Journey Planet 11
H.A. Pearlman Journey Planet - Issue 11 - December 2011 James Bacon - Editors - Chris Garcia
Table of Contents Page 58 - Other Houses, Other Holmes... by CHristopher J Garcia Cover by Hilary Pearlman Page 61 - The Game is Afoot. James and Page 1 - Table of Contents the Case of the Science Fictional Sher- lock Holmes by James Bacon Page 2 - Editorial by James Bacon, Con- sulting Detective Page 63 - 221b Baker Street; Fictional Flat a Monument to The Great Sleuth by Page 5 - JP Readers Write Again - Let- Anne [and Brian] Gray ters, edited lightly, by Claire Brialey Page 66 - The 221B Baker Street Illus- Page 11 - Sherlock Holmes in the Sci- tration by Russell Stutler ence Fiction Encyclopedia by Dave Lang- ford, Brian Stableford and Jonathan Page 71 - You Can Go Holmes Again by Clements Christopher J Garcia Page 13 - Geenre writers on their jour- Page 74 - Genre Writers on their Jour- ney into the Apocrypha, compiled by ney into the Apocrypha Part Deux - In James Bacon The Gaslight, Compiled by James Bacon Page 19 - The Location of 221b Baker Street by Peter Lidell Page 23 - Rural to Railway, The Devel- opment of Baker Street by Catherine Cooke Page 33 - Holmes, Cabs and Tubes by James Bacon Art Credits Page 37 - The Women of Sherlock Hol- mes by ALissa McKersie James Bacon - 26, 29, 32 Page 40 - An Actor’s Lessons by Elaine Sebastien Dunon (http://dunon.blogspot. Stiles com/) - 2 Page 43 - Holmes and Watson - It’ll Last Anne & Brian Gray - 4, 12, 42, 51, 63-65 by Tony Keen iPoppet (http://magiquebox.blogspot. Page 44 - Inner or Outer Rail by Nor- com/) - 39 man Crump James Shields - 10 Page 49 - Reviewed: The Trial of Sher- lock Holmes by Brian Gray Mo Starkey (After Paget) - BACover Page 52 - Adaptations of SHerlock Hol- Steve Stiles - 56 mes Novels and Stories by Tom Feller Russell Stutler - 67, 69, 70 Page 56 - Appreciation of Hammer’s tom whalen/strongstuff - www.strong- Hound of the Baskervilles by Lynda E. stuff.net - 43 Rucker.
Contact us at [email protected] 1 Editorial by James Note to Sherlockians and Holmesists etc’s although I realise that we may be near We are not canonistas or pastiche- the crest of the wave, just now. eraros but jouneyists enjoying the spirit of (http://www.michael-procter.com/holm- the game. es/_index.html) We enjoy writing and talking and dis- Since we started work on this zine Fire covering, and this has been a journey of dis- Storm by Andrew Lane a Young Sherlock covery, and fun. Holmes story has come out, I have found Now, you may find errors, things you more and more Holmsian avenues of inter- disagree with, you may have an opinion that est and and I found the concept work for a is differing, and we welcome these, you can quite unusual comic. send us a Letter of Comment, and we will While at Thought Bubble in Leeds I publish it. saw a poster for Gav Heryng‘s ‘No Shit Sher- I love how players of the game, have lock’ with a Black handlebar-moustachioed a sense of humour and understand that it’s Sherlock Holmes. Gav explained that it was about telling a good story rather than hav- a blaxplotation concept and that he ‘started ing a Harvard style reference. Although that it as a webcomic a couple of years back when does not imply inaccuracy, but there is so I wasn’t getting any work in, but it got put little that we base things on sometimes, and on the back-burner after the first episode yet the research is painstakingly detailed. when the paying gigs started again. Blax- Here we have a strange selection of plotation meets Sherlock Holmes struck me articles, and we hope regular and irregular as interesting although in answering one of readers enjoy them. Chris’ questions, there is actually a Holm- sian Bollywood Movie. Gumshuda, released Chris and I wanted to do a Holmsian in August 2010, directed by Ashoke Viswa- issue, and our timing is either impeccable nathan available in Hindi, Tamil and Malay- or perhaps not so. The new movie is due alam is a reworking of The Sign of Four. out, and the BBC series of Sherlock is going One author who deserved much men- to be on telly in the New Year, but it wasn’t tion is Kim Newman. He is a great writer, until I walked into Wasterstones and saw and at this moment in time rather busy, The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz, and he recently had Professor Moriarty: The then The Breath of God by Guy Adams, did Hound of the Durberville released from Ti- I realise that we may be just about to get tan Books, who have realised how awesome rolled over by a bandwagon. his writing is, but I also love his Man I soon realised that it may not from the Diogenes Club story collec- be that bad, as there has always tion, which is Mycroft Holmes link, been and may always be a populari- but with tree books, the Files and ty that is constant and when I found the Mysteries’ of the Diogenes Club, Philip K. Jones spread- they are all superb, and sheet which lists 9040 of course there is the parodies, pastiches and Anno Dracula series, with Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes, In- boards, in a form that is easily accessed spector Lestrade, the Diogenes Club, Pro- and of course, in the room, there is a Loco- fessor Moriarty, Colonel Moran all appear- motive nameplate, from Metropolitan Vick- ing in the first book and various characters ers electric train on the shelves that held borrowed and placed into later books. More Du Waal, which of course references both on Kim at www.johnnyalucard.com Catherine Cooke and this amazing Library I had made enquires of the Sher- resource. Catherine also accessed book lock Holmes collection in Marylebone Li- cases of criticism in her office. She makes brary, and soon was on my way to it, a brief mention of the University of Minnesota in walk from work. A massive public building Minneapolis, and its special rare books and standing on a block, it is mostly Westmin- Holman collection, which is impressive and ster Council offices feeling like a structure large, and helpful. Yet it is in a far off land, forever here, granite faced with a bell tower, and so for my money, The Marylebone Li- but for the Library one enters a side door. A brary becomes a familiar place as I return more recent addition, with a modern layout during these works to refer and learn and and feel. find. www.westminster.gov.uk/services/li- Here I met Catherine Cooke, a won- braries/special/Sherlock/ derfully pleasant lady, who ‘looks after’ the Minnesota does have Du Waal, or a Holmes collection. She is in actual fact in version at least, as I found some discrep- charge of the library computer systems, and ancies, online, and this was another useful a librarian for thirty years, but she is full of resource. http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/ enthusiasm and gusto, and gentle, I point ush/ush.html out I am an amateur, and she kindly con- I am grateful to Roger Johnson, of The tends that I am just ‘starting’ to look at the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, and edi- canon. She speaks of the Bruce Partington tor of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, he gave case and the work done to investigate the us permission to reprint Norman Crump’s place where the crime was expedited. “Inner or Outer Rail”, with acknowledge- I am led from the modern feeling li- ment to The Sherlock Holmes Journal. He brary down a Georgian corridor, tall sash suggested and I would have liked to pub- windows and gargantuan doors and Cath- lish Bernard Davies’s counterblast to Mr erine who then brings me to a room which Crump’s piece: “Ever Decreasing Circles: houses 1/3 of the collection. It is in a suit- A Slight Case of Railway Mania”, first pub- ably small room with a high ceiling, heavy lished in the 1995 issue of The Sherlock dark wooden sided glass door Holmes Railway Journal, but as you can see Here there are Cabinets of newsletters we are as full as can be. journals and periodicals, Shelves of books I asked him about August Derleth, behind glass doors and no end of Reference and the connection with Arthur Conan works, including Du Waal. Doyle, and he responded; She lays her delicate fingers upon all “August Derleth wrote in “A Praed the material I seek. I had found that there Street Dossier” (Mycroft & Moran, 1968): once was The Irregular Special Railway Com- “At the outset I wrote to Sir Arthur to ask pany, a society solely based on the Railway whether he intended to write more adven- connections of Holmes, and they produced tures of Sherlock Holmes. I waited for at the The Sherlock Holmes Railway Journal least a year after publication of The Case- edited by Anthony J. Richards, initiated for book of Sherlock Holmes. Early in autumn a number of years in 1993. This Journal on 1928, when I was in my junior year at both excites and defeats me, as I realise the University of Wisconsin, and holed up in some of the angles I wanted to pursue have a solitary back room at 823 West Johnson been effectively well written about to a level Street, Madison, Wisconsin (now the site of that is brilliant. a rather impressive new dormitory), he re- Journals are beautifully bound, both plied - by means of a terse message scrawled the Sherlock Holmes Journal and Baker upon my own letter - that he did not. He Street Journal, with Green boards and Red seemed, as I recall it now, unnecessarily em- 3 phatic about it, as if this deci- sion, made once previously and set aside, were now irrevocable, and no amount of persuasion would this time cause him to change his mind.” “I remember reading many years ago that Sir Ar- thur’s reply actually read: “No. ACD.” However, I can’t immedi- ately confirm that memory. “ “According to Mark War- decker’s introduction to “The ‘Dragnet’ Solar Pons et al.” (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box, 2011), that letter doesn’t sur- vive, though a later one does. Derleth wrote again, asking if Conan Doyle would autograph a copy of “The Complete Sher- lock Holmes Short Stories”. Again, his own letter was re- turned, with a note written on it: “I am interested in the Psychic + General Bookshop 2 Victoria St. S.W. Any books or- dered there [underlined] I would autograph Magazine contained an article by J. Alan, “ACD.” which was the first Sherlock Holmes railway Although I had initially contacted article entitled The Railway Journeys of Mr. Roger about the connection, between Der- Sherlock Holmes and over seventy years lat- leth and Doyle, as I had also one of those er, Backtrack in December 2007 published hell bound intention highways on finding Nigel Digbys article, an expert on the subject, although a couple The Railway Journeys of Sherlock of leads unfortunately went cold. He kindly Holmes which investigated the travels of sent me the scan as he explained “The scan Conon Doyle’s great detective, with the aid is taken from “The ‘Dragnet’ Solar Pons”. The of Bradshaw’s Railway Guide. letter itself is “filed under ‘D’ in the general I have a couple of articles for here, one Correspondence ink the Derleth archives on Paddington and one on the Lost Special, at The State Historical Society in Madison, which won’t go in now, we have been as- Wisconsin.” tounded by the generosity of our contribu- Without doubt, an awesome amount tors, but I think we will return to Holmes of help. I can only recommend The Sherlock some time soon. Holmes Society.www.sherlock-holmes.org. My sincerest thanks to Catherine uk/ Cooke, without whom, much of my journey Those leads may yet come strong, for would not have been possible, and to ALL in many corners, one finds Holmes, I was our amazing contributors, you are splen- surprised to find a former Chief Constable did. of The British Transport Police had written about him; http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/his- tory/crime_history/sherlock_holmes.aspx Or that in May 1935 The Railway 4 JP Readers Write Again Letters, edited lightly by Claire Brialey
As you know, Professor, it was a traditional The previous issue, though, which James route into science fiction fandom for those and Chris distributed at and around the of a certain age – now likely, in fact, to im- Reno Worldcon – where, of course, they ply a notably venerable age – to have been also won a Hugo for one of their other fan- attracted by the letter columns in the pro zines, although if you weren’t aware of that mags; indeed, for many fans of that vintage you won’t be able to find out anything at their first publication may have been such a all about it on the internet – was partly letter, or else one printed in a great science themed around Australia. At any rate, its fiction fanzine of the age. guest editor, Emilly McLeay, is Australian Not me. My first foray into print out- and indeed the chair of the 2012 Austra- side my school magazine was in the letter lian Natcon next June (at which I’m sure a column of the 1980s pop music magazine good time will be had by all, and I’m just Smash Hits, presided over by the sardonic hoping that my membership’s been sorted and capricious Black Type. (Just so you out by now). It also featured a late article on know, that was in a different font when it left Dune by M Lloyd, Chris interviewing Daniel my computer, and indeed one I quite like. If H Wilson and writing about the history of it isn’t now, and if the magazine title isn’t computer games, and Mary Robinette Kow- in italics, that’s probably because Chris has al on Neil, her pencil-necked weasel; the done something sophisticated with the lay- Australian elements came through in Chris out again.) And thus, as I assume my future writing about Sean McMullen and Aussie role as Letters Editor for Journey Planet, it is Rules football, James writing about alter- the Black Type that I take as my role model. nate histories relevant to Australia as well If anyone ever sends us a letter which has as getting all enthusiastic about Melbourne good reason for including the question ‘Is on his first visit, and Emilly on the Austra- this a record?’ they’ll make me very happy lian census (some version of which I got to for hours, if not days. complete in 2006, exciting my own form-fill- But you are not here because you ing tendencies). Illustration that time came want to watch me burble on about the un- mostly in the form of photographs. There interesting years of my early teens before I were also letters on issues 6 to 8 in a catch- met science fiction fans. No, you are here be- up letter column edited by me tucked away cause you are yourself a science fiction fan, at the end, and on issue 9 in a letter column and I’ll leave as a great big comment hook compiled by Chris at the start. This time we the question which might not until now have – and maybe also you – have caught up. properly occurred to you as to why a sci- ence fiction fanzine is doing an issue about Brad Foster Sherlock Holmes. (Doubtless some of this I got a copy of your fannish publication (or issue’s writers will have decided to tackle ‘fanzine’) while attending the science fiction- this head-on themselves, or to play with the related convention named ‘FenCon-Deep- contrasting ideas. But what do you think, SouthCon’ (they need to think of a shorter readers? Do you need some direct coaxing name for that next year) in Dallas, Texas to write and tell us what you think? Well, go this past weekend. on then. Go on, go on; you know you want At first I thought it was just a strange- to.) ly printed ‘magazine’ that I had heard about. 5 A quick web-search revealed, though, it was person. known as a ‘fanzine’ (I think it’s clever how And I laughed out loud for half a min- you changed the name like that). The only ute at Chris’s line, regarding the robotic fanzines I have ever seen are the ones pub- battlefield cheetah that ‘...really creeps me lished properly on the web. But actually out because when it inevitably breaks with making a hard copy is so retro, I couldn’t its program, we’re all dead.’ pass it by. Also nodded in agreement with your OK, I can’t keep writing like that. But confusion over how a film can be nominat- here I am trying to write my first LoC to Jour- ed for Best Picture, but not Best Director. ney Planet, even though I’ve read all nine Even the other way around: you nominate previous issues online. And why is that? someone as the Best Director that year, but Because there is something about having a you don’t feel that the film they directed zine actually in my hands, which the editors better than anyone else is as good as five had to go to all the extra problems of print- other films? Awards. Go figure. I really need ing and getting to me, that always compels to start working on stuff to take to Archon, me to respond in some way. Online zines, but I think I’ve written enough here to as- while I do try to write to them when I can, suage the guilt of getting a paper zine... Yes, never have that ‘you must respond’ impulse I definitely feel better now. a print zine does. —27 September 2011 Irving, Texas (USA) Claire comments in her own LoC to #9 that she will avoid reading a book on pur- By the end of the next letter I was begin- pose if she knows a film based on it will be ning to wonder whether fanzine fans resi- coming out, so that she does not go to the dent in Texas had made a pact about how film with expectations that the material in to respond to #10, even if some of them the book will all be in the other version. Cin- did it a bit later than others: dy does that as well, and it certainly makes a lot of sense if you can pull it off, since John Purcell it seems the number one complaint about Interesting comments in the first letter col- movies adapted from books is that they left umn about your Dune issue. Naturally, it out this or that scene or character. So, why has been a long time since I’ve read that not enjoy one for what it is in that medium, particular issue, but I can at least add my then get more in the next? Indeed, I recall two cents- worth here based on the LoCs in the younger me picking up the ‘novelization’ the tenth issue. I only have the books in the books that were based on movies – that is, series that Frank Herbert wrote alone; for books written after a film that was a totally some reason, I don’t care to own the ump- original creation itself – and always liking ty-ump sequels that have been published how they fleshed out characters and added since his death, even if they might have to the movie. Guess we could think of origi- been planned out beforehand. Judging by nal books that movies are made from as the comments here – notably those from Mark novelizations being done beforehand, just to Plummer, Claire Brialey, and Steve Jeffery save time. – it appears my non-interest is justified. (Does that make any sense at all? I Oh, well. I liked the movie well enough, but feel like I was trying to type a Möbius sen- it didn’t hold my interest the way the book tence there...) did. Too much information to be translat- I’d have loved to have seen the Tim ed to screen; the same problem for many a Burton exhibit James writes about. Creators great novel. who work in film still control their final im- Claire’s opening comments to the age but it is, by necessity, filtered through LoCs had me nodding in agreement. I also the hands of dozens, if not hundreds, of love it when a letter really gets my atten- other creative technical folks to make it all tion and generates follow-up comments. come together. Getting to see those straight- Askance doesn’t generate many LoCs, from-the-hand-and-brain pieces like in the mainly because it is an online fanzine – not exhibit really connect you directly to that enough copies get mailed out, which doesn’t 6 help matters any – and the definite pattern nal comments you attribute to me come of little response to ezines holds true. Her from the introduction to the first letter comment that ‘people ... just aren’t used to column in the issue, which was edited writing in response to zines that I do’ kind by Chris. Although I moan and complain of hit home; lots of people tell me in passing with the best of you about a lack of en- that they really like Askance and that it’s gagement with fanzines – while of course a quality fanzine and all that rot, but very failing to respond directly to the vast few people feel obligated to write letters of majority of all those I receive person- comment to it. Hmm. Maybe if I wrote an ar- ally, never mind those published online ticle titled ‘Fuck Fandom up its Weeny Ass’ for general consumption – we usually get and ranted on and on about how superficial around 40 LoCs on each issue of (print- fans are and that they need to get a real life, only) Banana Wings, although that’s still such an article might generate responses. only a 20% response rate in letter form. Then again, maybe not. After all, I produce And I do think that has quite a lot to do an ezine and nobody writes LoCs to ezines. with the points you and Brad make here
Don’t send anything relating to Journey Planet to my postal address or email, though. I’m just a letter-editing minion, me.
10 Sherlock Holmes in The Science Fiction Encyclopedia by David Langford, Brian Stableford and Jonathan Clements.
Arthur Conan DOYLE’s iconic hero Over Baker Street, (anth 2003, ed Michael Sherlock Holmes was introduced as a sci- Reaves and John Pelan) artfully involves an entific detective operating by rigorous logic unnamed Holmes – and his nemesis Profes- – Doyle’s master-stroke being to show him sor Moriarty – with the Cthulhu Mythos. through the eyes of his staunch but uncom- Since Holmes fell into the public do- prehending companion Doctor Watson. main the character has been popular in sf Although Holmes did not always ful- stories without any such cautious distanc- ly live up to this description, he is an in- ing. He appears in key roles in, among oth- evitable underlier figure for sf scientists ers; Sherlock Holmes’ War of the Worlds and other reasoners confronted not only (1975) by Manly Wade and Wade Wellman, by impersonal theoretical problems but by The Earthquake Machine (1976) by Aus- the trickier complications of real-life crime tin Mitchelson and Nicholas Utechin, Exit and punishment. The closest approach to Sherlock Holmes (1977) by Robert Lee Hall, sf in the original Doyle canon is the late Morlock Night (1979) by K W Jeter, Sherlock story “The Adventure of the Creeping Man” Holmes vs. Dracula (1978) and Dr Jekyll (March 1923 STRAND), which takes a dim and Mr Holmes (1979) by Loren D Estle- view of the popular “monkey gland” regen- man, and Time for Sherlock Holmes (1983) eration process of Serge Voronoff. by David Dvorkin. Druid’s Blood (1988) by Holmes is often explicitly echoed in sf, Esther M Friesner features Holmes (here as in Poul Anderson’s “The Martian Crown called Brihtric Donne) in an alternate world Jewels” (February 1958 Ellery Queen’s where magic works; Doyle himself appears Mystery Magazine), whose alien detective is as Arthur Elric Boyle. Fred Saberhagen called Syaloch and affects a tirstokr hat; an- wrote Holmes into his Dracula sequence other Anderson investigator in “The Queen in The Holmes-Dracula File (1978) and Se- of Air and Darkness” (April 1971 F&SF) is ance for a Vampire (1994), and Philip José named Sherrinford, Doyle’s original intend- Farmer wove both Sherlock and his corpu- ed forename for Holmes. lent brother Mycroft into the fantastically Randall Garrett’s Lord Darcy and his elaborated Wold Newton genealogy. In Alan forensic sorcerer Master Sean are very much MOORE’s The League of Extraordinary Gen- a Holmes/Watson duo. Gerald Heard’s A tlemen Vol. 1 (1999-2000; graph 2000) Hol- Taste for Honey (1941; vt A Taste for Mur- mes and Mycroft make cameo appearances der 1955) introduces the series character and Moriarty is a major villain. Mr Mycroft, who though taking his name The first novel of the Holmes “reviv- from Holmes’s fictional brother is evidently al”, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1974) by though unstatedly an aged Holmes who has Nicholas Meyer, though not sf, is of sf inter- (as once planned by Doyle’s character) re- est in that it involves early psychoanalysis tired to keep bees. August Derleth respect- and the father of psychoanalysis himself, fully pastiched Holmes as Solar Pons, who Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). A number of is wont to refer to his “illustrious prototype”; sf authors have written non-fantastic Hol- the Pons canon includes the joky time travel mes pastiches: they include John Kendrick story “The Adventure of the Snitch in Time” Bangs with his Sherlock Holmes/Raffles (July 1953 F&SF) with Mack Reynolds. Neil paradoies; Lloyd Biggle Jr with The Quails- Gaiman’s “A Study in Emerald” in Shadows ford Inheritance (1986) and The Glendow- 11 er Conspiracy (1990); Caleb Carr with The in Japan as he is in the Anglophone world. Italian Secretary (2005); Paul W Fairman Relevant sf anthologies include The with the film tie A Study in Terror * (1966; Science-Fictional Sherlock Holmes (anth vt Sherlock Holmes Versus Jack the Ripper 1960) edited by Robert C Peterson; Sherlock 1967 UK) with and as by Ellery Queen; and Holmes through Time and Space (anth 1984) Michael Kurland with The Infernal Device edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H Greenberg (1979) and Death by Gaslight (1982). Chel- and Charles G Waugh; and Sherlock Hol- sea Quinn Yarbo and Bill Fawcett – writing mes in Orbit (anth 1995) edited by Martin together as Quinn Fawcett – reinvented Hol- H Greenberg and Mike Resnick. [DRL/BS/ mes’s portly, indolent brother as an unlikely JonC] action-hero in the Mycroft Holmes pastich- es beginning with Against the Brotherhood: Note from James - I am indebted to the edi- A Mycroft Holmes Novel (1997). Of related tors of the Science Fiction Encyclopedia, for interest is Hilary Baileys’s The Strange Ad- this excerpt from their monstrous body of ventures of Charlotte Holmes: Sister of the work. I genuinely feel that this resource has More Famous Sherlock (1994). Mike Ash- huge potential, and I await the day when ev- leys’s The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock ery book mentioned has a link to a purchase Holmes Adventures (anth 1997), though not place. For many thousands of entries, actu- principally an sf anthology, includes such ally according to the website, on the 22nd items as Stephen Baxter’s “The Adventure of November 2011; ‘As of the latest update of the Inertial Adjuster”, featuring H G Wells to this page in November 2011, this ency- and an implied flight to the moon. In non- clopedia contains 12,366 entries totalling fiction, Ronald A Knox’s “Studies in the Lit- 3,295,937 words ‘, it is a wonderfully au- erature of Sherlock Holmes” (written 1911; thoritive thing and worth searching through, 1912 Blue Book) launched the numbing tra- www.sf-encyclopedia.com dition of minutely scholarly analysis of the The SFE as a whole should be credited Holmes canon, and Michael Harrison pub- to John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls lished several volumes of Holmes studies. (Editor Emeritus) and Graham Sleight (Man- Steven Spielberg’s film Young Sherlock Hol- aging Editor). mes (1985; vt Young Sherlock Holmes and the Pyramid of Fear) re-invents – or traves- ties – Holmes as steampunk. Sherlock Holmes has also been adapted into Manga form on many occa- sions, including versions of “The Speckled Band” (graph 1956 Shojo Club) by Shotaro ISHINOMORI, “Hi-iro no Kenyku” [“A Study in Scarlet”] (graph 2008) by Kazusa Miya- koshi and the six-volume Sherlock Holmes Zenshu Manga [“Complete Sherlock Hol- mes Comics”] (graph 1996) by Tatsuyoshi Kobayashi. An anthropomorphic version of the detective appeared in the anime Meitan- tei Holmes (1984 trans as Sherlock Hound, 2010 UK), the first few episodes of which were directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Kaoru Shintani’s ongoing Christie High Tension (graph 2007 Comic Flapper) retells Holmes’s adventures from the point of view of his niece, Christie Hope. Such works, however, barely scratch the surface of a list of spin-offs so multifarious as to suggest that Holmes is at least as popular 12 Genre writers on their Journey into the Apocrypha Compiled by James Bacon
I was surprised at just how many sci- What did you enjoy about working on it? ence fiction, fantasy and horror writers, that I knew, had at one stage or another written Pete Crowther - Immersing myself in the a Holmes story. The more I looked the more past . . . in a world that none of us here to- I realised that the connection that I had al- day have actually experienced in reality. ways had in my head personally, was actu- ally more tangible in reality. Christopher Fowler - There’s a quote - I Now writing a Pastiche set in the Hol- think from PD James - about writing Hol- mes world is an honourable and worthy ex- mes being like a cricket match; you have to ercise, even when things are bad, people find obey the rules strictly. Writers love restric- time to enjoy the Holmsian sport of pastiche, tions and this is one of the best - how do for In The Wipers Times or Salient News, you do something fresh in such a well-trod- from the 12th of February 1916 until the 8th den area? of May 1916 there were 5 chapters of ‘Her- lock Shomes at it again’ following Herlock in Mike Resnick (who edited with Martin H. ‘Shot in the Culvert’. Greenberg, the anthology Sherlock Holmes It can be an up and down sport, in- in Orbit) - First, I enjoy working with other voking the spirit of Holmes, as can be seen writers, those I know and those I don’t; It’s from Tom Baker in The Talons of Weng-Chi- a form of bonding. ang wearing a deerstalker and not doing so Second, I was fascinated to see the well really, but then Sherlock Hemlock and approaches they took to science fictionalize his dog Watson, were a bit of a favourite for Holmes. In my own story for the book, I had me, and the world of Seseme Street is quite him bored to tears in Heaven after the Falls fantastical, and who would have imagined a at Reichenbach, and he solves a mystery green Sherlock Holmes. for St. Peter in exchange for being set back I asked a number of writers and edi- on Earth where he could put his deductive tors a series of questions and here you will powers to good use...and I assure you, that find their answers. I am terribly grateful to was one of the less unusual approaches. them, for their time and insight. ~ James Simon Clarke - First and foremost it was wonderful to work with such a great char- acter as Sherlock Holmes, to see if I could bring him to life again. Yet it was just as daunting as resurrecting the Daleks in the Dalek Factor, because when you work with legendary characters you dread cocking the story up! It would be like carelessly defac- ing Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. As for bringing something to the mythos, I hoped to be able to write a story that interested and enter- tained fans of Holmes, and for it to have a flavour of Conan Doyle’s work.
