Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (characters)
Chris Columbus (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Cult | Sherlock Holmes | Solution | Hallucination | Murder

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Nicholas Rowe	...	Sherlock Holmes
Alan Cox	...	John Watson
Sophie Ward	...	Elizabeth Hardy
Anthony Higgins	...	Professor Rathe
Susan Fleetwood	...	Mrs. Dribb
Freddie Jones	...	Cragwitch
Nigel Stock	...	Waxflatter
Roger Ashton-Griffiths	...	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

Also Known As:

Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear (UK) (video title) (USA) (original script title)
Pyramid of Fear

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-14 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | Spain:T | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Belvoir Castle, Belvoir, Leicestershire, England, UK

Company:

Amblin Entertainment

Trivia:

In Britain, the film was retitled Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear, an obvious nod to Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) the previous year.

Goofs:

Continuity: Eh-tar grabs the tassels of the waxing machine four times in the second temple scene.

Quotes:

Older Watson: A few days later, they buried Professor Waxflatter. I had never been to a funeral before, though unfortunately, I've been to many since. Holmes could not publicly attend the funeral. His expulsion from Brompton prevented such a thing. The death of his mentor and friend had taken its toll on Sherlock Holmes. In my entire life, I have only seen Holmes cry on two occasions. To-day was the first.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004) (TV)

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!"