 Shinwell
/ continued
by Dean Richardson
Alpha Video has already released another early Thirties
Holmes curiosity, A Study in Scarlet (1933), with a miscast
Reginald Owen as The Detective, as well as a collection of "Sherlock
Holmes TV Classics" from the early fifties series starring Ronald
(son of Leslie) Howard. (Thanks to David Hayes for loaning me those.)
A second collection has just been released.
Coming to print in November is another kind of curiosity, a crossbreed
of fictional universes. Shadows over Baker Street, edited by
Michael Reeves and John Pelan, is a new collection of stories based
on the premise that Doyle collaborated with H. P. Lovecraft, or at
least that Holmes and Watson strayed into Arkham and the Cthulhu mythos.
Lovecraft, who wrote in the 1920s and '30s, mainly for Weird Tales
magazine, was a (if not the) major influence on horror and supernatural
fiction in the twentieth century. His stories are as strong on atmosphere
(if not character and plot) as Doyle's, and the combination could
be fun. Only four authors were mentioned in the notice I saw, and
all are known primarily as fantasy, horror, and/or science fiction
writers-no mystery writers, let alone writers associated with Holmes
pastiche-so we can guess the emphasis will probably not be on puzzles
and deduction.
And if I can slip in something not even tentatively Sherlockian, there
is another new collection of stories featuring that notorious Old
Bailey hack. Rumpole and the Primrose Path by John Mortimer
will be out in hardcover in time for Christmas, and I would certainly
be glad to find it under my tree. There is an ad for the book in the
latest issue of The Strand Magazine (Issue X), which also features
a Rumpole short-short, as well as fiction by Peter Tremayne ("The
Kidnapping of Mycroft Holmes"), H. R. F. Keating, Edward
Marston, and Stephen Baxter (a first mystery by this accomplished
science fiction writer?). And there is a long interview with Ian Richardson,
who played Sherlock twice in British TV movies the year before Jeremy
Brett assumed the mantle, as well as interview material with Rex Stout.
An excellent issue.
Well, the game's afoot.
Another media alert:
The most recent issue of The New Yorker contains an
ad for Elizabeth George's newest book, A Place of Hiding. And,
even better news, "Coming soon on MYSTERY!® presentations
of these four Elizabeth George novels" Payment in Blood, Missing
Joseph, For the Sake of Elena, and Well-Schooled in Murder.
Those of you who saw the first George televised novel, A Great Deliverance,
will be pleased that four more are on their way. If you missed it,
you're in for a treat. No, there was no indication of actual dates.
Sherlockian connection? British, two continuing protagonists, one
major and the second a lesser player, the crime is almost secondary
to the setting and the characters, well written, etc.
|
Ah, Sweet Mystery!
That was the title of this year's Women's National Book Association
summer series in Nashville, as you'll recall. The series is over and,
in my opinion, it was marvelous. The authors included Sharyn McCrumb,
Deborah Crombie, Ellis Peters, Elizabeth George, P.D. James, and Amanda
Cross. The presenters were all excellent faculty associated with either
local high schools or universities. Each had done major research on
the author and book for their session. The handouts were superb.
Would I go back? This was the second summer I attended and yes, I'm
eager for the third. The opportunity to engage in intelligent discussion
about an interesting book is rare. I went away from each session knowing
something more than when I came in, even if the book and author were
old acquaintances.
Look for information on next summer's program. I'll share it as soon
as it's released.
News from Abroad
Roger Johnson's The District Messenger is the newsletter of the
Sherlock Holmes Society of London. In his July issue (no. 233, by the
way), he reports the following:
"The justly celebrated Sherlock Holmes Memorabilia Company has
opened a second branch, at The Baker Street Emporium, sited within the
former cinema at Baker Street Station, just along from the Sherlock
Holmes statue. The specialist material remains at the original premises
at 230 Baker Street, while the new shop, The Sherlock Holmes Emporium,
aims to cater more to tourists. Apart from a grand range of Sherlockian
goods and souvenirs, it has a nice set of the hearth at 221B where you
can have your photo taken with Sherlock Holmes - or, to be accurate,
with Stewart Quentin Holmes. Both shops are well worth a visit. The
address of the Emporium is 4-5 Station Approach, Marylebone Road, London
NW1 5LD."
As if we needed another excuse to visit London, now there's the Emporium.
Also from The District Messenger, "Jazz fans will enjoy
listening to The Sherlock Holmes Suite by Alan Barnes, released
as a double CD by Woodville Records Ltd (146 Kings Avenue, London SW12
0BA) at £16.00 post-paid. Actually I suspect that quite a lot
of people will like this jazz interpretation, played by an eight-piece
band led by the composer, and interspersed with narration derived from
the Canon and read by Alan Mitchell. [*Is he the one-time vocalist
with the Temperance Seven? No, probably not*] The music sounds good
to me - David Newton's wild piano on 'The Tiger of San Pedro' is terrific
- though I suspect that I might want to skip the narration after a few
listenings. Fortunately you can do that with a CD. Barry Hatcher of
the Jazz Partnership says, 'Sometime in July, the album will be available
from specialist record stores where I understand the price will be in
the region of £18.' Better buy it direct from Woodville Records.
It's different and it's fun."
Queen Mary's Dolls' House
To
quote from the booklet by Clifford Musgrave, "The suggestion
for the creation of the House was first made in 1921, when a group
of people conceived the desire to present to Her late Majesty Queen
Mary a gift that would serve as a token of national goodwill, and
provide a means of raising funds for the many charitable schemes
which Her Majesty had at heart."
...continued on page three | page
one
|
If only Holmes and Watson could have read Plugs and Dottles...Holmes
would not have balled it up and tossed it on the luggage rack!