Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (characters)
Chris Columbus (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 December 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | 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 | Graveyard | Boarding School | School

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
Walter Sparrow	...	Ethan Engel
Nadim Sawalha	...	Egyptian Tavern Owner
Roger Brierley	...	Mr. Holmes
Vivienne Chandler	...	Mrs. Holmes
Lockwood West	...	Curio Shop Owner
John Scott Martin	...	Cemetery Caretaker
George Malpas	...	School Porter
Willoughby Goddard	...	School Reverend
Michael Cule	...	Policeman with Lestrade
Ralph Tabakin	...	Policeman in Shop Window
Nancy Nevinson	...	Hotel Receptionist
Michael Hordern	...	Older Watson (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Royston Munt	...	Footman (uncredited)

Directed by
Barry Levinson

Writing credits
Arthur Conan Doyle		(characters)
Chris Columbus		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harry Benn	....	associate producer
Mark Johnson	....	producer
Kathleen Kennedy	....	executive producer
Frank Marshall	....	executive producer
Steven Spielberg	....	executive producer
Henry Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Bruce Broughton

Cinematography by
Stephen Goldblatt

Film Editing by
Stu Linder

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
Norman Reynolds

Art Direction by
Charles Bishop
Fred Hole

Set Decoration by
Michael Ford

Costume Design by
Raymond Hughes

Makeup Department
Joan Carpenter	....	key hair stylist
Nick Dudman	....	makeup artist
Richard Glass	....	contact lens optician
Hilary Haines	....	hair stylist
Chris Lyons	....	special effects teeth
Peter Robb-King	....	makeup supervisor
Jane Royle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Arthur F. Repola	....	post-production supervisor (as Arthur Repola)
Donald Toms	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Bennett	....	first assistant director: second unit
Andrew Grieve	....	second unit director
Peter Heslop	....	third assistant director
Ian Hickinbotham	....	second assistant director
Michael Murray	....	first assistant director
Kevin Westley	....	third assistant second unit director

Art Department
Gavin Bocquet	....	assistant art director
Reg Bream	....	chief draftsman
Paul Cheesman	....	dressing props
Peter Childs	....	draftsman
George Djurkovic	....	assistant art director
Michael Finlay	....	painter
Peter Hancock	....	property master
Sarah Horton	....	art department junior
Philip McDonald	....	property department
Jonathan McKinstry	....	junior draftsman
Dave Midson	....	chargehand dressing prop
Brian Muir	....	sculptor
Michael G. Ploog	....	illustrator (as Michael Ploog)
Mickey Pugh	....	property department
Keith Short	....	sculptor
Bill Welch	....	construction manager (as William Welch)
Mark White	....	construction
Simon Downes	....	trainee art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
George H. Anderson	....	additional sound effects editor (as George Anderson)
Scott Arundale	....	sound editing production assistant
Michael J. Benavente	....	additional sound effects editor (as Michael Benavente)
Pamela Bentkowski	....	additional sound effects editor
Michael C. Casper	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Michael Casper)
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	additional sound effects editor (as Lucy Coldsnow)
Tony Dawe	....	production sound mixer
Avram D. Gold	....	adr editor
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley walker (as Gary Hecker)
Cindy Marty	....	assistant sound effects editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley walker
Bruce Richardson	....	supervising sound editor (as Paul Bruce Richardson)
Norman B. Schwartz	....	post-production dialogue
James Simcik	....	adr assistant
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Varney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary Wright	....	additional sound effects editor

Special Effects by
John Baker	....	special effects technician
Jeff Clifford	....	special effects technician
Terence J. Cox	....	special effects technician
Rodney Fuller	....	special effects technician
Stephen Norrington	....	animatronics supervisor
Kit West	....	special effects supervisor
Trevor Wood	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Dave Allen	....	chief puppeteer (as David Allen)
Dave Allen	....	pastry sequence motion supervisor: ILM (as David Allen)
Donna K. Baker	....	rotoscope artist: ILM (as Donna Baker)
Gordon Baker	....	effects animator: ILM
Barbara Brennan	....	effects animator: ILM
Dave Carson	....	effects art director: ILM
Sean M. Casey	....	puppeteer: ILM (as Sean Casey)
Eric Christiansen	....	glass consultant: ILM
Blair Clark	....	puppeteer: ILM
Donald Clark	....	optical camera operator: ILM (as Don Clark)
Don Conway	....	computer animation: ILM
Robert L. Cook	....	computer animation: ILM
Robert Cooper	....	puppeteer: ILM (as Bob Cooper)
Kim Costalupes	....	assistant editor: ILM
Jay Davis	....	puppeteer: ILM
David DiFrancesco	....	computer animation: ILM (as David Defrancesco)
John Ellis	....	optical supervisor: ILM
Scott Farrar	....	effects cameraman: pastry sequence: ILM
Warren Franklin	....	general manager: ILM
Michael Gleason	....	visual effects editor: ILM (as Mike Gleason)
Craig Good	....	computer animation: ILM
Ralph Gordon	....	optical lineup: ILM
Caroleen Green	....	matte artist: ILM
Robert Hill	....	assistant cameraman: ILM
Sandy Houston	....	rotoscope artist: ILM
Erik Jensen	....	production coordinator: ILM
George H. Joblove	....	coordinator: glass man sequence: ILM (as George Joblove)
Ed Jones	....	optical lineup: ILM
Douglas S. Kay	....	coordinator: glass man sequence: ILM (as Douglas Scott Kay)
John Lasseter	....	computer animation: ILM
Tony Laudati	....	puppeteer: ILM
Ellen E. Lichtwardt	....	animation supervisor: ILM (as Ellen Lichtwardt)
Mike MacKenzie	....	equipment engineering: ILM (as Michael MacKenzie)
Patrick McArdle	....	assistant cameraman: ILM
Marghi McMahon	....	puppeteer: ILM (as Marghe McMahon)
Terry Molatore	....	rotoscope artist: ILM (as Terry Sittig)
Jack Mongovan	....	effects animator: ILM
Dennis Muren	....	visual effects supervisor
Eben Ostby	....	computer animation: ILM
Michael Owens	....	effects cameraman: harpy sequence: ILM
Udo Pampel	....	equipment engineering: ILM
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte artist supervisor
William Reeves	....	computer animation: ILM
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical lineup
David Salesin	....	computer animation: ILM (as David H. Salesin)
Kenneth Smith	....	head optical cameraman: ILM
David Sosalla	....	creature fabrication: ILM
Howard Stein	....	visual effects editor: ILM
Bruce Walters	....	animation supervisor: ILM
Harry Walton	....	go-motion animation: harpy sequence: ILM
Craig Barron	....	matte photography supervisor (uncredited)
Tony Hudson	....	puppeteer: ILM (uncredited)
Paul Huston	....	matte modelmaker (uncredited)
Pamela Marcotte	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Jay Riddle	....	animation camera: ILM (uncredited)

