Numerous actors have portrayed Sherlock Holmes on the big screen over the course of the past century, but nobody comes close to Eille Norwood, who starred as Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth in 45 shorts and two features between 1921 and 1923.
Three of the restored two-reelers are on view here: ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ (1921), ‘The Golden Pince-Nez’ (1922) and ‘The Final Problem’ (1923). What’s striking about these films is how well they distil the essence of Conan Doyle’s stories into twenty-odd minutes of screen time, efficiently setting up the mystery, deduction and solution, and inserting flashbacks to reveal key details. Directed by the reliable hands of Maurice Elvey and George Ridgewell, the witty and involving productions move at a snappy pace towards satisfying endings. Norwood is captivating as Holmes, he is an authoritative presence and a largely understated performer perfectly suiting Conan Doyle’s detective. “He (Norwood) has that rare quality, which can only be described as glamour, which compels you to watch an actor eagerly even when he is doing nothing”. – Arthur Conan Doyle. Silent with new music by Joanna MacGregor, Joseph Havlat and Neil Brand.
UK 1921-23 Maurice Elvey/George Ridgwell 75m