Mike Ashley - Interesting you ask why I “en- 13 joyed” about it, because in fact by the end of it it had proved a very exhausting project and I think whatever enjoyment I had at the start had faded. Of course I enjoyed read- ing the various contributors’ stories - that’s always the fun bit - but it was part of a very complex process. My idea had been to pro- duce a volume that gave every impression that it was based upon “true” stories telling the real life of Holmes, and trying to sepa- rate these from the many false stories that proliferate. To do this I had to get all of the contributors on board with that conceit and get their work to fit into the overall frame- work and chronology that I produced. That took a lot of work and sometimes the stories needed revising to give more authenticity. What I did enjoy, now thinking back on it, is once I had all of the stories in, I could then fit them into the narrative overview of Holm- es’s life, which is what my introduction and story introductions do. That was quite fun, and I enjoyed how, in the end, it all fitted together. But getting there took a long time. I also had to get the permission of the estate because at the time I did the book, Conan Doyle’s work was back in copyright in the UK and much of it was also in copyright in What do you think you brought to the the US (some of it still is). So to use the Hol- Sherlockian Apocrphya? mes characters I needed a licence from the estate. This did lead me to having a phone ChristopherF - I did something I thought discussion with Dame Jean Conan Doyle, (hoped) no-one had thought of, but I’m sure which was a real treasure, and she made someone has - to use Mrs Hudson to de- clear what was acceptable and what wasn’t. tect something Holmes could not because of All of the stories had to be cleared via her his blind spot about women. It was a great agent, Jon Lellenberg, who was extremely opportunity to create a gender tension that helpful and supportive, and still is. So the rarely happens in Holmes, which is largely enjoyment was partly the people with whom a man’s world. I had contact, and partly that creative pro- cess of bringing the book together. PeteC - I hope I’ve provided an exciting tale well told, with perhaps more than just a hint of darkness and a smattering of humanity.
John Reppion - In the world where our Hol- mes stories (The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, and the forthcoming The Liverpool Demon) take place, Dr. Watson has his tales of his and Holmes’ adventures published in The Strand Magazine. These stories are fiction- alised accounts of the actual cases which the duo have investigated. The fictionalisation is necessary to protect the identities of the persons involved (especially in cases where 14 Holmes chooses to allow some people to es- the factors involved -- I wrote a weekly col- cape arrest, or similar). All of which is really umn on horse-racing for 15 years, and I can not very revolutionary as it’s pretty much assure you that his knowledge of the sport what Conan Doyle hinted at many times, in “Silver Blaze” was sadly lacking -- rather with Holmes referring to Watson’s writings than the puzzles themselves. You can’t help as “those narratives with which you have wondering what that personality and keen afflicted a long-suffering public” amongst deductive mind would do with some of the other derogatory remarks. Taking a step problems we encounter in science fiction back from Watson’s fictionalised version of stories. events allowed us to look at things slightly differently without (we hope) undermining SimonC: In a nutshell, SF fans are fascinat- the canon. ed by the unknown, Holmes investigates the unknown - so that vibe of exploring myster- ies is such a rich seam in both SF and Holmes’ cases. I was indescribably shocked. How had so pat- ent a clue escaped so many millions of readers through the years? Why do you think there is such interest ~ Rex Stout in Watson amongst SF fans for Holmes? Was a Woman PeteC - Now more than ever, the opportuni- ty to lose oneself in such a wonderful world, Leah Moore - I think it’s because as a char- when the innovations of the commonplace acter he is really well defined. You know must surely have seemed like magic or the where you are with him, he is going to de- most demanding science-based fiction light you whatever happens. Holmes propels his own stories, and acts very much like a Paul Cornell - I think that Conan Doyle superhero, in that he possesses amazing created the British version of the pulp style powers (of deduction) which confound his that SF has always had in its DNA, and the friends and enemies alike. He is a larger Holmes stories’ insistence that everything is than life character who makes other folk in down to rational causes, which can, as if his world seem kind of grey by comparison. chaos didn’t exist in the world, always be The other thing I think comics and sci-fi fans worked out from first principles, is very ap- love is there is a whole world already there, pealing to the SF mindset. and it has little subplots and intrigues, and mythology and history, and a whole conti- ChristopherF - Why did The Beetle outsell nuity to feast on. To put it bluntly, Sherlock Dracula then almost disappear? Why did Holmes is pure nerd fuel, and I say that as Holmes beat Dr Thorndyke into the panthe- a confessed SH nerd. on of fame? Ubiquity - Holmes and Dracula were picked up in the early years by imita- MikeA - I’m not really sure. I suspect it’s tors and the cumulative effect of so many because Holmes is a genuine empirical and stories keeps new ones coming. forensic investigator and so foreshadows the great scientist/inventors who were such MikeR - I think it has to be his character. stock characters in early science fiction. A A lot of the stories have solutions that are couple of times Holmes’s investigations tee- based on Doyle’s erroneous knowledge of 15 ter on the edge of true scientific discovery guess what I’m saying is I like the -notion- and thus can be classified as sf. of Holmes better than Doyle’s handling of him.
SimonC - It has to be Hound of the Basker- villes. Doyle’s style is so crisp, so fast mov- ing, so pared down. In fact, you’re almost reading a film script before scripted films had even been invented.
JohnR - As a fan of all things Gothic where fiction is concerned I do love The Hound of the Baskervilles, but it’s not a typical Hol- mes mystery in many ways. For sheer twist- ing, turning mystery, I think The Sign of the Do you have a favourite Holmes story, and Four is hard to beat. Stick a pygmy in and if you do what is it that you like about it everyone’s happy, right? and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Style? I think the Conan Doyle’s characteri- sation of Holmes and Watson, and the inter- PeteC - I think my real weakness is prob- play between them, is something that’s tak- ably ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’. There en for granted by many people these days are others, for sure, but nothing that I could but it really is the solid core of the tales. name without looking them up. So I guess Their relationship grows and evolves in a it has to be the Hound. I love it because of wholly convincing way – their friendship is the mystery and the suggestion that there a completely real and believable one. is someting truly monstrous out there, at large on the moors. MikeA - I’m not sure I have one stand-out favourite. I tend to like certain scenes and ChrstopherF - I always liked The Red-Head- episodes in several stories, usually because ed League because it hinged on an idea that they show Holmes at his ratiocinative best. wrongfoots the reader, but plays fair. Red I think the two that probably bubble to the hair has nothing to do with it, of course, surface are “The Musgrave Ritual”, because but it was a much more interesting ap- it includes a cryptogram, and I’m always proach than calling the story ‘The Big Bank a sucker for coded messages, and “Silver Robbery’. It’s like a Simpsons episode that Blaze”, quite simply because of those im- starts on one subject and switches to some- mortal lines about the “curious incident of thing completely different. And it has that the dog in the night-time.” That last also perfect touch of Victorian ingenuity mixed says everything about Doyle’s style. I have with a sinister undertow of danger. to say that there are times when I think that Doyle padded out the stories unnecessarily MikeR - Actually, my couple of dozen or so and I think you can tell when he was get- favorite Holmes stories are Robert L. Fish’s ting bored. So some of the stories are not as “Shlock Homes” parodies; just wonderful. good as you think they should be. But when My favorite Holmes movie is A STUDY IN Doyle was firing on all cylinders he could be TERROR, with what I still think is the best inspired and he’d come up with moments Holmes and Watson team -- John Neville like the dog in the night-time, or how Holm- and Donald Houston. es is able to tell Watson what he’s thinking But a far better kind-of Holmes film is about, or how he works out the speed of the the absolutely brilliant THEY MIGHT BE GI- train based on the telegraph poles (which I ANTS, written by James Goldman, in which think is also in Silver Blaze). They’re clever George C. Scott spends the entire film under moments and it’s those that stand out and the delusion that he is Sherlock Holmes, a flavour the story, often more than the plot. delusion so powerful and ennobling that it So I don’t really see Doyle as a stylist, but I eventually takes on a reality of its own. So I 16 do see him as a creative genius. He not only even met a few times in the pages of books creates larger than life characters who will which I doubt either Doyle or Stoker would live on forever -- not just Holmes himself, but have approved of). However, where we felt his brother Mycroft, and Irene Adler, who like we had to dig quite a bit to get back to was a wonderful match for Holmes, and of the roots of Count Dracula – clearing away course Moriarty, and some of the other vil- Lugosi, Count Duckula, et al – we found lains, like Colonel Moran -- Doyle not only Holmes’ virtually unchanged. Once you get created these wonderful people but he was past the “elementary my dear Watson”, the able to put them into set pieces that we all oversized pipe, and the unfashionable Deer- came to love. The consulting room at 221B stalker , Holmes himself – his methods, his Baker Street is every bit as much a charac- character – have come through generations ter as the people and I think we all get that of pastiche, imitation and homage virtual- wonderful welcome glow at the start (and of- ly unchanged. That’s really, genuinely im- ten the end) of each story when we can be pressive and, I think, a testament to Conan a witness to events unfolding in that room. Doyle’s brilliance. Doyle made that place and those people so real that we just yearn to be there and meet MikeA - I think I’d just add that the Holmes them, story after story. That was his true character is infinitely adaptable. We’ve seen genius. that from the new SHERLOCK series with Benedict Cumberbatch. His modern equiva- lent fits perfectly into this day and age, even though he is the very essence of the 1890s and early 1900s. And, of course, he fits so perfectly into other historical or literary events of that time, such as Jack the Ripper or Wells’s WAR OF THE WORLDS, that it comes as no surprise to us if we encounter Holmes involved with those episodes. May- be that is also what endears him to SF read- ers, but I think it’s another mark of Doyle’s creative genius.
Anything else you’d like to say about Hol- Dave Langford - Don’t really have anything mes? to say about the Langford Holmes story, ex- cept that it was fun to write, that everyone PeteC - I would like to congratulate the should buy my collection He Do the Time Po- makers of the new BBC TV programme lice in Different Voices (containing this and (and the old Jeremy Brett series) while, at all my other parodies and pastiches), that the same time, berate those responsible for it’s cheering to receive occasional royalties the Downey/Law movies -- they’re fun, in a from Mike Ashley fourteen years later, and childlike way, but lacking in the feel of the that no, I haven’t any plans to write about tales themselves or, more specifically, the Holmes again. wonderful Rathbone/Bruce movies. A bit about our contributors; SimonC - I’m sure people will still be read- ing Holmes stories on the first mission to Christopher Fowler’s Bryant and May books the stars. May he live forever. are stunningly good, set in London and with a unique feel, they are worth checking out, JohnR - Prior to beginning work on our first he wrote a Holmes story for BBC7. Holmes mystery, we’d written a Graphic Nov- www.christopherfowler.co.uk www.pecu- el adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The liarcrimesunit.com. Count and Holmes have a lot in common in terms of their iconic status (I believe they’ve David Langford mentions his collection, but 17 you can find out more here; http://www. ansible.co.uk/books/timepol.html and it is And Finally John Reppion and Leah Moore indeed quite a collection of paraodies. are the writing team, and you must check Pete Crowther wrote a Holmesian story, out thethrillelectric.com which is amazing but is better known for his generous and af- project with channel 4, currently they are fable qualities and his publishing company working on another Holmes comic which I PS Publishing. http://www.pspublishing. asked about: co.uk/ Paul Cornell also wrote a BBC7 story, is Leah - ooh it’s a corker. We were really hap- doing very well with Demon Knights for DC py with how The Trial turned out, but it felt and I am looking forward to Saucer Country very London-centric (there are other cities coming next year. http://www.paulcornell. in this country) and also very traditional com/ crime/mystery/drama in its format. With Mike Ashley has edited a many antholo- our next book, ‘The Liverpool Demon’ we are gies that I have loved, mostly with the word in our own stomping ground, bringing the Mammoth in them, and to be honest it was great detective up to Liverpool at its most a real win that Dave Langford put me in filthy, exotic, dangerous and unpredictable. touch with him. We wanted to throw him in amongst the Mike Resnick edited Sherlock Holmes In slums and docks and gangs of ‘cornermen’ Orbit with Martin H. Greenberg, wrote San- and see how far his Bartitsu got him. It’s all tiago, one of my all time favourite novels. about mysterious cargo, strange deaths and mikeresnick.com the very life of the port itself. Some would say Simon Clark is an amazing horror writer it’s a childish dig at southern toffs not be- whose short stories are really quite nasty at ing able to handle Liverpool’s mean streets, times, although I found Night of the Triffids some would say it’s a rip off of season two good fun. http://www.bbr-online.co.uk/ of The Wire. Neither of those is completely nailed/ inaccurate.
18 The Location of 221B Baker Street by Peter Liddell
Peter was discussing the location of 221B on the Hounds of the Internet Dis- cussion Group in 2001. The conclusions set out below were initially part of a discussion prompted by the then discussion leader, Brad Keefauver. Peter was unhappy with the suggestion that the “real” 221B Baker Street was the modern number 111. The correct identification? Number 31 Baker Street, Liddell says; “The reasoning is hardly original, most of my material is taken directly from Baring-Gould. B-G in turn quotes the analy- ses of several others (Bernard Davies and so on). I have added my own slant to this work based on my visit to the area in December 2000 and reviewed my opinions slightly since then to reflect how I would prefer my conclusions to appear.”
It should be noted that the working format adopted by the Hounds is a weekly study of each of the 60 Holmes stories in turn (with the exception of the Blue Carbun- cle, which is always discussed at Christmas) prompted by an initial input from a discus- sion leader. Most members of the Hounds have adopted a “nom de plume”, or simply “nom” in Hounds circles and Brad’s was “The Birlstone Railway Smash”, often simply re- ferred to in postings as “The Smash”. Peter’s “nom” is “The Man on the Tor”, prompted by his particular interest in the Hound of the Baskervilles. In his introductions to discussions, Brad adopted the “17 steps” approach. Hol- mes once asked Watson how many steps he had just climbed to reach the rooms in Bak- er Street, and the “17 steps” has caught on as something of a catch phrase. At the beginning of March 2001, Brad started the discussion of The Empty House, listing in his usual style 17 points of inter- est prompted by his reading of the story. Peter replied to his lead-in with the 19 following, posted on March 5th 2001; some ten years later, and what follows is an “I am occasionally critical of B-G’s updated version of that March 2001 post- analyses, which will again become appar- ing.. (Editors note, very little has changed, ent when we discuss HOUND, however, his but there is finer use of language for clarity inclusion of Bernard Davies’ map of the and also better use of semantics ) area between Baker Street and Cavendish “I am aware of the ‘111’ suggestion, Square and his suggested interpretation of first made by Dr. Gray Chandler Briggs the route followed by Holmes and Watson to in the 1930s, but this address was not in “Camden House” is to be commended. The the ‘Baker Street’ that Holmes would have inferences seem most compelling. known, but stood further up the thorough- “As I recorded in one of my last mes- fare in what was then ‘York Place’. sages to the Hounds, I had occasion last “The facts (supposedly -- all good re- December to retrace some of that route and searchers should personally check source am more than ever convinced that “Camden material and I haven’t been able to do this House” was no. 15 Baker Street (as num- yet) are these. In the 1880’s what we know bered in Holmes’ day - no. 34 today) and now as Baker Street comprised three sepa “221b” was across the street and was then numbered 72 (later to become number 31). “As I recorded in my notes, the block of old houses containing number 31 has gone and has been replaced by a modern glass and concrete building. However, at the time of my visit, “Camden House” was still there and wholly recognisable, even though its demolition was already well advanced. “Why “221b”? Why, indeed. Even the supporters of the Upper Baker Street al- ternative (the location of the “blue plaque”) have to address the same dilemma. Despite Watson’s unwavering use of “Baker Street”, to postulate “Upper Baker Street” leaves the problem that there was then no number 221 in that street either. The consolidation of Baker Street, York Place and Upper Baker Street into the Baker Street we know today did not happen until the 1930’s. Only then was there a number 221.” Brad’s reply to this posting was; “Alas, I was under Watson’s spell and firmly convinced that the sitting rooms were actu- ally at a place numbered “221,” as so often happens.“ Despite the many arguments against it, I always find myself leaning toward Dr. Gray Chandler Briggs’s identification of 111 Baker Street as the One True Place, just because he’s a good ol’ Midwestern Sher- lockian. Holmes would surely scoff at such sentimentality, but I’m hardly the ideal rea- soner that he is.”
