Stamp Of Greatness Series: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Best remembered as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was at least as fascinating as the exploits of his world-famous detective. This docudrama relives some of the highlights of Doyle's life. A doctor by trade, Doyle studied under a Professor Bell, whose unusual methods of "guessing" a prospective patient's illness (and much else about the subject) became the model for Holmes, who used a scientific approach to detection. So popular was the Holmes series that Doyle received many solicitations to "solve" various mysteries. Two of his most memorable, involving an animal Jack-the-Ripper, and a man unjustly accused of murdering an old woman, are recreated here. When Doyle's wife Louise contracted tuberculosis, the Doyles repaired to Switzerland, where Sir Arthur introduced cross-country skiing to the Swiss. A volunteer doctor in the Boer War, Doyle lobbied for better protective gear, and his efforts led to the use of the steel helmet. In his later years, the Scottish-born man of many talents would become a great believer in spiritualism, and published many monographs on the subject before his death in 1930. Whether attacking the slave trade, or lobbying for the release of an innocent man from jail, Doyle's life was characterized by an incessant fight against injustice, which he bravely confronted wherever it reared its head. While the price of this fine docudrama puts it out of the reach of most public libraries, junior and senior high school libraries should consider this highly recommended program to supplement their literature collections. (See LBJ: A REMEMBRANCE for availability.)