The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Vol. 2: The Crooked Man/ The Speckled Band

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In "The Crooked Man," Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett) fetches Dr. John Watson (David Burke) on an urgent mission: Colonel James Barclay (Denys Hawthorne) has been found dead in his home, with his comatose wife (Lisa Daniely) beside him. While Holmes and Watson work to clear the widow's name of any suspicion, a weird, badly stooped man (Norman Jones) holds onto the secret of the Barclays' misfortune. This episode in the long-running Granada Television series is a fascinating puzzle all around, highlighted by a long flashback into a grim tale of treachery and revenge.

One of the strongest entries in the series, "The Speckled Band" finds distraught Helen Stoner (Rosalyn Landor) coming to Holmes and Watson in fear for her life since announcing her betrothal. The reason: Helen's sister Julia (Denise Armon) died mysteriously and in apparent terror in her bedroom on the night before her own wedding, and her final words were a strange reference to a "speckled band." This episode has it all: a damsel in distress, a considerable villain, lots of suspense, and a solution worth waiting for. Brett and Burke are at the top of their game as Doyle's dynamic duo; this story was, in fact, Doyle's personal favorite from the Holmes canon. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

We love it!.......2005-12-14

Every once in a while, an actor comes along who not only plays the role of Sherlock Holmes, but actually redefines the role. In 1984, veteran actor Jeremy Brett (1933-95) actually did it yet again! And now, these wonderful Granada Television episodes are available on DVD.

This wonderful DVD has two of the 55 minute episodes. My family and I loved this DVD, and think that any fan of Sherlock Holmes, or just plain fan of mysteries, will love it, too! (By the way, if you like Jeremy Brett, you can see him in an entirely different role in My Fair Lady (1964) as Freddie Eynsford-Hill!)

The following episodes are included on this DVD:

The Crooked Man - Series 1, episode 5 (May 22, 1984) - When Colonel James Barclay is found murdered, in a locked room, with his wife who is in a swoon, the wife becomes the prime suspect. But, there is more going on than meets the eye. Only one man can unravel this mystery - Sherlock Holmes

The Speckled Band - Series 1, episode 6 (May 29, 1984) - When a frightened and desperate young woman enters Holmes's sitting room, he refuses to dismiss her fears. In her room at night, she has begun hearing a strange whistling, the same sound her sister heard just before her death! Her step-father is a brute and a scoundrel, but is he up to something even more sinister? The game is indeed afoot!

"My profession is it's own reward".......2005-06-28

+++++

This DVD presents two of the 55 minute Sherlock Holmes' episodes that had Jeremy Brett as Sherlock and David Burke as Dr. Watson. Each episode is based on a story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 to 1930) who wrote 56 short stories and 4 novels about Sherlock Holmes.

(1) "The Crooked Man" (13 scenes; based on the 1893 story).

A distinguished colonel is found dead in a room of his villa with his unconscious wife beside him. Sherlock is asked to investigate. His sleuthing leads him to a "crooked man," who is "an old acquaintance" of the colonel's wife. Be sure to see the fantastic acting by Norman Jones who plays the crooked man.

(2) "The Speckled Band" (10 scenes; based on the 1892 story).

A woman asks Sherlock to investigate the mysterious past death of her sister. "Holmes the meddler" discovers that the woman's life may be in jeopardy. The quotation by Sherlock that titles this review is found in this episode.

Brett (who made 41 Sherlock Holmes' dramas between 1984 and 1994) is in top-form in these two episodes since they were made before the time of his health problems. He captures the essence of the famous gumshoe in his performances.

The costumes, background music, and cinematography are quite well done. In my case, I found the picture quality and acoustic quality of this DVD to be practically perfect.

Finally, this DVD has 3 extras. I found these interesting. Newcomers to the series should especially enjoy them.

In conclusion, be sure to view this DVD and see why it won a 1988 Swedish Academy of Detection Award!!

