Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

When assorted people start having inexplicable delusions that lead to their deaths, a teenage Sherlock Holmes decides to investigate.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (characters), Chris Columbus (screenplay)

Stars:

Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox, Sophie Ward

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nicholas Rowe	...	Sherlock Holmes
Alan Cox	...	John Watson
Sophie Ward	...	Elizabeth Hardy
Anthony Higgins	...	Professor Rathe
Susan Fleetwood	...	Mrs. Dribb
Freddie Jones	...	Chester Cragwitch
Nigel Stock	...	Rupert T. Waxflatter
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	Det. Sgt. Lestrade
Earl Rhodes	...	Dudley
Brian Oulton	...	Master Snelgrove
Patrick Newell	...	Bentley Bobster
Donald Eccles	...	The Reverend Duncan Nesbitt
Matthew Ryan	...	Dudley's Friend
Matthew Blakstad	...	Dudley's Friend
Jonathan Lacey	...	Dudley's Friend

Storyline

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet as boys in an English Boarding school. Holmes is known for his deductive ability even as a youth, amazing his classmates with his abilities. When they discover a plot to murder a series of British business men by an Egyptian cult, they move to stop it.

---

Plot Keywords:

cult | sherlock holmes | hallucination | graveyard | murder | 

---

Taglines:

Before a lifetime of adventure, they had the adventure of a lifetime.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 December 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Le secret de la pyramide

Filming Locations:

Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$4,250,320 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Trevor Howard was interviewed for a major role.

---

Goofs

When Holmes and Rathe are fencing, Holmes drops his saber when he is cut, but in the next scene he is seen holding his saber - with no break in the dialogue to give him a chance to pick it up.

---

Quotes

John Watson: Amazing, Holmes. Simply amazing. Of course, you did forget one very important clue.
Sherlock Holmes: Oh? Please enlighten me.
John Watson: Well, "Rathe" is "Ehtar" spelled backwards.
Sherlock Holmes: Very clever, Watson. Well, I'm certain I would have arrived at that conclusion sooner or later.
John Watson: [smiling] Sooner or later.

---

Crazy Credits

Before the end credits roll, there is a note that the film was an affectionate speculation on Sherlock Holmes' youth, and not based specifically on any of Arthur Conan Doyle's works: "Although Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not write about the very youthful years of Sherlock Holmes and did establish the initial meeting between Holmes and Dr. Watson as adults, this affectionate speculation about what might have happened has been made with respectful admiration and in tribute to the author and his enduring works."

---

Connections

Featured in The Force Is with Them: The Legacy of 'Star Wars' (2004)

---

Soundtracks

"Young Sherlock Holmes - Waxing Elizabeth"
Written by Bruce Broughton
Performed by Crouch End Festival Chorus and the The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

User Reviews

Elementary Good Fun!

What if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a story where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson met as adolescents? What if he made it a very suspenseful mystery that explanied may of the great sleuth's character traits and stylistic characterisics? What if...well, he did not, but screenwriter Chris Columbus, director Barry Levinson, and producer Steven Spielberg do bring us a fine film that does these things called Young Sherlock Holmes. Young Sherlock Holmes is the meeting of fantasy film and classic literature, and it is a meeting that coexists very nicely. The great detective meets his future colleague and friend Dr. Watson in a London prep school amidst the mystery of what six men did many years ago in Egypt. Several of the men begin to die in horrible, inexplicable ways, and the young Holmes suspects mischief. The film is a veritable treasure trove of Sherlock Holmes allusions. The film is fast-paced, fun, fantastical, and creates insights into why Holmes developed emotionally the way he did. Nicholas Rowe does a superb job playing Holmes, bringing to the role intelligence as well as compassion. Alan Cox does an equally good job playing his young sidekick and doctor to be. The special effects are first-rate, yet in no way detract from the Victorian world of Doyle and Holmes and Watson. Start watching and it will not be long before you'll be saying, "The game is afoot!"