This prompted a follow-up response from Peter which he has reviewed now, 20 rately named streets. The most southerly a key the back door of a house. We entered part, from Portman Square up to Padding- together, and he closed it behind us. ton Street was the original ‘Baker Street’. From Paddington Street north to Marylebone “The place was pitch dark, but it was Road it was called ‘York Place’ and north of evident to me that it was an empty house. Marylebone Road it was called ‘Upper Baker Our feet creaked and crackled over the Street’. South of the Portman Square en- bare planking, and my outstretched hand trance, the street name changed from Baker touched a wall from which the paper was Street to Orchard Street, as it still does to hanging in ribbons. Holmes’s cold, thin this day. fingers closed round my wrist and led me “‘York Place’ was incorporated into forward down a long hall, until I dimly saw ‘Baker Street’ in 1921 and ‘Upper Baker the murky fanlight over the door. Here Hol- Street’ became part of the unified ‘Baker mes turned suddenly to the right, and we Street’ in 1930. found ourselves in a large, square, empty “Originally, Baker Street addresses room, heavily shadowed in the corners, but ran from number 1 (on the east side at Port- faintly lit in the centre from the lights of the man Square) up to 42 (on the east side at street beyond. There was no lamp near, and Paddington Street) and then from 44 (on the window was thick with dust, so that we the west side at Paddington Street down to could only just discern each other’s figures number 85 (on the west side back at Port- within. My companion put his hand upon man Square). For some reason there never my shoulder and his lips close to my ear. was a number 43. ““Do you know where we are?”, he “After the merging of ‘Baker Street’ whispered. and ‘York Place’, not until 1921, remember, ““Surely that is Baker Street,” I an- the houses were numbered more logically swered, staring through the dim window. and to the convention we would recognise ““Exactly. We are in Camden House, today, with ‘odd numbers’ on the left (the which stands opposite to our own old quar- west) and ‘evens’ on the right (the east) look- ters.”” ing north up the street. Thus the original “We know that Watson often used real ‘number 85’ would have become ‘number 1’ names but in a fictitious way. Therefore can and the original ‘number 1’ would have be- we assume that simply because Watson says come ‘number 2’. In this numbering there ‘Blandford Street’ and that there really was would have been a ‘number 111’, between a Blandford Street that this was actually the ‘York Street’ and ‘Portman Mansions’ on thoroughfare in question? However, if we do what, in Holmes’ day was ‘York Place’. accept this, we need to look at just where “When Upper Baker Street was incor- Blandford Street is. It does cross what was porated and the numbering was extended then Baker Street, emerging between num- north of Marylebone Street, a ‘number 221’ bers 16 and 17 on the east side. was at last created and that is where today’s “The key passage, if we accept Wat- ‘blue plaque’ is to be found. Watson and his son’s reference to ‘Blandford Street’ at face editors would have been far-sighted indeed value, is “Here he turned swiftly down a if they had had accurately anticipated this narrow passage. . . .” The $64,000 ques- development back in 1887. tion, of course, is “which way was ‘down’”? “In ‘The Empty House’, at the end of There are two passages leading off Bland- Watson’s description of Holmes’ circuitous ford Street, to the east of Baker Street: Ken- journey from Cavendish Square to ‘Camden dall Mews to the south and Blandford Mews House’, he writes: to the north. “We emerged at last into a small road, “I have personally followed this part of lined with old, gloomy houses, which led us route and am convinced that in every sense into Manchester Street, and so to Blandford of the term, ‘down’ does imply Kendall Mews Street. Here he turned swiftly down a nar- rather than Blandford Mews. Turning from row passage, passed through a wooden gate Blandford Street into Kendall Mews involves into a deserted yard, and then opened with turning south, which many often consider 21 to be ‘down’. It implies turning towards the ‘blue plaques’, ‘Sherlock Holmes Museums’ river and does tend to be ‘downhill’. My recol- and the like.” lection is of a definite slope downwards look- Of course, not everyone would agree ing into the Mews from Blandford Street. with Peter’s conclusions and the debate as “In the paragraphs above I have natu- to the significance of the “B” in the address rally used the term ‘up’ to describe passage and as to the actual location of Holmes’ and northward along Baker Street. I therefore Watson’s rooms continues. For example, support the ‘turning south’ school of analy- there is a debate currently in progress on sis which leads to the conclusion that Cam- Holmesian.net den House was on the east side of Baker http://www.holmesian.net/forums/index. Street to the south of Blandford Street, i.e. php? in Holmes’ day was a house numbered below where the discussion will be found 16. Because apparently access to the back under “221 B Baker Street” in the “London of ‘Camden House’ was directly off this pas- Proper” section - you do not need to sign up sage and no other major street was crossed, to the forum simply to read the postings. ‘Camden House’ could not have been as far south as George Street, i.e. would have had a number higher than 8. “Watson’s description of the fanlight over the door, and the right turn into the front ground floor room, rules out a number of the properties along this length of Baker Street. Adjacent pairs of houses were ‘mir- ror images’ of each other, thus in the next house down Baker Street, the pair would have had to have turned left into the ground floor front room. “Having seen the buildings, I go along with the suggestion that ‘Camden House’ was the second house down from Blandford Street, i.e. number 15 in Holmes’ time and therefore I agree with the parallel conclu- sion that ‘221b’ had similarly to be two or possibly three doors down from Blandford Street on the west side of Baker Street. As these west-side buildings have all gone now, I have to defer to those earlier, and luckier, analysts who were able to visit the houses and conclude that number 72 Baker Street (which would today have been number 31) was ‘The One True Place’. “Anyone proposing today’s 221, or 111, or any other address as the original site of their rooms has to reconcile this with Watson’s description of their trek from Cav- endish Square and the location of ‘Camden House’, and with the unwavering references to ‘Baker Street’ and not to ‘York Place’ or ‘Upper Baker Street’. “No doubt the arguments will contin- ue, but I for one struggle to accept any loca- tion to the north of Blandford Street, even though I know that this is a long way from 22 RURAL TO RAILWAY THE DEVELOPMENT OF BAKER STREET by Catherine Cooke
It is 1755 and the sun is setting over way to Oxford Street, which name it still re- the farms and fields of the Portman Estate, tains. Baker Street was numbered from 1 to the north west of London. There will at the bottom east corner up to 43 at Pad- not be many more such settings, for Wil- dington Street, then down from 44 to 85 at liam Baker, Gentleman, of St. Marylebone North Portman Mews, to us Portman Close. has just signed a business agreement with When York Place was renamed in 1921 the the Portman Estate. For many years he numbering of the entire street was reorgan- has controlled the farms here. Now he is ised to the modern practice of even numbers to lease the fields out for building. It is a on the east side and odd on the west. One good deal. In a few years’ time his descen- consequence of the various renumberings, dants will be created baronets and move to was that 133-183 and 138-186 were never estates of their own in Dorset. Somewhat allocated. confusingly, in 1821 just a little further to A little hint for you as you visit this the west, Sir Edward Baker purchases Lis- great thoroughfare: always look up above the son village green, adjoining the Portman ground floor. Much has survived in London Estate, a property he leaves to his brother at this level; while shop fronts change and Sir Talbot Hastings Bendall Baker. But it is standardise to the relevant corporate im- on the land leased by William Baker that a age, the upper floors of buildings that have street is built block by block that will bear survived usually still retain their original his name. The progressive building of Bak- windows and decorations. In Baker Street er Street means that there is little similarity this is even more relevant as the B of 221B between the houses of the street as a whole, Baker Street makes it almost certain that but there is continuity within the blocks Holmes and Watson had rooms on the first and with their immediate neighbours. (in American parlance, second) floor. One point should be cleared up at Two years after William Baker closes the outset: the street now known as Baker his land deal, a new road is built from Pad- Street was originally three streets. From dington to Islington and named with stun- Park Road at the northern end down to ning originality New Road. The Act of Par- Marylebone Road was Upper Baker Street liament giving permission for this stipulated until 28th March 1930. The numbering ran a wide strip of land to be left empty on either consecutively up from number 1 on the east side of the road. This was not a fore-sighted side on the corner with Marylebone Road to allowance for later road widening schemes, number 27, then down the west side from but an attempt to stop squatters and ribbon 28 to 54 back at Marylebone Road. Next development along the road. Building for came York Place, running south down to the road consisted of filling ditches and re- Crawford Street / Paddington Street. It was moving any hedges that were growing in its similarly numbered from 1 on the east at path! It was not until February 1857 that the corner with Paddington Street up to 21 the road acquired a new name and the one on the corner with Marylebone Road, then by which it is still known, at least for the down from 22 to 40 on the corner with section in which we are interested: Maryle- Crawford Street. This was renamed on 1st bone Road. January 1921. The original Baker Street By the end of the century Baker Street then ran down to Portman Square, where is part of a good, solid Georgian residential it became Orchard Street for the rest of the area. William Pitt the Younger, Prime Min- 23 ister, lived at what is now number 120 from Bernard Davies: 1802-1806; a blue plaque marks the house. Lady Hester Stanhope, his niece, kept house and entertained for him. She herself be- The Empty House came famous as an explorer in Turkey and 1) There must be a mews or similar pas- the Lebanon. The author Bulwer Lytton sage behind lived at number 31 early on in his career and Sir Richard Burton, the explorer and 2) There must be a yard with a back door Oriental scholar, also lived in the street for a from the house; this must be an open space while. Mrs Sarah Siddons the actress lived not merely an air-well at 27 Upper Baker Street from 1817 until 3) There must be no mews property be- her death in 1831. Her house was demol- tween the mews and the yard ished to make way for Baker Street Under- ground Station; its site is just north of the 4) The front door and hall must be on Lost Property Office at 226. the right when viewed from the street While we may be reasonable cer- 5) There must have been no street lamp tain that Sherlock Holmes arrived in Baker near in 1894, the date of the case Street in 1887, we may be far less certain of where he found rooms. Clues to their lo- cation are certainly scattered through the 221B stories. By far the most important story in 1) It must have a back yard large this respect is “The Empty House” in which enough for a reasonably-sized plane tree Holmes takes Watson on a walk from Cav- around 1900; the tree is mentioned in “Thor endish Square, through small streets and Bridge” mews until they reach the back of the house that stands opposite 221B, Camden House, 2) It has two large windows in the sit- the Empty House of the title. ting room. (This of course, does not rule out “Our route was certainly a singular houses with three or four windows across one. Holmes’ knowledge of the byways of the frontage, since we do not know wheth- London was extraordinary, and on this oc- er the sitting room extended across the full casion he passed rapidly and with an as- width of the building) sured step through a network of mews and 3) There is a bow window. A problem - stables, the very existence of which I had no house in Baker Street had one! never known. We emerged at last into a small road, lined with old, gloomy houses, 4) There must be at least three storeys, which led us into Manchester Street, and so since Watson slept on a floor above. All the to Blandford Street. Here he turned swiftly original houses had at least three storeys down a narrow passage, passed through a 5) There is a semi-circular fan-light over wooden gate into a deserted yard, and then the front door. Most houses had one opened with a key the back door of a house. We entered together, and he closed it behind 6) There are seventeen steps to the first us.....” landing. Much depends how you count Many Sherlockians have tried over the them; most houses had about 20; 109 had years to identify the site of 221B. The best 25 summary of the clues to its location that we have was made by the British Sherlockian It will be seen that (2)-(5) for 221B are of little help in identifying any actual building, so we are left with point (1) only for 221B, plus all the points for Camden House. Also, in “The Empty House” Watson makes no mention of crossing either Baker Street or Marylebone Road. There were in fact no mews running behind the houses on either 24 side north of Marylebone Road. Camden bey National, now occupies the block from House must therefore lie on the east side of 215 to 229. It was designed by J. J. Jones Baker Street, south of Marylebone Road, in and erected in 1932. The block was refur- what he knew as either York Place or Baker bished in the early 1980s, retaining the Street itself. There is one other matter we white building shell, with the tower, reliefs should clear up at this point. In “The Card- and statue. The inside was totally gutted board Box” Watson, writing in the morning, and rebuilt to provide modern office space. says “the glare of the sunlight upon the yel- In 1985 a bronze plaque was commissioned low brickwork of the house across the road by the Abbey National, bearing the profile was painful to the eye”. Since the morning of Sherlock Holmes and a quotation about sun would shine on the houses on the west 221B from A Study in Scarlet. It was un- side of Baker Street, this would put 221B veiled by Jeremy Brett in October 1985. As on the east side of the street. This conflicts a matter of fact, Abbey National had a few with the much more detailed “The Empty problems in putting up a plaque. In pre- House” and has to be discounted; Watson vious years, the building superintendent probably just meant the sun was so strong would not let them cut into the stone work even indirect glare was painful. of the building. They feared that any plaque Conveniently, in 1893 and 1894 the merely screwed to the wall might disappear Ordnance Survey remapped London for one dark night, as other plaques in London their reissue of the 5 foot to 1 mile plans; had. In the early 1980s that superinten- the case of “The Empty House” took place in dent retired. Abbey National promptly put 1894. These plans are therefore ideal to lo- up their plaque, embedded and securely cate yards now built over. The street lamps concreted into the wall. of the time are more problematic, since the Being careful of traffic coming from 1895 series omitted them; they were marked the left, Baker Street being one-way, it is on the 1872 series. From the plan cover- worth crossing to the east side where you ing Baker Street, published in 1895, it can can visit the Sherlock Holmes Memorabilia be seen that no house on the east side of Shop or look at the picture of Holmes on the Baker Street had a yard opening directly on sandwich shop. The remainder of “Upper to a mews; some building such as a stable Baker Street” was redeveloped in the 1930s always intervened; this we must accept. and has little to interest the Sherlockian Many houses had the door on to the south. visitor. It is worth taking a half hour or so Moving to York Place, the first build- to walk down Baker Street as there are a ing of interest is 111, the Post Office. This number of points worth noting. Since the was chosen as 221B by the American Dr. new statue of Sherlock Holmes is nearer the Gray Chandler Briggs. The original house northern end, it is easiest to start at that was bombed during the Second World War - end of Baker Street. Look at the block down what you see is an accurate replacement. It to Melcombe Street on the right, which Hol- is unusual in Baker Street being wider than mes knew as New Street. This is one of the normal and having four windows across, best preserved areas of the street. The first rather than the more normal two or three. place to note is the Sherlock Holmes Mu- Next door is a gem, number 109. This is the seum at 239. On this west side of the street only house in Baker Street to retain its nine- there are several houses, of which the best is teenth century aspect, having been restored 231. The bow windows are, however, mod- by Haslemere Estates. The ground and up- ern. Notice the three upper storeys and two per floors are correct, with a fanlight over windows across. This is the basic Georgian the front door, an iron balcony, three floors pattern of Baker Street. 231 was 35 Upper and an attic, the windows on the first floor Baker Street in Holmes’ day so the present continuing on down to floor level. 109 was 221 would be about 41 Upper Baker Street, 31 York Place in Holmes’ day, and has been which would have looked more or less the suggested as the site of 221B by at least two same. commentators. Abbey House, the headquarters of Ab- Opposite, 13 York Place, today num- 25 ber 118 Baker Street, was Camden House tel was on the other side of the building in School, a fact which contributed to the iden- Chiltern Street. It was moved in the early tifications of the houses opposite as 221B. 1980s to bring it on to Baker Street. Inside In 1874, 13, York Place is listed in the di- are some rather nice pictures and artefacts rectory as belonging to an architect, Frank on Sherlockian themes. Preedy. He lived there until 1887 or 1888, A little further down Baker Street at but from 1885 he shared the premises with 102 you will find The Baker Street Dental a school run by a Miss Fanny Franks. Miss Practice. Until recently this was Dr. Wat- Franks had gained a first class certificate son’s Chambers. Ten years ago, you might from the Froebel Society in 1876, and that have been somewhat startled to find one of same year had opened a kindergarten, the the dentists practising here was one Phil- first of its kind in London, in Camden Road, ip Marlow! Sadly, both he and Dr. Watson NW. In 1885 the school moved to York Place, have moved on now. where it remained until its closure in the Paddington Street marks the begin- late 1950s. Even before its move to Baker ning of Baker Street proper, not that very Street it had been known as Camden House much of it remains. Indeed, we have to School. It must have brought its name with go on down, crossing Dorset Street as well it. before we find anything of interest. We Continue to walk down the east side should note 54 Baker Street. Though a as far as Paddington Street. The west side horrible modern structure, it was recently was redeveloped in 1925 and 1963. The been refurbished and given the name Wat- Sherlock Holmes Hotel must be mentioned, son House. That name did not, however, though from 1874 to 1912 it was the home survive for long and there now seems no of Bedford College for Women, part of the trace of it. Number 66, formerly number University of London, hardly a place to the 30, was another candidate for 221, chosen frequented by Sherlock Holmes! Some 20 by the American writer Vincent Starrett. On years ago the hotel boasted a Moriarti’s the west, behind the houses, lay the Baker [sic] Restaurant fronting on Baker Street. Street Bazaar, one of London’s best known At that time, the main entrance to the ho- bazaars. Druce’s, the famous cabinet mak- ers, was established here in 1822. The Brit- ish Sherlockian Gavin Brend plumped for number 61, formerly 53, for his 221B, while another British Sherlockian. T. S. Blakeney, preferred number 49, the former 63. These would all have been similar to those on the western side of the previous block, some of which remains. We now cross Blandford Street, known to Holmes as King Street, on the west. The houses get smaller as we work south. Again, the west has gone, as recently as 1968, and with it number 72, the former 31, the choice of two Sherlockians as 221B, Bernard Da- vies and W. S. Baring-Gould; number 73 (former 29), the choice of Sidney Tucker; number 74 (former 27), the choice of Dr. Maurice Campbell; and number 77 (former 21), the candidate of Sir Harold Morris and Denis Collins and number 78 (former 19), chosen by James T. Hyslop. On the east, however, the original buildings survive, in- cluding Bernard Davies’ candidate for the Empty House, number 34 (former 12). 26 The mews round the back through to find Mrs Julia Bishop’s cigar importing which Holmes and Watson reached the business still flourishing, as are Williams’ building is also still there, along with other tobacco shop and the Postal and Telegraph mews, including Sherlock Mews, between Office. The chemist’s is still there as well, Porter Street and Paddington Street. Sher- now under the proprietorship of Richard lock Mews was so named in 1937. All the Thomas. Sadly, William Price had already original yards have now been built over. moved on by 1891 and Harry Stubbings’ The rest of Holmes’ Baker Street has dealership in works of art now occupies gone and in its place stand the modern of- number 15. The area has taken on a dis- fice blocks which complete the thoroughfare. tinctly medical flavour, no doubt due to the We can, however, try to recreate the atmo- proximity of Harley Street to the east, though sphere with which Holmes would have been there have been a few doctors in this section familiar. Though originally a fashionable, of Marylebone Road for a number of years. residential area, Baker Street’s character 30 Upper Baker Street is now the premises had begun to change to a more commercial of Louis Watson, artificial teeth manufac- one after the building of Baker Street Sta- turer, while William Halford plies his trade tion. By the time Holmes and Watson ar- at 104 Clarence Chambers, Marylebone rived it was mixed upper middle class resi- Road making artificial human eyes. An- dential and commercial. If Holmes settled other public house, the Portman Arms, has in York Place in 1887, he would have found opened for trade a few hundred yards west himself in the midst of lodging houses, pri- along Marylebone Road on the corner with vate residences, dressmakers and a couple Great Quebec Street. I like to think Holmes of schools. Upper Baker Street provided and Watson dropped in for the occasional more to interest him, including the prem- pint here, since Great Quebec Street was ises of Mrs Julia Bishop, cigar importer at later renamed Upper Montagu Street and 1B Upper Baker Street and 126 and 128 the corner plot is now occupied by Maryle- Marylebone Road. No doubt Holmes kept bone Library, home of Westminster Librar- the coal scuttle filled with her wares. There ies’ Sherlock Holmes Collection! was another tobacconist, Thomas Williams, There remains Baker Street Station at 52 Upper Baker Street, on the corner with to investigate. London Regional Transport Allsop Mews. A chemist’s shop was run by are currently well into a major refurbish- Willam Jones at number 13, which Holmes ment of the system. Baker Street Station would with doubt have found a useful sup- was one of their first projects, undertaken plier for his more reprehensible pastimes. during the 1980s, having been one of the It is tempting to think Watson might have first stations to be opened and the first to be discussed his friend’s case with another built properly underground. The Circle Line neighbour, William Price, the “curative mes- platform restoration was completed in April merst” at number 15! There was a Postal 1984, while that of the tickets and circu- Telegraph Office and Savings Bank on the lating area was completed three years later. east side near the corner with New Street The early Underground lines and stations at number 45. A final business which Hol- were built by the “cut and cover” method. mes might have frequented for his supplies This entailed a huge trench being dug out of smoke-rockets, convincing props and tips and the line and station being built into it. for his disguised activities was the estab- The hole was then roofed over, given a glass lishment at 4E of William Dodds, plumber. ceiling, or even in places, left open to the There were a couple of public houses within sky. There is much of interest to see: the a short stagger as well. The Buffalo’s Head Circle Line platforms have been restored stood on the corner of Marylebone Road and to their original appearance, though with Allsop Place and The Globe occupied the site electric light cunningly arranged to simu- it still does on the south side of Marylebone late the original daylight and gas lighting. Road. The effect is atmospheric now, but when the On his return to London in 1895, station was built, the carriages were drawn Holmes would no doubt have been relieved by steam trains. Ventilation was required 27 to allow the smoke to disperse or it would to the station, bearing the wording “Trains have choked the passengers. Road widen- to City and West End” . It also housed a to- ing schemes for Marylebone Road closed off bacconist). A plan and elevation on the wall the upper ends of the shafts, while the lower of both platforms shows the original layout ends were covered over for some fifty years of this part of the station. by advertising boards and few people sus- There was a second station, Baker pected they were there. The only other sta- Street East, serving the Metropolitan Sub- tion with such shafts was Euston Square, urban Railway. A platform level interchange where again some traces still remain. The was constructed towards the end of 1898, Jubilee Line platforms are decorated with together with a new booking office. (Passag- large posters depicting scenes from the es between them were opened up much later Sherlock Holmes stories, designed by Robin in 1929, and widened later still). The lay- Jacques. The Bakerloo Line platforms have out of the facilities had changed little until large silhouettes of Holmes made of lots of March 1891, when some modest rebuilding little silhouettes of him. Everywhere there took place. The existing two track, two side are tiles bearing these little silhouettes. A platform Metropolitan station was extend- word of warning here: flash photography is ed to three tracks and four platforms. The prohibited on the Underground platforms work was finished by November 1892. By for reasons of safety. 1901, 281 trains ran out of the Metropolitan Baker Street Station, serving London’s station. The first electric train ran through first underground railway, which ran from the station during the night of 1st Decem- Paddington to Farringdon, was built on the ber 1904, with the new electric service be- site of a farm which had belonged to one Wil- ing launched on 13th and coming fully into liam Allsop, who had died towards the end public service on 1st January 1905. The of the eighteenth century. His name was platforms remained wooden until the risk of immortalised in several of the surrounding fire was felt to be too great and they were re- streets, most notably in Allsop Place, which placed in 1906 with concrete and expanded was built after Upper Baker Street and New metal, overlaid with artificial stone. (Marylebone) Road and which closed the The Metropolitan Railway felt that triangle, forming the hypotenuse. Maps as Baker Street Station was unworthy of them. late as 1833 still show a Cow Yard in the It was, after all, their London terminus. As centre of this triangle, perhaps the last rel- early as 1899 they put forward plans for a ic of that farm. It is tempting to think it new terminus and cab road. Negotiations was still occupied, supplying the local dair- were prolonged. They obtained permission ies. At the very top of Baker Street stands for the acquisition of the land at the end of a circular drinking trough, errected for the July 1902 and from May 1903 started buy- benefit of local horses and cattle - perhaps ing up the triangle of land bounded by Up- the very last vestige of the area’s more rural per Baker Street, Marylebone Road and All- past. The station opened on 10th January sop Place. They finally made the decision to 1863. There were two ticket offices at street go ahead in July 1905 and by the spring of level, one either side of Marylebone Road. the following year had drawn up plans for a The entrances to these still survive at the station of eight tracks and five platforms, a far end of the Circle Line platforms. That cab road and hotel. Meanwhile, a new un- on the west bound platform is blocked and derground line was being built, the Baker leads only to a bridge across the the east Street and Waterloo Railway, commonly the bound side, built in the wall behind the MR Bakerloo Line. It reached Baker Street on 1911 plaques. On the east side, however, 10th March 1906, though tickets for it were the stiairs have survived and now form an not available from the Metropolitan Railway. emergency exit which comes out in the sub- Two weeks later, Baker Street was no lon- way under Marylebone Road, giving a good ger the end of the line, as it opened through indication of where the original entrance to Great Central station, now known as stood. (The northern kiosk entrance to this Marylebone. subway was built in 1927 as a new entrance It took the Metropolitan until the end of 28 1908 to complete their purchase of the land. gether with a 77 ft by 46 ft circulating area. Between 1911 and 1913 they undertook a Oak panelled refreshment rooms, cloak- major rebuilding of the station. The budget rooms, ladies’ rooms, lost property facilities for the project, in the hands of company en- and stores completed the station. The tiled gineer William Willox, was set at £100,000. signs for W. H. Smith’s and the Luncheaon Work began and the old brick arch over the & Tea Room have survived over the banks of tracks was removed and replaced by con- ticket machines. Two 16 ft wide staircases crete walls with steel girders and reinforced led down from the cab road, while two more concrete to support the flats fronting Allsop 13 ft wide led on down to the platforms. Place and Upper Baker Street. The Metro- These latter wooden-framed stairs with politan Railway Act of 20th July 1906 stipu- their ironwork still survive. One of those lated that the buildings along Marylebone from the cab road was, however blocked off Road should be of a “reasonably ornamen- during the 1984 - 1987 restorations. The tal character”: the London County Council keystones of its arch can still be seen on would have to approve them. A cab road the inner arch over the date of restoration, was built along the front of the station, ris- matching those for the surviving staircase. ing to some 3 feet above the level of Maryle- One other feature is worth mention- bone Road and roofing over the offices being ing, though it has now disappeared com- built underneath it. At the same time the pletely. The older Metropolitan and District first 185 ft of the planned 418 ft building Line stations often used to have bars in project was constructed to first floor level them. For a number of years, that within by Henry Lovatt Ltd. It was faced with or- Baker Street was called Moriarty’s and was namental work in Portland stone. Between decorated with artwork mostly derived from the cab road and the platforms a new 32 ft the Billy Wilder film The Private Life of Sher- by 16 ft booking hall was constructed to- lock Holmes, starring Robert Stephens. It was closed, along with the other remaining and the Bakerloo, agreed to sell each other’s bars, when smoking on the Underground tickets. Escalators were installed between was banned after the deaths of 31 people in their platforms. The Upper Baker Street the Kings Cross fire of 1989, a fire started ticket office was closed in 1914. The Bak- by a lighted cigarette or match carelessly erloo Line booking hall, designed by Leslie being dropped on to rubbish. It remained Green survived until 1940, but was not de- visible but empty for a number of years but molished until 1964. Its site is easy to find was recently opened up, becoming a snack in Baker Street, where a modern building shop. It stood just at the top of the stairs to stands incongruously just north of Chiltern platforms 3 and 4. Court. The stairs which led to it, however, Work had also been going on above may still be seen at the far end of platforms ground with the demolition of the corner 3 and 4. properties, including the 1863 Circle Line The major remaining element of the booking offices, and the construction of a development was the hotel. Agreement was circus. An underground booking office was reached in 1913 with Lyons’ subsidiary built over the up Circle Line and a new en- company, Strand Hotel Ltd. Their architect, trance to the station put in on the north side who had designed many a Corner House of Marylebone Road, near its junction with and hotel, F. J. Wills, submitted drawing for Upper Baker Street. A ferro-concrete bridge a hotel of 417 single and 281 double bed- was built under the road to connect the two rooms, each with its own facilities, spread Circle Line platforms. By July 1912 work over eight floors, or seven on the Marylebone was sufficiently advanced for the laying of Road frontage. Tariffs would be broadly in the centre stone of the Marylebone Road line with those at the Strand Palace Hotel. frontage on 24th. This was set in the wall Shops were planned at street level. The con- of the cab approach by Lord Aberconway, tract was placed with James Carmichael, Chairman of the Metropolitan Railway. who started the demolition work on 22nd In addition to the work on what might March 1915. Clarence Chambers, with its be termed the public face of the station, the lodging houses, disappeared, the site was Metropolitan’s chief architect Charles Wal- cleared and excavations and foundations ter Clark designed seven storeys of office ac- partly completed when work was halted. commodation built out over the tracks and The conditions due to the War by 1917 just fronting on Allsop Place at number 13, some did not allow such projects. The contracts 65,000 square feet. Named Selbie House af- were terminated some two years later and ter the company’s General Manager R. H. the site was invaded by bulrushes, birch, Selbie, the building was of reinforced con- willow, nettles, camomile, wild fuchsia and, crete faced with white faience. The decora- no doubt, enough butterflies to keep any tions included miniature crossed telegraph urban naturalist happy for days. poles and signal posts, wheels, buffers and Attempts were made to resolve the coupling chains. Pevsner likens the com- impasse. In 1921 agreement was reached pany’s self-advertisement in this decoration with Sir Oswald Stoll for a development of to that evinced by the Michelin Building in cinemas and a restaurant on the west side South London. (At the time of writing, April of the site and a film industry centre on the 1999, Selbie House is covered in scaffold- east. The railway company finally com- ing and sheeting, making it impossible to pleted the remaining 221ft of the frontage conform whether these decorations have of Portland stone, working eastwards across survived. The ornate over-doorway that is the parcels depot. This eastern end was re- visible makes it seem likely that they have). built in 1960, having been damaged during The move to the new offices in the January the Second World War. Clark designed a of 1914 was accompanied by an increase in central porte cochère with a colonnade and hours from 9.30am - 5pm Monday to Friday surmounted by three gables and clocks. It to 9am - 5pm. (Saturdays were unaffected, stood opposite Chiltern Street but was de- remaining at 9am - 12.30pm). Also in 1914 stroyed by bombing during the War and the two railway companies, the Metropolitan not replaced. The scar of its roofline can, 30 however, still be seen over what is now the restored. At the west end of the cab road, Bureau de Change, together with the now a new Circle Line entrance was built, the familiar plaques bearing the initials MR tobacconist’s kiosk discussed above. Total and the date, here 1911. Opposite, on the costs came to £720,435. The result was, cab road wall, can be seen the remaining rather like Dr. Watson, solid and reliable bases of the eight columns which formed looking. It is thoroughly Edwardian and in the colonnade, four either side of the raised stark contrast to its contemporary, the Lon- central section, on the other side of which don Transport office building at 55 Broad- is Lord Aberconway’s plaque. Another, if way. lower raised section stands at either end of The first tenants moved in Septem- the colonnade. An impressive site indeed ber 1929, being allowed to choose their own for Sherlock Holmes to stand. Either side style of decoration. The accommodations of the central arch, the 16 ft wide staircas- ranged from a ten room “mansion” flat of es built some dozen years before led down lounge hall, two reception rooms, six bed- to the circulating area. On the inner arch rooms, two bathrooms (one for the maid!), keystone of the left hand surviving staircase kitchen and offices at £1,000 per year, to a can be seen the usual intertwined MR and three room “bachelor” flat consisting of liv- the date, 1912. Work was completed on ing room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom 17th March 1924. Stoll, however, failed to at £250 per year. Most flats, however, could raise the necessary capital and the compa- be had for £400 per year. The rents included ny repossessed the site, butterflies and all, all rates, taxes, heating and water. All flats pocketing Stoll’s £16,000 deposit. has coal fires, gas and electric points and Back under ground, more work was even the smallest had a small lounge hall. undertaken to extend the Circle Line in A novel feature for the day was that the me- 1923, with a new entrance and ticket of- ters were located outside each flat, so that fices on the south side of Marylebone Road. they could be read without inconvenienc- The impetus for this was the Wembley Park ing the residents. Floors were composed of Exhibition, the biggest of its kind since the wood block, some in oak, and some of the Great Exhibition of 1851. dining rooms were oak panelled. Each was Finally, in January 1925 the Metro- also equipped with a built in jewel safe, au- politan decided to retain building control tomatic telephone and communal wireless over their site and to drop the idea of a hotel with both speakers and headphones. Postal in favour of an apartment block with shops, chutes led down to the main post box. Baths and stores and offices on the first three and fittings were built in, with marble mo- floors, to be named Chiltern Court. This, saic or tile, depending on the quality of the they argued, would both provide a return flat concerned. Walls were specially sound on their investment and bring in more pas- resistant, but there were still numerous sengers. The original design for the front- complaints from residents about the noise age was largely retained and by June 1927 of trains, traffic and children. Tenants on Higgs and Hill had been selected to un- the top floors has views over Crystal Palace, dertake the work. Originally, it had been St. Paul’s or Hampstead. Two artesian wells hoped to lure in a major shop to provide a in the basement supplied the water. In all, department store on three floors. Harrods, there were 198 units, plus 30 bedrooms for the Army and Navy and Barkers of Kensing- the maids! By November 1911, 161 had ton all declined and the Metropolitan gave been let. Perhaps best known among the up and filled the space with more flats and tenants were H. G. Wells and Arnold Ben- shops. nett, the latter taking two large flats but dy- Work started in August 1927, togeth- ing only a year later. On the ground floor the er with a number of improvements to the Chiltern Court Restaurant opened on 15th railways facilities themselves. The booking November 1929, providing 250 seats plus office and circulating area were enlarged, private dining areas. There was also a Hall and general waiting rooms constructed. for functions. In its day, Chiltern Court The Marylebone Road wall was cleaned and was the biggest and handsomest block of 31 flats in London. Most people today think of Baker JOHNSON, Roger. “I came to Baker-street Street Station as just another Underground by the Underground”. The Sherlock Holmes station. Perhaps to Sherlock Holmes, it Railway Journal, Vol. 2, 1994. was. To later residents and passengers it is much more. It stands alongside Victoria MacKENZIE, Gordon. Marylebone - Great and St. Pancras as one of, perhaps the last City North of Oxford Street. London: Mac- of the great railway termini in London. millan, 1972.
