The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Fantastic!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and get a lot of enjoyment out of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. Also love Basil Rathbone's and especially Jeremy Brett's interpretations to death. So would naturally see any Sherlock Holmes adaptation that comes my way, regardless of its reception.Furthermore, interest in seeing early films based on Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and wanting to see as many adaptations of any Sherlock Holmes stories as possible sparked my interest in seeing 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes'. Also had the thought that a film directed by the legendary Billy Wilder (responsible for a fair share of masterpieces and even his lesser output is worth watching) and starring Robert Stephens and Christopher Lee has got to be at least worthwhile.Worthwhile 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' certainly is. Regardless of whether it bombed or that Wilder was not happy at the significant truncation imposed by studio interference. By all means, 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' would have been an even better film if it were released and available as Wilder intended, but it more than makes do. It may not quite be as good as the best Jeremy Brett adaptations or the best of Basil Rathbone's films, but of the numerous Sherlock Holmes adaptations seen recently it is by far the best.'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' does drag at times, particularly towards the end. It also gets a little strange and the ending itself could have had more clarity and punch. On the other hand, Robert Stephens, while no Brett or Rathbone, makes for a great Holmes, very charismatic, intelligent, melancholic and more interestingly fey than most Holmes interpretations. Colin Blakely is both befuddled and loyal as Watson without being a buffoon. The two work very well together with some great lines, including a delightful moment where Holmes denies ever saying his most famous line. Christopher Lee's Mycroft is debonair and commanding. Genevieve Page brings subtle class to her acting, though all the cast do well with some knowing short appearances from Stanley Holloway and Frank Thornton etc. Wilder directs beautifully, bringing his distinctive comedy touch to some scenes while giving the mystery a fun and seriousness and the personal life aspects a melancholic edge. A witty and intelligent script and a vast-majority-of-the-time a highly compelling and entertaining story, that is intriguingly personal and heartfelt in places, and keeping-one-on-their-toes mystery are further advantages, and the film is more arresting than it is dull. Miklos Rozsa's music score sears with emotion and atmosphere, like a character of its own. 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes' looks fantastic, for me it's one of the best-looking films featuring the iconic detective. It is beautifully shot and the costumes are appealingly evocative but the star in this regard is the sets, have never seen a better looking Baker Street on film. Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

When a bored Holmes (Robert Stephens who also played Holmes on the stage and in TV series 'The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes') eagerly takes the case of Gabrielle Valladon (Genevieve Page) after an attempt on her life , the search for her missing husband leads to Sherlock and Watson (Colin Blakely) towards Loch Ness and the legendary monster. This affectionate story reveals the secret allegedly hidden by Holmes and Watson .Atypical Holmes movie , resulting to be a extremely personal pastiche of the Arthur Conan Doyle stories and takes a melancholic point of sight at famous eye private . It is packed with intrigue , thrills , emotion , taste , wit , and of course ,intrigue . In the flick appears the usual of the Arthur Conan Doyle's novels : Mycroft (Sherlock's brother , well played by Christopher Lee) , Mistress Hudson (Irene Handl) , and as always Doctor Watson (Colin Blakely). Furthermore , a notorious secondary cast as Clive Revill , Stanley Holloway as an undertaker , Catherine Lacey in her last cinema film and the classic dancer Tamara Toumanova . The film has an enjoyable atmosphere , it's in wonderful color that originates a glamorous setting created by the magnificent cameraman Chistopher Challis , and filmed at Pinewood Studios , Buckinghamshire, and Inverness , Highland , Scotland . Production design by the expert Alexandre Trauner is of first rate , the movie is very atmospheric , 221 Baker Street home , the streets of London , castles are very well designed .Robert Stephens's interpretation is magnificent, he's one of the best Sherlock Holmes in the cinema , likeness to Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett in television. Robert Stephens as Holmes plays in a clever , broody and impetuous manner . Colin Blakely plays as Watson with humor, goofy and joy , he's the perfect counterpoint to Holmes . However , initially Peter O'Toole was going to play Sherlock Holmes with Peter Sellers playing Dr. Watson, but Billy Wilder decided to go with lesser known stars instead . Originally, the scenes featuring the Loch Ness Monster were intended to be filmed in the actual Loch , a life-size prop was built which had several Nessie-like humps used to disguise flotation devices , the humps were removed, however, at Billy Wilder's request. Unfortunately, during a test run in Loch Ness, the Monster-prop sank and was never recovered ; a second prop was built, but was only filmed inside a studio tank . At the request of director Billy Wilder, composer Miklós Rózsa adapted music from his own Violin Concerto , opus 24 , as the basis for the film score, supplementing this with further original music. This special Billy Wilder movie takes melancholy look at Holmes . Apparently, he had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes for many years prior to making this picture. Wilder said of this flick in the book 'Conversations with Wilder' by 'Cameron Crowe' : " when I came back from Paris, it was an absolute disaster, the way it was cut. The whole prologue was cut, a half-sequence was cut , in fact it was intended as a 3 and half hour film . I had tears in my eyes as I looked at the thing. It was the most elegant picture I've ever shot ¨ . The motion picture was panned by the critics whose reputation should soar in future years , being recently a 12 minutes restored . Rating : Better than average , 7/10 . Well worth watching .

Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes' ( 1970 ) is without doubt my favourite film about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Baker Street sleuth. Though a box office flop in its day, its popularity has increased down the years. Advertised for a B.B.C.-1 showing back in the '70's, 'Radio Times' film critic Philip Jenkinson claimed - rather oddly in my view - that it was 'a muddled attempt to send up Holmes'. While there is indeed humour in the picture ( the first thirty minutes are taken up with a self-contained story in which a Russian ballerina is so keen to produce a baby genius she tries to get Holmes to become the father. He gets out of the task by pretending that both he and Watson are gay! ), the overall tone is melancholic, not what you would reasonably expect in a laugh-a-minute spoof. The story proper begins when a beautiful young woman ( Genevieve Page ) is pulled out of the Thames, having failed in her suicide bid. Holmes establishes her identity as Gabrielle Valladon, the wife of a missing engineer. Holmes takes on the case, which leads him to Inverness and Loch Ness. At the heart of the mystery is a scandal so great and far reaching Dr.Watson ( the brilliant Colin Blakely ) decides he cannot let the world know of it until well after his - and Holmes' - death.Wilder and co-writer I.A.L. Diamond were keen to make a picture in which Holmes was depicted as emotionally vulnerable. The late Robert Stephens makes a suitably foppish Holmes, a crime-solving genius whose only flaw is his fondness for the occasional seven per cent solution of cocaine. When he and Gabrielle pose as a married couple it looks for a while as though he has found his perfect mate, but of course, she lets him down badly. Your heart will break for Holmes as he retreats to his study to lose himself in the world of drugs once more. Blakely has often been called miscast as 'Watson' but I personally like him in the role, and regret that neither he nor Stephens ever played their characters again. Irene Handl works a treat as the Cockney housekeeper 'Mrs.Hudson', with Christopher Lee ( an one-time Homes himself ) as Sherlock's brother 'Mycroft'.In his book 'Sherlock Holmes: A Celebration', Allan Eyles claims the story ought not to be considered canonical as there is no way that 'Gabrielle Valladon' and 'Irene Adler' could have possibly been 'the woman'. Fair comment. Even so this is a marvellously entertaining production, with a witty script, fine production values, a top notch cast, and magnificent music by Miklos Rosza. Its lack of success at the time can be attributed to the fact that audiences were tired of big budget movies and wanted smaller, more intimate films such as 'Easy Rider'.The one thing that prevents this from being a masterpiece is the fact the studio ordered it cut down from three hours to two hours and five minutes. Furthermore, the missing footage seems to have been lost or destroyed. It is a tragedy as this is the kind of movie you want to see more of not less. Funnily enough, a short time before its release another film put a famous British hero in a more human light - the Bond movie 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'. Both are among the very best of their kind.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) A European film on paper with a virtually all British cast and written and directed by Billy Wilder and filmed in the UK but it's very much a Hollywood studio product which means it comes with a large dollop of hokum in this case the premise that Holmes is not gay and beneath the crusty exterior of a misogynists beats a heart just ripe for plucking by the right gal. The first 25 minutes or so first lay the ground work by demolishing any notion that Holmes and Watson have a thing: Holmes is offered a Strad violin to make a baby with a Russian ballerina in a post performance visit to her dressing room and he first demurs with the excuse he is English but when this doesn't do it he plays the homo card and rings in Watson. Meantime, Watson is backstage doing the can-can with a bevy of beauteous dancers and when word is passed the girls drop off one by one and are replaced by male dancers throwing Watson into a tantrum as he screeches his denials. So the scene is played for yucks and homos are always good for a laugh in the Hollywood of the period. It's not about PC it just wasn't funny and was irrelevant to the story that follows. But it does introduce Watson as a stooge and fall guy for Holmes and in fact he does several pratfalls, that is when he's not screeching at Holmes for something or other. So the story finally begins with a beautiful woman that Holmes must travel to Scotland with as husband and wife for security and at the end when she disappears he is suitably stricken. A lot of other stuff happens that's all good clean fun Hollywood style and done with great craftsmanship and flair but it's the old kid's stuff that you've seen over and over.