The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes – DVD Review

The fog shrouded mists of Merrye Olde London towne swirl once again. Though you won’t find Sherlock and Dr. Watson pursuing the game afoot in this set. This set concerns the fictional creations that rivaled the famous consulting detectives literary reign.

When you think of James Bond your mind might also wander to Derek Flint, Matt Helm, or even Austin Powers. Literary creation Sherlock Holmes also had his rivals. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had the rivals as other authors tried to capture the success that Doyle had with Holmes. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Holmes was one that was flattered often. In 1971 Thames Television televised the adventures of some of those literary contemporaries of the consulting detective, based on the series of anthologies by Hugh Greene. This series would highlight the sleuthing creations of authors R. Austin Freeman, Ernest Bramah, William Hope Hodgson, Arthur Morrison, the Baroness Orczy, Guy Boothby, and Max Pemberton. Conan Doyle certainly has the more name recognition. If you don’t recognize the authors, their literary creations might be even more unknown. Certainly you can ask a group of yahoos on the street who Sherlock Holmes is and you’ll get responses from most of them. Ask them who Dr. Thorndyke is and you’ll get more looks of confusion than you will the answer that he was the fictional detective of R. Austin Freeman. Freeman’s creation is probably more like Holmes than the others, especially since he’s played by John Neville who portrayed Holmes on the screen, but just because these sleuths were created in the time of Holmes doesn’t mean that they’re not worth seeking out. The discs do features some fine faces of British cinema and television. It also marks the first appearance of Jeremy Irons.   Disc 1 – Episode 1: A Message from the Deep Sea
When a young woman is stabbed to death in a boarding house of questionable repute, the police quickly settle on their chief suspect. A skeptical Dr. Thorndyke (John Neville) prefers to look deeper, privileging facts over surface motives.

Episode 2: The Missing Witness Sensation
After amateur detective Max Carrados (Robert Stephens) ruins the alibi of an Irish militant accused of murder, the man’s colleagues plot their revenge. To save his life, a trapped Carrados must find a way to get a message to the outside world—one that even a blind man could understand.

Episode 3: The Affair of the Avalanche Bicycle & Tyre Co. Ltd.
Private detective Horace Dorrington (Peter Vaughan) sees no conflict in helping himself while helping his clients. A promising new bicycle company presents him with an opportunity to cash in on his insider knowledge. But it’s a dirty business, so Dorrington takes steps to ensure he’s not taken for a ride.

Episode 4: The Duchess of Wiltshire’s Diamonds
Does professional jealousy explain police antagonism towards Simon Carne (Roy Dotrice), a celebrated and successful private detective known as “Klimo”? Or is it something more? And even though Klimo solves case after case for his clients, why are none of the perpetrators ever caught?

Disc 2 – Episode 5: The Horse of the Invisible
A ghost-detective named Carnacki (Donald Pleasence) investigates the haunting of a country house that threatens the wedding of the homeowner’s daughter and her fiancé. Carnacki suspects supernatural forces are not at work in this case, but even a ghost buster can get it wrong.

Episode 6: The Case of the Mirror of Portugal
When a priceless gem comes within his grasp, detective Horace Dorrington cuts more than a few corners to get his hands on it. But he battles a surprisingly worthy adversary from an unexpected quarter, one as ruthless and determined as himself. This episode features the first appearance of Jeremy Irons.

Episode 7: Madame Sara
While investigating death threats against two sisters, Dixon Druce (John Fraser) falls under the charms of their friend, the mysterious Madame Sara. Druce tries to track down the sisters’ estranged half-brother, who stands to inherit a fortune upon their deaths. The smitten detective also starts to uncover the secrets of their alluring friend.

Disc 3 – Episode 8: The Case of the Dixon Torpedo
Petty crime and international espionage intertwine when the Russian embassy hires Jonathan Pryde (Ronald Hines) to do one job and his own government hires him for another. The private investigator discovers that the two cases—a money-counterfeiting operation and stealing plans for a Royal Navy torpedo—are linked.

Episode 9: The Woman in the Big Hat
When a customer slumps over dead in a tea shop, Lady Molly of the Yard (Elvi Hale) searches for the mystery woman who had been seated at his table. However, she runs into resistance from the dead man’s family, who show little interest in solving the crime.

Episode 10: The Affair of the Tortoise
To solve the murder of a rich but ill-mannered government official from Haiti, PI Martin Hewitt (Peter Barkworth) has several pieces of evidence to consider— a dead tortoise, a voodoo doll, a blood-stained axe, and a note from “an avenger.” The one thing he doesn’t have is a body.

Disc 4 – Episode 11: The Assyrian Rejuvenator
Inflated claims about the powers of an expensive elixir put private investigator Romney Pringle (Donald Sinden) in pursuit of a ruthless con man. The trickster has reason to believe that his customers won’t complain, but Pringle sets out to destroy the crooked business.

Episode 12: The Ripening Rubies
An ex-con makes a rookie mistake—trying to sell a stolen ruby necklace back to the craftsman who made it. The jeweler, Bernard Sutton (Robert Lang), soon discovers that a string of high-society women are losing their expensive adornments. Shunning the heavy-handed approach of the police, he sets his own trap to catch the thief.

Episode 13: The Case of Laker, Absconded
A junior bank clerk elopes with a fortune—but without his fiancée. The police reconstruct the absconder’s route, from bank to train station to the Continent. However, Martin Hewitt believes the trail is a little too easy to follow. With the help of the jilted lover, he embarks on a search to discover what really happened to the missing man. The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes is presented in fullscreen. Special features include text bios of the authors and more information about their literary creations.   The detectives might not have the press of Mr. Holmes and their creators are not as well known as Doyle, but it was a pleasure to get to know them through this fun British television series.   The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.