Bibliography PEVSNER, Nicholas. The Buildings of Eng- land. London NW. Harmondsworth: Pen- guin 1991. BEBBINGTON, Gillian. London Street Names. London: B. T. Batsford, 1972. WEINREB, Ben and HIBBER, Christopher. The London Encyclopaedia. L o n d o n : DAVIES, Bernard. “The Back Yards of Bak- Macmillan, 1983. er Street”. Seventeen Steps to 221B, edited by James Edward Holroyd. London: Allen The Times, 20th February 1929. and Unwin, 1967 The West London Gazette, 28th February JACKSON, Alan A. London’s Metropolitan 1914. Railway. Newton Abbot: David and Charles, 1986.
32 Holmes, Cabs and Tubes by James Bacon
I was amazed at the calm way in which he rip- pled on. “Surely there is not a moment to be lost,” I cried, “shall I go and order you a cab?” asked Watson of Hol- mes in A Study In Scarlet The feeling I get, is that Holmes is impatient to find the facts, to pursue the game, to chase down his quarry, once he is imbued with a case, he is dogged in his determination and vi- gour in his pursuit of the solution. So I am not at all surprised that he jumps directly into cabs, to get across London’s city. Of course he will contemplate and think about a case, but once his train of thought is clear, he is on the off. ‘Whip your horse up, cabby, for we have only just time to catch being on time one of those railway employee our train.” said Holmes in The Stock Brokers issues that really must be adhered to. Clerk. In that case, it would be worth the £10 So it is, and one might wonder why for a Taxi, and they would wind a route that the wonders of this modern age, the Under- usually could manage the journey in about ground was not more often used. I have my 12 minutes. I can’t imagine how fast they opinion on this matter, based on personal would drive if I offered a cabbage a sover- evidence. eign. They know the best and quickest ways, I work in Paddington, and for four and also, the driving method and style is years lived in Croydon. A decent but some- rather unique, a type of fearlessness, mixed times problematic commute. I had a sched- with a quasi-fear amongst London drivers of ule, if I arrived at East Croydon with fifty careening black cabs heading at them. The minutes to an hour before I start work, I automatic nature of the engine, meaning its would be fine, its a nineteen minute train a foot down for power and acceleration, a journey to Victoria, and then a 436, 36 bus turning circle that sees them weave in and or a combination of Victoria and Bakerloo out of traffic,and of course licence to drive Tube, or even a Circle line around to Pad- in a variety of prohibited lanes, routes and dington are all very feasible within half an ways. hour. If I arrived at Victoria with less than ‘It was one o’clock when we left No. 20 minutes to spare, I wasn’t yet doomed, 3, Lauriston Gardens. Sherlock Holmes led 33 me to the nearest telegraph office, whence he while part of the Bakerloo was turned into dispatched a long telegram. He then hailed the Jubliee in 1979. So there wasn’t a lot of a cab, and ordered the driver to take us to Underground anyhow. the address given us by Lestrade. “There There is no doubt that Arthur Conan is nothing like first hand evidence,” he re- Doyle was aware of the Underground. It is marked; “as a matter of fact, my mind is mentioned by Dr Watson within the first few entirely made up upon the case, but still we pages of the first Holmes story a Study in may as well learn all that is to be learned.” Scarlet Study in Scarlett “I should like to see him clapped down Of course there wasn’t much of an in a third class carriage on the Underground, Underground for much of the time that Hol- and asked to give the trades of all his fel- mes was at work. low-travellers. I would lay a thousand to one 221B is quite difficult to place to ac- against him.” tually situate and elsewhere in this zine Interesting that Watson makes men- we have Peter talk about his observations, tion of third class, for the Met was organised likewise the chronology has been worked on mainline railway proportions, with freight out painstakingly and from Baring Goulds services and sidings, 1st and 2nd class seat- work, it appears some 46 of the 60 Canon ing and carriages. The trains initially were Stories set before 1900. This is helpful as a broad gauge, but were standardised, and marker point. although the was also initially a connection Stories before 1900 have very few op- to the Great Western railway, this lessened. tions or should I say destinations to actual- The trains were hauled by Steam Locomo- ly use The Underground. The Metropolitan tives, with a variety of ways to reduce the Railway opened Baker St in 1863 and the smoke, but not always effectively. line ran from Paddington to Farringdon st. The Northbound element of The Met opened In The Beryl Coronet. (1886), Busi- in 1868. nessman Alexander Holder arrives by Un- The Inner Circle line was opened in derground, as it is mentioned; 1884, the Met having built the line from South Ken around to Tower Hill and The “I feel that time is of value,” said he; “that District building from Gloucester Rd to Man- is why I hastened here when the police in- sion House, and both companies sharing in spector suggested that I should secure your the construction of joining up the routes, co-operation. I came to Baker Street by the Both companies had running on the lines. Underground and hurried from there on foot, 31 Baker Street (Peters 221B) is about for the cabs go slowly through this snow.” a third of a mile from Baker St station, a ten Now Mr Holder had been coming from minute walk, 111 Baker St or 30 York Place Streatham which has three stations then is around 450 feet from the station, while and now. Streatham Common served both the location of the Museum, which was Up- London Bridge and London Victoria, while per Baker St is 410 feet, both a walk less Streatham Hill was on the loop from Victo- than two minutes. ria to London Bridge, and Streatham station The Northern Line opened Clapham had a line to London Bridge, and to Holborn north to king William St in 1900, King Viaduct, although this may have required a William St being on the North side of the change in train Thames near London Bridge. I suppose a Circle line around to Bak- The Waterloo and City opened in er Street in bad weather may have been time 1898. The Central line opened from Shepa- saving. Although on the return no mention rd’s Bush to Liverpool Street in 1900, is made of an underground journey as Wat- while the BakerLoo or Baker St to Waterloo son reported, “short railway journey and line opened in 1906 as did The Piccadilly. a shorter walk brought us to Fairbank, the The Northern Line, Charing Cross branch modest residence of the great financier.” opened in 1907. Holmes travels for sure by The Un- The Victoria Line opened in 1969, derground with Watson in The Red Handed 34 League, (1889) it would have been a steam known as the ‘Inner Circle’. (there were In- hauled MET or District service to Alders- ner, Middle Outer and Super Circle lines in gate: Victorian Times.) The route was colloquially “We travelled by the Underground as known as the Circle from about 1870, even far as Aldersgate; and a short walk took us though it was only completed in 1884. The to Saxe-Coburg Square, the scene of the sin- Met operated on the Circle from South Ken gular story which we had listened to in the to Mansion House, from the west, North, morning.” and East Sides, while The District Complet- Aldersgate, or Aldersgate Street as it ed and over lapped the circle from High St would have been known in 1889 is now The Ken to Mark Lane (Tower Hill) and continue Barbican station. So our men travelled at East towards and through Aldgate East. least. You can see I love this one. Without doubt the Bruce Partington “Aldgate, where the body was found, plans. 1894 feature the Underground con- is considerably past the station London siderably. I loved Norman Crump’s research Bridge, which would be his route to Wool- on this one, in the Sherlock Holmes Journal wich.” Mycroft neatly sows some confusion in 1952. Here is how the discussion goes unintentionally. “Many circumstances could be imag- ined under which he would pass London Bridge. There was someone in the carriage, for example, with whom he was having an absorbing interview. This interview led to a violent scene in which he lost his life. Possi- bly he tried to leave the carriage, fell out on the line, and so met his end. The other closed “Yes, yes, here he is, sure enough! the door. There was a thick fog, and nothing Cadogen West was the young man who was could be seen.” said Sherlock Holmes, who found dead on the Underground on Tuesday obviously is open minded. morning.” said Watson who continues “his “An hour later Holmes, Lestrade and I dead body was discovered by a plate-layer stood upon the Underground railroad at the named Mason, just outside Aldgate Station point where it emerges from the tunnel im- on the Underground system in London.” mediately before Aldgate Station. A courte- And so, the stage is set for a full story ous red-faced old gentleman represented the embroiled with the Underground. railway company.” Says Watson. “It was lying wide of the metals upon In the television version, the helpful the left hand of the track as one goes east- railwayman says ‘ The line runs north east ward, at a point close to the station, where and divides with the Branch going south un- the line emerges from the tunnel in which it der the river to Rotheride and New Cross.’ runs.” says Watson As the Met line would have used St Mary’s “The trains which traverse the lines Curve a link between the District line met- of rail beside which the body was found are als which had a Junction after the closed St those which run from west to east, some Mary’s station, with two lines curving south being purely Metropolitan, and some from and joining what is now the East London Willesden and outlying junctions. “ Line. St Mary’s curve was still used until the The Circle Line of course was not the Overground conversion of the line. simple line we know now. The Metropolitan I personally spent a lot of time think- Railway opened from Paddington to Far- ing about the tracks, I learned that Aldgate ringdon in 1863, a route for GWR customers East station was moved 170 yards east- to access the City and the MR was initially wards to allow the enlargement of the tri- connected to the GWR. In competition with angle containing the Minories, North Curve, the Metropolitan at this time was the Metro- and Aldgate East junctions. politan District Railway and between them Sadly when I went looking for maps, they constructed what would have been it is in actual fact a very commonly found 35 Underground Map, 1890
part of the Underground, for much more Harrow from Marylebone, although even I tangible reasons, the location of the body would go for a Met service. in fiction is very close to where a train was So it is probably clear now, that cabs bombed on the 7th July 2005. in many ways would have been more use- Of course, I wondered if I could write ful, and then when it was better the Under- about the unlikelihood of a body staying on ground was used, but lets be honest, I en- a roof, and then Catherine Cooke mentioned joyed thinking about it, more than anything that the type of carriage may have been a else. factor, and then the book, Metropolitan I had way too much fun enjoying the Railway Rolling Stock by James Snowdon following, came my way and I soon realised that there Sherlock Holmes and Railwasy By BDJ was a huge variety of carriages in operation, Walsh, Sherlock Holmes Railway Journal 1 and many with items on the roof, and that Sherlock Holmes’ Underground, No Place was before I journeyed up and down try- for a Gentleman A.J. Richards SHRJ 3 ing to feel Cromwell North Junction, Praed Street Junction, Baker Street Junction and I cam to Baker St by the Underground, Rog- Aldgate Junction. er Johnson The London Underground Douglas Rose Finally a story written in written 1926 Metropolitan Railway Rolling Stock by but set in 1902, may lead us to think that James Snowdon Holmes and Watson used the met line from The Metropolitan Line: An Illustrated His- Baker St to. Harrow on the Hill On way to tory by Mike Horne The Three Gables. The Story of London’s Underground John ‘A short railway journey, and a shorter Reed and John Robert Day drive, brought us to the house,‘ is not a huge amount, but of course the Metropolitan and London’s Underground by John Glover St Johns Wood Railway initiated in August London Railway Atlas by Joe Brown 1880 ran to Harrow, now Harrow-on-the- Southern and TFL track Plans, Quail Hill, but by 1902 The Great Central Rail- Maps. way which had opened in 1899 also served 36 The Women of Sherlock Holmes By Alissa McKersie
While I was contemplating the subject them. But, once he is done with the work of Sherlock Holmes, I started with my ear- around them, rarely do we find reference liest memories of the stories: my mother back to the women from prior work. The reading the stories out loud to us on long only real exception is Irene Adler. car rides. My mother has always been a Now, for those of you that have seen very good inspiration in looking at the femi- the movie with Robert Downey, Jr. from nine aspects of life, whether it was in sto- 20093, you saw a fun, rebellious Rachel Mc- ries, movies, or even in careers. So, when I Adams playing a former (and possibly, re- was speaking with her about the women in invigorated) romantic interest of The Great the Sherlock Holmes stories, her surprising Detective named Irene Adler. However, we reply was “They’re all victims!” Of course, must remember that, in Victorian England, she was joking, but it leads one to realize “Women had few (if any) rights...”4 And, that may be the general impression many while the propriety of the day would proba- folks have. bly not see Ms. Adler wandering around with Sherlock Holmes tends to be portrayed nothing but a sheet on (and less) in front of as a calculating, logical character and emo- Holmes, in the 21st century, we think noth- tions don’t tend to factor into his actions ing of it. “Called ‘the woman,’ [she was] an (very Vulcan-esque). Holmes’ take on wom- American born opera singer and adventur- en is that “‘The motives of women are so in- ess who earned Holmes’s lasting respect for scrutable,’... ‘Their most trivial action may providing a capable and wily opponent in mean volumes, or their most extraordinary conduct may depend upon a hairpin or a curling tongs.’ On another occasion he puts it more bluntly: ‘Women are never to be entirely trusted – not the best of them.’”1 Yet, women factor into the over 60 canonical stories. Most of them are, as my mother put it, victims, or clients, or ser- vants. In fact, as S. C. Rob- erts put it “...women only in- terested him as ‘cases’.”2 Some of the things that Holmes says in the original stories may be viewed as mi- sogynistic. But, when you read how he interacts with the female characters, you realize he is rarely rude or uncharita- ble. In fact, he tends to treat most women with the utmost respect and almost has a ten- der approach with some of 37 the affair chronicles in ‘A Scandal in Bohe- was killed, there should be no reason, if Hol- mia.’”5 But, in the original story, she is not mes considered a union acceptable at that necessarily a love interest at all. She is of- time, she wouldn’t be agreeable to such an ten mentioned as the only woman who has idea. One would hope that Holmes would ever “bested” Holmes. He perhaps looks on have become less likely to use the sitting her more as a respectable adversary than room wall for target practice once married, as a love interest. Though it seems, in the though. pastiches, she is the quintessential love-in- spiring woman for Holmes. Outside of the aforementioned wom- en, and excluding relatives (limited) and the Queen, there are eight other women of some It was not that he felt any note in the original canon (from the list cho- emotion akin to love for sen by PJ Doyle and E. W. McDiarmid7): 1. Mrs. Hudson – Holmes’ and Watson’s Irene Adler. All emotions, landlady. It seems as if our current idea of and that one particularly, a “landlady” and that of Victorian London are two completely different entities. Mrs. were abhorrent to his Hudson often made tea and announced vis- itors to her tenants. cold, precise but 2. Mary Morstan (Watson) – Miss Morstan admirably balanced mind. originally was part of a case, “The Sign of the Four” in which there were mysterious cir- There are several arguments about cumstances behind the death of her father. Holmes on the subject of misogyny versus Eventually, Watson married Miss Morstan. misogamy. There are many quotes from 3. Effie Munro, “The Yellow Face” – it the stories that, taken out of context, can was assumed she was having an affair when be looked upon as definitively misogynistic. her husband came to Holmes to investigate. Though, because his treatment of the many This story may have been controversial at women in his life is often found to be rather the time, as it addresses the idea of inter- kind, this limits our misogynistic conclu- racial marriage. sion. It is hard to believe that Holmes ac- 4. Miss Violet Smith, “The Adventure of tually hated, or even disliked, women. He the Solitary Cyclist” – Miss Smith originally simply did not trust them. I also believe contacted Holmes because she was being this was because he was an extremely logi- stalked. She was eventually abducted. cal man and did not necessarily see logic to most women’s behavior (what man does?). 5. Violet Hunter, “The Adventure of the So, this leads us to the answer of Holmes Copper Beeches” – Miss Hunter is the ob- as a misogamist, at least for himself. He ject of a strange plot surmised by Jephro did not, in the canon, seem to believe that Rucastle. Eventually, Holmes (and the en- he should be married. He felt that it was semble) solves the mystery. Watson had ac- an institution acceptable for Dr. Watson, his tually hoped that Holmes was romantically companion, however. interested in Miss Hunter, but to no avail. This all being said, there are theo- 6. Agatha, “The Adventure of Charles ries that Sherlock Holmes did marry, later August Milverton” – Holmes is hired by Lady in life. In fact, one of the women from the Eva Blackwell to hunt down questionable canon is offered up numerous times as the letters obtained by a blackmailer, Charles most favored candidate for Mrs. Sherlock August Milverton. In hopes to gain informa- Holmes: Maude Bellamy. In Doyle’s “The tion, Holmes disguises himself as a plumber Lion’s Mane,” Ms. Bellamy was the fiancée and becomes acquainted with Agatha, the of a murdered man. In his own words he housemaid. He eventually becomes engaged writes, “Maud Bellamy will always remain to her, but once the case is solved, promptly in my memory as a most complete and re- disappears and a rival suitor steps in. markable woman.”6 And, since her fiancé 7. Violet de Merville, “The Adventure of 38 the Illustrious Client” – a headstrong wom- Johnson, Michael Robert and Wigram, an in love with the wrong man. Holmes said Lionel (screen story). “Sherlock Holmes,” she was “...beautiful, but with the ethereal Warner Brothers, 2009. other-worldly beauty of some fanatic whose thoughts are set on high. I have seen such Grimes, E. “The Romance of Sherlock Hol- faces in the pictures of the old masters in mes,” the Middle Ages.”8 http://www.angelfire.com/film/mousek- 8. Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope, “The Ad- ingdom1/RomanceHolmes.html. venture of the Second Stain” – the wife of the secretary for European affairs. She was Roberts, S. C. Holmes & Watson a Miscel- found to have marital indiscretions that, lany. Otto Penzler Books, New York, c1953. had they been made public, would have ru- ined the secretary’s career and, essentially, Tracy, Jack. The Encyclopaedia Sherlocki- their marriage altogether. Watson found ana. Avenel Books, New York, c1977. Lady Trelawney Hope an extremely beauti- ful woman (though, not surprising, as Wat- Endnotes son has quite an eye for all of the ladies, it 1 – Crowder & Doyle, p. 95 seems). 2 – Roberts, p. 40 3 – Johnson, Kinberg, & Peckham (screen- Most of these women play pivotal play) roles in the stories they are found, each of 4 – Grimes, E. “The Romance of Sherlock them bringing to the detective and his com- Holmes.” panion a myriad of problems and/or scan- 5 – Bunson, p. 3 dalous events. But, somehow, not one of 6 – Doyle, p. 613 them got through that extremely scientific and analytical exterior to the man under- 7 – Andriacco, “The Women in His Life.” neath. I did, however, find one quote that I 8 – Doyle, p. 473 found quite amusing and may still ring true 9 – Tracy, p. 30 for some men of today: “Holmes declared his wish for beer after a day on the Irene Adler case.”9 Just ask my husband.
