The Royal Scandal (2001) (TV)

Director:

Rodney Gibbons

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (short story "A Scandal in Bohemia" from volume "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") and
Joe Wiesenfeld

Release Date:

19 October 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Temptation May Be His Greatest Adversary

Plot:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes - the world's greatest detective - faces a most alluring adversary...

Plot Keywords:

Sherlock Holmes | Intrigue | Old Flame | Crown Prince | Blackmail

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Matt Frewer	...	Sherlock Holmes
Kenneth Welsh	...	Dr. John H. Watson
Liliana Komorowska	...	Irene Adler
Daniel Brochu	...	Wiggins
Seann Gallagher	...	Meisener
R.H. Thomson	...	Mycroft Holmes
Robin Wilcock	...	Crown Prince
Alain Goulem	...	PC Trevor
Jacob Richmond	...	Cadogan West
Kathleen McAuliffe	...	Mrs. Hudson
Alan Legros	...	Burly #1
Kevin Ryder	...	Burly #2
Julian Casey	...	Inspector Lestrade
Noel Burton	...	Professor Morgan
David Francis	...	Jenkins
Harry Hill	...	Lord Hareford
Ed Langham	...	Sir James Walter
Aaron Hancox	...	BSI #1
Sam Tevel	...	BSI #2
Sean Devine	...	Timothy Carter
Philip Spensley	...	Signalman
Samuel Holden	...	Chimney Sweep (as Sam Holden)
Una Kay	...	Countess Maria
Arthur Holden	...	Sigismund
Laurent Imbault	...	Officer
Jean-Marc Bisson	...	Intruder #1
Sven Eriksson	...	Intruder #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Tyler	...	English Gentleman (uncredited)

Directed by
Rodney Gibbons

Writing credits
Arthur Conan Doyle		(short story "A Scandal in Bohemia" from volume "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes")
Joe Wiesenfeld

Produced by
Pedro Gandol	....	associate producer
Steven Hewitt	....	executive producer
Irene Litinsky	....	producer
Michael Prupas	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Marc Ouellette

Cinematography by
Serge Ladouceur

Casting by
Andrea Kenyon
Myriam Vézina

Production Design by
Fannie Duguay-Lefebvre
Elaine Frigon
Raynald Langelier

Art Direction by
Emmanuel Frechette

Set Decoration by
Diane Gauthier
Marie-Claude Gosselin
Josée Pilon

Makeup Department
Jessica Heeren	....	assistant makeup artist (2001)
Tomoko Hidaka	....	makeup artist
Bob Pritchett	....	key hair stylist
Melissa Purino	....	key makeup artist
Martin Rivest	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Christiane Charpentier	....	assistant unit manager
Jean-Yves Dolbec	....	production manager
Pierre Lapointe	....	unit manager
Evan Tussman	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anabelle Berkani	....	third assistant director
Pedro Gandol	....	assistant director
Dandy Thibaudeau	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Vincent Aird	....	assistant set decorator
Hans Barzeele	....	scenic technician
Félix Bélanger	....	head carpenter
Jean Chassé	....	props buyer
Luc Daneau	....	scenic technician
Charles Dugas	....	assistant property master
Nicolas Fering	....	scenic technician
André Fiset	....	key carpenter
Carrie Foster	....	art department coordinator
Guy Gauthier	....	assistant set decorator
Julie Gosselin	....	assistant set decorator
Spiri Katerelos	....	art department assistant
Christian Lafortune	....	scenic technician
Guillaume Lord	....	assistant art director
Julie Montplaisir	....	art department assistant
Éric Philippe	....	scenic technician
Matthew Poirier	....	art department assistant
André Ratelle	....	property master
Jacques St-Pierre	....	scenic technician
Cindy Torreiro	....	art department runner
Eric Vasseur	....	head scenic painter

Sound Department
Richard Betanzos	....	sound re-recording mixer
Hugo Callegari	....	boom operator
Scott Donald	....	adr recordist
Véronique Gabillaud	....	sound mixer
David Gertsman	....	sound effects editor
Michael Gurman	....	supervising sound editor
Steven Gurman	....	post sound consultant
Christiane Hubert	....	foley assistant
Paul Hubert	....	foley artist
Eric Med Lagacé	....	foley recordist
Stéphane Larivière	....	sound effects editor
France Leduc	....	supervising dialogue editor
Sara Moralioglu	....	assistant dialogue editor
Claire Pochon	....	dialogue editor
Martin Protat	....	sound trainee
Stan Sakellaropoulos	....	dialogue editor
Glenn Tussman	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
André Laforest	....	special effects coordinator
Eric-André Paquin	....	special effects technician
Martin Williams	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Jere Gillis	....	stunts
Patrick Kerton	....	stunt double
Patrick Kerton	....	stunts
Peter White	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-Yves Denis	....	grip
Anik Drapeau	....	clapper loader
Yves Drapeau	....	focus puller
John Harris	....	electrician
Pierric Jouvante	....	best boy electric
Eric Lefèbvre	....	electrician
Bruno Lemire	....	camera trainee
Yannick MacDonald	....	set photographer
Yves Nault	....	generator operator
Michel Périard	....	key grip
Dominique Ricard	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Pascal St-Martin	....	grip
Michel St. Martin	....	grip
Michel Steinmetzer	....	electrician
Paul Tremblay	....	best boy
Martin Pépin Viau	....	electrician
Normand Viau	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Randi Wells	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fabienne April	....	wardrobe coordinator
Jacinthe Demers	....	extras wardrobe mistress
Marie-Claude Deschênes	....	key extras dresser
Jasmine Dessureault	....	assistant wardrobe mistress: extras
Chantale Di Filippo	....	dresser
Christine Gribbin	....	key dresser
Françoise Lecours	....	wardrobe mistress
Caroline Poirier	....	assistant to costume designer

