Worst Sherlock in The World of Sherlock Holmes Forum

0 Points

Forum Jump

Worst Sherlock

Author	Comment
Ardley Remlap	Worst Sherlock	Lead	[-]
Jan 14 10 12:19 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I usually don't go in for "worst this/worst that" threads, but what the heck: Who in your opinion has given the worst performance as Sherlock Holmes--the most inappropriate, least canonical, least charismatic, hardest to suspend disbelief, or just plain old incompetent? Per me: I like Matt Frewer, but he's no Sherlock. ...And they used Bon Ami!
	Remove this ad
Wich2		#1	[-]
Jan 14 10 2:36 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	There've been few that I've seen that were TERRIBLE - but a lot, less than wonderful: Matt was odd; Reginald Owen, eh; Heston, too hulking. And here's a shocker: I think Rathbone is pretty flat in his later film & radio turns - and I know a friend who saw his Broadway show, and said it was as bad as reputed.
cjh5801		#2	[-]
Jan 14 10 5:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	One of the most disappointing performances for me was Stewart Granger in the TV-movie version of HOUND, though it's been years since I've seen it. I wasn't too fond of Matt Frewers' Sherlock in HOUND, but thought he got a bit better in the follow-up movies. And even so, he wasn't as bad as Granger, if I recall correctly. - Clark hollowaypages.com
Wich2		#3	[-]
Jan 14 10 6:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Good point, Clark. Granger tried to fly under the "Gillette-esque Matinee Idol Holmes" banner; but it didn't work that well. Of course, the whole film was no triumph. Last time I saw it, I actually liked Roger Moore's sorta-similar attempt a little more... Best, -Craig
CreepingBride		#4	[-]
Jan 14 10 7:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Worst Sherlock Holmes swipe ever.
cjh5801		#5	[-]
Jan 14 10 9:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Craig said: Last time I saw it, I actually liked Roger Moore's sorta-similar attempt a little more... I enjoyed Roger Moore's Holmes, though it's starting to look a bit dated, now. The sideburns look more 1970s than Doylean, but Moore was a fairly convincing Holmes and Huston was one of the best of those who have portrayed Moriarty. - Clark hollowaypages.com
sirharryflashman		#6	[-]
Jan 14 10 9:33 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Worst performance as Holmes? Hmm, for a professional actor? Hands down, for me, that would be Patrick Macnee in a DTV taping of a Canadian stage play called THE HOUND OF LONDON. Macnee's performance was embarrassingly bad, on top of just being physically wrong for the part of Holmes. Macnee was a relatively poor Watson in his 3 outings in the part (SH in NY, SH and the Leading Lady, SH and the Incident at Victoria Falls), but his Holmes is simply excruciating to watch. On the other hand...while totally wrong for the part, I actually enjoyed Joaquim de Almeida's performance as Holmes in the Brazilian film O Xangô de Baker Street (2001). Part thriller, part parody, it is a beautifully shot film that plays unbelievably fast and loose with Holmes. He smokes pot, gets laid in a park, gives up on a chase because his bowels give out, etc...but it's still a thoroughly fun and entertaining film, with a rather chilling 'Ripper before he travels to London' plot, that somehow gets away with all the silliness. Plus there's also the added bonus of the extremely cute Maria de Medeiros (Pulp Fiction) on-hand as Sarah Bernhardt. So, in this instance, a weird film gets away with having a weird Holmes...because it fits the material and the market for which it was made. If the film piques your interest I have a few more details, and my old review of it, posted at http://www.bakerstreetdozen.com/xango.html Cheers, Charles Prepolec Gaslight Grimoire Blog: News, Interviews and Updates Sherlock Holmes News: Sherlock Holmes in Films, Books and Media
Rick		#7	[-]
Jan 14 10 9:55 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Not having seen Macnee or Frewer, I'd have to vote for Reginald Owen, the doddering Holmes. Worst Holmes and one of the worst Scrooges, but apart from that, a nice character actor.
Ardley Remlap		#8	[-]
Jan 15 10 8:35 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"O Xango de Baker Street" actually sounds like fun! Too bad I don't have a region-free player. ...And they used Bon Ami!
horrorfilmx		#9	[-]
Jan 16 10 10:56 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Best and worst Holmes: Jeremy Brett.
Doc Savage		#10	[-]