References Andriacco, Dan. “The Women in His Life,” Baker Street Beat, September 14, 2011. http://bakerstreetbeat.blogspot. com/2011/09/women-in-his-life.html.
Bunson, Matthew. Encyclopedia Sherlocki- ana: an A-to-Z guide to the world of the great detective, 1st ed. New York : Macmil- lan, c1994.
Crowder, David A and Doyle, Steven. Sher- lock Holmes for Dummies. Wiley Publish- ing, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, c2010.
Doyle, Arthur Conan. Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories. Bantam Classic Edition, October 1986.
Johnson, Michael Robert, Kinberg, Simon, and Peckham, Anthony (screenplay). 39 An Actor’s Lessons By Elaine Stiles
If this is to be at the very least, or underlay The Musgrove Ritual, but it only most, an informal semi-scholarly investiga- scratched the surface. tion into how Sherlock Holmes gained his Holmes already had a natural talent knowledge of footprints, wheel prints and for the various martial arts. He was an ac- bullet sources, etc., the least I can do is complished boxer, fencer and practitioner of reference the source of the title. Back in an oriental self-defense technique he called the late 1950s, Theo Bikel put out an LP of baritsu. He was also a gifted amateur ac- folk music entitled An Actor’s Holiday. It tor. This hobby taught the young detective included a version of Ghost Riders in the the art of effective disguise. The solution to Sky, which connected it, at least peripher- acquiring the necessary skills, he reasoned ally, with cowboy songs and hence the Old was to be found on the stage. Spending time West. as a professional, Holmes deduced, would So, what has acting and the Old West only elevate his natural abilities along those to do with Sherlock Holmes? Let me enlight- lines into something rivaling the greatest en those readers of this short monograph, actors to tread the boards in the 1870s. In who might not otherwise be acquainted with addition, his studies had shown him that certain scholarly endeavors, that postu- those most knowledgeable in tracking were late Holmes traveled to America as a young to be found among the Indians, trappers man as a member of an acting troupe. Af- and other denizens of the American frontier. ter leaving university because he didn’t feel Therefore, he sought out and didn’t hesitate any proscribed area of study would garner to accept when offered, the chance to join the right mixture of knowledge he needed to a troupe of actors heading for a coast-to- pursue the career niche he wished to carve coast tour of the United States via train and out for himself, Holmes put together his own stagecoach. curriculum without benefit of a mentor. He The current text I’m reading, a col- studied chemistry, physics, botany, anato- lection of stories related to and featuring my, anthropology and engineering with an Holmes, A Study in Sherlock, by Laurie R. eye to the applicability of these disciplines King, postulates in one tale that that prior to the solving of crime. to becoming the world’s first and foremost Much of what he needed to know consulting detective he traveled in the Unit- could be absorbed into his body of knowl- ed States in the role of Hamlet in 1879. I edge through books and experimentation. beg to differ with that conclusion. Since Other knowledge required actual field expe- there’s no definitive reference to Holmes ca- rience. His chosen profession also required reer as an actor in The Canon or that can be a certain skill with weaponry and physical verified through historical research, I don’t prowess and other related learned skills. believe he took the time to gain enough rec- A stint in the army might not afford him ognition in the profession to play a lead- the chance to gain the necessary skills and ing role of that magnitude even in a lesser- might also delay his full-time entry into his known company. Instead, I feel he came to career for far longer than he wished. Also, these shores in 1875 or 1876 at the latest. at 20 his experience with observation, an The acting company provided for the young ability that he shared with his older brother man’s basic needs while serving the dual Mycroft, was limited in so far as it applied purpose of allowing him to hone his acting to practical problem solving. He’d been suc- and makeup skills while affording the op- cessful with a few mysteries, such as what portunity, or so he deduced, to meet the very 40 American experts who would enable him to est worker or lay-about and none would be read the slightest sign accurately and trail the wiser until it was too late if he played his quarry without being noticed. In that his part well enough. The other skills he’d deduction for one of the few times in his life, come to America to perfect weren’t as eas- he was nearly proven wrong. ily gained. That required the services of Young Sherlock Holmes sailed across someone who was both knowledgeable and the Atlantic. Due to the dominance of the willing to teach him. Therein lay the prob- greatest city of America’s dominance the lem. Such people rarely made their way to ship probably docked in New York, but the a staged performance. This held true for company would not have been booked into Indian scouts at the forts where they would a theater on either Broadway or even off off- stop to put on a play for the soldiers and Broadway. Instead, they stayed in the me- their wives and trappers and hunters in the tropolis only long enough to secure the means saloons. They kept to themselves, having of heading west into the hinterlands with no interest in the foreign tenderfeet passing perhaps the garnering of a bit of applause through, especially not in wasting their time in Cincinnati, Terre Haute and Saint Louis instructing a tenderfoot. as they wended their way across the Missis- Dodge City, with its large transient sippi away from the more civilized parts of population of every description afforded the the young country. From Kansas City the perfect place in its many saloons, dance company of actors entered the wide-open halls and gambling dens to mingle with the plains of Kansas where the audiences grew very people Holmes wished to emulate. He’d progressively rougher. Unlike the east cow- observed and listened to these denizens of boys and saloonkeepers predominated over the Plains long enough that he could turn society ladies and respected businessmen himself into a passable homesteader fresh at each performance. Indians in their na- from back east or even a traveling merchant tive attire were sometimes visible from train complete with his chosen character’s accent and stagecoach windows and their means and manner of speech. He found that for of transport may even have been robbed, if the vast majority their motto was, “Learn not by the James gang by some other lesser what ya have ta or die tryin’.” known band of hooligans. This would have been their experience as they continued on through Wichita to Dodge City, that bus- tling cow town. Some of the towns encoun- tered were large enough or deluded enough to build a theater or opera house beside the saloons. It was in western Kansas where Hol- mes proficiency with makeup and desire to see if he could hide his identity through total immersion in his assigned or chosen char- acter blossomed. The persona thus created had a certain way of walking, of posture, of speaking that indicated personality, even occupation to bring off a convincing per- formance, both on and off the stage. This understanding that broad gestures, though credible on the stage for an untutored audi- ence were nothing beside a combination of small details that created a whole persona. This ability, he knew, would stand him in good stead when circumstances required that he blend in with his surroundings. Holmes learned he could be the low- 41 Time was running short and Holmes from. If the weapon was a knife, the type began to despair of finding a way to master and length was discernable from the shape those necessary skills before he returned and depth of a wound and the height of the home. Until one evening, while conversing culprit in comparison to his victim from the with the local lawman as himself about the angle of the wound. From tales of the law- way of solving crimes, he found a receptive man’s past experience Holmes learned the audience. The older man by about 15 years, treachery a woman adversary could bring to upon hearing how the visiting Englishman’s what appeared to be on the surface an un- intentions in regards to a career upon his solvable crime. return to Britain, invited him to join his as The lawman patiently showed Holmes he performed his duties and to explain how how to follow a trail using all one’s senses to gain and use the skills necessary to their and close observation of evidence left on the performance. The lawman, although skilled ground or room. He had the fledgling detec- with his fists, knives and firearms, used his tive kneel down close to the ground to point brain more than his brawn and thus could out the details found in boot prints that in- determine the culprit even without an eye- dicated how much wear they’d received as witness. well as the possible size of the man. He also Unobtrusively, Holmes watched as showed him how to distinguish one horse the lawman went about his job. He noticed from another by their shoes and if one was how he gathered information by a combi- being ridden double, making it possible to nation of questions to his friends who were tell the number of men being trailed and in a position to observe those he suspected that they were the ones sought. Slight of not operating totally within the law dur- scuffmarks on rocks and the direction of a ing unguarded moments and assigning his blade of grass, Holmes was told, indicated seemingly not too bright assistant to fol- the direction of travel. Other things, such low and report on the movements of those as the warmth given off by an abandoned people, man or woman, along with his own campfire, the odor left on crushed grass or hunt for clues. The man had a way of ques- branches, or the leavings of certain bugs, in- tioning people that put them at their ease dicated how far ahead the quarry was. What but at the same time solicited the answers shape a member of a gang of outlaws could that would lead to a solution. be read in the careful observance of a blood The lawman patiently explained about trail. The pace at which they traveled was in the small things that could turn suspicion the length of the stride of the horses. Also, away from a more obvious suspect to the Holmes learned to tell one conveyance from actual criminal. It might be the angle of en- another and the load it carried based on the try of a bullet or the position of a bruise on type and number of wheels, their spacing the victim. Another telltale sign could be a and the depth to which those wheels sunk misplaced piece of wood or a drop of blood in soft ground. He also learned to stay just or even an odd smell. In addition, a barely far enough back so the criminals could be perceptible change in stance or movement followed without them knowing they were of an eye or hand he told Holmes was often being followed and how to make use of nat- a warning of danger to life and limb requir- ural cover and quiet movements in order to ing a quick and accurate preventive reac- apprehend them. tion. Armed with what he’d learned in The future detective also learned a Dodge City, young Sherlock Holmes sought competent physician assisting the investiga- every opportunity to practice and perfect tor was of immeasurable benefit when exam- those skills for the remainder of his Ameri- ining a corpse. Their combined knowledge can travels. At home in London, he contin- and keen observations could determine how ued to practice, honing the skills for which close the shooter was to a gunshot victim by he would become renowned until he became the presence or absence of powder burns, recognizable as the man described by his bi- the caliber of the bullet, and thus the type of ographer and trusted collaborator, Dr. John firearm used, and the direction it was fired H. Watson. 42 Holmes and Watson - It’ll Last by Tony Keen
One of the things lost amongst the re- mes himself lacks, and deep down wishes shuffling of the Holmes legend carried out he had. Above all, it is Watson’s ability to by Guy Ritchie is the basis of the relation- deal with other human beings that Holmes ship between Sherlock Holmes and John envies. Holmes treats everyone with aloof- Waston. The Holmes-Watson relationship ness, because he doesn’t know how to do is not like that of, say, Hercule Poirot and anything different, and has to assuage the Captain Hastings. Hastings is, not to put resultant melancholia with cocaine. Wat- too fine a point on it an idiot, and Poirot son can talk to people, even to the degree of seems to keep him around primarily to have getting Holmes to open up. someone who will be continually impressed And Watson can relate to women, by Poirot’s fairly obvious deductions. even to the point of marrying one. Holmes John Watson can sometimes be por- can barely talk to them. Women are, by his trayed as an idiot (Nigel Bruce’s Watson to own admission, a mystery to Holmes. He is Basil Rathbone’s Holmes comes to mind), interested in them when they bring cases to but that seems to me to be a misreading of him, but not after the case is solved. One the character. Watson is bright enough – he suspects in his studied indifference that is, after all, a qualified medical doctor. He Holmes doth protest too much, and that he falls behind Holmes in intellectual capac- particularly envies Watson in this respect. ity, but who doesn’t? And Watson has other It is for these reasons that Holmes associ- qualities, that Holmes recognises and val- ates with Watson, and they become close ues. friends. When Holmes thinks Watson has And that is, I think, the key to their been shot in “The Adventure of the Three relationship. Their friendship works be- Garridebs”, the emotional mask slips, and cause, deep down, each of them wants to be Holmes allows, for a brief moment, others to the other. see how he is feeling. That Watson The Guy Ritchie/ wishes he had some Robert Downey Jr Hol- of Holmes’ intellect is mes doesn’t have the obvious. Watson is scope for that sort of the narrator of Conan characterisation, He Doyle’s tales, and the is too rounded a hu- admiration he has for man being; he is not Holmes shines out of intimidated by wom- every page. Watson en, and can be quite finds it hard to imagine relaxed about being that there is an area in naked around one. which he is superior to His relationship with Holmes. Jude Law’s Watson We don’t have (and I still think Law the same route into and Downey Jr should Holmes’ feelings, and have been cast the oth- he keeps much hid- er way round) is corre- den, even from his spondingly more can- closest friend Watson. tankerous – a typical But I remain convinced bitchy buddy-movie that Holmes is drawn bromance partnership to Watson because he rather than the deep recognises in him all friendship in Conan the qualities that Hol- Doyle. 43 Inner or Outer Rail by Norman Crump
(Originally published in the Sherlock Holmes The late Cadogan West met his death Journal, Volume 1 (1952), 16-23 and based in the third week of November, in 1895, in on a paper read at a meeting of the Sher- a dense yellow fog. In the second week of lock Holmes Society of London on 5th March, October, in the year 1951, I went over the 1969, at the Royal Commonwealth Society, same ground as Sherlock Holmes. I began London) at Gloucester Road Station, where I was met by no less than three very helpful officials, A Masterpiece. You have never risen to led by Mr. Maxwell, Operating Manager a greater height. So said Dr. Watson, when (Railways) to the London Transport Execu- Holmes told him of his solution of The Ad- tive. I was taken from Cromwell Curve and venture of The Bruce-Partington Plans. Dr. Aldgate, and simplified versions of these di- Watson was never more right in his life. agrams (Figure 1). Last, but not least I was Cadogen West, it will be recalled, was given a special report prepared by Mr. R.C. a young clerk at Woolwich Arsenal. His body Rider, a retired railway official, whose ser- was found by the side of the Inner Circle vice dated back to 1896. Railway just outside Aldgate Station. In his To describe my Odyssey, here the pocket there was a small packet of technical reader should begin to consult Figure 1. papers which, as Mycroft Holmes told his Caulfield Gardens does not exist, but Court- brother, were no less than the plans of the field Road runs just outside the station. famous Bruce-Partington Submarine. Here, however, the railway is in a tunnel, Mycroft has his limitations. From his so that all that can be suggested is that this armchair he could return an excellent ex- is the origin of the mythical name Caulfield pert opinion, but he could not run here and Gardens. run there, cross-question railway guards We descended on to the island plat- and lie on his face with a lens to his eye. form at Gloucester Road and visited the Hence, his appeal to Sherlock. signal box at the far end. This box is only That is just what Sherlock did. He occasionally in use, for its sole purpose is went to Aldgate Station and in company to control the points leading to the Metro- with Lestrade and a courteous red-faced old politan carriage sidings. This fact is of vital gentleman representing the railway compa- importance for the following reasons. ny he inspected the place where the body 1) We have to decide whether the body was found. Later his deductions led him to traveled from Gloucester Road to Aldgate Gloucester Road Station. There, together on the inner rail (i.e. via Victoria), or on the with a very helpful official, he walked along outer rail (i.e. via Baker Street). Evidence in the track. He had already decided that the support of either rail will be marshaled later, body had been placed on the roof of a train. but assume for the moment that it traveled When he found that the back-stairs windows on the inner rail. of Caulfield Gardens open on the line... that, owing to the intersections of one of the larger 2) The main intersection with one of the railways, the Underground (sic) trains are larger railways is not at Gloucester Road, frequently held motionless for some minutes but on the Sloane Square side of South Kens- at that very spot, the mystery was solved. ington station. A few Circle trains, however, Sherlock had only to discover from Mycroft go round the Cromwell Curve (Figure 1) and that the eminent international spy, Mr Hugo these do intersect the larger railway a short Oberstein, lived at 13, Caulfield Gardens distance outside Gloucester Road. I return and the rest became routine work. to this point shortly. 44 3) The body was put on the carriage the end of Cromwell Road tunnel and for roof at approximately 11:15 p.m. (a passen- the whole of that 100 yards. The staircase ger Aldgate in a Metropolitan train at about windows of the Cromwell Road houses back 11:40 declares that he heard a heavy thud, onto the line just as Sherlock Holmes de- as of a body striking the line) At that late scribed. Things seemed to be turning in our hour of the evening, the Circle service was direction at last. being thinned out. To do this, some trains But for the doubts. The first is that very would terminate at Gloucester Road, and few trains ever take this route. The second then be shunted back into the carriage sid- and more serious, is that today the signals ings. While this was going on, Signal No. 2 controlling the Cromwell Curve junction are would be at danger. at the end of the Gloucester Road platform. 4) For a following train to leave High Either a train gets a clear run round Crom- Street and come up as far as the signal, be- well Curve, or it is held in Gloucester Road fore the preceding train had been shunted station until its road is clear. It is never held clear, a special instruction would be need- under Cromwell Road windows. ed, which would modify the normal block I have not been able to find a signal signaling regulations. Such an instruction diagram from the year 1895, but owing to probably existed, but it would even more the then absence of track-circuiting it is probably have contained the words except likely that the signals were then only a few in foggy weather or falling snow. And there yards short of the points, so that they could was a dense yellow fog. hold the road effectively. But I still feel the train would have been held at the station 5) Still it is just conceivable that a train until it had a clear run. was held at Signal No. 2 long enough for a We then returned to Gloucester Road body to be put on top of it. But this would station and went by road to High Street sta- have been due to the presence of the car- tion. On the way we visited Cromwell Curve riage sidings, and not be the intersection of signal box which is a modern box near one of the larger railways. Earl’s Court station, which controls all the junctions in the neighborhood, except the From Gloucester Road station we carriage sidings, to which I have already walked through the short tunnel under referred. The thickest, shown in Figure 1, Cromwell Road. Here I envied Sherlock Hol- has long disappeared. Instead there are mes, for when he took his walk the line was more carriage sidings, which connect with not electrified and he did not have to dodge Cromwell Curve and the District Railway. At live rails. Also, he had ten minutes between High Street we walked along the track to- trains, and we had only seven and a half wards the tunnel under Cromwell Gardems minutes. (this also sounds like Caulfield Gardens). On reaching the far end, we had a Here the inner rail is bounded by a vertical look round. The surroundings of Signal retaining wall, but alas! At the top there is No. 2 were disappointing. The inner rail is a large garden. The north end of the tun- bounded by a steep, but not vertical grass nel, however, looked more promising. Kelso cutting. At the top there is a wall, then a Place runs across here and the back win- service road, and only then the backs of dows of its houses are right above the tun- the houses in what used to be Emperor’s nel mouth. Unfortunately, there is not and Gate. It would have been a long throw for could never have been, a signal at which Mr. Oberstein from those windows. trains would have stopped at this point. Be- The other direction was more prom- sides, Mr. Oberstein’s house could not have ising. Assume now that it was an outer been over the tunnel, for then there would rail train, which diverged onto District have been no room for the area from which railway at South Kensington and on leav- Holmes and Watson broke in, the tunnel is ing Gloucester Road went round Cromwell too shallow an area and the basement would Curve and back onto Inner Circle proper at have broken through the roof. High Street. Cromwell Curve diverges from District railway about 100 yards beyond On our return to High Street station, 45 we had to take a decision. Was the train he admittedly did not know exactly where travelling from Gloucester Road to Aldgate the body was found. But by an hour later via inner or outer rail? There is no doubt Sherlock Holmes did know, for he, Lestrade that Holmes knew, because the body was and Watson had be then been taken by the found lying wide of the metal upon the left courteous red-faced old gentleman to the hand of the track as one goes eastwards, at exact spot. While there, Sherlock made all a point close to the (Aldgate) station, where sorts of comments, but did not say, It’s the the line emerges from the tunnel. The words outer rail. Therefore he fell short of his desti- from eastward onwards prove nothing, es- nation. pecially as Aldgate is the most eastern point I admit that in view of Sherlock’s no- on the Inner Circle. But it is clear that the torious secretiveness, this argument is not body did not fall between the tracks in the quite conclusive. six-foot way. There are three points in favor 3) There are very few points (on this sys- of the inner rail- tem). This is true of the south side of the 1) The trains which traverse the lines be- circle. The only serious points are a South side which the body was found ... run from Kensington and Mansion House. It is not west to east ... some from Willesden and out- true of the North Side. There are points at lying junctions. This is clearly a reference to High Street, Edgeware Road, Baker Street, the former Outer Circle service from Broad Farringdon, Aldersgate and Bishopsgate Street via Willesdan, Earl’s Court and Vic- (now Liverpool Street). toria to Mansion House (but not as far as Anyhow we plumbed for the inner rail Aldgate) and saying goodbye to the Earl’s Court Dis- 2) Aldgate, where the body was found, trict Inspector, the remaining three of us is considerably past the station for London travelled from High Street to Aldgate in the Bridge... cab of an inner rail circle train. Sherlock Holmes apparently omitted this elementary This second point appeared at first precaution, but the cab of a steam locomo- conclusive. The station for London Bridge tive would not give the same visibility as is Monument, and a train traveling from that of an electric train. Gloucester Road through Monument to Al- On the way we visited where the body dgate must be an inner rail train. Outer rail might well have fall off the roof of the car- trains would reach Aldgate before Monu- riage. These were: ment. 1) The South Kensington junction (un- But the learned chairman of the Sher- likely). lock Holmes Society has found what ap- peared to be a serious flaw in this evidence. 2) The sharp right-hand curve into Vic- It was brought forward at a time when it toria (almost certain) was still assumed that Mr. Cadogan West 3) The series of moderate to sharp S- made his journey alive, and was killed just curves extending the whole way from Black- before his body was thrown out at Aldgate friars to Mark Lane and including the Man- – or was even killed by this fall. But once sion House points (probable). it was assumed that he was dead the ar- gument that Aldgate is past Monument is We certainly felt that Mr. Cadogan irrelevant, for Cadogan West neither knew West, even though dead, was fortunate to nor cared about his travels. get as far as Aldgate. This argument cuts deep, but not At Aldgate we took another look quite deep enough. Assume that the body round. There are two junctions (Figure 1). was found by the side of the outer rail at One is the so-called North end of the station. Aldgate. Then it must have fallen off a train There are and possibly were then, plenty travelling in the direction Moorgate – Aldgate of points at that spot, just where the line – Monument. Now when Mycroft said Al- emerges from the tunnel. These spots sug- dgate, where the body was found, is consid- gest the outer rail theory, and on this basis erably past the station for London Bridge..., the body would have been found at point 46 windows overlooking it between High Street and Gloucester Road. Therefore it looks like the outer rail. This postulates the extreme improbabili- ties: 1) that in turn, Mr. Oberstein, Mr. Sher- lock Holmes and the helpful official believed it was normal for circle trains to run via the Cromwell Curve, and that in point of fact they did so during the period of Holmes’s and Watson’s burglarious entry into 13 Caulfield Gardens. 2) That instead of holding his trains at Gloucester Road stations, the signal man X. This point, however, is in full view of the on night turn that week made a practice of station, but if Aldgate was like High Street, dropping them down to the actual junction, then as Mr. Rider says after sunset on misty and holding them there until he could get damp days ... at times the trains could not the road. This, in spite of dense yellow fog. be seen from the platform. Still less could a 3) That there was no fog-man on duty body be seen to fall at 11:40 p.m. in a dense at those signals, or at least Mr. Oberstein yellow fog. either did not know of the fog-man, or took Traveling by inner rail, the train the risk of his not seeing what was up. This, would have come into Aldgate through Mi- I admit, is both probable and a reasonable nories Junction, and this (point Y) is where risk. the body would have been found, if the in- 4) That the red-faced gentleman regard- ner rail hypothesis is correct. But whereas ed all the points along the outer rail route we could get a fine view of the north end as being very few. No doubt he was thinking junction from the new, elevated signal box, of the junctions on a main line out of Lon- Minories Junction was much less easy of don. access. 5) That the body survived all these In 1895 it was in an open cutting, be- points. tween the main tunnel and the Aldgate sta- tion over-bridge. It remained so until some 6) That at Aldgate Sherlock Holmes was time in the ‘thirties. Then the whole cutting unusually secretive, even for him. was roofed in and the Aldgate trolley-bus There I must leave it. I agree with Watson terminal was installed on top. There used to that Sherlock Holmes had never risen to a be a garden in that cutting at rail level and greater height. one can still see pathetic remains of creeper up the retaining wall by the inner rail. Notes: Since writing this, I have met Com- Now it is one thing to walk along a mander Gregson, who was kind enough to straight length of tunnel carrying a seven show me his grandfather’s diary. The late and a half minute service. It is another thing Inspector Gregson had several piquant walking over a double-line junction with a comments to make, both on this case, and two and a half minute service. So we did also on Lestrade and Sherlock Holmes. But not penetrate as far as point Y, but stopped Gregson’s view was that the body got caught some 40 yards short. In any event, the trol- on some projection on the carriage roof and ley-bus station had destroyed any evidence that it took all the points on the outer rail that we might otherwise have found. from Cromwell Curve to Aldgate to shake it And now my conclusions. Sherlock loose. He is severely critical of both Lestrade Holmes was always warning Watson not to and Holmes for not having made a care- confuse the improbable with the impossible. ful enough examination of Cadogen West’s The inner rail is the most probably, in all re- clothes, to see what tears there were. spects save one. This is the absence of any I give this view with all reserve. 47 Figure 1 Reviewed: The Trial of Sherlock Holmes by Brian Gray
The Trial of Sherlock Holmes ods until after the perpetrator du jour is Sherlock Holmes TPB Vol. 1 (Issues #1-5) dealt with. However, as an archetype the Dynamite Entertainment, 2009 character was passed up by all of the hard- ISBN 1-60690-059-5 boiled dicks from detective pulps, who of- ten wise-cracked and chronicled their way Authors: Leah Moore & John Reppion through the dusty grit and cracked glass of Pencils and Inks: Aaron Campbell every case. Colors: Tony Aviña Updates, new tales, or re-imaginings Covers: John Cassaday of Sherlock Holmes often fall prey to more recent narrative devices, or worse, succumb I came across this compilation when to the needs of the newest media--television I was scouting out comic book and gaming shows and movies rarely fare well with a stores in my new home of Albuquerque, and brooding and laconic protagonist. For ex- picked it up as the store was having a half- ample, the new Sherlock Holmes movie(s) off sale on back issues of trade paperbacks. are vastly entertaining for wholly cinematic Currently, I’m mildly abashed to confess reasons, but Robert Downey Jr. is not the that I know the locations of more local com- classic Great Detective. In light of all of the ics shops than I do of local independent visual stories presented from the early age bookstores, but that’s mostly as there are of Hollywood to now, it is the authors’ hew- many more comics shops than bookstores ing to the classic elements of Holmes that close to the Kirtland Air Force Base on the make this graphic novel a refreshing tribute south side of town where I work. to Doyle’s best known character. As a fan of the canon Sherlock Hol- The Art: mes stories and nov- First I’ll admit els (I “borrowed” my fa- that I love John Cassa- ther’s omnibus editions day’s work (i.e. if you of Doyle’s best known haven’t looked at War- character when I was 12, ren Ellis’ Planetary, with and now I’ve now pos- Cassaday as the sole sessed the tomes lon- artist, do yourself a BIG ger than he did...) I am favor and pick up one always leery to get into of the trades), as his a new take on Holmes cover designs regularly by modern authors. In show off elegant graph- Doyle’s voice, the Great ic design, beautifully Detective has a distinct- fine line work, and nu- ly arch persona, and an anced shading and col- ironically eldritch talent ors. The cover images for deductive reason- are included in the TPB ing. While we are given in sequence, repurposed a great many opportu- as chapter frontispieces, nities to see Holmes at wonderfully illustrative work, the character al- of both the chapter title most never explains his and the drama inher- objectives or his meth- ent in the issue—for ex- 49 to life with clear motion or gritty clutter as necessary, and scene design and framing make what takes place crystal clear... even if for story reasons you do not immediately understand what has happened. I find the line work thicker and less fluid than most other work that catches my eye, and ini- tially I had decided not to pick up the book as the art did not hook me. I’m very glad I changed my mind, as subsequent re-read- ings led me to appreciate Campbell’s artist- ry as a story-teller. His inks are such that Aviña’s colors work well as flat tints, allow- ing strong blocks of black to provide shad- owy depths or rounded faces as appropriate. Together, although not immediately visually arresting as a great deal of comic book art, the artwork and colors succeed admirably in serving the story in a clear and aestheti- cally gratifying manner. I will definitely look for John Campbell’s work in the future.
