The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (characters)
Billy Wilder (written by) ...

Release Date:

29 October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

What you don't know about Sherlock Holmes has made a great motion picture. [USA Theatrical]

Plot:

When a bored Holmes eagerly takes the case of Gabrielle Valladon after an attempt on her life, the search for her missing husband leads to Loch Ness and the legendary monster.

Plot Keywords:

Loch Ness | Castle | Monk | Midget | Sherlock Holmes

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Robert Stephens	...	Sherlock Holmes
Colin Blakely	...	Dr. Watson
Geneviève Page	...	Gabrielle Valladon (as Genevieve Page)
Christopher Lee	...	Mycroft Holmes
Tamara Toumanova	...	Madame Petrova
Clive Revill	...	Rogozhin
Irene Handl	...	Mrs. Hudson
Mollie Maureen	...	Queen Victoria
Stanley Holloway	...	Gravedigger
Catherine Lacey	...	Woman in wheelchair
Peter Madden	...	Von Tirpitz
Michael Balfour	...	Cabby
James Copeland	...	Guide
John Garrie	...	First carter
Godfrey James	...	Second carter

Runtime:

125 min | Germany:120 min (TV version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Russian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #22200) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | USA:GP (original rating) | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Drumnadrochit, Loch Ness, Highland, Scotland, UK

Company:

Compton Films

Trivia:

Christopher Lee comes the role of Mycroft with considerable experience in the Sherlock Holmes universe: he previously played Sherlock Holmes and Sir Henry Baskerville.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The events start in August 1887 and apparently take place in the following weeks or, at most, months. However, Mycroft Holmes tells Queen Victoria that Kaiser Wilhelm II had Count Zeppelin working on dirigibles that could drop bombs on Buckingham Palace. Wilhelm II did not become Kaiser until 15 June 1888, and Zeppelin did not start constructing rigid airships until the 1890s.

Quotes:

Holmes: Madame must not be too hasty. She must remember that I am an Englishman.
Nikolai Rogozhin: So?
Holmes: You know what they say about us: if there's one thing more deplorable than our cooking, it's our lovemaking. We are not the most romantic of people.
Nikolai Rogozhin: Perfect! We don't want sentimental idiots, falling in love, committing suicide. One week in Venice with Madame, she goes back to St. Petersburg with baby, you go back to London with fiddle.

Movie Connections:

References Hamlet (1948)

DVD treasures

This has always been one of my favorite movies. A good take on Holmes, a witty story, a bittersweet ending and music by Miklos Rozsa that sets the tone perfectly. When I saw it had become available on DVD I rushed out and bought it, without even checking to see the extras on the disc. The quality of the print is all right, but there are times it should have been better. The extras just kept getting better. Christopher Lee remembers his times playing Holmes in other films as well as Mycroft in this movie. Then there's the film editor who mentions parts of the movie I never heard of. Then the disc shows the deleted scenes in various forms and it's amazing what was cut. There is only one little bit I feel would have explained things in the movie better, but all the scenes are interesting. A must for people who love this film and want a wealth of information.