LONDON — Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal is far from the first — or unlikeliest — embodiment of Sherlock Holmes.
The Victorian-era detective, who was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887 and went on to appear in 56 short stories and four novels, has been fodder for comedies and dramas, for actors young, old and even animated:
Without a Clue (1988): Michael Caine portrayed Holmes as an insufferable, dim-witted actor in this entertaining farce that imagined Watson (Ben Kingsley) was the long-suffering brains behind the crime-solving operation.
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985): Barry Levinson (Rain Man) directed this Batman Begins-style prequel about how the legend began. Like the new film, it emphasizes action amid an occult mystery. Written by Chris Columbus, who would go on to adapt the first two Harry Potter books for the screen.
Murder by Decree (1979): Directed by the late Canadian filmmaker Bob Clark (who also made A Christmas Story, Black Christmas and Porky’s) this film pitted Holmes and Watson against Jack the Ripper. Christopher Plummer and James Mason starred.
The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution (1976): Nicol Williamson played Holmes - opposite Robert Duvall’s Watson - in this adaptation of Nicholas Meyer’s novel. Look for Sir Laurence Olivier as Moriarty and Alan Arkin as Sigmund Freud, who attempts to help Holmes recover from his cocaine addiction.
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970): Legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder directed Robert Stephens as the super-sleuth. In it, a bored Holmes is tasked with finding a missing man, but winds up stumbling across the Loch Ness monster.
Deduce, You Say (1956): Daffy Duck plays intellectually-challenged Dorlock Holmes while Porky Pig is his sidekick Watkins. The Warner Bros. short, directed by animation icon Chuck Jones, finds the pair tangling with the Shropshire Slasher.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939): This marked the first appearance of Basil Rathbone as Holmes. He would go on to star in 14 Holmes films between 1939 and 1946. He is identified with the character to this day.
kevin.williamson@sunmedia.ca
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