Search - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 4 (The Greek Interpreter / The Norwood Builder) on DVD

Another wonderful chapter in a brilliant series

Gwen Kramer | Sunny and not-so-sunny California | 03/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the fourth DVD of the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and it presents two of the best mysteries that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote. They both succeed to varying degrees.The Greek Interpreter- The title character is abducted and forced to aid two villains who are torturing a Greek speaking man to get him to sign a mysterious paper. This was the only story where Sherlock's brilliant elder brother Mycroft is shown. (I do not know if he appears in other episodes of the series) Doyle's short stories are so short that all of the TV series episodes had to pad to fill out the hour running time and so this episode has a longer and much more drawn out ending than what was originally in the story. All around very good.The Norwood Builder- A house burns down and the fireman find a body in the cinders. They suspect a young lawyer who begs Holmes to look after his case since he claims to be totally innocent. But all appearances are against him and it appears that Holmes may finally have a case that is unsolvable. This is one of the best of the series, totally enjoyable.One note, I found that most of the DVDs in this series choked on my DVD player unless they are scrupulously cleaned and totally lint free. I don't know if anyone else has this problem, I have not run into it from other DVDs. However, the discs run very well in my computers DVD drive. Just a side point.This is a wonderful series crammed full of great acting and amazing set design, this is one of the best entries and I hope everyone will want to try it out."

More Quintessential Holmes

Eric Pregosin | New Carrollton, Maryland United States | 04/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And now for the 4th DVD in the continuing MPI series of Granda/PBS Sherlock Holmes series, both introduce regular supporting actors in the series. In "The Greek Interpreter" a man becomes an unwilling pawn to kidnappers of a Greek couple from the old country. In this episode we meet Holmes' older brother Mycroft for the first time. Mycroft is played by Charles Gray who played the role in the feature film of the 70s, "The Seven Percent Solution" with Nicol Williamspn, Robert Duvall and Alan Arkin. In "The Norwood Builder" an old builder writes a new will leaving everything to a lawyer then promptly dies and the young solicitor gets accused of the crime. This episode introduces the one Scotland Yard Investigator that Holmes can't stand, Lestrade played by Colin Jeavons. Eventually he will earn Holmes' respect. Keep em coming MPI Video."

Meet Mycroft in excellent 4th volume of Holmes series

Hazen B Markoe | St. Paul, MN United States | 04/08/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Once again, Jeremy Brett and David Burke are at the top of their game as the immortal Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in the 4th DVD volume of this classic TV series. This time, Holmes must join forces with his even more eccentric brother, Mycroft, in solving the case of a kidnapping involving Greek nationals. In the second case, a young lawyer is accused of murdering a former lover of his mother. Only Holmes can save the lad from the gallows. As always, Brett and Burke are the definitive Holmes and Watson, while Charles Gray (best known for his roles in a couple of James Bond films) is an eccentric treat as Mycroft Holmes. The care and intelligence of this BBC/Mystery series is the same as ever, making this another must have for your Sherlock Holmes collection. Highly recommended."

"Working the Room..."

Mark Savary | Seattle, WA | 08/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While many famous actors have portrayed the detective quite well over the years, it cannot be denied that Jeremy Brett captured the very essence of the Sherlock Holmes character. Christopher Lee, Christopher Plummer, Ian Richardson, and of course, Basil Rathbone all put their own spin on Holmes. For the most part, these interpretations are satisfactory and entertaining, but no one other then Brett had seriously attempted to portray the character as written by Doyle.Here we have two of the very, very best of the Granada series (1984). Both "The Greek Interpreter" and "The Norwood Builder" have much to recommend them, including a fine performace by Charles Gray as Mycroft in the former, and an insufferable, never more smug Lestrade shown in the latter.Incredible cinematography permeates "Interpreter," with excellent use of shadows aboard a blazing red, fire-lit train, in the Scotland Yard offices, and in the closed mansion that serves as a prison for a hapless Greek citizen. "Builder" has other singular elements, such as the aforementioned smug Lestrade (Colin Jeavons putting his stamp on the character, just as David Burke and Edward Hardwicke did Watson, and Brett did Holmes). We also have a frustrated and depressed Holmes, desperate to solve a case where Lestrade seems to hold all the cards.However, one element I would like to illuminate which bears out my sentiment of "true-to-Doyle" is how Brett "works the room." In "The Resident Patient," (available in Volume 5 of this collection), Brett truly displays what it must have been like to actually see this amazing detective in his element, as he "works the room" in Blessington's home, decucing the facts that occured when that character met his death.Never more brilliantly portrayed than in "The Resident Patient," we nonetheless have an excellent example of Brett using Holmes' methods here in "The Norwood Builder," while investigating the remnants of the fire, the upper floors of the house, and the surrounding grounds. We see the intensity and frenetic energy of the famous consulting detective, crouching, scurrying, examining in minute detail the invisible evidence, hunting up the clues unobserved by others. We also have samples of Holmes (and Mycroft) deducing the lives of people they observe both on the train and in Mycroft's club. For those unfamilliar with the Granada series, this may not be the best place to start, because the cases are more obscure than the more famous "The Speckled Band" or "The Crooked Man." However, for those familiar with Brett & Co., this disc is indispensible."