Chris Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "sherlock"
CONAN DOYLE, HOLMES & WATSON
AN ENDURING FRIENDSHIP
This post first appeared on Buddy to Blogger. Read it at http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/3/....
One of the great pleasures in my life to date has been in watching directors, producers and screenwriters re-interpret the great writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as new productions are brought to the big and small screens. I literally count the days until the next Robert Downey/Jude Law collaboration hits the box office, and I always attempt to create a quiet environment at home when it's time to take in the BBC Sherlock series and the new US take on Holmes, Elementary. I collect the DVDs (special edition if possible) and watch them at my leisure, all the while re-reading at least one of Conan Doyle’s stories each week. Such is my obsession enjoyment of these stories and the literary inspiration I derive from them. It is indeed a pleasure to see them out again in the mainstream media for our general consumption.
One of the things I like to reflect upon when I’m viewing one or other of the latest iterations is the variety of ways in which the main characters, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been presented to us over the years.
Before the recent adaptations, many people only knew of Holmes through the old black & white movies of the late 30's/early 40's, featuring Basil Rathbone. Fans of those movies will kill me for saying this, but I feel they were clichés. Rathbone's Holmes was too perfect, the ultimate version, I suppose, rather than the complex, flawed, sometimes opiated, routinely depressed yet highly intelligent character we see on Conan Doyle’s pages.
That said, my greatest bugbear with the older versions was the reduction of Dr. John Watson, as portrayed by Nigel Bruce, to little more than a bumbling oafish sidekick. I appreciate that the 'straight man & comic relief' pairing probably reflected the times, especially considering audience familiarity with the Crosby & Hope, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis partnerships. In the books however, John Watson is nothing like that at all. Conan Doyle had put so much of himself into Watson’s history and character that you can’t help but admire them – they were incredible men, one real, the other fictional but steeped in reality. Note: In fairness to Rathbone & Bruce, both men saw action during World War 1. Rathbone was awarded the Military Cross for bravery and Bruce was shot and severely wounded.
Probably my favourite element of the original stories was that they were all written from Watson’s perspective, which was very effectively captured - in a contemporary sense - in BBC's Sherlock via Watson's blog, something that viewers of the US Elementary series may not realise.
Holmes is so reliant on his partnership with Watson. In fact, in the books Holmes often states that he is so much better off when he has his trusted friend and ally at his side. If it wasn’t Holmes saving the day with some well-paced judo moves, then it would be Watson with his revolver. I love the duo. They are much more like Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals than Batman and Robin, if you know what I mean: a much more equal pairing than the old movies ever gave them credit for.
Although the stories have been done many times over, the real resurgence of interest in Sherlock Holmes in recent years has been due to, I think, directors and producers of my age who loved the books throughout their lives and imagined them as similarly vividly as I always have. I really got into the Sherlock Holmes (2009) movie with Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law. While they gave the camaraderie between the two characters a great treatment, they also gave the story more of a modern edge, particularly in terms of the banter between them. It’s perhaps not as gentlemanly, but still in the same vein as Conan Doyle’s original. Then the movie sequel to the 2009 hit became more slapstick again, and took it a bit far from Conan Doyle’s books for my personal preference, but I still enjoyed the interplay between Downey Jnr and Law across both films.
Since then, obviously, we've had two equally interesting but vastly different treatments of Sherlock Holmes: BBC’s dark but modern-day Sherlock (2010) and CBS’s quirky and equally contemporary Elementary (2012). BBC’s Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) came pretty close to the originals of Holmes and Watson and stayed true to the stories. They established a great equal relationship between the two men.
Next to Sherlock, I’m equally enamoured with CBS’s Elementary, featuring Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. It’s a great take on the complexity and eccentricity of Holmes counterbalanced by the thorough, no-nonsense medical professionalism that is Watson. It’s such a thought-provoking angle with a man and a woman, and it really breathed new life into this incredibly enduring story.
In terms of my own writing, I also enjoyed the camaraderie inherent to military life, just as Conan Doyle obviously did. I've tried to replicate that in my stories, with regard to the banter and conversational exchanges between my protagonist Alex Morgan and his colleagues, the way they are and the way they interact with each other. It reflects my view that no one is an island; we are all reliant on each other in some way and there are people you must and can trust during times of adversity. I guess that’s what I love most in Conan Doyle’s stories and probably the reason I try to bring it out in my own humble offerings.
In this day and age, I don’t want to have just male agents in my thriller novels; Alex Morgan and his compadres are great, but they need some female energy in the mix. Just as we’ve seen Lucy Liu acting as Joan Watson in Elementary, I’m writing a new key character in the latest book, Avenger. She’ll be the first female Intrepid agent to be introduced to the legions of Intrepid and Alex Morgan fans currently amassing across the globe! She sure knows her stuff, but I can’t tell you her name or anything else just yet.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on your preferred adaptation of Sherlock – or maybe you can’t beat the books? We know, for example, that our good friend Buddy 2 Blogger, where this blog post first appeared, is a fan of Basil Rathborne and doesn’t believe that Elementary will hit cult status. Leave a comment below!
This post first appeared on Buddy to Blogger. Read it at http://intrepidallen.com/blog/2013/3/....
One of the great pleasures in my life to date has been in watching directors, producers and screenwriters re-interpret the great writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as new productions are brought to the big and small screens. I literally count the days until the next Robert Downey/Jude Law collaboration hits the box office, and I always attempt to create a quiet environment at home when it's time to take in the BBC Sherlock series and the new US take on Holmes, Elementary. I collect the DVDs (special edition if possible) and watch them at my leisure, all the while re-reading at least one of Conan Doyle’s stories each week. Such is my obsession enjoyment of these stories and the literary inspiration I derive from them. It is indeed a pleasure to see them out again in the mainstream media for our general consumption.
