The Crooked Man (22 May 1984)

Col. Barclay is found dead and his wife is arrested for the murder, but Holmes is convinced a missing door key will reveal the true killer.

Director:

Alan Grint

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (by), John Hawkesworth (developed for television by),

Stars:

Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Norman Jones

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Jeremy Brett	...	Sherlock Holmes
David Burke	...	Dr Watson
Norman Jones	...	Henry Wood
Lisa Daniely	...	Nancy Barclay
Denys Hawthorne	...	James Barclay
Fiona Shaw	...	Miss Morrison
Paul Chapman	...	Major Murphy
Shelagh Stephenson	...	Jane
Michael Lumsden	...	Young Henry Wood
Catherine Rabett	...	Young Nancy
James Wilby	...	Young Barclay
Maggie Holland	...	Mrs Fenning
Colin Campbell	...	Private Bates
David Graham Jones	...	Pianist

Storyline

Egged on by his friend Dr. Watson, Holmes agrees to investigate the murder of Col. James Barclay who rose from the ranks to command his Regiment. After returning home from her monthly evening out helping the poor, the dead man's wife Nancy had a flaming row with her husband. After hearing a scream, the servants try to enter the room only to find locked from the inside. When they do manage to enter, they find the Colonel dead from what appears to be a blow to the head and Nancy in a feint. Holmes learns that at her charity work, she had reacted in shock when she approached a new arrival, an old man with a bent back and crooked legs.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Fr]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 May 1984 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Moreton Hall, Congleton, Cheshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Watson's line "Elementary, my dear Holmes" is a sendup of the famous "Elementary, my dear Watson", a phrase that never appeared in any of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. 'The Crooked Man' short story does however have Sherlock saying "Elementary" and "my dear Watson" in two separate pieces of dialog.

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Quotes

Dr. John Watson: What do you say, Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes: What can I say? Major Murphy, you have told me *nothing*!

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Crazy Credits

There are Paget's illustrations from the story during credits.

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Connections

Version of The Crooked Man (1923)

User Reviews

One of the Best Episodes in the Series

This episode is another one of my favorite adaptations in this great series. Everything about this adaptation is just right. Jeremy Brett and David Burke as Holmes and Watson are perfect and Norman Jones gives a haunting performance in the title role. The production values here are excellent (which is typical for this series). The music by Patrick Gowers is potent. It is a simple, powerful story mixing elements of history and tragedy as it unfolds into a tale of love and survival. Out of all the Holmes mysteries this one is a real sleeper. If there is at least one episode in the Granada Holmes series that you should watch let it be this one.