Sherlock Holmes

Directed by Albert Parker, 1922's Sherlock Holmes stars John Barrymore in the titular role—not the first screen appearance of the best-known character in English literature, and certainly not the definitive one. Based on a play by William Gillette, a stage actor who made a career playing the fictional sleuth, it rewrites the figure's origin and personality, making him a morally driven white knight who at one point actually falls in love with a young woman named Alice Faulkner (Carol Dempster). While Barrymore has the requisite profile and intelligent focus, there's no deerstalker cap or meerschaum pipe (Barrymore's Holmes prefers cigars), and the faithful Watson is a college buddy and neighbor rather than right-hand man. The mystery itself is convoluted and confused, involving a young prince (Reginald Denny) falsely accused of theft in an incident that could lead to international scandal, with the evil Professor Moriarty (Gustav von Seyffertitz) turning out to be the scheming presence behind it all. Von Seyffertitz's flamboyance in his role is well-suited to silent filmmaking, although the production relies on lengthy inter-titles to tell much of the tale. Sherlock Holmes also marks the screen debut of two major actors of the sound era: William Powell (in a small role) and Roland Young as Watson; otherwise, it's a minor piece of cinema history. Making its Blu-ray debut with an enjoyable organ score by Ben Model, this is a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)