Sherlock Holmes (1954–1955)

The adventures of master detective Sherlock Holmes as he and his assistant, Dr. Watson--and, somewhat reluctantly, the bumbling Inspector Lestrade--battle criminals in London.

Stars:

Ronald Howard, Howard Marion-Crawford, Archie Duncan

Cast

Series cast summary:
Ronald Howard	...	Sherlock Holmes (39 episodes, 1954-1955)
Howard Marion-Crawford	...	Dr. John H. Watson (39 episodes, 1954-1955)
Archie Duncan	...	Inspector Lestrade (32 episodes, 1954-1955)
Richard Larke	...	Sgt. Wilkins (14 episodes, 1954-1955)

Storyline

Based on the characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle: Dr. John Watson returns from Afghanistan, and decides to share lodgings in Baker Street with Sherlock Holmes, an acquaintance of one of Watson's own friends. Not long afterward, Holmes brings Watson with him when he solves a murder case that has confused Inspector Lestrade. Watson soon becomes Holmes's friend, assistant, and chronicler, as the private detective takes on one baffling case after another.

---

Plot Keywords:

detective | sherlock holmes | character name in title

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Filming Locations:

France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Guild Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (39 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The theme music occurs in two different arrangements, one piano-led, and the other a full orchestral version.

---

Connections

Version of Sherlock Holmes: The Empty House (1951)

User Reviews

An Enjoyable Light Portrayal of the Familiar Characters

Although there are a great many television and movie adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes characters and stories, most of them are well worth seeing, and many have their own particular approach to the material. This television series lasted only one season, but it has still shown up from time to time on late-night broadcasts and the like, and the whole series is now available on DVD. The half-hour episodes always furnished entertaining short mystery stories with an enjoyable light portrayal of the familiar characters.

As Holmes, Ronald Howard's upbeat, jaunty approach is noticeably different from the styles of Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone, and most others who have played the character. But Howard's characterization is well-suited for a fast-paced half-hour format. As Watson, H. Marion Crawford is believable and likable as the stolid, loyal straight man, and as Inspector Lestrade, Archie Duncan is amusingly befuddled.

The plots in a few of the episodes are based on original Arthur Conan Doyle stories, though sometimes with noticeable modifications. The majority, though, are new stories written to fit into the show's own format. Most of the time these fit neatly into the Victorian setting and the Holmes atmosphere, though at other times they seem a slightly odd match for the setting and characters. But every one of the episodes was entertaining and worth seeing, and that's not a bad accomplishment.