Editorial Department
Elissa Lewis	....	post-production coordinator
Serge Robert	....	color timer

Transportation Department
Bertrand Calmeau	....	driver
Jose Uria	....	transportation coordinator (as José Uria)

Other crew
Annick Barbery	....	assistant unit publicist
Jesabelle Boileau	....	production assistant
Patrice Bujold	....	set production assistant
Marie-France Caron	....	assistant location manager
Suzanne De Carufel	....	location manager
Harvey Drouelle	....	production assistant
Émilie Dussault	....	assistant: Steven Hewitt
Madia Fortin	....	assistant accountant
Nadia Fortin	....	second assistant accountant
Linda Fournier	....	assistant craft service
France Lachapelle	....	script supervisor
Suzanne Laverdure	....	assistant location manager
Danielle Lavoie	....	production coordinator
Mélanie Lavoie	....	production secretary
François Lessard	....	off-line coordinator
Frédérick Lévesque	....	production assistant
Gaétan Mercier	....	craft service
Bruce Miller	....	assistant accountant
Julie O'Bonsawin	....	script trainee
Betty Palik	....	unit publicist
Lili Partheniou	....	production accountant
Ellie Presner	....	script coordinator
Martin Roy	....	production assistant
André Savard	....	production assistant
Marin Valois	....	set runner

Production Companies

• Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Distributors

• Elephant Films (2003) (France) (all media)
• Hallmark Channel, The
• Muse Distribution International

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Muse Entertainment Enterprises

Movie Connections:

Follows The Hound of the Baskervilles (2000) (TV)

A Misguided Adaptation

When Sherlock Holmes faces an old enemy in the beautiful form of Irene Adler, a woman with a keenly criminal mind, his wills become torn between sentimentality and justice. He has been commissioned by the Prince of Germany to recover a compromising photograph taken with Irene, but is soon swept into a world of political intrigue, unrest, scandal, and double intentions that could be his downfall.

Filled with dark, fog-shrouded chases through London, heart-stopping instances of horror, and momentary glimpses into the mind of Sherlock Holmes, "The Royal Scandal" was meant to be a classic among film adaptations. Sadly, it falls far short. The film begins most appropriately with a disclaimer saying that it has not been endorsed by any member of Doyle's family. This in itself was a grand giveaway that the following hour and a half of whirlwind scandal, deception, romance and imperial intrigue was not exactly what good old Doyle intended when he penned "A Scandal in Bohemia," upon which the production is very loosely based.

Given, the film is not an entire flop. It manages to follow closely the story in some areas and expand out in others. Borrowing the blueprint scam and political tensions from His Last Bow, it attempts to make for itself a winning mystery of charm and interest and could have carried itself off well were it not for the gaping holes in character development. Our first and most glaring flaw is found in Holmes himself... a distracted, romantically entangled Holmes. A Sherlock Holmes who finds himself blinded by beauty and seduction, who prides himself one moment on "being the one exception" in the male race who consistently gives in to Irene Adler's temptations; and the next finds himself compromised.

Non-literary fans of Sherlock Holmes will even notice the flaws; that Homes would ever place personal interest before one of his cases is ridiculous; and his interest in Irene is played out on more a personal nature than a willingness to corner her for the government's sake. To Sherlock Holmes, this would be the ultimate humiliation. On the other end of the tables, the political intrigue that is played out is very enthralling as Irene and Holmes play out a delightful game of cat and mouse. London is at its most mysterious and sinister. We are also introduced to characters only alluded to in the novels... namely his political brother Mycroft, and the street-wise Wiggins.

In conclusion, it is a film that wavers between being likable due to the nature of its intent and distasteful to true lovers of the Canon. If you are a died-in-the-wool Sherlockian like myself, you will find Holmes inability to control his feelings somewhat hard to swallow. But the rest of the production is just seductive enough to draw you into a world of lies, deceptions, and double agents that would please any mystery buff. Hallmark could have done better; maybe next time their writer would fare better in actually *reading* the Canon.