(1983; 110 min; British drama; made for TV; full screen)

+++++

Sherlock Holmes has returned!.......2002-04-11

Volume 2 of MPI's great series of mysteries from Granada TV/PBS is as enjoyable as its predecessor. In "The Crooked Man", a distinguished army colonel is found dead, and his unconscious wife is the primary suspect. His regiment is unaware of the colonel's treachery in his younger days and that a man he left for dead due to it is back for revenge. But is the man with the crooked back guilty? In "The Speckled Band" the stepdaughter of a renowned but cruel doctor is about to be married and escape her unhappy home fears for her life when history repeats itself and the events that lead to her sister's death occur again. Jeremy Brett and David Burke as Holmes and Watson are on the case!

A great record of a definitive performer.......2002-04-05

This, the second volume of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes the television series, is a welcome addition to the shelves of DVD sellers.

As the number of television shows increases at very high rates it is comforting to know that shows such as this as preserved for posterity on DVD.

AS the number of DVDs increases now that DVD player ownership has expanded to cover over 25% of US households and the number is poised to double by the end of the 2002 holiday season, the range of quality and reproduction of DVDs is also growing.

This does mean that less profitable ventures such as the Sherlock Holmes series seem doomed to limited treatments during transfer rather than get the full scale upgrading purists would prefer. For myself I would certainly prefer more but I am happy to be able to own these DVDs and watch them repeatedly.

Jeremy Brett, throught his years of portraying Holmes certainly carved out his reputation as being the ultimate Holmes. In these two early episodes one sees the stirrings of a determination by the actor to make the character his own.

There are so many aspects to these shows that it is difficult to know where to start. One of the reasons why the show developed it's avid following in my view is the attention paid to the original stories not only in the detail of portrayal but in observing the spirit of them. David Burke does excellent service in portraying Watson as an intelligent though somewhat limited colleague and pupil of the genius master and an individual in his own right who tries not to be overshadowed. This is a welcome rebuttal to the image of Watson as the buffoon who graced our screens for many years.

The two stories contained in this volume, Crooked Man and Speckled Band are both concerned with familial killings. In the first a husband's betrayal of his wife's true love many years ago results in his death and in the second a stepfather's greed for a legacy turns to murder. Both solid stories their depiction in 55 minute episodes highlights the superb editing skills used to bring them to the screen. Unlike many other period dramas the Homes series cuts across English class barrier lines while at the same time highlights the clear division between and within those classes.

All in all a little treasure which leads the viewer waiting on the edge of their seat for the next volume to arrive.

Brett = Holmes.......2002-01-23

Jeremy Brett is superb has Holmes. I think even Basil Rathbone would have to admit this (if he were still with us). The Crooked Man is a little slow with not must mystery but the acting is excellent. The Speckled Band is true to form. Not as many episodes as the first collection but oh well.

Average customer rating:

The mystery DVD without details, now detailed...

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2
Starring: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Manufacturer: Genius Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00049QKHY
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Customer Reviews:

The mystery DVD without details, now detailed..........2004-12-16

I wasn't expecting much when purchasing this, but thought for $1.49 why not try this mystery item. The DVD comes in a slim-cardboard sleeve, not a regular DVD case, with the following three episodes on it:

Case of the Eiffel Tower
Case of the French Interpreter
Case of Harry Crocker

Sound and video quality are quite poor, but again, given the price what can you really expect.

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The King of Blackmail/ Mortal Fight/ Tiger Hunt 2 DVD SET

Average customer rating:

It's ok, but...
Surpasses any Holmes series made in the West
Sherlock Holmes from Russia...

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The King of Blackmail/ Mortal Fight/ Tiger Hunt 2 DVD SET

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B0001WHYOC

Product Description

2 DVD SET

Customer Reviews:

It's ok, but..........2007-05-01

These stories have atmosphere and Victorian-looking sets, that's true. Isn't that true of most of the many, MANY versions of Sherlock Homes on dvd or video tape? But I have 2 or 3 problems with these particular dvds. For one thing, I find it rather disconcerting to hear Holmes, Watson and all the other British people speaking Russian. There are English subtitles, but it just isn't the same. Second, these stories don't really follow Doyle's books all that well, especially when compared to the Jeremy Brett dvds. It's one thing if it's almost impossible for the video to be like the book, as with H. P. Lovecraft. But if a thing has been done, it can't be impossible. My third problem might have disappeared by now. As I'm writing this, these dvds are WAY, WAY overpriced. I'd rather order them from Russia. I already have an all region, all format dvd player (priced less than these dvds). I got it for Last of the Summer Wine, the funniest sitcom in the world. They can make a guy crushing his balls or homophobia funny.

