'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' (1970) is one of Billy Wilder's last and unfortunately least talked-about films that is easily in the running for one of the top three or so Sherlock Holmes films ever made.
The story told in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' is an original and engaging one to be certain. Although it would be much more accurate to describe the film's story as a mash-up of two different stories (though the same threads can be seen from beginning to end), thought up by Wilder and his frequent co-collaborator I.A.L. Diamond. Holmes rarely encounters these types of cases throughout the character's history on the small or big screens; the narrative takes a closer and less romanticized (one might say... "private") look into Sherlock Holmes' life as a consulting detective. It would be criminal to give too much of the film's plot away - but the short of the long of it is that Holmes and Watson find themselves wrapped up in a strange set of events that leads them into the life of a young woman, international intrigue and perhaps even a monster of legend. However, this particular set of adventures play out much differently than Holmes feels Dr. Watson has famously recounted in the past.
As one may expect, legendary auteur director Billy Wilder ('Double Indemnity' (1944), 'The Apartment' (1960)) crafts a marvelous film in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.' Wilder had originally envisioned - and even shot - this film as a three-hour epic with intermissions, more story lines, etc. as a part of the final cut. Unfortunately, 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' suffered from the age-old tale of intervention from the production studio. Still, even in its lasting taught form, the viewer experiences beautiful photography, a brilliant Miklós Rózsa score and wonderful performances from Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson & Christopher Lee as Mycroft Holmes throughout.
Robert Stephens, who had some practice playing the character on the stage before portraying the character in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes,' is particularly fantastic in the lead role as Sherlock Holmes. As great as the modern-day portrayals from the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch are, it is difficult for me not to view Robert Stephens as the greatest screen Sherlock Holmes after seeing this film. The displays of intelligence, humor and fallible nature felt incredibly authentic - Stephens has sold the complexity and humanity of Holmes in a way that I do not think any other actor has yet topped.
As the most-portrayed character in movie history, the character of Sherlock Holmes can be seen in many different incarnations for the small and big screens. 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' definitely stands out among the masses as one of the finest screen productions to feature the character. Although the story is not based on anything original Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle created, 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' represents the character of Sherlock Holmes and world that Doyle created with a degree of quality that most screen incarnations have not been able to reach.
The story told in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' is an original and engaging one to be certain. Although it would be much more accurate to describe the film's story as a mash-up of two different stories (though the same threads can be seen from beginning to end), thought up by Wilder and his frequent co-collaborator I.A.L. Diamond. Holmes rarely encounters these types of cases throughout the character's history on the small or big screens; the narrative takes a closer and less romanticized (one might say... "private") look into Sherlock Holmes' life as a consulting detective. It would be criminal to give too much of the film's plot away - but the short of the long of it is that Holmes and Watson find themselves wrapped up in a strange set of events that leads them into the life of a young woman, international intrigue and perhaps even a monster of legend. However, this particular set of adventures play out much differently than Holmes feels Dr. Watson has famously recounted in the past.
As one may expect, legendary auteur director Billy Wilder ('Double Indemnity' (1944), 'The Apartment' (1960)) crafts a marvelous film in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.' Wilder had originally envisioned - and even shot - this film as a three-hour epic with intermissions, more story lines, etc. as a part of the final cut. Unfortunately, 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' suffered from the age-old tale of intervention from the production studio. Still, even in its lasting taught form, the viewer experiences beautiful photography, a brilliant Miklós Rózsa score and wonderful performances from Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson & Christopher Lee as Mycroft Holmes throughout.
Robert Stephens, who had some practice playing the character on the stage before portraying the character in 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes,' is particularly fantastic in the lead role as Sherlock Holmes. As great as the modern-day portrayals from the likes of Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch are, it is difficult for me not to view Robert Stephens as the greatest screen Sherlock Holmes after seeing this film. The displays of intelligence, humor and fallible nature felt incredibly authentic - Stephens has sold the complexity and humanity of Holmes in a way that I do not think any other actor has yet topped.
As the most-portrayed character in movie history, the character of Sherlock Holmes can be seen in many different incarnations for the small and big screens. 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' definitely stands out among the masses as one of the finest screen productions to feature the character. Although the story is not based on anything original Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle created, 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' represents the character of Sherlock Holmes and world that Doyle created with a degree of quality that most screen incarnations have not been able to reach.
Tell Your Friends