The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection (1991)

Six Cases from the Casebook....

"The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes" is the third installment of Grenada Television's one hour episodes featuring Jeremy Brett as the superlative master sleuth and Edward Hardwicke as his faithful and patient collaborator Dr. Watson. This DVD set features six episodes, adapted for television from the originals scattered across Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.

"The Disappearence of Lady Frances Carfax" actually comes from the "His Last Bow" collection and centers on the mysterious disappearance of a gentlewoman from a lakeside resort. Dr. Watson carries much of the load in this case for a mostly off-screen Sherlock Holmes. "The Problem of Thor Bridge", "The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place", and "The Illustrious Client", all from "The Casebook", are classic and fairly straightforward cases of detection in the best Holmes tradition. "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", from "The Adventures", concerns a murder perhaps motivated by the mysterious past of two men in Australia. "The Creeping Man", also from "The Casebook", may be the most unique story of this series. Holmes investigates the strange case of a mysterious simian creature menacing the inhabitants of a country home. As presented, it is something more of a horror story than a straight-up tale of detection.

Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are old hands at their increasingly nuanced partnership as Holmes and Watson by this series. As the stories bring out, Holmes depends on having an audience in Watson and ocassionally imposes on that long-suffering and loyal gentleman. The disease that would ultimately take Jeremy Brett's life has by this series made him look increasingly haggard and begun to erode his screen time and energy. Fans can rest assured, however, that Brett's characterization of Holmes continues to be absolutely first-rate.

This DVD collection is very highly recommended to fans of the Grenada Television series on Sherlock Holmes. March 27, 2008

Jeremy is the man.

You wont find this review helpful beyond its vote in support of the best Sherlock Holmes ever, Jeremy Brett. I very highly recommend this and all of the other sets starring Mr. Brett as Holmes. March 5, 2008

Simply Wonderful!

I remember watching Jeremy Brett's interpretation of Holmes after having grown up with Basil Rathbone's performances from the 30's. There is simply no comparison. Brett IS Holmes. I stumbled on these DVD sets and purchased the whole lot. This is one in a series of compilations of the original BBC broadcasts. I would highly recommend them to anyone who likes intelligent dialog and witty reparte' between characters. The productions are excellent and are highly evocative of the period in history. A must have for Holme's fans or anyone mildly curious about the great character. February 21, 2008

Long live Jeremy Brett

Jeremy Brett is the best Holmes hands down. I Highly recommend this one to fans of Holmes and fans of the genre. December 17, 2007

Brilliant, my dear Brett!

Without any doubt, Jeremy Brett brilliantly captured the essence of Sherlock Holmes. The arrogance, the sly humor, the over-the-top outlandish mannersims and reactions (that enigmatic quick smile) were perfect. I love Basil Rathbone's Holmes, especially since many portraits favor him; however, Brett's performances are par excellence...there has been none better and I would imagine no one will ever be able to top it.

Not only is his Holmes perfect, Hardwicke as Watson and Charles Gray as Mycroft are also brilliant. If I could rate Brett as 10 stars, I would. If you like Sherlock Holmes and have never seen Brett's portrayal, you are in for a fantastic treat! October 26, 2007

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