with all due respect to the very fine Nigel Bruce, Colin Blakely, and Patrick Macnee.

 

“The Sign of Four” is the first and worst of the two episodes. Whilst Cushing and Nigel Stock are an ideal Holmes and Watson, the supporting cast here is pretty weak. Especially bad is a wildly overacting Paul Daneman, a TV veteran who runs roughshod over the whole thing in an unfortunately pretty important role. John Stratton is decent as the inspector, but that’s about it. Meanwhile, as much as I tend to try to understand the era in which things are made, the production quality here is – to be charitable – of a “Dr. Who” standard, not a compliment coming from me as I’m not a Whovian in the slightest. The plot is also it has to be said, not the most interesting thing in the world. There’s a bit of interest in watching a BBC production from the 60s, that is if you’re not familiar with such things (I’m Australian and my British TV series experience is more 70s-late 80s). However, that interest is minimal when the story and supporting performances just don’t grab you. It’s actually pretty tedious stuff that even Cushing and Stock can’t do much to energise.

 

“The Blue Carbuncle” is a much, much better episode, with Australian-born Madge Ryan providing solid support to Cushing and Stock. In fact, all of the performances in this episode are a big step up from the other episode. As is the central mystery. While not the greatest, it is certainly engaging enough, and vastly superior to the other episode. I hope the rest of the series is more in keeping with the quality of this episode, rather than “The Sign of Four”.

 

A stuffy BBC production with two episodes of varying quality, but unwaveringly excellent work by Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock. For Sherlock Holmes buffs, Peter Cushing completists, and the curious.

 

The Sign of Four Rating: D+

The Blue Carbuncle Rating: B-