The Sign of Four (TV 1987)

The disappearance of a young woman's father and a mysterious note years later after the strange regular annual delivery of valuable pearls to her puts Sherlock Holmes on the case.

Director:

Peter Hammond

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (by), John Hawkesworth (dramatised by),

Stars:

Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Robin Hunter

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Brett	...	Sherlock Holmes
Edward Hardwicke	...	Dr. Watson / Dr. John Watson
Robin Hunter	...	Major Sholto
Alf Joint	...	McMurdo
John Thaw	...	Jonathan Small
Kiran Shah	...	Tonga
Jenny Seagrove	...	Miss Mary Morstan
Rosalie Williams	...	Mrs Hudson
Derek Deadman	...	Williams
Ronald Lacey	...	Thaddeus & Bartholomew Sholto
Ishaq Bux	...	Lal Chowder
Terence Skelton	...	Captain Morstan
Marjorie Sudell	...	Mrs Bernstone
Emrys James	...	Inspector Athelney Jones
Gordon Gostelow	...	Sherman

Storyline

A young lady, Miss Mary Morstan, contact Sherlock Holmes for his help regarding her father, captain Morstan, who disappeared 10 years ago. Since his disappearance she annually receives a valuable pearl by post from an unknown person. The mystery leads Holmes and doctor Watson into an intricate plot regarding a lost treasure belonging to four convicts on the Andaman Islands.

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Plot Keywords:

treasure | doctor | pearl | murder | india | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Négyek jele

Filming Locations:

Burgh Castle, Breydon Water, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Holmes, Watson and the police sail out on the police launch to lay in wait for the Aurora they sail upstream and under the Westminster Bridge as indicated by Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background. Yet the Aurora was hidden at a ship yard near the Tower Bridge, and when the hunt begins the Tower of London is visible in the background. Both Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are located down the river from Westminster Bridge.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. John Watson: Very pretty young woman crossing the street. And I think she may be coming here.
Sherlock Holmes: Incidentally, I have glanced over your latest account of my work.
Dr. John Watson: Oh, yes?
Sherlock Holmes: Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science. Observation, deduction, a cold unemotional subject. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism which has much the same effect as if you'd worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.

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Connections

Version of Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sokrovishcha Agry (1983)

User Reviews

My personal favourite Sherlock Holmes mystery

Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant crime series, and has a brilliant star in the name of Jeremy Brett, who was without doubt the best Sherlock Holmes.

What is excellent about this adaptation, is the closeness to the book, and of course the acting of Brett and Hardwicke. And the fine camera work and period detail. Jenny Seagrove and Ronald Lacey did very well in their roles.

But for me, the highlight was the boat on the river chase, and the introduction of Jonathan Small(the flashback sequences were very interesting and beautifully played too), who was brilliantly played by the late John Thaw. He was the best actor in the adaptation, apart from Brett. It must be really uncomfortable with a wooden leg though. Great music too, very haunting at the beginning especially.

This is really good, if a little creepy, Tonga was very scary. The Ian Richardson version is also good, but not as effective. 9/10 Bethany cox