Customer Reviews
The Human Side of the Most Famous Detective 
2008-04-29
This 1970's film directed by the genius of Billy Wilder, who made over 90 films in his life time, (not one a dud) adapted the film from the novel by I.A.L. Diamond, focusing on the human side of the most famous detective in history.
Robert Stevens as Holmes is more "real" for lack of a better term, as Wilder shows not only his genius but his addiction to cocaine, and his prudishness, typical of the times and an emotional side that most of us have barely caught a glimpse.
The term "Classic" has been bandied around a lot lately, even calling 21st century films, "True Classics." Well, this film was made in 1970, directed by a genuis who had been making films in Hollywood since the 1920's.
"Private..." has that good old atmosphere to it; a certain amount of irony and tongue and cheek to keep the most cynical intrigued because it doesn't take it self too seriously...a melodrama yes, but something of old Hollywood in the love story. Sorry, but Holmes falls in love and in the books, it was only hinted at once. (I hope this is not a spoiler, but an aspect of the film, (particularly Holmes fans and film lovers' generally to see the film again or seek it out.)
Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson is one of the most funny and charming interpretations of the character that has been done...not over the top, but funny and reveals a great concern for his unusual friend.
A True Classic, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes IS a gem and should be in every Holmes fan's DVD library.
Excellent.
A truly great movie even in its present form 2007-12-30
A long-time dream project for Billy Wilder, beginning life as a musical, going through several years of rewrites and casting proposals - at one point even a vehicle for Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers until the director found both impossible to make a deal with - before going into production as a hugely expensive $10m budgeted three-hour plus roadshow picture only to be cut down to little over two hours when exhibitors refused to book the uncut version, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is something of a legend in itself. The whereabouts of all the elements for a full restoration has long defied the finest minds in film restoration, adding a layer of mystique and what-if? to the film's reputation.
The best way to watch The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is to forget what could have been and marvel at what is left. For all its problems, even in the heavily cut version that was eventually released, this is one of Billy Wilder's greatest and certainly most heartfelt achievements - and a pretty good yarn as well, throwing missing dwarves, dead canaries, Trappist monks, Swan Lake, Sherlock's mysterious brother Mycroft, Queen Victoria and the Loch Ness Monster into the mix, as well as an amnesiac woman who rouses more than Holmes' professional curiosity, to tragic results.
Throughout, Wilder presents a much less self-assured vision of the great detective than had been seen before. In the opening scene he castigates Watson for the expectations the Doctor's stories in Strand Magazine have instilled in the public, and the film proceeds to ultimately explore that painful gap between expectations and reality with no mercy to the character's feelings but much compassion.
Where to Watson's spirit of adventure, all things are possible, to Holmes all things can be disassembled and found wanting. There's real pain, loneliness and despair behind his façade of dry wit. Robert Stephens' Holmes is a genuinely tragic figure, a victim of his own intellect whose descent into becoming a thinking machine is more an act of self-defence at his poor judgement in matters romantic. The final shots of him reaching for a shot of cocaine to hide a broken heart are one of the most haunting images of its era.
Colin Blakely's Watson too is a great creation. He is never mere comic relief or the all-too-familiar buffoonish stereotype but a fully realised figure pained by his inability to deal with his friend's drug use (and discomfort with being his unwitting supplier). There's a humanity, familiarity and genuine emotional interdependence to their partnership that most other screen pairings have missed, aided immensely by some remarkable writing. If there's such a thing as a script so sharp you could cut yourself on it, then parts of this could cause fatal injury. To quote every good line would mean typing out half of the script, and certainly the entire Bolshoi Ballet where Clive Revill's impresario makes an unusual business proposal to Holmes. But it's not all highbrow. Example: "Who's that at this hour?" "Maybe Mrs Hudson is entertaining?" "Really? I've never found her so."
But more than amusing dialogue, this is a film which has been clearly thought through in every detail - at one point, Holmes' is even glimpsed through a haze of smoke as boredom clogs his mind. Even though Wilder's visual imagination is limited, the film is sumptuous to look at, particularly in its proper widescreen ratio, but for many, the major impetus for buying this DVD will be the location of the soundtrack (but not the picture) for the original opening half-hour of the picture (including The Case of the Upside Down Room) and the picture (but not the sound) for The Dreadful Business of the Naked Honeymooners.