The Tale: All of the thoughtfully-composed and ample, Chapter 2, “A Locked Room” shows beautifully handled art would be for naught Holmes braced against the bars of a jail cell, if the story, a new story created from whole a presence looming indignantly out of the cloth (barring the inclusion of several his- dark. My only complaint is that Cassaday’s toric figures), failed to evoke the drama and design for Sherlock clearly derives from the mystery of Arthur Conan Doyle’s best sto- Basil Rathbone era as the character in mov- ries. The authors Leah Moore and John ies and on television (1939-1953), with Mr. Reppion, who together are gaining a repu- Rathbone’s dramatically angular features tation for skillfully re-scripting stories from and thin frame promoting a more drawn the earliest days of genre fiction (they have and severe figure than Doyle wrote. also written well-regarded new takes on Al- In contrast to the covers, the regular ice in Wonderland, Dracula, and an Edgar art by John Campbell relies on character Allen Poe short story, The Black Cat) in ad- designs for Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade dition to other more traditional comics fare, which hew more closely to the original de- offer up a mystery that could almost have scriptions of the characters. Campbell come from one of Doyle’s discarded note- demonstrates a great understanding of how books. Their attention to historical detail to portray emotion and thought, and how is only rivaled by their ability to provide to lead you from image to image. Sherlock just what made Sherlock Holmes such an Holmes is tall and lanky, but with a clear intriguing character—the laconic but arch gaze and an elegance of posture. The good genius who never explains himself or his doctor is not the rotund country bumpkin of methods until the work is done. so many portrayals, but a robust and well- The first issue/chapter opens with dressed, slightly older gentleman with obvi- an early-morning explosion witnessed by ously professional acumen. The Scotland an unfortunate everyman just heading to Yard Inspector is youthful and vigorous, a work, with the text of the Scotland Yard re- competent man of action even at those times port serving as narration. Cut to Watson when he is confused and desperate. reading reports of the explosion in a news- Campbell possesses a good eye for paper as he returns to Baker Street, and shadow and detail that bring the scenes we’re off. Holmes receives a summons to 50 the bedside of a retired Yard inspector dying instigator of the whole nefarious plot is not of consumption yet threatened with assas- whom you’re expecting. sination at a specific time within his own In comparison to the body of Doyle’s home. Requested to provide his reassur- body of Holmes stories, this particular new- ing intellect and an extra layer of security, ly-imagined tale only suffers on two counts. Holmes and Watson set off to the house, First, the plot is rooted in actual political where we meet up with Lestrade and a new and social tensions of the era, grounding character seminal to the story, a Detective Holmes in the morass of mundane concerns Inspector Davis of the Special Branch. By beneath the rarified realm of esoteric crime- the end of the evening, all are embroiled in solving that is his usual purview. While a classic Holmesian locked-room mystery: “current” events were occasionally men- Watson and Lestrade break into the sick- tioned within a Doyle story, Holmes stayed room to find the retired inspector dead of apolitical and well away from government a bullet, with Holmes quite literally hold- and royalty unless in the service of an indi- ing the smoking gun. The Great Detective, vidual who worked in those areas. To their shocked at having been caught apparently credit, Moore and Reppion play off this as- in flagrante delicto, is led away in chains, pect of the Great Detective’s canon in the and the Trial of Sherlock Holmes is well and denouement, tying it into Holmes’ obsessive truly begun. and nigh-omniscient awareness of the day- to-day world around him. “Good heavens!” I cried. My second complaint about the story stems from an inherent limitation of a visu- “Who would associate al medium: the need to keep the consumer engaged with the main character. Much of crime with these dear old the appeal of Doyle’s writing came from the mystique wrapped around Sherlock Hol- homesteads?” mes’ inexplicable actions—often the detec- tive would walk off scene for hours or days The story is rich with details about and remain incommunicado, only explain- Victorian life in London at numerous lev- ing his actions at the end. In this graphic els, from the royal palaces to the poor sods novel, we see most every major physical ac- living next to the fishmongers. Indeed, it’s tion Holmes takes, so that we, the readers, hard to know who did more research into know at all times where he is and what he’s the historical period—the authors or the done. Again, to the authors’ credit, they do artist. Dialogue, although tinged with mod- not explain why Holmes is following a par- ern rhythms, successfully evokes the time ticular course of action, and they elide de- and place, and most importantly, discus- tails at the right moments—letters between sions between Holmes and Watson could characters are read “aloud” to only a certain have been written by Doyle. The course of point, and interested experts are given un- events, barring the shocking and previously explained tasks, the point of which is only unthinkable act of charging Sherlock Hol- revealed after the fact. Again, the end of the mes with cold-blooded murder, flows clearly tale reveals all, and we enjoy the chance to and comprehensibly from chapter to chap- bask anew in the glory of the genius that is ter. Unlike most Doyle’s stories, we see Sherlock Holmes, the Great Detective. two simultaneous plots unfolding, one the threat of an international incident between Summary: England and Germany, and the other the For all of its notable flaws, I enjoyed impossible criminal trial; but the two tales this graphic novel, and I shall be keenly are skillfully interwoven and we never lose looking to see if Dynamite Entertainment the thread of either (Campbell’s clear char- has continued with any more of the Moore/ acter designs also help marvelously in this Reppion/Campbell take on Sherlock Holm- regard). Of course, Holmes’ explanation of es. events is saved for last, as is only fitting, and all is revealed. Here’s my one hint: the 51 Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes Novels and Stories By Tom Feller
SPOILER ALERT: I am going to assume that the reader Besides providing great pleasure to has already read all four of the four Sher- readers for more than one hundred years, lock Holmes novels and many, if not all, of the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories have the fifty-six short stories written by Arthur provided filmmakers with a rich source of Conan Doyle, also known as The Canon or material. The Guinness Book of World Re- The Sacred Writings. Also, for purposes of cords recognizes Holmes as the most often brevity, I am abbreviating all the titles that portrayed character in films. More than 75 begin with “Sherlock Holmes and” and “The actors have appeared as the Great Detective Adventure of”. in over 200 films.
A Study in Scarlet Although there is a 1933 film of that title starring Reginald Owen as Holmes, the plot summary on the Internet Movie Data- base indicates that it is not based on the first Sherlock Holmes novel. I am not aware of any feature length movies that have adapt- ed this book. Most adaptations show Hol- mes as middle-aged or even older, not the young man of this novel. In fact, I am aware of only two television shows that reproduce the first meeting between Holmes and Doc- tor John H. Watson, but neither are adapta- tions of the entire novel. The first was the first episode of the 1954 TV series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, “The Case of the Cunningham Heritage”, starring Ron- ald Howard (son of actor Leslie Howard, not the American actor/director). The second is the first episode of Sherlock, “A Study in Pink”, the 2010 BBC series mini-series star- ring Benedict Cumberbatch that updated the detective to the 21st Century. The main problem with adapting this novel is its structure. It actually consists of two novellas. In the first part, Holmes solves a series of murders of Americans in London. The second part consists of the back story in which the reader learns why the perpe- trator pursued his victims. Some readers find the second part offensive because of its anti-Mormon stance.
52 The Sign of Four It is surprising that there have been relatively few adaptations of Doyle’s second Holmes story. Many readers, including my- self, regard it as better written than Doyle’s most famous Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles. Even those who prefer Hound consider Sign to be one of the best Holmes stories, especially since Watson gets the girl. In the three years between writing the first and second Holmes novels, Doyle greatly improved as an author, and the back story is better integrated into the main narrative. Arthur Wontner starred in five Sher- lock Holmes films during the 1930s, and one of them adapted this story in 1932. His Holmes is much older than most, and he is openly contemplating retirement. Fur- thermore, there is no effort to place the sto- ries during the Victorian/Edwardian eras, and he routinely makes telephone calls and rides in 1930s vintage automobiles. While I would rate his films an “A” for content, their presentations rate a “C”, because, un- fortunately, they are copies of copies. This version of the story is especially memorable of Pennsylvania coal miners in the 19th for the last line of dialogue in which Watson Century find it offensive. gets the last word. Henry Arthur Saintsbury starred in Ian Richardson appeared as Holmes a 1926 silent adaptation of this novel, but in The Sign of Four in 1985, and it is also a I have never seen it. Wontner starred in a good adaptation. Both Peter Cushing (1968) 1935 sound version called The Triumph of and Jeremy Brett (1987) appeared as Hol- Sherlock Holmes, and it is as good as one mes in episodes of their respective television could hope considering the source mate- series adapting this novel, and both are good rial. In this movie, Holmes comes out of re- ones. Two versions that I personally have tirement to face his arch-enemy Professor never seen were a 1923 silent film starring James Moriarty in their final confrontation. Eille Norwood and a TV movie starring Matt The movie actually improves on the book Frewer (Max Headroom) in 2001. by bringing Moriarty on screen, whereas in the book he stays completely in the back- The Valley of Fear ground. Watson, by the way, is played by an I am only aware of two film adapta- actor named “Ian Fleming”, but he is not the tions of this novel, but considered it justi- same person as the creator of James Bond. fied on the grounds that it is the worst of One of the Ronald Howard TV episodes, the four novels and definitely a second rate “The Case of the Pennsylvania Gun”, adapt- Holmes story overall. It suffers from being ed this story, but I have never seen it so I structured like The Study in Scarlet, and don’t know how well they did. All the How- many Holmes scholars feel that Doyle was ard shows were thirty minutes long, so I am not writing up to his own standards. I think rather dubious about how well they did. that he wrote this book in 1915 just for the money and to shut up the Holmes fans who The Short Stories were pestering him for more Holmes stories. The title of the last Wontner film, Another similarity with A Study in Scarlet is Murder at the Baskervilles (1937), is mis- that readers who sympathize with the plight leading, because it takes place 20 years af- 53 ter the events depicted in The Hound of the Irene Adler, the only woman ever to outwit Baskervilles. Holmes and Watson, now both Holmes, originally appeared in “A Scandal retired, are the house guests of Sir Henry in Bohemia” and is also a main character in Baskerville, and the story is actually an ad- the 2009 Robert Downey film, Sherlock Hol- aptation of “Silver Blaze”. mes. Many films and television episodes fea- While none of the fourteen films star- ture Mrs. Hudson, Holmes’s landlady, and ring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Inspectors Lestrade and Gregson of Scot- Bruce as Watson made between 1939 and land Yard, recurring characters in Doyle’s 1946 are true adaptations of any of the stories, even if the screenplays themselves short stories, several of them borrow ele- are original. ments of them. The Voice of Terror uses “His Last Bow”; The Pearl of Death “The Six Na- “The question is not “if” but poleons”, The Secret Weapon “The Dancing “how.” Men”; The House of Fear “The Five Orange Pips”; and Sherlock Holmes Faces Death in- The game’s afoot. cludes a version of “The Musgrave Ritual”. Follow your spirit and The plot of The House of Fear resembles Ag- atha Christie’s And Then There Were None upon this charge, cry more than anything Doyle himself wrote. ‘god for Harry, Most of the stories have been adapted by at least one of the five Sherlock Holmes England and St. George.” television series starring Ronald Howard in ~ Sherlock Holmes, 2009 1954, Douglas Wilmer in 1965 (unfortunate- ly no copies survive), Peter Cushing in 1968, The Hound of the Baskervilles Geoffrey Whitehead in 1979 (unfortunately This Sherlock Holmes novel is the unavailable because of copyright issues), best known and has been adapted more of- and Jeremy Brett from 1984 to 1994. The ten than any other. One of the earlier, and Howard episodes were 30 minutes long and still one of the best, is the 1939 version star- most of them were not adaptations of spe- ring Rathbone and Bruce. One of the chal- cific stories, the Cushing one hour, and the lenges in adapting the stories to film and Brett either one or two hours. For the most television is figuring out what to do with part I prefer the one hour format for a short Watson. In the vast majority of the stories, story adaptation. This allows the viewer to he is the narrator, but in film and television, see the back story rather than have someone you don’t need a narrator, because you can explain it to Holmes and Watson, but two show the viewer what is happening. In the hour Brett episodes seemed padded to me. later Rathbone/Bruce films, Watson’s main The producers of the Brett series intended function is to provide comedy relief and the to adapt all of the stories, but stopped after viewer wonders why Holmes puts up with Brett’s premature death in 1995 when he him. Consequently, while Rathbone is con- was only sixty-one years old. sidered to be one of the best, if not the best, In a sense, any movie or TV show, actors to portray Holmes, many Sherlock such as The Adventures of Sherlock Hol- Holmes fans consider Bruce to be one of the mes (1939), that features Moriarty could worst Watsons. In Hound, this is not a prob- be considered an adaptation of “The Final lem, because Watson takes an active role in Problem”, the story that introduces the Na- investigating the mystery and is not just an poleon of Crime. Colonel Sebastian Moran, observer. Holmes has enough confidence in Moriarty’s second-in-command, is the vil- him to delegate a major part of the inves- lain in “The Empty House”, and he is also tigation to him as well as to give him the the villain in Terror by Night (1946). Mycroft responsibility for guarding Baskerville from Holmes, Sherlock’s older brother, was first harm. The film also features John Carradine introduced in “The Greek Interpreter” and and Lionel Atwill, well known character ac- is a major character in The Private Life of tors of the time. Rathbone, oddly enough, Sherlock Holmes (1969) and other films. is not given top billing. That honor went to 54 Richard Greene, who portrayed Baskerville, Frewer in 2000, and Richard Roxburgh in because the studio, 20th Century Fox, was 2002. I do not claim that this is a complete grooming Greene to become a major movie list, and I have not seen all of them. From star at that time. This never happened, al- the ones I have seen and from what I have though Greene later became famous play- read about them, the quality of these adap- ing the title character of the Robin Hood TV tations is very uneven. The Cook-Moore ver- series. sion was done for comedy, of course, Brett’s Peter Cushing appeared in adapta- is up to the high standards of that series, tions of Hound twice. The first was the 1959 but Frewer’s interpretation of the charac- Hammer production that played up the ter was highly stylized, to put it generously. horrific elements and was the first Holmes Granger is best known for action-adventure movie to be filmed in color. It is still the most films such as King Solomon’s Mines (1950), gothic of all the adaptations and was direct- but at least he did not embarrass himself. ed by Terence Fischer, who directed many Overall, they are definitely a mixed bag. horror films for Hammer. Andre Morrell played Watson, and Christopher Lee played Conclusion Baskerville. A few years later, Cushing ap- One of the eternal debates in Sher- peared in a two-part television adaptation lock Holmes fandom is over who was the of the story as part of the Sixties series. The best Sherlock Holmes actor, Basil Rath- TV version is actually more faithful to the bone or Jeremy Brett, although there is a original novel. small minority who prefer Peter Cushing. Alwin Neuss appeared as Holmes in a Gradually those who prefer Brett are gain- silent version in 1914, Eille Norwood in an- ing a majority, if only because those fans other silent version in 1922, Robert Rendel who grew up with Rathbone are sadly dying in the first “talkie” version in 1932, Stewart off. In any case, the success of the recent Granger in a television movie in 1972 (with Robert Downey, Jr. movies and the Cum- William Shatner as Stapleton), Peter Cook berbatch TV series should ensure that we in 1978 (with Dudley Moore as Watson), will have more Sherlock Holmes films and Tom Baker (the fourth Dr. Who) in a four television shows in the future and maybe part BBC mini-series in 1982, Ian Rich- someday someone will seriously argue that ardson in 1983, Jeremy Brett in 1988 as one of these was better than Rathbone or a two hour episode of his TV series, Matt Brett. 55 An Appreciation of Hammer’s Hound of the Baskervilles by Lynda E. Rucker
There is no logic that explains the Hound of the Baskervilles (entirely coinci- love I have for this movie. I’m not a particu- dentally, as a teenager, because I happened lar fan of Sherlock Holmes—I mean, I have to find a copy lying around the house) and nothing against him, it’s just that the Sher- the middle episode of the new BBC version lock Holmes canon has always been on my set in modern-day London, which I quite perpetually to-read, never-gotten-around- enjoyed. Oh, and a vague memory of the to list. Furthermore, it makes use of the 1985 movies Young Sherlock Holmes, which kind of plot point I normally hate—where I think disappointed me. the spooky and supernatural atmosphere is So I can’t put it in context, but I can carefully developed, only to have a perfectly talk about why I like it so much. reasonable (well, maybe not reasonable, but Maybe part of it is that setting—on human), non-supernatural explanation. I the moors. As an American reader, the dark normally hate that. And people didn’t even English moor is one of those gothic settings like the film when it came out, neither au- that lodged itself deep in my imagination diences nor critics—it was supposed to be early on; too much exposure to the Brontes the start of a new Hammer series with Peter and Daphne du Maurier and some of their Cushing as Holmes and André Morell (Pro- lesser imitators as kid. Maybe it’s that, for fessor Quatermass all its perfectly ra- himself in the 1950s tional explanation TV series!) as Wat- at the end, it main- son, but the movie tains throughout didn’t do that well the atmosphere and Hammer nev- of horror, my first er made any more. love. (I tend to like (I’m also a huge fan my crime and mys- of another Hammer tery murky and “failure,” Captain dark, and sort of Kronos: Vampire unresolved at the Hunter, but that’s end, which is per- a topic for another haps why I’ve nev- article someday. er really gotten Suffice it to say I round to Sir Ar- should clearly nev- thur Conan Doyle’s er be part of a Ham- tales of deductive mer focus group to logic.) Certainly the predict the success talents of Cush- of their films.) ing (apparently a I can’t put Holmes aficionado, Hammer’s effort at who relished the translating Holmes opportunity to step to the big screen into the role), and in any kind of real the great Sir Chris- context; my total topher Lee as the exposure to the de- haunted Sir Henry, tective besides this are a large part of consists of having my enjoyment. But also read the book I’m making it all 56 sound terribly serious, and it’s a Hammer film, so it’s largely just loads of fun, as poor Christopher Lee has to learn the hard way that sexy Spanish broads are not to be trusted and that when a woman is angrily denounc- ing her exile in your miserable homeland she is not, in fact, asking to be kissed good and hard. And so the Hound itself is a bit disappointing once it finally makes an appearance—but the camera cuts away quickly, and we’re not really here for the evil Hound anyway. In his book Hammer and Beyond: The British Horror Film, Peter Hutchings presents an inter- esting and very readable critique of the film as a study in gender—pitting an anxious, uncertain masculinity against a sexually attractive woman as ‘object of abject terror’. Hutchings points out that in making Beryl Sta- pleton, dominated wife, of the novel, into Cecile Staple- ton, rebellious daughter who in fact drives the action of the film, Hammer remains consistent with its treatment of women at the time, shifting the focus from the Hound to the ‘greater threat posed by the sexually attractive woman’. I doubt there’s much that can be called oedipal in the written Holmes canon, but Hutchings teases it out of the Hammer version convincingly. In the end, though, I’m not too concerned with whether the film grapples with the loss of the patriar- chal power structure or not. Director Terence Fisher found more success at Hammer with a whole slew of other films, before and after, including Horror of Dracu- la and The Mummy, and I love those, too, but Hound of the Baskervilles has always felt a bit like the underdog (no pun intended) to me, an undeserved place for it, as it’s an awful lot of fun. And rewatching it for the doz- enth or so time or so reminds me of that perpetual to- read never-gotten-around-to stack of Sherlock Holmes stories that are still out there waiting on me, and maybe this all-Sherlock-Holmes issue of Journey Planet will finally remind me to give the rest of the stories a try.
