The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

To treat his friend's cocaine induced delusions, Watson lures Sherlock Holmes to Sigmund Freud.

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (characters), Nicholas Meyer (novel)

Stars:

Alan Arkin, Vanessa Redgrave, Robert Duvall

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Arkin	...	Dr. Sigmund Freud
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Lola Deveraux
Robert Duvall	...	Dr. John H. Watson / Narrator
Nicol Williamson	...	Sherlock Holmes
Laurence Olivier	...	Professor James Moriarty
Joel Grey	...	Lowenstein
Samantha Eggar	...	Mary Morstan Watson
Jeremy Kemp	...	Baron Karl von Leinsdorf
Charles Gray	...	Mycroft Holmes
Régine	...	Madame
Georgia Brown	...	Mrs. Freud
Anna Quayle	...	Freda
Jill Townsend	...	Mrs. Holmes
John Bird	...	Berger
Alison Leggatt	...	Mrs. Hudson

Storyline

Concerned about his friend's cocaine use, Dr. Watson tricks Sherlock Holmes into travelling to Vienna, where Holmes enters the care of Sigmund Freud. Freud attemts to solve the mysteries of Holmes' subconscious, while Holmes devotes himself to solving a mystery involving the kidnapping of Lola Deveraux.

---

Plot Keywords:

cocaine | sigmund freud | sherlock holmes | kidnapping | detective | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 June 1977 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

El caso final

Filming Locations:

Austria

Company Credits

Production Co:

Herbert Ross Productions, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While the book showed Dr. Sigmund Freud with a daughter, the child he had in real life, the movie showed him with a make-believe son because Dr. Anna Freud threatened a lawsuit if she was included. Since her father was dead she had no control over how he was portrayed.

---

Goofs

During the railroad pursuit, the trains are seen on two tracks that are about to merge. Holmes states that there are no points left to switch. However, the coming together of the two track lines necessarily involves a switching point. And, in fact, that set of points is visible soon thereafter.

---

Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: [stopping Watson abruptly] Mind the vanilla extract!

---

Crazy Credits

In the opening titles, there are footnotes concerning many of the characters.

---

Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: The Best of 1976 (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"The Madame's Song (I Never Do Anything Twice)"
Written by Stephen Sondheim
Performed by Régine

User Reviews

Imaginative variation on the Holmes legend

While the Seven Percent Solution may not appeal all fans of the legendary detective, it nevertheless gives us an interesting variation of the Conan Doyle character.

In order to cure his friend of his cocaine addiction, Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall) and brother Mycroft create a ruse to get Holmes to Vienna where Holmes(Nicol Williamson) meets Dr. Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin). Arkin's Dr. Freud shows his own skills as a detective in a plot involving a kidnapped singer (Vanessa Redgrave).

Holmes and Freud work very well togeather. Freud points out that as a doctor he uses many of the same skills that Holmes uses in fighting crime, and in one scene demonstrates the same powers of observation and reasoning, while being careful not to upstage the great detective. There is not much mystery here, but the chemistry between Holmes and Freud keeps the movie interesting.

The clever twist concerns Holmes' archenemy Prof. Moriaity. Here we see Moriarty not as the villian, but as a timid schoolteacher harassed by Holmes because of a dark event in the lives of Sherlock and Mycroft.

This is a movie that is good fun. The only problem is that Dr. Watson isn't used very well. Freud makes a much better partner to Holmes.