tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post3563366723143546903..comments2024-03-08T18:49:51.289-05:00Comments on Classic Film and TV Café: Billy Wilder and Jack the Ripper Take on Sherlock Holmes Rick29http://www.blogger.com/profile/08358116647815569722noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-43667653963875288692013-10-30T00:46:40.405-04:002013-10-30T00:46:40.405-04:00I haven't seen and wasn't aware of Murder ...I haven't seen and wasn't aware of Murder by Decree, but I have seen The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes more than once. I wasn't aware there were episodes that had been edited from the film's final cut and am now very curious about them. Robert Stephens is a wonderful Holmes - he has that special combination of superior attitude and sexiness that is rare but very appealing in English leading men - and very interesting in Holmes who has generally lacked sex appeal on film/TV. Stephens was one of the highlights of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and I've always wondered why his film career didn't take off. His son with Maggie Smith, Toby Stephens, is also a fine actor.The Lady Evehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963115499930520653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-4106883075652905762013-10-28T13:35:14.427-04:002013-10-28T13:35:14.427-04:00I haven't seen Murder by Decree, but a recent ...I haven't seen Murder by Decree, but a recent viewing of Private Life made me deeply appreciative of it. I love that the film has no real antagonist, but rather is focused on how Holmes faced obsolescence in the waning days of Victorian England. I also felt the film was deeply autobiographical, with the hero worship and insecurity of Holmes something that could mirror Wilder's own aging feelings of being out of touch with a rapidly changing world. <br /><br />The MGM disk for Private Life also reconstructs the missing footage, which is all excellent. There's another segment you didn't mention where Holmes explains how he fell for a girl and was embarrassed when she was revealed to be a prostitute, once again demonstrating how rubbish Holmes could be at what he so prided himself on, and how easy it is to ignore something when you don't want to believe it. Dannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15257279322223112273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5344878851139332715.post-19364452290716363262013-10-28T09:30:40.705-04:002013-10-28T09:30:40.705-04:00I enjoy PRIVATE LIFE OF... just fine, but prefer M...I enjoy PRIVATE LIFE OF... just fine, but prefer MURDER BY DECREE, which is very atmospheric and features one of the warmest Holmes/Watson pairings ever depicted onscreen. Plummer is arguably an altogether too humanistic and emotional Holmes, and the plot is definitely convoluted. James Mason is a joy throughout; I especially love his crestfallen rejoinder to Plummer's Holmes: "You squashed my pea."Jeff Flugelhttp://thestalkingmoon.weebly.comnoreply@blogger.com