Though in recent years he’s become more associated with Robert Downey Jr’s ragtag avenger and Benedict Cumberbatch’s icy control freak, for many Sherlock Holmes will forever be the chap in the deerstalker hat. Granted, Sherlock pays lip service to the headgear but generally Cumberbatch is styled in the manner of Heathcliff via Gilbert & George. The true exponent of the “classic” Holmes look (and the actor who first adopted the definitive noggin adornment) is American William Gillette. Highly-regarded as a titan of detection on the stage, we have little to go on by way of his performance today. Until now, where a French film archive has become the scene of an astonishing discovery – Gillette’s only screen performance as the Great Detective.
Dating back to 1916, it was an Essanay Studios production directed by Arthur Berthelet. Essanay are perhaps best known for their Charlie Chaplin comedies. Having been found at the Cinémathèque Française, the nitrate dupe negative is being restored using modern technology for a premiere at Toute la Mémoire du Monde, the Cinémathèque’s festival in January. A US showing will take place at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in May. The two organizations have joined forces for the restoration. Robert Byrne, Board President of the San Fran operation issued the following:
It’s an amazing privilege to work with these reels that have been lost for generations. William Gillette’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’ has ranked among the holy grails of lost film and my first glimpse of the footage confirms Gillette’s magnetism. Audiences are going to be blown away when they see the real Sherlock Holmes on screen for the first time.
Though unlikely to be of interest to Cumberbitches, the universal appeal of Holmes should make this required viewing for cineastes and punters alike.
Source: Variety
Enki
Oct 2, 2014 at 12:38 pm
Who are these “Cumberbitches” ? If you mean the fandom of Benedict Cumberbatch, they are called CumberCollective! Repeat CumberCollective 3 times, hopefully it will get through your skull…. And how do you know that this piece of cinema is not going to be interesting to the CumberCollective? The fandom has excellent taste in acting, so I would think they would like an interesting piece of trivia and cinema…
Steve Palace
Oct 2, 2014 at 1:53 pm
I heard the expression “Cumberbitches” during an interview with BC on The Graham Norton Show – now you come to mention it “CumberCollective” was also referred to but didn’t realize that was the preferred term so will not use the former from now on! Glad to hear there is some interest for the Gillette version.