57 Other Houses, Other Holmes... by Christopher J Garcia
I love the concept with what had been bub- of Holmes. Sherlock Hol- bling up in film directed mes, know-it-all bastard towards teens. Combin- with a fondness for co- ing the legendary detec- caine and a magnet to tive with a desire to draw all forms of crime. How the younger audience could you not like a guy earned us Young Sher- like that? lock Holmes. Answer: put him Young Sher- on film. lock Holmes was a film Seriously, the about Holmes and Wat- Holmes on film that I’ve son coming together in seen have rarely lived up their school years. It’s to the book Holmeseses. very simple, and when Basil Rathbone, while he we meet them, there’s certainly looks the part, Holmes’ girlfriend! She’s never seemed to get it. suitably shy and smart Christopher Lee as Hol- and pretty and enamored mes? Interesting. Same of Holmes. Watson is, as goes for Peter Cushing. he always seems to be, I’ve never seen any of the questioning and chasing early John Berrymore after Holmes. Nicholas Holmes silents, though I Rowe plays Holmes and, love me some John Berrymore. For Holmes by Ghod!, he’s amazing. He’s in a slightly along the years, I’ve never found a regular gangly stage, but he’s also already gained Holmes who really did it for me. the power of deduction and, best of all, a Now, irregular Holmeseses, those are certain snarky charm. Where Holmes’ as a my faves! somewhat petulant child in some versions, There’ve been many reimaginings it’s great to see him as a teenager who is of Holmes over the years, including a film so far ahead of the adults in his life that he with Gene Wilder playing Sherlock Holmes’ doesn’t feel the need to hold back. His mild Smarter Brother, which Evelyn’s grandma detesting of authority, save for the teach- was watching when I picked her up the er who will, inevitably, turn on him in the other day. There’s been several other takes, end. It’s an impressive performance from a including Fox’s House and USA Network’s kid who I think hadn’t been in a bunch of Monk, but none of them compare to the two movies up to that point. He made a great that I have fallen in love with, the first as a Holmes, and with Chris Columbus’ script, kid. he plays a wonderful Holmes, and in the The 1980s saw a renewed interest in last half, where it’s obvious that Steven Holmes, with a huge number of new edi- Spielberg’s producerial input turned a fine tions of Doyle’s works getting released. I re- Holmes movie into basically a teenaged In- member going to B. Dalton’s and seeing five diana Jones movie (though I have to recom- different new versions of The Adventures of mend The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles Sherlock Holmes all lined up with their faux for that), he makes a nice swashbuckling leather spines showing different publishers. movie star. I think that the failure (well, fail- Holmes got a reinvention that went along ure is a stronger word than necessary) of 58 Young Sherlock Holmes kept him from a ca- tual rights to Sherlock, decided to create a reer where we got to follow Holmes from his new character: Basil of Baker Street, better youth through to his prime and beyond. It known as The Great Mouse Detective, based would have been a great thing, but alas, it on the Basil of Baker Street books that I was not meant to be. never read, or even heard of when I was a What’s impressive about Young Sher- kid! lock Holmes. Beyond the fine performances 1986 and we’re given a Sherlock called fine nods to the traditions of Sherlock Hol- Basil and a Dr. David Dawson, who narrates mes, and a rollicking adventure tale, is that the tail... err tale, and instead of Moriarty, it’s an amazing visual feast. The most famous we’re given a Professor Ratigan, played by effect is Pixar’s work on the Stained-Glass Vincent Price! A young mouse named Oliv- Knight. It’s a beautiful early computer-gen- ia’s daddy is taken by a deranged bat after erated character that appears in a Bishop’s giving her a dancing ballerina wind-up doll. hallucination. It’s a gorgeous effect, even Note to anyone in a Disney movie: if you’re watching it today. I’m up on the state of the ever given a marvelous toy or pet, you’re ei- art in Computer-Generated Graphics, and ther going to fall in love with the brigand though you can tell that it’s not the kind who gave it to you, or if you already love of effect you’d get today, it’s still impressive them, they’re gonna get kidnapped. and it fits the movie so very well. There is a The story is dumbed down, no doubt, lot of stuff like that, a lot of it done compos- but there are some really fun elements. Basil ite, which Spielberg’s ILM has always been sweeps into his apartment at first dressed as amazing at, and a series of practical effects a mouse Charlie Chan, only to reveal him- that were so gorgeous they had to be done by self as Sherlock... I mean Basil. It’s a nice Rick Baker! There was a great scene where entry. An excellent nod towards true Holmes Watson gets hit by a hallucinatory dart and is given as he is comparing a pair of bullets ends up having a nightmare about being and when they turn out to not be from the tormented by pastries. It’s a great scene. same gun, he goes momentarily apoplectic The set design was gorgeous, espe- before going melancholy-in-extremist. It’s a cially for the Egyptian-inspired cult scenes. nice touch and feels so very authentic to the The costumes were typical, but they were a character. way to get us introduced to the traditional You have to remember this is not from forms of Holmes. the High Disney Era that was a few years Watching Young Sherlock Holmes, away from dropping with The Little Mer- you can see that it is inspired by the huge maid. This was obvious in the kind of music numbers of other Holmes films, but at the they were using, though the song Ratigan same time it becomes its own and it plays with Vincent Price singing is a bit of fun! In beautifully for younger viewers and is a fine fact, in many ways it’s Price’s slight scen- introduction to the character. ery-chewing in his voice-work that takes Almost as good as an animated Sher- The Great Mouse Detective down a peg or lock. There’ve been Anime Sherlock Holmes, two. It’s still fun, Disney has always been but holding my views that much anime is good at fun, but it’s not a great movie. The lame, I’ve tended away from them. Disney, mystery flows OK, Disney seldom has tack- apparently not willing (or able) to get the ac- led these kinds of films, and they do make Sherlock, I mean Basil, into a more comedic character. There are also appearances, in shad- ow form, from Holmes and Watson them- selves. The character design is pretty awe- some. I never fully committed to the style that Disney went with in the later 1990s, but there we get that sort of brackish mash- up of traditional Disney style and the later 59 stuff that we’d see in 1990s and beyond. We time. That makes the relationship between hadn’t yet had the appearance of Toy Story the two is less explored, and a lot of the de- (almost a decade away) and the Pixar influ- tective stuff is weakened by the Disney for- ence hadn’t raised the stakes all over the mula. The Bat who plays Ratigan’s hench- place. The design of Toby, the bloodhound, man is overly comedic, which means that was particularly tradition Disney and was there’s little threat presented by him, which the most adorable. weakens the plot. Which also meant that it was the least And even with all these problems, I Holmsian. still loved it and when I rewatched it for this You see, the ultimate trouble is the article, I can see why I loved it. It’s a fun more Disney things got, the further from movie. There are moments of really good Sherlock they had to go. Holmes as a com- comedy, there are some great moments of edy figure doesn’t work nearly as well (I was Vincent Price going over the top, which is half-amused by Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter something I often enjoy. There’s some fun Brother, but most of that came from Mad- animation, but not enough of it, and it’s eline Kahn. Sherlock for comedy can work, fun to see the character interpreted with the but it has to be in only part, it can not re- lesser Disney eye. There were still a couple place the mystery as a whole. of Walt’s Old Men around that point doin’ As a Disney film, it fails in several di- their thing, but they weren’t involved in the mensions. The music is only so-so, with a day-to-day at that point. There’s some good decent score, a strong musical theme and voice work, particularly from the Basil and one fun song. The animation seems rushed Dawson actors. Scenes like the waterfront at times, at others there is little internal bar are a lot of fun, though I know intellec- consistency, and at other times, when they tually that it’s merely inserted to give us a turn it over to the Holmes-esque stuff, they chance for a beerhall tune, which seems at blow it by not going far enough in that di- least slightly out of place in a Disney flick. rection. Still, this Holmes is so much more fun And perhaps another point is that in than the ones played straight by the ‘Seri- this version Sherlock and Watson... I mean ous’ productions. Basil and Dawson, are meeting for the first
60 The Game is Afoot. James and the case of the Science Fictional Sherlock by James Bacon
I was trying to find out about the Sci- and then into the drawing room ence Fictional Sherlock Holmes edited by strolled Suford Lewis; Robert C Peterson in 1960. Specifically, I’d ‘Tony has a copy of this (got it when wanted to find out the contents list but de- it first came out) as he is a dedicated Sher- spite searching, I had failed, so I sent of a lockian (subscribes to the Baker Street plea to a number of fans, and in moments Journal, gets all the pastiches &c). I asked there were responses. him about this book and his reaction was to Joe Siclari was first with the reply button, pull it off the shelf and show it to me.’ and said ‘It is a fairly rare book of S-F stories The book is clearly a fan work proba- about Holmes by an out- standing group of SF writ- ers who were also Holmes fans. I believe most, if not all, have been reprinted in subsequent anthologies & collections.’ ‘I don’t have a copy. This contents is from is from the isfdb. I did not have de Waal’s World Biblio of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson with me.’ And he sent a Table of Contents. Well that was annoy- ing, I thought, shouldn’t I have looked up the ISFDB, and didn’t I. Had I entered the wrong word, and hadn’t I been sitting next to all five volumes of Du Waal’s mas- terpiece. Mark Plummer also pointed me at the Inter- net Database, commented that himself and Claire have some of the stories in other versions and then pointed out that The Re- turn • (1954) • novelette by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire was online at http://www.gutenberg. org/ebooks/19158 61 bly mostly by Peterson though “The Council lisher copyrighted though I note the authors of Four, 2845 South Gilpin Street, Denver then sold later uses. 10, Colorado” appears at the foot of the Title Joe’s TOC has the Greatest Tertian page and the back cover short essay claims and A Snitch in Time in reversed order that The Council of Four, a scion society of and the book gives different (c) date for The the Baker Street Irregulars, has Martian Crown Jewels, 1957, but his TOC published it.’ is otherwise correct. I might note that the Except for the problems of access to Half a Hoka entry is properly “Half a Hoka professional level tools for the typesetting by Poul Anderson: an Appreciation by Gor- and dj, it looks pretty good. Our copy’s dj is don R. Dickson” and appeared in the 17th sunburned and a bit frayed but the cover is Worldcon program book. a nice piece of line art of spacesuited Holm- Du Waal apparently added some de- es & Watson with a robot dog tracking lizard scription to his TOC as well as (c) dates. The footprints and signed “Walker ‘60” date for the Half a Hoka is probably deduced from the 17th Worldcon’s date but could “The game of therefore be a year late. Table of Contents - Sherlock Holmes and Science Fiction • es- applying the say by Anthony Boucher - The Martian Crown Jewels • (1957) • short methods of the story by Poul Anderson - Half a Hoka - Poul Anderson • (1959) • es- Higher Criticism say by Gordon R. Dickson - The Adventure of the Misplaced Hound • [Hoka] • (1953) • novelette to the Sherlock by Poul Anderson & Gordon R. Dickson Holmes canon... - The Anomaly of the Empty Man • [Dr. Verner] • (1952) • short story by Anthony Boucher has become a - The Greatest Tertian • (1952) • short story by Anthony Boucher hobby among a - The Adventure of the Snitch in Time • [So- lar Pons] • (1953) • short story by August Derleth & Mack select set of jest- Reynolds - The Adventure of the Ball of Nostradamus ers here and in • [Solar Pons] • (1955) • short story by August Derleth & America.” Mack Reynolds - The Return • (1954) • novelette by H. Beam ~ Dorothy Sayers Piper & John J. McGuire The brief essay on the backcover is probably Peterson’s. It did come out in 1960; it’s edited and (c) by Robert C. Peterson who also (c) the Game Over. Wait, nope, Joe went and introduction though there is nothing with bought one. Now Game Over. that title in it--he may mean the Boucher Sherlock Holmes and Science Fiction article that is the first chapter, since all the rest of the stories have previous publication (c)s cited. This was the day when the pub- 62 221b Baker Street; Fictional Flat a Monument to the Great Sleuth by Anne [And Brian] Gray
Assuming there’s no rule that a TAFF gents Park (they are but a couple of blocks Trip report must be published in chrono- apart from one another). It was warm and logical order, we jump to the final afternoon flowers were plentiful in the park, as were of our TransAtlantic Fan Fund-ed sojourn birds and other visitors. in London to report on an activity that fits There was not originally a 221b Baker the theme of this issue of The Drink Tank, Street, as the site described in the stories namely a trip to the Sherlock Holmes Mu- would place the Holmes’ residence almost seum. This was Monday, April 5, 2010, the halfway across London in a completely dif- last day of Eastercon, and a beautiful day ferent neighborhood; one was created (be- it was. We played hooky from the con for a tween 237 and 241 Baker Street) specifi- few hours and escaped from the dark wood- cally to be the Sherlock Holmes museum. paneled Radisson Edwardian Hotel to the Aside from a gift shop at street level, the airport then caught the rail to Paddington place is laid out as though it could have station, using the last day of our rail passes been the residence and office of Sherlock (something we highly recommend for foreign Holmes, Consulting Detective, like the sign visitors to the UK). We had a lovely walk from says out front. Like most flats that we saw there, during which we took in the museum in London, the name is deceptive; it is not a and then Queen Mary’s Gardens in the Re- flat sort of space but rather a tightly verti-
63 proofread for Neil Gaiman, and A Night in the Lonesome October. (To be honest I am only just now reading A Night in the Lone- some October, but I heard a chapter or two read from it by Roger Zelazny in 1992 at Marcon—my first convention and, unfortu- nately, one of his last. The way he read it, it was delightful, and I wish I could remember his narrative voice better as I read it now.) So I caught some references but Brian got more, some of which he happily explained, which I appreciated. There were also helpful plaques and labels for various items. [The ‘artefacts’ assembled to chroni- cle the Great Detective’s career are multitu- dinous, more densely assembled and better catalogued than one would ever be led to ex- pect from reading Doyle’s work. Well-known stories are represented with unlabeled ob- jects prominently sited, allowing Holmes aficionados to show off their knowledge of the texts. Each room also has at least one cal one: four stories high, with many short, oft-mentioned feature of the Baker Street narrow flights of stairs, and only a couple flat, such as the chemistry table in the first- rooms per floor. The bobby-costumed mu- floor sitting parlor, or the library in the base- seum guard at the entrance limits the num- ment. The rooms are packed with minutiae, ber of people inside at any one time due to representative of both period décor as well the tight quarters, which can cause quite a as material one might expect to find in the queue; character hats are available to those abode of a Victorian eclectic of not incon- posing for pictures while waiting, which also siderable means. However, the museum by serve to entertain those in line. no means attempts to represent a real flat Inside, they had a library on the lower of the era—there is no kitchen, no dumb- floor, the gift shop where the sitting room waiter, and while there is a bathtub at the would be, Holmes and Watson’s study and top of the stairs, the only restrooms are the a bedroom for Holmes one floor up, the bed- modern ones outside the basement library- rooms for Watson and the landlady on the cum-museum office.] third floor and, at the very top, a bathroom. [Oddly, each floor also hosted numer- In addition to set pieces and props from dif- ous examples of a particularly arcane bit of ferent adventures that fans of the detective evidence from an obscure case (often one would recognize, there were wax figures, il- fabricated from whole cloth for the purpose lustrations and newspaper articles of people of the museum, so far as I could tell). These and events from several stories, and both bits, mostly objects smaller than my thumb, bronze and marble busts of the man him- were ensconced under glass, with an in- self. Of those, I preferred the marble; the cluded page from Watson’s imaginary jour- bronze seemed rather too jolly for my taste. nal and often a newspaper clipping from It was really quite interesting, though a periodical ‘local’ to the environs. These no doubt more so to Brian, who has actu- thoughtfully presented fripperies foster the ally read the works of Sir Arthur Conan impression that the house reflects the ups Doyle, than to myself, as I have not read and downs of the daily life of a fictional more than a story or two of the originals. I character prone to extended reminiscences have only seen television and film adapta- of past glories, which does not sound like tions and read spin-off works like “A Study the Sherlock Holmes I read. Overall, I found in Emerald”, the poster version of which I these particular objects a decidedly ironic 64 set of additions to the museum—they’re fic- tions about a fictional character that attempt to enhance the legend of a man who never existed.] [That’s not to say that the Sherlock Holmes Museum is not a great deal of fun if you’re even casually acquainted with the Doyle stories. On the whole, the museum is a thoughtfully assembled collage of peri- od artifacts, put together with obvious care for extending the prowess of the myth of a hyper-observant intuitive savant. Besides, you’re allowed to sit in the various rooms and lark about as if you were the Great Detective himself—so long as you don’t actually *try* to do anything with the chemistry reagents tucked in the corners.] Brian could not resist having a seat posed with one of the famous pipes, though we did make it out of the gift shop with- out acquiring a Deerstalker hat. I dare say Brian looked quite handsome and comfort- able in Holmes’ study, but I am glad he does not actually smoke, pipes or otherwise. We bought a few trifles for gifts and ourselves and headed back to the con so Brian could catch up on the resolution of his Battlestar Galactica LARP (as it turned out he missed the final events, but his character had been in prison already, so he didn’t mind so awful- ly much—his fellow players filled him in and that also gave me a nice opportunity to meet some of them). Then we had a lovely dinner with John Coxon and did some lounging in the lobby with the likes of Ben Yalow, Farah Mendlesohn , Liz Batty, and John himself be- fore heading to bed to rest up for our interna- tional flight home the next day.
Photos (clockwise from top) - Brian Assumes a Holmsian position, The Great Detective’s Desk, Pages of Watson’s Case Book, TAFF Delegates Anne & Brian Gray with TAFF Administrator John Coxon 65 The 221B Baker Street illustration by Russell Stutler
I first drew the 221B Baker Street il- son’s revolver in the open drawer of his lustration in pen and ink in 1995. At that desk as well as the relics from criminal (and time I read the entire collection of sixty Sher- non-criminal) cases scattered about, some lock Holmes stories twice in a row, back to of them mentioned in the stories (see if you back, and took notes of every detail I could can find the rock used as a murder weap- find of the Baker Street flat which began to on in The Boscombe Valley Mystery, the take shape in my imagination. In the years box with severed ears from The Adventure since that time, this illustration has ap- of the Cardboard Box, and the mask from peared on many other other web sites, and The Adventure of the Yellow Face). Part of in various languages. It has also appeared the masthead (Times) is now readable on in print publications around the world such the newspaper on the table. I have added as the Financial Times in London. shelves next to Watson’s chair containing As I mentioned in the interview with the American Encyclopedia as described the Financial Times, this is the only depic- in The Five Orange Pips. I’ve also added a tion I know of that deals with the challeng- cupboard containing oranges from the same es found in The Adventure of the Mazarin story. Stone and reconciles them with the various You can now clearly see the pipes descriptions found in other stories. If one in the pipe rack next to the sofa (settee), could just ignore that story, then construct- the correspondence pinned to the mantle- ing a floor plan would be very easy -- and piece with a jack knife, and Holmes’ messy most reconstructions of the Baker Street chemical table with stains. You can now see have apparently done just that. The Baker an image of a woman in the photograph of Street illustration published in Strand Mag- Irene Adler. The “bullet-pocks” on the wall azine in 1950 addresses some of the prob- described in The Musgrave Ritual now look lems in The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone more like bullet holes. I also modified some but doesn’t deal with details found in other of the furniture to have a more Victorian stories. I’ve posted my notes on every detail feel. I’ve made a new Persian slipper, and I’ve found so you can judge for yourself. you can even see a little bit of the tobacco This is the new improved version which was stored in the toe. You can also see This is a new version, finally com- pipes and cigars in the coal scuttle now. pleted in 2008, thirteen years after the first The sofa has been moved to allow Hol- version. During that time I have read these mes when curled upon it to observe Watson’s stories again and again, and have listened face as he sits in his chair as described in to them countless times in audio book form The Resident Patient and The Adventure of and have come across more details which the Cardboard Box. Also from the same sto- should have been reflected in the illustra- ries, the framed picture of General Gordon tion (these have also been added to the notes and the unframed picture of Henry Ward below). Beecher are now actual portraits of these So I cleaned up the original art, re- men. The dining table is now big enough to moved the parchment background (which accomodate five people as indicated in The obscured details and pointed to an era earli- Adventure of the Noble Bachelor. Holmes’ er than the 19th century) added new items, bed has been moved away from the wall to and re-created or moved existing items. allow space behind the head board for Wat- In the new version you can clearly see Wat- son to hide as he did in The Adventure of 66 the Dying Detective. One item which is implied but not mentioned in the stories is a place to store all of Holmes’ clothes, including his cos- tumes when he went out disguised. Obvi- ously there is a little space in his closet for garments which must be hung, and the sec- ond exit also could act as a closet. For items which could be folded and stored, there could be storage boxes under his bed. For all other implied spaces or items, there is al- ways the floor above the sitting room, which must contain more than just Watson’s bed- room. I’ve also drawn a new sculpture of Sherlock Holmes’ head from the The Adven- that his character was not supposed to be as ture of the Mazarin Stone. This one does not handsome as Walter, but eventually came to have a bullet hole in it. The wax head in accept this as the face of Sherlock Holmes. the The Adventure of the Empty House had And all subsequent portraits of Holmes by a bullet hole, but that sculpture was only other Strand illustrators are based on the wax-colored because it was only required Sidney Paget depictions -- including ones to cast a shadow on the screen of the win- by Walter himself who illustrated The Ad- e of the Dying Detective after Sidney’s dow, while the Mazarin Stone head was a ventur realistic facsimile convincing enough to fool death. I have a copy of the facsimile edition people who saw it even at close range (and of the original illustrated stories as they ap- the head was detachable as Billy demon- peared in Strand magazine, and have ob- strated in the story). I based this new head on the many Sidney Paget illustrations from served that each illustration which depicted the interior of the Baker Street flat was ar- the early Sherlock Holmes stories in Strand to best portray that particular scene, Magazine. ranged and not necessarily to give us more data on You have probably heard that Sidney Paget supposedly used his brother Walter as the arrangement of the flat itself. The Sidney the model for Sherlock Holmes. Henry Pag- Paget illustrations teach us as much about et, the older brother of Sidney and Walter, Sidney Paget’s own dwelling and furniture wrote that Sidney used no model at all for as they do of Baker Street, just as the draw- of Sherlock Holmes teach us as much Sherlock Holmes, but as an artist myself, I ings about Sidney’s brother as they do of the de- find it incredible that someone could cre- tective. ate realistic drawings of the same character Back to details of this Baker Street il- from imagination -- over and over again for lustration, some of these items such as the several years. It’s just not the way illustra- deadly black and white ivory box from The tors work. Drawing a person with all those details such as folds in the clothing, and Adventure of the Dying Detective and any lighting decisions is very time consuming such evidence required by the court to try (not to mention darn near impossible for a criminal would have been subsequent- taken away by the authorities. During most artists). It’s much more practical to ly the course of the stories, many items were just use a model, and Paget had tight dead- brought in and later removed. Keep in mind lines for these monthly stories, not to men- tion convenient access to a model who was this illustration is not a snapshot taken at the spitting image of Holmes as he appeared any particular time during the chronology in Strand magazine -- to the surprise of of Sherlock Holmes’ long career. If that were people in London who happened to run into the case, then many of the elements could Walter and greet him as Sherlock Holmes! not be included (for example, Watson’s Sir Arthur Conan Doyle complained things would not be there during the time he had temporarily moved out). Rather than 67
choose a specific point in time and exclude all objects which were not present at that moment, I chose to include everything from all the stories. It’s like a collection of old watches that have completely stopped and yet each one in turn still gives the correct time throughout the day. This illustration can be used as a guide as you read all the stories. The general impression of this new Baker Street illustration is of an old print from a wood engraving, which was the meth- od of image reproduction still widely used in the 19th century.