Jan 20 10 4:24 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Sadly, there have been too many that have been really quite bad. Top of mind list would include: Christopher Lee Robert Downey (and a wretched film, to boot) Ronald Howard Edward Woodward (he looks like he was varnished!) Edward Pennington Charleton Heston Reginald Owen Raymond Massey (he should've been named Raymond Molasses) Amazingly -- I thought Brett was terrible in his first two seasons, and improved immeasurably after that
	Remove this ad
horrorfilmx		#11	[-]
Jan 20 10 5:14 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Doc Savage wrote: Amazingly -- I thought Brett was terrible in his first two seasons, and improved immeasurably after that Hah --- I thought Brett was excellent in the first two seasons and went steadily downhill after that! Funnily enough I thought Christopher Lee should have been a decent Holmes in Deadly Necklace but the end result was so botched we'll never know.
cjh5801		#12	[-]
Jan 20 10 6:42 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Yeah, I always thought the consensus was that Brett started out strong and strayed in the later years as illness and instability crept in. I also quite liked Ronald Howard's younger Holmes, though the limited budget kept the stories from being very strong. Downey Jr. isn't on my list of best Holmeses, but he's not on my list of worst ones either. It's difficult to judge Lee's performance in DEADLY NECKLACE, given the bad dubbing, but I thought he did a nice turn in the otherwise blah TV movies with Patrick Macnee. Clive Brook was quite bad in the 1932 SHERLOCK HOLMES, I thought. - Clark hollowaypages.com
horrorfilmx		#13	[-]
Jan 20 10 7:10 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	cjh5801 wrote: I also quite liked Ronald Howard's younger Holmes, though the limited budget kept the stories from being very strong. Downey Jr. isn't on my list of best Holmeses, but he's not on my list of worst ones either. It's interesting the common prejudice against younger Holmes, considering that in the early stories Holmes and Watson were in their thirties (very early thirties, depending on your sources). I just watched the BBC Study In Scarlet and wondered how they'd handle a middle aged Cushing playing the young Holmes. They simply ignored it, which worked quite well, although it would be nice to see the youthful Holmes and Watson meeting at St. Bart's for the first time. And let Watson get the girl and marry, just once. (It's ironic, in fact, that Watson's marriage has been ignored in all the adaptations I'm familiar with but they keep trying to shoehorn in a totally inappropriate romance for Holmes).
Wich2		#14	[-]
Jan 20 10 7:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"it would be nice to see the youthful Holmes and Watson meeting at St. Bart's for the first time" They do that in the Howard series, don't they...?
Bill Warren		#15	[-]
Jan 21 10 4:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tom (Dr Who) Baker has sometimes said he himself was the worst Holmes ever, and I'm inclined to agree.
horrorfilmx		#16	[-]
Jan 21 10 5:09 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bill Warren wrote: Tom (Dr Who) Baker has sometimes said he himself was the worst Holmes ever, and I'm inclined to agree. I thought Baker looked slightly grotesque in the part, for some reason, but I enjoyed his performance.
HalLane		#17	[-]
Jan 22 10 11:30 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I actually typed a post mentioning Baker's Holmes, but decided if you can't say anything good, don't say anything, and deleted it. However, he DID make a pretty good "Holmes" in the TALONS OF WENG CHIANG episode of Doctor Who ~ deerstalker and all.
horrorfilmx		#18	[-]
Jan 22 10 1:56 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	HalLane wrote: I actually typed a post mentioning Baker's Holmes, but decided if you can't say anything good, don't say anything, and deleted it. However, he DID make a pretty good "Holmes" in the TALONS OF WENG CHIANG episode of Doctor Who ~ deerstalker and all. Some producers seem to think anyone with a big nose can play Holmes.
horrorfilmx		#19	[-]
Jan 22 10 1:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It seems to me that, beyond certain basic physical requirements, the key to playing Holmes is in the voice. That's one reason why Cushing is so good, and it also made the John Gielgud/Ralph Richardson Holmes and Watson on radio very enjoyable.
Wich2		#20	[-]
Jan 22 10 2:43 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Now, see, hfx, that's what makes football (British football) - when I heard, ages ago, about that production, I was thrilled. Then I listened to it... They both sound like they're only giving it about 25%-50% effort; and John is too jolly, and Ralph too nigel-ly stammery. For me, Shelley & Hobbs run circles around them. Best, -Craig
	Remove this ad

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Yuku free message boards

Worst Sherlock

Worst Sherlock