The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

When a bored Holmes eagerly takes the case of Gabrielle Valladon after an attempt on her life, the search for her missing husband leads to Loch Ness and the legendary monster.

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (characters), Billy Wilder,

Stars:

Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely, Geneviève Page

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Stephens	...	Sherlock Holmes
Colin Blakely	...	Dr. Watson
Geneviève Page	...	Gabrielle Valladon (as Genevieve Page)
Christopher Lee	...	Mycroft Holmes
Tamara Toumanova	...	Madame Petrova
Clive Revill	...	Rogozhin
Irene Handl	...	Mrs. Hudson
Mollie Maureen	...	Queen Victoria
Stanley Holloway	...	Gravedigger
Catherine Lacey	...	Woman in Wheelchair
Peter Madden	...	Von Tirpitz
Michael Balfour	...	Cabby
James Copeland	...	Guide
John Garrie	...	First Carter
Godfrey James	...	Second Carter

Storyline

Director Billy Wilder adds a new and intriguing twist to the personality of intrepid detective Sherlock Holmes. One thing hasn't changed however: Holmes' crime-solving talents. Holmes and Dr. Watson take on the case of a beautiful woman whose husband has vanished. The investigation proves strange indeed, involving six missing midgets, villainous monks, a Scottish castle, the Loch Ness monster, and covert naval experiments. Can the sleuths make sense of all this and solve the mystery?

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Plot Keywords:

loch ness | midget | sherlock holmes | loch ness monster | train | 

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Taglines:

The world's greatest detective tackles his toughest case !

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Russian French German

Release Date:

29 October 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Vida Íntima de Sherlock Holmes

Filming Locations:

Inverness, Highland, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mirisch Production Company, The, Mirisch Films, Sir Nigel Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min 120 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Apparently, Billy Wilder had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for many years prior to making this picture.

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Goofs

The film's prologue depicts two contemporary men opening Dr. Watson's case and handling the various contents archived inside. We see one close-up shot of a man handling a single pair of old handcuffs and putting them down on the table. A short time later, the filmmakers repeat the very same footage of the man handling the handcuffs and putting them down on the table.

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Quotes

Holmes: You've painted me as a hopeless dope addict just because I occasionally take a five-percent solution of cocaine.
Watson: A *seven-percent* solution...
Holmes: Five percent. Don't you think I'm aware you've been diluting it behind my back?
Watson: As a doctor, as well as your friend, I strongly disapprove of this insidious habit of yours.
Holmes: My dear friend, as well as my dear doctor, I only resort to narcotics when I'm suffering from acute boredom, when there are no interesting cases to engage my mind.

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Connections

Referenced in Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Opus 24"
by Miklós Rózsa (as Miklos Rozsa)

User Reviews

A marvelous, delightful, and must see look at the best know and most famous consulting detective.

Of the films on Sherlock Holmes which have been made, this Billy Wilder version is a masterful blend of drama and comedy. It also has excellent score to match this marvelous film and its main character.

Robert Stephens has captured the mind set of Holmes with a bit of humor added. However, his performance seems slightly detracted with a touch of femininity, but works well within the framework of the film. Holmes, one of the best minds in England, also has a dark side.

Colin Blakely is a fun and delightful bumbling Dr. John Watson, as one might expect in a comic and light hearted film of this nature.

Who else to play Mycroft, but the very talented and marvelous actor, Christopher Lee, who is always a treat to watch.

Genevieve Page is an absolute beautiful and charming woman, making the perfect mystery woman, until her true identity is revealed. We discover a bit of Sherlock's past plans to have wed. But Ms. Page has become the only other woman that has managed to steel the affections of Sherlock's heart.

Over all, an excellent film and a must for any one who enjoys Sherlock Holmes. There is some silly and fun parts to this film, but it only adds to the color and favor of the film and characters. Keep in mind that this is not the PBS series in which you have an entirely different style of Holmes and Watson.

A tid bit for the true movie and Holmes' buffs who enjoy this film. The movie runs over 2 hours, but rumors exists that @50 minutes of the film were cut out before it was released. How marvelous it would be if the 50 minutes were found and added back to the film so we could see the full vision of what Billy Wilder wanted us to see. This leaves us with a real mystery as to what was left on a cutting room floor to be swept out. Or was it swept out? Perhaps as the film begins, the words of Dr. Watson are correct, "Somewhere in the vaults in a bank in London is a tin dispatch box with my name on it...". ???