In this review, I just want to highlight the differences in the main characters of the Sherlock Holmes stories between the Basil Rathbone series and this TV presentation. The movie-going had long identified Rathbone with Sherlock Holmes so it was always going to be interesting what changes this 1954 series would make. Basil Rathbone was aged 47 to 54 when he played Holmes onscreen whereas Ronald Howard was 36. So immediately it is the level of maturity that comes into play when comparing the two. Basil Rathbone's Holmes did occasionally err but he was always mature and immediately chided himself for his mistakes. Ronald Howard's Holmes makes more mistakes because he has some hotheaded immaturity about him. Howard's rendition is more relaxed after seeing Rathbone's edginess as Holmes. Ronald Howard himself declared that his Holmes was "not an infallible, eagle-eyed, out-of the-ordinary personality, but an exceptionally sincere young man trying to get ahead in his profession." Moving to Watson, I have a soft spot for Nigel Bruce but I think Howard Marion Crawford insisted he wouldn't play a Nigel Bruce type Dr. Watson. Bruce's muttering and slow-witted Watson didn't always appear to be a boon to Holmes but often his Watson would turn up in the end to save Holmes to make up for it. Crawford's Watson seems to be a more visible help to the detective and does keep a protective eye on Holmes throughout each case, making him appear more on equal terms.
Review of Sherlock Holmes
