Do Not Disavow

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Do Not Disavow By: Rick Davis   When Charlemagne established law Salic in barb’rous land, The gospel flourished, and he saw Christ’s praise on every hand.   (“Do you approve his methods now?”) I do not disavow.   King Godfrey took Jerusalem From bloody paynim hands And brought a halt to Musselmen Invading Christian lands.   (“He did some mean things anyhow!”) I do not disavow.   King Richard with his scarlet shield And passant lions ‘bossed Rode forth again unto the field To regain what was lost.   (“His deeds at Acre you allow?”) I do not disavow.   Unto the Germans Luther brought The gospel full restored, And Calvin at Geneva taught The glory of the Lord.   (“The Jews? Servetus? Holy cow!”) I do not disavow.   Stonewall and Lee like knights of old Fought for their native soil, The true and lovely to uphold Against the tyrant’s spoil.   (“Those vile racists ...
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Favorite Sherlock Holmes

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In keeping with my Sherlock Holmes theme from yesterday, I thought that this week I would share my favorite portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in TV and film. Sherlock Holmes is a complicated guy and Arthur Conan Doyle certainly didn't help out by carefully creating a consistent character. Some of Holmes's traits are standard throughout stories, but some little details about him change over time. One could consider this character development, but, in light of the fact that Doyle tired of writing Sherlock Holmes stories, it could simply be inattentiveness on the part of the author. In any case, this leads to many interpretations of the character, from the more straightforward take of Peter Cushing to the sociopath with Aspberger's in the new BBC version. So, without further ado, here are my:

Top 5 Favorite Portrayals of Sherlock Holmes

1. Robert Downey, Jr. [Sherlock Holmes (2009); Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)]

2. Benedict Cumberbatch [Sherlock TV series (2010-present)]

3. Robert Stephens [The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) (This one was also great because Christopher Lee played Sherlock's brother Mycroft.)]

4. Jeremy Brett [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes TV series (1984-1994) (Brett defined Holmes for many fans in the same way that David Suchet defined Hercule Poirot for fans of Agatha Christie.]

5. Peter Cushing [The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959); Sherlock Holmes TV Series (1965-1968); The Masks of Death (1984) (I've only seen Cushing as Holmes in videos available on YouTube, but he is surprisingly great.)]


For the record, the worst portrayal of Sherlock Holmes ever was Rupert Everett in Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (2004). This is an objective fact. It is not up for debate.

Comments

WAB said…
No Basil Rathbone? Oh, the horror!
29 February, 2012 12:43
Rose said…
Robert Downey, Jr. is beast. :D
29 February, 2012 21:10
Rick Davis said…
@ Wayne
Rathbone never really did it for me. I'm not sure why.

@ Rose
RDJ is awesome. My wife tells me that I have a man crush on him. :)
01 March, 2012 17:41
Anonymous said…
GRAND MOFF TARKIN WAS SHERLOCK HOLMES!?!?!?!?!?!?!? You know who this is....
02 March, 2012 23:13
Rick Davis said…
Yep, Grand Moff Tarkin was Sherlock Holmes. So was Count Dooku, although he didn't play the part as well.

http://cinemavortex.tumblr.com/post/4389583353/christopher-lee-sherlock-holmes-and-the-deadly
03 March, 2012 07:09
Arun said…
Have you tried the Russian adaptation with Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes...

Cheers!
03 March, 2012 21:22
Rick Davis said…
@buddy2blogger

I haven't seen the Russian adaptation, but I've heard good things about it. I should check it out.
03 March, 2012 21:40
Arun said…
Rick,

Here is the link for the Russian series (with English subtitles):

http://video.kylekeeton.com/2007/03/sherlock-holmes-and-dr-watson-on.html

I am sure you will enjoy it :)
03 March, 2012 21:54
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