Stunts
Marc Boyle	....	stunt arranger
Tom Delmar	....	stunts
Arthur Howell	....	fencing master
George Lane Cooper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Simon Crane	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steve Dent	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tracey Eddon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sadie Eden	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ray Ford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denise Ryan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jason White	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steve Whyment	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Annand	....	focus puller: second unit
David Cadwallader	....	key grip
Colin Corby	....	camera operator
Martin Evans	....	gaffer
Martin Foley	....	clapper loader
John Golding	....	camera operator: second unit
Rawdon Hayne	....	focus puller
Clive Jackson	....	clapper loader: second unit
Philip Jones	....	key grip: second unit
Randy Jonsson	....	assistant camera (as Randy Johnson)
Ray Meehan	....	best boy
Stephen Smith	....	director of photography: second unit (as Steven Smith)
George Whitear	....	still photographer
Will Willis	....	camera trainee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William McPhail	....	assistant to costume designer
Paul Vachon	....	wardrobe supervisor
Hilary Watson	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Peter Culverwell	....	assistant editor
Neil Kirk	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Bruce Broughton	....	conductor
Mark McKenzie	....	orchestrator (as Mark C. McKenzie)
Don Nemitz	....	orchestrator
Curt Sobel	....	music editor
James Thatcher	....	musician: French horn
Eric Tomlinson	....	music mixer
Bruce Broughton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Danny Burns	....	unit driver
Roy Hyatt	....	unit driver
Ray Jones	....	unit driver
Joe Lind	....	unit driver
Ron Narduzzo	....	unit driver

Other crew
David Allan	....	consultant: fitness
Alan Arnold	....	unit publicist
Virginia Ashton	....	secretary to associate producer
Kate Barker	....	assistant to executive producer
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor: second unit
Irena Butcher	....	assistant accountant
Vivienne Hammer	....	accounting assistant
Fred Harding	....	supervising accountant
Robert Harman	....	wire man (as Bob Harman)
Steven Lawrence	....	location manager
Cheryl Leigh	....	script supervisor
Tony Miller	....	production accountant
Katrina Mitchell	....	production assistant
Susan Moore	....	assistant to producer
Julie Moskowitz	....	assistant to executive producer
Phil Mullally	....	floor runner
Bonne Radford	....	controller
Mary T. Radford	....	assistant to executive producer (as Mary Radford)
Carol Regan	....	production coordinator
Marie Rowe	....	assistant: Mr. Levinson
Margaret Street	....	secretary to producer
Carolyn Trainor	....	production assistant (as Caroline Trainor)
Rebecca West	....	publicity secretary
Robert C. Campion	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

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

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte CIC Video (198?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Pixar Animation Studios (glass man sequence)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at
• Computer Consoles Inc.  Power 6/32 computer systems
• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio
• Fenton-Feinberg Casting  casting (as Mike Fenton/Judy Feinberg)
• Grip House  grip equipment
• Intrada  score album released by (limited edition)
• MCA Records  soundtrack
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals
• Panavision  lenses and Panaflex camera
• Sinfonia of London  orchestra

Also Known As:

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

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) | Brazil:12 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:Atp | 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:

Final cinema film of Willoughby Goddard.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Holmes and the school master 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:What have I gotten myself into?
Sherlock Holmes:The adventure of a lifetime, Watson.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zombies Ate My Neighbors (1993) (VG)

Stands the test of time...

I feel one of the true tests of a good movie is how it holds up over time. Can't believe it has been 18 years since I first viewed this little gem, and it was as good today as in 1985! Among other reasons, the Holmes and Watson characters were obviously cast for their youthful likeness to the characters in the old Basil Rathbone series of movies. Take a good look! This a wonderful penning of the proposed early days of the two and a very original concept. Probably only true Holmes officiandos will see some obvious references to the adult Rathbone character, and these add to the cleverness of this version. Make certain to stay 'til the end of the credits; Sherlock Holmes fans will receive an ingenious clue to the his "future".