Surpasses any Holmes series made in the West.......2005-09-14

This DVD is fantastic. The scripts are brilliantly written and faithful to the books but with added touches of the scriptwriter's own, all of which work wonderfully. The cast are excellent and Livanov makes a wonderful Holmes, playing him with just the right balance of humanity and arrogance. However, it is the casting of Watson which means this series stands out from the many others made. He's young! He's intelligent! He has depth! And, good heavens, Holmes treats him as an equal. The chemistry between Vasily Livanov and the late Vitaly Solomin is amazing and brings the sense of fun and friendship in the books to the small screen, especially as Livanov's Holmes teases Watson quite frequently.

The sets and locations make a remarkably convincing Victorian England and it is obvious that the series has been very well researched. Holmes even writes his farewell note to Watson in English. Talk about attention to detail - the great detective would be impressed! The Reichenbach sequence and Holmes's return are very moving and illustrate the care with which this series was made.

An absolutely brilliant series, even if you don't speak Russian.

Sherlock Holmes from Russia..........2004-07-02

Once the Englsh prime minister Margareth Tatcher said, that russian Sherlock Holmes was the best one... She was speaking about classical russian tv miniseries "The adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson" or "Priklyuchenia Sherloka Kholmsa I Doctora Watsona". It contained 5 sets of two or three episodes each. The third set "Hound of Baskervilles" was aknowledged to be the best version of Conan Doyle's stories. That is true! You know why? The atmosphere of Victorian England is just magnificent, i can say the same thing about the atmosphere of a classical detective. These tv versions are almost perfect, especially we can say this about the original score and cast. Once you see Vasiliy Livanov acting and you'll never imagine any other actor playing this part. This disc represents the second set "The King of Blackmail" and it contains three wonderfull episodes telling us a story of professor's Moriarty and Sherlock Holmes duel. If you are a real SH fan you have to see this movie: it would be a real SH pearl in your collection.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2
Director: Jack Gage
Manufacturer: Critic's Choice
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Television | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000CBEWWE
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Average customer rating:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Genius Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0006GAO2M
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Average customer rating:

Mediocrity and stereotypes in 1950s tv
3 episodes from the only American TV series of Holmes cases

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Volume 2

Manufacturer: Digiview
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

"The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" aired in 1954-1955 (39 episodes, filimed in France) and starred Ronald Howard as Sherlock Holmes. Contains three episodes: The Case of the Pennsylvania Gun, The Case of the Texas Cowgirl and the Case of the Beligerent Ghost.

Customer Reviews:

Mediocrity and stereotypes in 1950s tv.......2005-07-28

Comfortable stereotypes. The detective genius, always perfectly sure of himself and always right. The fuddy duddy Dr Watson, foil for humor. There is no reality in this tv series, only stereotypes, but the stories are fairly entertaining.

Episode 1 is about a murder that takes place in a confined area surrounded by a moat. Holmes determines the truth of the matter shortly before the one hour time limit for the episode is up. Congratulations, old boy.

Episode 2 features a pretty girl for a change. She is a stereotype American cowgirl from Texas, Annie Oakley played for comedy. Someone was murdered, and the body was left in her room along with the tomahawk she uses in her wild west show touring Europe. It goes without saying that she is innocent of the murder, and Holmes figures out who the guilty party is shortly before the hour is up. Pip pip, old chap.

Episode 3 has a ghost punching Dr Watson in the eye, then coming back to tweak his nose. Holmes uses his ESP (or his foreknowledge of the script) to determine that a specific painting has been stolen from a museum, and sure enough, just as the hour is about to end, he has solved the crime.

A good detective story depends on realism and detail. This series has neither. The turns of the plot usually make no sense at all. This series is just a vehicle to give us the two stereotyped characters in some sort of action or other. It is a good example of the silly mediocrity of mid 1950s television. Not that current tv is better.

Since none of the shows was particularly good, my favorite episode was the second one, in contrast with the other review on this site. That's because the girl was cute to look at. The plots of all three were pretty sad. The silly stereotyped characters weren't bad to watch. It was okay.

