When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes in “The Final Problem",
public outcry by angry readers was swift and overwhelming.
This was 1893, long before the days of fandoms and petitions.
In fact, the public reaction to Holmes' death
was unlike anything previously seen for fictional characters.
It prompted Conan Doyle to bring back Sherlock
and continue writing detective stories for the next 25 years.
For over a century, Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed countless times in the media.
He's been featured on stage, on the radio, and of course, on screen.
In 2012, he was awarded a world record for the most portrayed literary human character in film & TV.
Although Conan Doyle was not the first to write detective stories,
it is his literary work that has made a significant impact on the genre.
The key to Sherlock Holmes' longevity perhaps lies in his ability to be,
as The New York Times says, “at once so adaptable, so impervious to change,
and so capable of accommodating the audiences of such different eras.”
The combination of Sherlock's intellect, skills of observation,
deductive reasoning, and unconventional manner,
is balanced by Dr. Watson's friendship and commentary.
When it comes to his appearance, however,
British illustrator Sidney Paget is to be credited
for cementing the popular image of Sherlock Holmes in reader's minds.
Paget was hired to illustrate many of the short stories for The Strand Magazine,
influencing future interpretations of the detective in fiction, drama, and film.
Holmes' iconic deerstalker cap and Inverness cape, for instance,
are details added by Paget that were not mentioned in the original works.
The iconic pipe was an additional detail from the stage actor William Gillette,
contributing to the now universally recognized silhouette.
Over the hundreds of adaptations, retellings, parodies, and spin-offs of his adventures,
many have their favorite Sherlock or at least associate a specific actor with the character.
Let's take a look at some of the most popular on-screen portrayals of Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes has been a fixture in both British and American cinema
since the creation of a short silent film from the year 1900.
The first major series of talkies with Sherlock Holmes featured British actor, Arthur Wontner,
in five films between 1931 and 1937.
Already a well-known actor on the stage,
Wontner was chosen for his portrayal of another similar detective character,
as well as his physical resemblance to Paget’s illustration of Holmes.
However, at the age of 56, Wontner appears middle-aged version,
with the setting of all the stories moved into the 1930s.
Wontner’s interpretation of the famous detective is, on the whole, more low-key and studious.
By 1939, a new Sherlock Holmes arrived on the scene.
Basil Rathbone is best known for his many portrayals of the detective.
While the early films were set in Victorian England,
the majority brought Sherlock to the present day—
in this case, during the years of WWII.
In spite of some of the more outlandish storylines,
Rathbone conveys the complexity of Holmes' character,
in how he can be incredibly intelligent and exacting, yet also gentlemanly and charming.
The latter films especially emphasize Sherlock's invincibility and agelessness.
In 1959, Peter Cushing began his Sherlock career
with the first adaptation to be filmed in color, "The Hound of the Baskervilles."
In 1968, he replaced Douglas Wilmer for the second season of BBC’s Sherlock Holmes series,
Then in 1984, Cushing made his final appearance as Holmes in the television movie,
"The Masks of Death."
His gentlemanly demeanor helped to portray a dignified and deceptively unassuming Holmes,
who was also resolute and principled.
1984, among other things,
also marked the beginning of another series about Sherlock Holmes.
Jeremy Brett redefined the detective for a new generation.
The English actor would continue to portray Sherlock Holmes for the next ten years,
delivering a performance that explored Holmes’ diverse set of skills and characteristics.
Brett’s personal struggles with bipolar disorder seemed to mirror the character himself,
who experienced wild mood swings and depressive episodes.
Brett also matched the physical description of Holmes, being over six feet,
with black hair, piercing eyes, and a thin hawk-like nose
"that gave his whole expression an air of alertness and decision."
After the series ended in 1994, there were a few adaptations
about Sherlock Holmes released in the decade to follow,
but it wasn't until the 2009 film version
that a new incarnation of Sherlock became a sensation worldwide.
American actor Robert Downey Jr. emphasizes Sherlock’s fighting skills,
his eccentricity, and his peculiar sense of humor.
In the original stories, Sherlock Holmes is mentioned to be adept at boxing and having
some knowledge of self defense, although the books seldom describe any fighting scenes.
The film’s seemingly unkempt, less polished version of Holmes is much more action-oriented.
In 2010, a new BBC TV series brought Sherlock to the 21st century,
with a focus on the character’s deduction skills,
as well as his apparent lack of emotion or social graces.
Benedict Cumberbatch embraces the role of Holmes as a fast-talking, cynical genius
who initially eschews such qualities as empathy and compassion.
The show enhances Sherlock's antiheroic qualities, but over the course of the series,
Sherlock shows that he does care for others,
but as with the original character, he attempts to prevent such emotions from clouding his judgment.
This fresh reimagining of Sherlock Holmes
took the character's popularity to even greater heights.
Interest in Sherlock hasn't slowed down since then.
The TV series, Elementary, places Sherlock in a modern crime procedural, which nods to
the impact that the original had in forensic science and procedural dramas.
Sherlock also appears as a secondary character with the film, Enola Holmes.
Based on a book series that imagines if Sherlock and Mycroft had a younger sister,
the story gives us a different perspective of the detective.
The Conan Doyle Estate filed a lawsuit over this film,
with a claim that it violates copyright in depicting Sherlock Holmes
as someone who is capable of being respectful and kind.
Certainly, there is still much to be debated about Sherlock Holmes’ character, his personality,
and who he really was beyond Watson’s narration over 56 short stories and four novels.
In this video, we’ve only just scratched the surface
with the innumerable portrayals of Sherlock Holmes,
not to mention, the many depictions of John Watson, James Moriarty,
and of course, Irene Adler.
So let us know about your favorite characters and performances
from the adventures of Sherlock Holmes.