The weight of expectation that comes with what has thus far been located of the missing footage is, in truth, more than two of the episodes can bear. The real gem is The Curious Case of the Upside Down Room, less for the case itself but for what it tells us about the relationship between Holmes and Watson, precipitating a crisis that is only resolved by deceit on Holmes' part (Holmes' admission to Watson is very affecting). It's also the only deleted section that seems to serve a real purpose in the film's design. Neither the original opening scene in the train, more of a skit than anything of significance, or The Dreadful Business of the Naked Honeymooners advance the plot or illuminate the characters, being little more than overextended, very mildly amusing sketches.
The supplementary section is also mildly disappointing, not because of the effort put in by the producers of the original laserdisc who collated many of them: again, it's a case of decades of expectation working against it. The laserdisc included an early draft script which was intriguing - apparently almost everything was filmed - but also contained some crudely misplaced elements. Mycroft's line about the last doctor who warned him about his gout falling on an orange peel and breaking his neck originally replaced the fruit with a very unconvincing use of the word 'turd,' while the original addenda to the ending, with Lestrade asking Watson if Holmes will help solve the Jack the Ripper case, seems particularly lame. However, for this DVD release only script and stills montages for the deleted scenes are included.
The stills archive is good, although it is a shame that it limits itself to purely colour shots. However, there is far too little of the pressbook for those who want to know more about the film. For some reason a panned-and-scanned version of the quite brilliant but spoiler-heavy trailer has been used, and a well-worn one at that (note to newcomers to the film: avoid it until you've seen it, as it gives away two major plot twists). A lengthy on-camera interview with editor Ernest Walter is also included, although be warned that he gets one detail wrong (it is indeed Jenny Hanley who played Holmes' university `sweetheart' in a lost flashback sequence), while, exclusive to the DVD, there's also a 15-minute interview with Christopher Lee. The isolated music track of Miklos Rozsa's superb score that was on the laserdisc is NOT included on the DVD (the track was problematic: with the masters long lost, a dubbing mix track was used with the volume varying wildly).
Picture quality is somewhat disappointing, especially compared to the laserdisc - a bit soft and definitely in need of a remastering.
What Might Have Been... 
2007-12-16
The film that was released is an amusing Holmes pastiche, but when you take the time to review all the extras and get a sense of Wilder's intentions, you'll realize that this could have been a masterpiece. Poignent and farcical "movements" blend together seamlessly. It should be added to the ranks of "The Magnificent Ambersons" as a tragic loss.
Highly underrated Holme's tall tale 2007-12-10
Billy Wilder's genius comes through again in this more diverse look at Sherlock Holmes. Fundamental Holmesians may be appalled because this story looks at a couple of Sherlock's flaws. But most people will appreciate that after all he was human and these flaws will actually endear him more to the majority of people. The story itself is quite enteratining as Sherlock looks for a missing husband and encounters cutthroats, spies, and government red tape as he tries to get to the bottom of a couple mysteries. Engaging with superb directing, acting, scenery, sets, and music. Overall a real treat. Although I certainly enjoy the realistic Holmes movies like "Murder by Decree", I find this movie more fun to watch. I plan to purchase this DVD. The dvd is decent quality but contains no extras.
Classic tongue in cheek comedy! 2007-08-07
This was very well done but better suited to SH fans. Christopher Lee was unrecognisable in his part as Microft! I think he is the highlight of the Special Features section where he gives a talk about his career, the cinema, directors and Billy Wilder. Such a fine gentleman, he has always supported the cinema. He's the only actor to have played both Sherlock and Microft. Amazingly he acted free of charge in "The Wicker Man"---one of his very best parts. I recommend both of these films.
Wilder missed the BOAT ! 
2007-05-23
When a beautiful woman claims that her dear husband has disappeared the investigation takes Sherlock Holmes (Robert Stephens) and Dr. Watson (Colin Blakely) to Scotland where - to their surprise - they uncover a plot involving a clandestine society Her Majesty's Secret Service... and the Loch Ness Monster! But before he can deduce matters to the elementary. Holmes makes an error that may jeopardize the national safety of Britain... and ruin his reputation!System Requirements:Starring: Colin Blakely Robert Stephens Directed By: Billy Wilder Running Time: 125 Min. Color Copyright 2003 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MYSTERY/SUSPENSE Rating: PG-13 UPC: 027616887641 Manufacturer No: 1004724
Fans of Holmes should like it, others not so sure 2007-03-16
There are many stories about the making of this movie. Some say the final result was far from the great Billy Wilder's vision as the "evil" studio heads drove him to tears by chopping up the film to create a shorter, theater-friendly version. Others say Wilder became disenchanted with the film as time went on and the end result proves he just wanted to get it over and done with. Whatever the truth may be, I think fans of the novels and Wilder may find some enjoyment in this. Others may turn it off after the first 20 minutes.