3 episodes from the only American TV series of Holmes cases.......2005-05-22

They'll let just about anybody write and produce a Sherlock Holmes mystery, and that has led to some very bad pastiches, films, and TV series. I'm not saying The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1954-55) was a bad television series, but I'm certainly not saying it was a good one, either. There is just something very wrong with filming Sherlock Holmes episodes in France, for one thing. The real weakness of the show (at least insofar as I can tell from the three episodes collected here on this DVD), though, has to be the writing. The three cases featured here are far from worthy of the Great Detective, and one of them in particular is the worst Sherlock Holmes mystery I have ever come across in any form. Ronald Howard (the son of Leslie Howard, by the way) isn't all that bad in the role, but Howard Marion Crawford's Dr. Watson seemed a little too befuddled (and grouchy) for my liking. It is important to note, however, that The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is, as far as I know, the only truly American Holmes series ever produced. That may explain why too much time is wasted on attempts at humor rather than the construction of strong plots.

The Case of the Pennsylvania Gun does at least have a few hallmarks of a good Holmesian story - a dead body inside a moat-encircled, all but impregnable, island fortress. Since it would be all but impossible for anyone to get in to the place at the time of the murder, Inspector McCloud assumes that one of the two other people in the castle at the time must be the murderer. Holmes is even less than forthcoming than usual, infuriating Watson and the Inspector by going fishing in the moat. Naturally, there is much more to this murder mystery than Scotland Yard can see.

The third episode is The Case of the Belligerent Ghost, and it is the most entertaining entry on the DVD. Watson encounters a heart attack victim on the street, helps him home, but can do nothing to prevent his death. A short while later, the "ghost" of the dead man turns up and punches him in the eye. As you might expect, Watson is completely flummoxed by the whole situation, especially when he meets the ghost again the next night and suffers a nose-tweaking from him. There is no doubt that the man Watson assisted did die, but Holmes noses out a scheme of art theft behind all of the shenanigans. The kicker comes in the episode's final revelation, which I have to say is extremely funny.

I skipped the second episode, The Case of the Texas Cowgirl, for a reason - would that I had skipped the episode itself when viewing this DVD. This episode is absolutely horrible. A young American rodeo lass from Texas finds a man killed with her tomahawk in her hotel room, seeks the help of Holmes (whom she continually addresses as "Sherlock"), and subjects us to all sorts of Western stereotypes and embarrassingly bad action (the "fun" is just starting when she lassoes poor Watson in the study). There is absolutely nothing good I can say about this episode.

In the final summation, this DVD just barely manages to earn three stars from me. Just keep in mind that this is far removed from the true Sherlock Holmes, and producer Sheldon Reynolds is no Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's not very hard to see why the series only lasted through 39 episodes.

The Klansman & Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon-2 DVDs in Set

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The Klansman & Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon-2 DVDs in Set

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

The Klansman & Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon-2 DVDs in Set
The Klansman - Action & Adventure DVD
Lee Marvin, Richard Burton, O.J. Simpson, Linda Evans, Lola Falana
Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon - Mystery & Suspense DVD
Basil Rathbone

ASIN: B000S0FEK8

Product Description

The Klansman & Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon-2 DVDs in Set DVD 1. The Klansman: UNDERCOVER FBI ACTION & ADVENTURE-REGION FREE-An FBI Agent goes undercover in the Ku Klux Klan in a small southern U.S. town that has just been rocked by a tragedy: a young woman has been violently raped. The white town fathers immediately declare that the attacker had to be black, and place the blame on Garth, a young black man. Assuming that the men in white sheets aren't intent on holding a fair and impartial trial, Garth takes to the woods as the Klansmen lynching party hunts him down! STARS: Lee Marvin, Richard Burton, Cameron Mitchell, O.J. Simpson, Lola Falana, Linda Evans, David Huddleston, Director: Terence Young, Rated R, 112 minutes, Color, Audio: English Dolby Digital DVD 2. Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon: Sherlock Holmes, the Great Detective (Basil Rathbone) against that "Napoleon of Crime," Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill). Surpassing his previous evil deeds, Moriarty has now aligned himself with the Nazis & has dedicated himself to stealing a top-secret bomb sight developed by expatriate European scientist Dr. Franz Tobel (William Post Jr.).Will Sherlock save the secret weapon?

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