Here are some notes related to the Baker Street flat:
A Study in Scarlet room a couple of bedrooms large airy sitting room The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle Pipe rack within reach on the right of the two broad windows sofa sofa in sitting room wooden chair arm chair basket chair table for dinner stairs going down to the street level The Adventure of the Speckled Band Holmes’ door at top of stairs Watson’s room is upstairs of the sitting room also a passage at the top of the stairs and it has a mantlepiece with a clock landlady passes their door to go to bed The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor The Sign of Four two easy chairs cocaine bottle on corner of mantlepiece line of reference books beside the mantle- velvet lined arm chair piece. gasogene and spirit case in corner seventeen steps The Adventure of the Beryl Cornet Watson’s room is upstairs of the sitting one bow window room window big enough for Watson to stand in window big enough for Holmes to look over A Scandal in Bohemia Watson’s shoulder and see the street below gasogene and spirit case in corner Holmes’ chamber is upstairs of the sitting seventeen steps room Watson’s room is upstairs of the sitting The Five Orange Pips room chairs on either side of the fireplace lamp by Holmes’ chair The Musgrave Ritual coat hook coal scuttle side board Persian slipper shelf next to Watson’s chair containing the letters stuck to the center of the mantlepiece American Encyclopedia by a jack knife cupboard containing oranges “V.R.” in bullet holes on the wall opposite Watson’s room is upstairs of the sitting Holmes’ arm chair 69 chemicals and criminal relics chair bundles of manuscript in every corner which curtain in front of this alcove were on no account to be burned, and which Holmes’ bedroom is just off the sitting could not be put away save by their owner room* stool second exit in Holmes’ bedroom large tin box in Holmes’ bedroom. gramophone in Holmes’ bedroom second door in Holmes’ bedroom leading to The Resident Patient (also in The Adven- the bow window behind the curtain ture of the Cardboard Box)
framed picture of General Gordon with a The Adventure of the Three Gables corresponding bare space low arm chair on one side of the fire unframed picture of Henry Ward Beecher another chair opposite it which stands on top of Watson’s books table between door and Holmes’ chair Watson could see these from his chair Holmes could see Watson’s face from his po- The Problem of Thor Bridge sition curled upon the sofa back yard is visible from Watson’s room Watson’s room is upstairs of the sitting The Adventure of the Priory School room bearskin hearthrug near the table table was between the hearthrug and the The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger door pile of commonplace books in the corner
The Adventure of Black Peter A note regarding the location of Holm- a room just off the sitting room es’ own bedroom: The Adventure of the Ber- yl Cornet implies that Holmes’ room (called The Adventure of the Six Napoleons his “chamber”) is on the floor above the sit- lumber room upstairs of the sitting room ting room while The Adventure of the Maz- which was packed with daily papers arin Stone clearly puts Holmes’ bedroom just off the sitting room where it commu- The Hound of the Baskervilles nicates with the alcove of the bow window. Holmes’ chair at the breakfast table faces If you need to reconcile these two descrip- away from the hearthrug tions you can assume that at some point the sofa is a settee in time, Holmes moved his bed down to the Watson has a small medical shelf of books room next to the sitting room. This could placed high be the same room just off the sitting room which had been used as a temporary wait- The Adventure of the Dying Detective ing room in The Adventure of Black Peter . Holmes’ bedroom had pictures of celebrated The room upstairs could then be used as criminals adorning every wall a lumber room dedicated to Holmes’ stacks of newspapers and “bundles of manuscript black and white ivory box on mantlepiece ... which were on no account to be burned, space behind the head of the bed large and which could not be put away save by enough to allow Watson to hide their owner” as mentioned in the The Mus- grave Ritual The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone The Adventure of the Six Napoleons scientific charts on the wall does mention a lumber room upstairs acid-charred bench of chemicals packed with daily papers. violin case leaning in corner coal scuttle containing pipes and tobacco waiting room downstairs More on Russ Stutler bow window alcove large enough to hold a http://www.stutler.cc/ 70 You Can Go Holmes Again By Christopher J Garcia
The re-introduction of Sherlock Hol- other Holmes in that is was informed by so mes to the Mainstream Cinema happened many other Holmeseses, but it was also in- in 2009, and no one was more impressed formed by Downey’s famed problems with than I was. In the first place, I loved the booze and pills, and especially by his acting way that they came up a cast that actually techniques that have allowed him to play made sense in a very different way. Putting every thing from Charlie Chaplin to Tony together a modern Holmes got me thinking. Stark. He does this beautifully and in Sher- about what I would do with the character. lock Holmes he is that petulant child who When the DVD of the Downey-Law version is dealing with having his favorite toy taken came out, I was all over it, I watched it a away: Watson. few dozen times and marveled over how the Watson, played by the excessively Eng- production played with the ideas. lish and undeniably attractive Jude Law, is Let’s start with Holmes himself. Rob- the guts of the movie, as he often is in Hol- ert. Downey. Junior. You shouldn’t need mes stories, as he provides the backbone any further hints at how awesome his Hol- and the real conflict. It’s not the mystery, mes was, but it was different than so many it’s the fact that Holmes has to deal with Watson moving out and getting mar- ried. Watson is gritty, touch and smart as they come. He’s bitter at years of be- ing second fiddle, and the moment he gets his life back, he has Holmes draw- ing him back, trying to either destroy his relationship or convince him that he’ll miss it too much to leave. Holmes is awesome, too. He’s a scrapper, who seems much more punchy than sword-y, as there’s not much fencing but there is a lot of fisti- cuffs! Holmes studied Baritsu (which I think is called Bartitsu in the books), but here, he’s participating in what appears to be daibando (Welsh box- ing, featured in a little movie called How Green Was My Valley) and some baritsu as well, though Watson seems to use his walking stick and overcoat more often than Holmes. Holmes gets all drugged-up on eye surgery medi- cine, and in a very Silicon Valley Stoner way, does science when he’s wrecked. He flips between super-serious and super-bitter at the way that Watson is walking away from him. It’s a great performance, strange in a way, but it’s a great way to play Holmes because it allows the view of Holmes as both la- 71 ser-focused and scattered. In a way, he’s a designed, the ship on the Thames. It was prospector. He spends so much time sifting built around images from the popular press through the tiny matters of the world so he’ll of the time. I’ve seen many of the images never miss a nugget, but he has to get away that were the basis for the particular scenes from it all, and thus, eye surgery medicine! in illustrations and especially the cover of So, while it could easily be looked at various Victorian magazines. It was awe- as a Buddy Cop movie (Watson’s two days some! from retirement!), it’s really a couples dra- These are the ways to go, to build a ma. They’re a pair that must come to grips Holmesian world for modern tastes. It lead with breaking up, or finding a way to make me to what all things film lead me to. -What it work without being together. That scenar- Would I Do? How would I treat Holmes if I io makes Sherlock Holmes a huge success. made a movie about him? Well, that and the way Guy Ritchie I think one thing is obvious. I’d make and co. put together the entire mise-en- him a woman. scene. Now, Holmes as a female has been The score, brilliantly and clean- done (especially by Cosplayers!) and I think ly produced by Hans Zimmer, mixed with it’s a great way to reinvent the character, Irish drinking songs to form an audio set- especially if you keep Watson as a man. ting that just works. The music makes for Sherlock’s heightened attention to detail great listening on it’s own, even outside of plays brilliantly with either gender, but the the film. I really enjoy the way it plays and best part about making Sherlock a woman how it builds on itself. The combination of would be keeping it in Victorian London and sounds and silence and music and dialogue the gender-mash issues that would happen. is the key to designing a soundscape, but If anything, it would make the police more the work that Ritchie & crew built makes it dismissive of Holmes and her needling of amazing. The best use of all of it combing in them so much more amusing! one place comes in that fighting scene. We Holmes? No other woman would do have at least a half-dozen layers. There’s the in my eyes than the amazing Gina McKee. Irish song, the main player, there’s Holmes’ She’s a wonderful English actress who has inner monologue, the sounds of the crowd, a face that is at once gorgeous and thought- the sounds of the punches, all swimming ful and studious and challenging. I loved her together. It’s Advanced Sound Design and in Notting Hill and have enjoyed her works if you dissected it, you could see what the on BBC America. She’s got a certain bit of state-of-the-art is in that field. It’s amazing charm in her stares that works for Holmes. stuff. The costumes are both glorious and at least some- what grungy. That’s perhaps the best way to look at the en- tire film: traditional and slightly grungy. Some might argue that it’s more realis- tic in everything but the fact that a guy like Sherlock Hol- mes could ever ex- ist. They designed a London that felt au- thentic, right down to the prison they 72 Very much like RDJ, especially in the scene has been extraordinary, and would take the where Holmes is at dinner after Watson’s characters and give them a depth that would fiancé has just stormed off after throwing be amazing. There’s the great great Eng- a glass of wine in Holmes’ face. In fact, I’d lish director Kenneth Branaugh, who did a say that look is essential for any Holmes. great job with Thor and who would likely You have to be able to show that you’re tak- put a lot of style into it while also bringing ing everything in and putting out everything out the drama in the situation. In my eyes, slowly until it has to flood to the solve. She’s the right director would be Luc Besson. His amazing in the way she interacts with other works like Leon: The Professional and Sub- characters. She’s one of those actresses that way show that he can work with genre and you might never notice until she busts out knows action. He also does female protago- an amazing moment from a character actor nists very very well. So, there’s that. Then position. again, thinking about it, I’d want a director For Watson? Well, you can’t go wrong like a Peter Bogdanovich to do it. I love that with Jude Law, and there’s always Da- guy! vid Tennant (and he should be in EVERY- Of course, personel and story is only THING!), but I think the exact right person a part of the total package. The single most is... important part of the thing is way the scen- Stephen Fry. ery combines with teh sound design and the Yes, Stephen Fry would be the exact acting. Acting is set, but for costumes and right layers to play Watson. He’s got that Sets, you can’t beat Pinewood, now can you? second-banana thing down, he’s smart, but For music, I’d get The Decembrists. There is can play dumb (see his work in Gosford no other correct choice! Park) and he can play flustered. He’s got it And if anyone has the funds to let me all and he’d make a great Watson. He can produce that film, I’ll happily make it hap- play accomplished and put-upon. It’s the pen! role he was born to play! As for the story? Hound of the Basker- villes. There’s no better story for Holmes to work on unless you completely invent one. If I were to invent one, it would either re- volve around something simple while Wat- son is trying to get Holmes to deal with her problems, perhaps Holmes is about to be thrown out of her 221b Baker Street and she keeps trying to dodge the problems by diving deeper into a case that seems without consequence (let’s say a young girl loses her locket) and ends up coming into a grander conspiracy. The other idea would be Jack the Rip- per because hey, when is Jack the Ripper not a good idea? I’m fairly certain that Hol- mes vs. Saucy Jack has been done. Wasn’t there a time-travel movie where Jack the Ripper went into the future and Holmes chased him. Maybe I’m mixing two movies together. Time After Time? Time And Again? Maybe that was H.G. Wells. If it hasn’t been done, there’s a way to go! I’d have one of three directors direct it. There’s P.T. Anderson, whose work in films like Magnolia and There Will Be Blood 73 Genre writers on their Journey into the Apocrypha Part Deux - In The Gaslight Compiled by James Bacon I was in Leeds, wandering around, en- and Gaslight Grimoire. Both my co-editor joying the comic scene at Thought Bubble and Charles Prepolec and I share a passion for found Paul Kane promoting a future collection, Holmes and for speculative fiction, so com- Gaslight Arcanum. I have run British Fantasy bining the two into a collection was a pure Con and World Horror with Paul, his partner delight. It gave us an opportunity to work with Maire and they are superb folk. Paul is a bit of a number of very talented people who share a Hellraiser expert, and his books are pretty our peculiar interests. smart, he has a new version of Robin Hood in the post Apocolyptic Afterblight world are quite STEPHEN VOLK - It was my second Holm- good. es story for Jeff and Charles - my previous Gaslight.... I remembered a collection one, “Hounded” was in Gaslight Grotesque previously, as hadn’t Kim Newman been in and I loved the experience. I grew up with the one, my brain hurt for a moment. BBC Sherlock Holmes TV series starring Pe- It then became clear, and I remembered ter Cushing in the sixties and absolutely de- Gaslight Grimoire: Fantastic Tales of Sherlock voured the Conan Doyle stories, including his Holmes and Gaslight Grotesque: Nightmare tales of terror and the supernatural like “Play- Tales of Sherlock Hol- ing With Fire”, which mes, all three are ed- to this day is one of ited by J. R. Campbell my favourite short and Charles Prepolec. stories of all time. The It all made sense. idea of taking Holmes, I wrote to Edge Doyle’s perfect ratio- Publishing, and Bri- nal thinker, and join- an Hades and Jan- ing him with Doyle’s ice Shoults were soon other side, the eerie in touch, and kindly and uncanny side, is put me in contact with intriguing because in some of their authors a way you are uniting and J. R. Campbell one the two sides of Doyle. of the editors. You can Apart from which, a feel how these guys re- skeptic facing some- ally enjoy the subject, thing he cannot ex- and I was very pleased plain is just always that they were happy good fun! to contribute to the fan- zine. Paul Kane - It’s always been a bit of a dream What did you enjoy of mine to work on a about working on it? Sherlock Holmes sto- Jeff Cambpell - Gas- ry, so this was anoth- light Arcanum was er ambition ticked off very much a labor of the list. What also ap- love, as were the pre- pealed to me was mix- vious two anthologies ing Horror elements Gaslight Grotesque with Holmes, which I 74 think some the best of his stories do anyway. really going to bring down the hound. I’d like The Hound of the Baskervilles, for example, is to think we’ve injected some of that delicious ostensibly a supernatural tale until the real uncertainty back into the Sherlock Holmes explanation at the end. Same goes for the Ad- work. If in the process we can remind readers venture of the Sussex Vampire... And, even of the wonderful weird fiction Doyle created more recently, the Sherlock Holmes movie re- outside Sherlock Holmes stories, so much the lied on black magic for its narrative drive. So better! the opportunity to go all out and pit Holmes against ‘real’ supernatural enemies was too SV - (SPOILER ALERT!) This time I took as hard to resist. It was difficult at first getting my start point the popular premise that the into the style – and there was a huge amount creation of Holmes was heavily influenced by of performance anxiety on my part because Edgar Allan Poe and his own seminal detec- I’m such a fan – but once ‘The Greatest Mys- tive, Dupin. I thought it would be exciting to tery’ started to flow, I had a whale of a time show that connection in story form: in a kind and wrote it quite quickly. Those are often of weird father-son relationship that puts Hol- your best pieces of work, I find. mes on the road to becoming the great detec- tive we all know. But of course it had to be a Kevin Cockle - Dealing with one of the Big mystery in its own right, and a bizarre one at Names in genre fiction was the essential thrill. that, for this anthology. So I hope it is. I’d also read the other Gaslight books, and thought it would be grand to be in one - so the PK - Hopefully something that’s never been technical challenge of it all had real appeal, attempted before. I pitted Holmes against his since I’m not a Holmes expert by any means. greatest ever enemy, in a story that keeps you guessing as to whether he’ll be able to defeat Tony Richards - Writing ‘The House of Blood’ his adversary at all. It’s in keeping with the was the most fun I’ve had -- sitting at my original Holmes stories, but at the same time laptop at least -- in years. There’s a slightly develops themes from my own work. I also like tongue-in-cheek element to the story, Holmes the stories where Holmes really struggles with being immortal, finding himself in modern-day the mystery, and in this one it’s something Las Vegas and feeling rather like a fish out of that challenges his very beliefs in everything. water. I compare his Victorian attitudes with People seem to be enjoying the story – one modern ones, and because he’s been around reviewer yesterday said I’d captured Conan for so long and travelled the world he has Doyle’s voice perfectly – all of which makes picked up certain skills he never had in the me very, very happy. original stories. But it was a joy to write about such a well-known and eccentric character, KC -A Holmes story is basically about a very his loftiness and his foibles. I even got to men- intelligent chap who is able to attain an ex- tion his fondness for a seven percent solution treme level of dis-interested objectivity in or- of cocaine. He doesn’t use it any more in my der to bring about narrative closure. In the story, though, because the laws have changed other Gaslight books, this pattern is usually since his day. re-inscribed, even though there are super- natural elements - that is - Holmes can still 2. What do you think you brought to the come to some understanding of events, even Sherlockian Apocrphya/Ouvre? though they may be horrific or unspeakable JeffC - There have been other Holmes anthol- or magical. In my version, Holmes isn’t objec- ogies which nudged the Great Detective into tive to the situation; the “objective” facts he the fantasy/horror genre but I like to think enunciates are fabricated by him, not discov- we were the first to embrace the concept with- ered; the reality, in sum, can’t be knowable out reservation. We weren’t meeting Dracula in the traditional Sherlockian way, and narra- or immersed in the Lovecraft. While Holmes, tive closure isn’t logically possible. I felt that Watson and the other irregulars had to ring in the third book, it was time for someone to true to Doyle, the balance of the tale was free stretch the notion of a supernatural universe, to go wherever the writer wanted to take us. and subvert the classic Holmes character to Back when it was first published the read- some extent. ers of the Hound of the Baskervilles readers couldn’t be certain if Holmes’ gunshots were TR - Most contributors to Gaslight Arcanum 75 set their stories in Victo- rian times. I decided not PK - For the reasons men- to, largely because I don’t tioned in my first reply, write period fiction. I base he just lends himself per- my work on my own expe- fectly to this kind of story. riences and the places that I mean, those atmospheric, I’ve been. But the Sherlock foggy streets for starters – Holmes in my story is still the perfect horror setting, exactly the same character surely? Who knows what he always was, unchanged might be lurking round in any significant way. I the corner? The imagina- think I manage to show tion can run wild. There’s that Holmes is eternal and also the fun aspect of tak- he works in any age, an ing someone who deduces archetypal character who things with logic and put- still fascinates us to this ting him in a scenario that’s very day. totally illogical, to see how he deals with it. That leads 3. Why do you think there to great tension and con- is such interest amongst flict, which in turn makes SF/Horror fans for Hol- for a great story I believe. mes? The potential for spinning JeffC - A couple of rea- off into Horror or SF is al- sons, the first being that Sir Arthur Conon ready there, it just needs teasing out – which Doyle, Holmes’ creator, was an accomplished is, I guess, why he’s of interest to fans of the SF/Horror writer. People often mention how genre. Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes and some his- torical fiction and, oh yeah, The Lost World. His other Professor Challenger stories, his sci- KC - I think because the supernatural is al- ence fiction and horror work are often unfairly ways hinted at in the settings and details of overlooked. He accomplished some fantastic a Holmes story. The Victorian era is rife with stories in the SF/Horror genre. The other rea- supernatural subtext; the imagery suggests son SF/Horror fans feel a strange attraction steampunk even if a story doesn’t go that far. to Holmes is because it’s one of the earliest And although he’s completely human, there’s instances of modern fan culture. There are something of the super-human about Holmes: societies and traditions stretching back over speculative fiction fans will be drawn to that. a century, a record Start Trek and Star Wars fans can only envy. TR - There’s interest amongst everyone. Near- ly a hundred years after those stories were SV - Beyond the plain excitement of the sto- written, there’s a smash hit movie, another ries and the compelling nature of the charac- coming out, and a very successful TV trilogy. ter, I think there is the obsessive side to fans People love the guy. And though the original and there is an obsessive side to Holmes - his tales were not about the supernatural -- in collection of tobacco, fingerprints, etc - so we fact, Conan Doyle’s Holmes spent some of his relate to him, especially as an outsider lost time disproving local legends --the potential in his own dreamy world of interior thought. has always been there. There’s something He feels if you can collect enough data you marvellously creepy and gothic about some can understand the universe. Which I think of those early tales, the foggy, cobbled streets is probably an illusion - total knowledge will of London and all that. And the fact that you always be beyond our grasp. Characters like never see Moriarty until the very end adds an Holmes, Spock and Mr Data who have some element of lurking evil. I don’t think the origi- difficulty with emotions are always compel- nal author would have disapproved ... he was ling because we all feel we don’t really have into things like spiritualism, and definitely be- enough ammunition to understand other hu- lieved that there was more to this world than man beings. That is always the big mystery. meets the eye. To us all. 76 PK - I’ll have to be predictable here and say The Hound of the Baskervilles again. I’ve al- ways loved this novel, as well as the adapta- tions there have been over the years. One of my favourites, actually, was the one with Rich- ard Roxburgh as Holmes which the BBC did back in 2002. That really embraced its Hor- ror roots, with certain set pieces that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a full blown genre movie. There’s certainly one shock moment where something bangs against a window that had me jumping out of my seat.
KC - I like Hound of the Baskervilles, but that’s also the only original story I can name. I’m a fan of Holmes, but not an informed Sherlock- ian: I respond more to the idea of the charac- ter and his cultural impact than I do to the original text.
TR - It has to be ‘The Hound of the Basker- villes.’ It’s Holmes’ ultimate battle against, not merely crime, but ignorance and superstition, which the bad guys try to use to their advan- tage. It has all the elements I talked about above -- the misty moor, the old country man- 4. Do you have a favourite Holmes story, sion -- and looks more like a ghost story than and if you do what is it that you like about a detective one for most of its length. And it and Arthur Conan Doyles Style? Conan Doyle carries it off beautifully, a natu- JeffC - My favorite Holmes’ story is ‘Silver ral-born storyteller whose transparent prose Blaze’, it has a good balance of the various just carries you along. Holmes elements. In the story’s beginning Holmes tries to sit and wait the mystery out, 5. Anything else you’d like to say about certain the solution is about to be revealed. Holmes? When it isn’t, he’s up, out of Baker Street and JeeC - I’d just like to remind your readers into the case. I love how Holmes is rarely con- that Holmes is in many ways the perfect sci- tent to just let things work themselves out, ence fiction hero. He solves problems by intel- when a puzzle captures his interest he needs lect, applying his science of deduction against to be a part of it. I also love that Holmes makes murky situations. He’s served as the proto- some money in a slightly unethical way, wait- type for many science fiction protagonists and ing to reveal the solution until he has cashed is well worth checking out. I know the Holmes in. It’s a gray area for the white knight but one stories are likely on many of your readers ‘to I think adds to the character. With Doyle it’s be read someday’ lists and I’d encourage them all about the characters, it’s his huge strength to read them sooner rather than later. I hope as a writer. they enjoy Sherlock Holmes, and our Gaslight books, as much I have. SV - For me it’s The Hound of the Baskervilles because of the gothic horror element: superb SV - Just that doing a straight detective story as a foil for Sherlock’s detective skills. We are or “pastiche” of what Doyle did is of no inter- absorbed because we think he could be con- est to me. You can’t improve on the master. founded by something completely unnatural But you can bring to the table something of - not just a master criminal like Moriarty who your own interests and obsessions, and hope- is a brain-box like him. It is the pinnacle of fully by bringing something from left-field il- Doyle’s skill as a writer, too. A classic of lit- luminate the great canon that already exists. erature. No less. If only to let people think about the character or relationships or the nature of the stories 77 a wee bit differently. It is a great sand box - the Immortal Holmes series. I’ve been trans- to play in that is always reinvented and that formed from a reader to a practitioner of the shows its power. Holmes oeuvre, and I’m genuinely happy it worked out that way. PK - Only that he totally rocks. I’ve been a The stories themselves, for I of course Holmes fan since I was a boy, growing up with read through the book, its been a period of the stories and then watching the definitive time like that for me, its a really nice and portrayal – in my opinion – on ITV by Jer- eclectic mix, I loved Kims. Grimore contains emy Brett. There’s a reason the character’s stories by some of my favourite authors, as endured all these years and is still massively well as Kim, there is Chris Fowler and Simon popular. Like other iconic heroes, there’s no Clark, but what was good was to find the au- end to the possibilities for his adventures and thors, or re-find the ones I haven’t read for a I welcome many more to come. In fact, I’ve while. There is definitely a tight edit here. just picked up Anthony Horowitz’s House of Silk and can’t wait to read it! Long live Holm- There is quite an excellent website on es...and Watson, of course! Without him there the go, for Gaslight http://gaslightgallery. wouldn’t really be any Holmes stories, which blogspot.com/ and interstingly they are cur- a lot of people forget. Their unique relation- rently in the middle of a big push with a new ship is a huge part of what makes the tales so item every day. engaging. I should also mention Paul Kanes web- site www.shadow-writer.co.uk Tony Richards - Much though I’m a fan, I’d never considered writing a Holmes story un- til Charles Prepolec asked me. A lot of that was down to the problem with period fiction, which I took a few weeks figuring out how to get around. I’m just praying there will be a fourth Gaslight anthology, so that I can have another go. In fact, I’ve already written some more stories about Sherlock in the modern age, and published them as Amazon ebooks -
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