The finished film is really two stories. The first has to do with Wilder attempting to make light of the "real" relationship between Holmes and Watson. In 1970, this "Are they gay?" storyline was something daring. Today, it is tame and boring. Hence the idea those first 20 minutes may be tough to sit through even if a few laughs are provided along the way. But fortunately the main story kicks into gear and provides what I think is everlasting enjoyment. The characters and mystery all come to vivid life and though, as some have mentioned, the ending may not be for everyone's taste, the ride is an awful lot of fun.
EXTRAS: I found the extras hard to sit through. Christopher Lee is interviewed and does have some tidbits about the shooting of the film but for the most part talks about his previous incarnations of Holmes. There is also an interview with an editor that drones on and on. I tried sitting thru the attempt to rebuild the so called "lost footage" using storyboards, pictures, and script lines but alas, after a while I hit the stop button on this as well. I guess it is nice these were included but what I felt was missing was the actual story of what Wilder was really trying to accomplish with this movie. Others may get it, I just did not.
I would say buy this movie if you are a Holmes fan just to see something a bit unusual. Although this film may not completely come together, this may be an example of a movie where the parts are indeed better than the whole.
The Real Sherlock 2007-01-09
Very funny if a little uneven comedy with a rather weak ending. The scene between Holmes and the Prima Ballerina is brilliantly funny as is the fall-out from this with Dr. Watson. This movie for me is really underated and is a classic. The plot is driven by Holmes ambivalent sexuality never quite being defined. Irene Handl's Mrs Hudson "Mrs Hudson go downstairs find a cloth and wipe that look of disapproval off your face" - is a great comedic performance
A neglected Billy Wilder gem 2006-09-01
In Billy Wilder's melancholy THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1970), Robert Stephens is Holmes and Colin Blakely is Dr. Watson. It is a wonderful creation by Wilder--a mysterious woman (Genevieve Page) calling herself Gabrielle Valledon arrives at 221B Baker Street having pulled out of the Thames. Obviously not whom she claims to be, which is half the fun here and all of the romance in a very romantic Wilder film, Madame Valledon leads Holmes and Watson by train into the Scottish highlands. There they will tangle with midget anarchists and seemingly the Loch Ness monster; Queen Victoria makes a memorable cameo. Oh, and of course there is the 7% cocaine solution never to be found in a Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes movie.
This is a gorgeously made movie, from the art direction and Panavision cinematography, to a towering score by Miklos Rozsa. Stephens and Blakely seem born to play Holmes and Watson. The movie was conceived, in a roadshow movie age, at 200 minutes. Several mini stories would be like entrees before the Loch Ness monster main course. But Wilder and editor Ernest Walter sensibly and skillfully pruned the finished movie to a tight 125 minutes with just one "entree" before the main action.
The DVD is a "must own" for all Sherlock Holmes devotees because of its bonuses--a chat with Christopher Lee, who plays Mycroft Holmes; an in-depth conversation with editor Walter on what the original roadshow movie was really like; and, most of all, a Deleted Scenes section that is at least 90 minutes long, making it longer than the entire cut footage. In this bonus section MGM Home Entertainment has done a masterful job of re-creating the 200 minute movie with existing footage, production stills, and screenplay pages where nothing else exists. Missing are the soundtrack of the Case of the Naked Honeymooners---the visual exists and subtitles supply the missing soundtrack. Production stills and screenplay pages make up a totally extraneous and boring original prologue. A five minute flashback to Holmes at Oxford is a mixture of existing visual and screenplay pages; it was cut near the end of the movie and missed by me. And the rather silly Case of the Upside-Down Room has production stills and screenplay pages for footage totally lost.
I'm of the minority opinion that Wilder and Walter created a masterpiece in trimming away the extraneous stories, leaving one intact with Clive Revill and Russian dancers, and focusing entirely on the mystery of Gabrielle Valledon and the Loch Ness monster. THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES is another Billy Wilder masterpiece. one with a haunting sadness and melancholy romance to make it very special. And Rozsa's score is one of his absolute greatest. Totally neglected in 1970, the movie deserves major rediscovery a quarter of a century later.
Terrific movie, lots of history behind it 2006-07-26
This was a wonderful movie, esp for a fan of the Sherlock Holmes short stories. Holmes is shown as a very sympathetic charactor, more human than the original stories show. Well worth the time to watch and don't miss the deleted scenes; the story behind how sections came to be deleted (check IMDB or similar source) adds alot to the story of the film and of Wilder, the writer/director.
