Sherlock Holmes

The 1916 Sherlock Holmes did not mark the first cinematic appearance of Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective but it is by all accounts the first full-length Holmes feature, and is the only one to star William Gillette, the great stage actor who was considered the definitive Holmes by both the public and Doyle himself. Gillette's interpretation would inform subsequent film presentations of Holmes, not only in terms of performance but also in the surrounding mythology. Gillette, who also wrote the popular stage adaptation, elevated Moriarty from a minor Doyle character to a defining nemesis, gave Holmes his signature curved pipe, and added the term "elementary" to his repertoire. But in other ways Gillette's version is unlike the Holmes of either the page or later screen versions. His Holmes is a cultivated patrician in elegant evening clothes and dressing robes—before donning the signature deerstalker cap and familiar tools of the trade—and he falls in love, and even marries (with Doyle's blessing). Above all, Gillette's Holmes is dignified, observant, committed, and courageous here as he outsmarts kidnappers and stalks Moriarty to his underground lair. Adapted from Gillette's successful 1915 stage revival, Sherlock Holmes also features members of Gillette's theatrical company in supporting roles. The film was believed lost until a print was discovered in a French film archive, after which it was restored and screened in film festivals in 2015. Debuting in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, extras include Holmes-related shorts from the early silent era, archival newsreel footage of Doyle and Gillette, a restoration featurette, stills galleries, and a booklet. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)