Without a Clue (1988)

Director:

Thom Eberhardt

Writers (WGA):

Gary Murphy (written by) &
Larry Strawther (written by)

Release Date:

21 October 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

Tagline:

The flip side of Sherlock Holmes.

Plot:

A drunken Sherlock Holmes is really just a cover for the real detective - Dr Watson.

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Sherlock Holmes | Detective | Doctor | Forgery

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Michael Caine	...	Sherlock Holmes
Ben Kingsley	...	Dr. John Watson
Jeffrey Jones	...	Inspector Lestrade
Lysette Anthony	...	Impostor Leslie Giles
Paul Freeman	...	Professor James Moriarty
Nigel Davenport	...	Lord Smithwick
Pat Keen	...	Mrs. Hudson
Peter Cook	...	Norman Greenhough
Tim Killick	...	Sebastian
Matthew Savage	...	Wiggins
John Warner	...	Peter Giles
Matthew Sim	...	Real Leslie Giles
Harold Innocent	...	Lord Mayor Gerald Fitzwalter Johnson
George Sweeney	...	John Clay
Murray Ewan	...	Archie

Also Known As:

Sherlock and Me
The Imposter of Baker Street (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Trivia:

The opening sequence of the movie is inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original Sherlock Holmes story "The Red-Headed League." In the story, Sherlock Holmes captures John Clay and his accomplice, Archie. John Clay even calls out at one point, "Jump, Archie, and I'll swing for it!"

Goofs:

Continuity: Holmes grabs a lamp off of the wall and puts it down by the hole in the floor. A short while later the lamp is back on the wall, but a short while after that it's back on the floor in time for Watson to trip over it.

Quotes:

Holmes: I'm reminded of the curious case of the Manchurian Mambo...
Watson: Holmes, could I have a word?
Holmes: Yes, what is it?
Watson: I believe that was the Manchurian Mamba.
Holmes: Mambo, mamba. What's the difference?
Watson: Well, very little, except that one is a deadly, poisonous snake, while the other is a rather festive Carribean dance.
Holmes: It was a night like any other, when suddenly a knock came at the door. I opened it, and there were these Manchurians, doing a rather festive Carribean dance...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Time Shift: A Study in Sherlock" (2007)

Funny (but not hilarious) spoof of the legend – made twice as good as it should be by the two leads.

Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective to live. Unfortunately he is only a creation of Dr Watson who is the true great detective. Forced to give life to his creation Watson hires actor Reginald Kincaid to play the part in real life. However when the pair are asked to investigate the theft of £5 note printing plates they find themselves up against Moriarty and in greater danger than they expected.

It sounds like a terrible idea – other films that have messed with the Holmes story have not done well – but this comes off quite nicely. The switch of characters is funny in itself and there are plenty of nice jokes and set pieces. The plot itself is full of holes and never grips as a mystery for one minute - but it is more than sufficient to support a comedy spoof. The real enjoyment comes not from the plot however but from another factor.

The two main actors are superb and it's their class that lifts the film well above the material. Caine is excellent and is visibly enjoying himself while Kingsley also looks at ease with his co-star. Support from Jeffrey Jones and Paul Freeman is good, but really the lead duo make the film work so well.

Overall, it is not a good mystery and it is not what you'd call hilarious – but the casting helps raise the bar a bit to create an enjoyable lightweight film.