Sherlock Holmes made his (legal) feature film debut in 1916. William Gillette, who wrote and starred in the popular stage Sherlock, reprises his legendary role here.
Alas, the result is stiff and stagebound, the direction quite stodgy for 1916. Gillette is fine but the rest of the cast is fairly nondescript. Still, it is a priceless chance to see one of the major Holmes architects work his craft. A valuable piece of film history.
How does it end? Hover or tap below for a spoiler.
The baddies defeated, Sherlock Holmes can finally get married! Wait, what?
Read my full-length review here.
If it were a dessert it would be: Ladyfingers. Not terribly exciting on their own but the component of many a smashing dessert.
Availability: Sherlock Holmes has been released as a DVD/Blu-ray combo by Flicker Alley. The set is simply stuffed with extras, including three off-brand Holmes shorts, vintage marketing materials and other goodies. Highly recommended.
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Movies Silently 
The film is a fascinating artifact. I saw the San Francisco premiere and the audience was filled with Baker Street Irregulars, which made it extra fun. The frisson of excitement really added to the mix. While the plot pales in comparison to true cannon, it was thrilling to see history come alive and see a performance rise from the ashes like wisps of smoke in Gillette. You can see how he was on stage, which was great. For my money, the dvd is worth the price alone for A Canine Sherlock Holmes, that film rocked the house.
Yes, this one is definitely more valuable for the history but I’m glad to have it. Agreed, the home video release is a treasure trove!