The Six Napoleons 

Inspector Lastrade reveals to Holmes that someone has been inexplicably breaking into homes for the senseless purpose of breaking small busts of Napoleon.

Director:

David Carson

Writers:

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

Stars:

Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Eric Sykes

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Jeremy Brett	...	Sherlock Holmes
Edward Hardwicke	...	Dr. Watson
Eric Sykes	...	Horace Harker
Colin Jeavons	...	Inspector Lestrade
Gerald Campion	...	Morse Hudson
Vincenzo Nicoli	...	Pietro
Steve Plytas	...	Venucci Snr.
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Mendelstam
Marina Sirtis	...	Lucrezia
Emil Wolk	...	Beppo
Nadio Fortune	...	Beppo's Cousin
Michael Logan	...	Josiah Brown
Jeffrey Gardiner	...	Mr. Sandeford

Storyline

Inspector Lastrade drops by Baker Street to socialize and presents Holmes with his current problem. He is baffled by a series of apparently senseless burglaries in which the only thing stolen is a small bust of Napoleon, which is later broken into pieces by the thief. Unlike Lastrade, Holmes sees a sinister purpose behind these irrational break-ins and has that confirmed when a Italian immigrant with Mafia connections is found with his throat slashed at the scene of the latest robbery.

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Plot Keywords:

mafia | italian immigrant | throat slitting | stabbing | revenge | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Venucci is crying over his son's body, there are coins on the dead man's eyes. The tradition of placing pennies on the eyes of the corpse - to pay Charon the ferryman to carry the person's soul across the River Styx - dates back to Ancient Rome and Greece.

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Goofs

After examining the shards of the fourth shattered Napoleon bust outside the empty house, Sherlock, Watson and Lestrade head out to the street where modern automobiles are visible in the background.

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Quotes

[Lestrade visits Holmes and Watson in their rooms at 221B Baker Street]
Dr. Watson: Anything remarkable on hand, Lestrade?
Inspector Lestrade: No, nothing in particular.
Sherlock Holmes: [after a long pause, lowers the newspaper he's reading and smiles at Lestrade] Then tell us about it.

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Connections

Version of The Pearl of Death (1944)

User Reviews

So much fun!

The Six Napoleons is easily one of the best of "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" series, and one I have seen five times over the past three weeks, finding something new to love and admire every time. For instance if you love Holmes, Watson and Lestrade together you are in heaven as their scenes in The Six Napoleons are the best and funniest of the entire series especially the humbug exchange, the build up to the final denouncement and the scene where Lestrade shares his theory about the busts smashing. The story may not be the most interesting in hindsight, but what is done with the story here is what makes the episode so remarkable. The Six Napoleons is well paced, suspenseful, funny, exciting and always compelling, while there are some absolutely brilliant episodes other than this one not many have all five of those qualities and so well in the way The Six Napoleons has. Once again, it is superbly made, evocative in atmosphere and meticulous in detail. The music is hauntingly beautiful, and the writing is droll and intelligent. Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke and Colin Jeavons couldn't have been more perfect as Holmes, Watson and Lestrade, Brett is commanding, Hardwicke is composed and quietly intelligent and Jeavons is a comic joy(his Chiswick explanation is yet another little thing I loved about the episode) and gives perhaps his best performance of the episodes he starred in. The supporting cast also give good performances, in Jeffrey Gardiner's case as Sandeford, great. Overall, such a fun episode. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

20 August 1986 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1