One of the things I like to reflect upon when I’m viewing one or other of the latest iterations is the variety of ways in which the main characters, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have been presented to us over the years.
Before the recent adaptations, many people only knew of Holmes through the old black & white movies of the late 30's/early 40's, featuring Basil Rathbone. Fans of those movies will kill me for saying this, but I feel they were clichés. Rathbone's Holmes was too perfect, the ultimate version, I suppose, rather than the complex, flawed, sometimes opiated, routinely depressed yet highly intelligent character we see on Conan Doyle’s pages.
That said, my greatest bugbear with the older versions was the reduction of Dr. John Watson, as portrayed by Nigel Bruce, to little more than a bumbling oafish sidekick. I appreciate that the 'straight man & comic relief' pairing probably reflected the times, especially considering audience familiarity with the Crosby & Hope, Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis partnerships. In the books however, John Watson is nothing like that at all. Conan Doyle had put so much of himself into Watson’s history and character that you can’t help but admire them – they were incredible men, one real, the other fictional but steeped in reality. Note: In fairness to Rathbone & Bruce, both men saw action during World War 1. Rathbone was awarded the Military Cross for bravery and Bruce was shot and severely wounded.
Probably my favourite element of the original stories was that they were all written from Watson’s perspective, which was very effectively captured - in a contemporary sense - in BBC's Sherlock via Watson's blog, something that viewers of the US Elementary series may not realise.
Holmes is so reliant on his partnership with Watson. In fact, in the books Holmes often states that he is so much better off when he has his trusted friend and ally at his side. If it wasn’t Holmes saving the day with some well-paced judo moves, then it would be Watson with his revolver. I love the duo. They are much more like Bodie and Doyle from The Professionals than Batman and Robin, if you know what I mean: a much more equal pairing than the old movies ever gave them credit for.
Although the stories have been done many times over, the real resurgence of interest in Sherlock Holmes in recent years has been due to, I think, directors and producers of my age who loved the books throughout their lives and imagined them as similarly vividly as I always have. I really got into the Sherlock Holmes (2009) movie with Robert Downey Jnr. and Jude Law. While they gave the camaraderie between the two characters a great treatment, they also gave the story more of a modern edge, particularly in terms of the banter between them. It’s perhaps not as gentlemanly, but still in the same vein as Conan Doyle’s original. Then the movie sequel to the 2009 hit became more slapstick again, and took it a bit far from Conan Doyle’s books for my personal preference, but I still enjoyed the interplay between Downey Jnr and Law across both films.
Since then, obviously, we've had two equally interesting but vastly different treatments of Sherlock Holmes: BBC’s dark but modern-day Sherlock (2010) and CBS’s quirky and equally contemporary Elementary (2012). BBC’s Sherlock, with Benedict Cumberbatch (Holmes) and Martin Freeman (Watson) came pretty close to the originals of Holmes and Watson and stayed true to the stories. They established a great equal relationship between the two men.
Next to Sherlock, I’m equally enamoured with CBS’s Elementary, featuring Johnny Lee Miller as Holmes and Lucy Liu as Joan Watson. It’s a great take on the complexity and eccentricity of Holmes counterbalanced by the thorough, no-nonsense medical professionalism that is Watson. It’s such a thought-provoking angle with a man and a woman, and it really breathed new life into this incredibly enduring story.
In terms of my own writing, I also enjoyed the camaraderie inherent to military life, just as Conan Doyle obviously did. I've tried to replicate that in my stories, with regard to the banter and conversational exchanges between my protagonist Alex Morgan and his colleagues, the way they are and the way they interact with each other. It reflects my view that no one is an island; we are all reliant on each other in some way and there are people you must and can trust during times of adversity. I guess that’s what I love most in Conan Doyle’s stories and probably the reason I try to bring it out in my own humble offerings.
In this day and age, I don’t want to have just male agents in my thriller novels; Alex Morgan and his compadres are great, but they need some female energy in the mix. Just as we’ve seen Lucy Liu acting as Joan Watson in Elementary, I’m writing a new key character in the latest book, Avenger. She’ll be the first female Intrepid agent to be introduced to the legions of Intrepid and Alex Morgan fans currently amassing across the globe! She sure knows her stuff, but I can’t tell you her name or anything else just yet.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on your preferred adaptation of Sherlock – or maybe you can’t beat the books? We know, for example, that our good friend Buddy 2 Blogger, where this blog post first appeared, is a fan of Basil Rathborne and doesn’t believe that Elementary will hit cult status. Leave a comment below!
LONDON & LOS ANGELES MINI-SERIES
1. AUSTRALIA HOUSE AND BOB THE BUILDER IN LONDON
LONDON, DAY ONE.
It's 2am and I can't sleep - must be 11am in Sydney. I had a full and busy first day sightseeing in London, even after the cancelled flights which delayed my arrival, and not being able to catch up with some former comrades-in-arms from the British Parachute Regiment as a result.
Here's a few snaps from the first day...
(You can view the pictures at http://buff.ly/1bfdMSi - captions are below)
Outside Australia House, otherwise known as the Australian High Commission. This place became well known to me when I was first sent to London on attachment to the British Army!
At Baker St Station, where there is a very cool homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic characters on the wall.
I'm not one for stage musicals, but my Sar has always enjoyed them them, and if you combine that with her two other loves, Roald Dahl and chocolate - well, you can't get much better than that!
I was lucky to meet up with Neil Morrissey, the voice of Bob the Builder, one of the characters my three year old son adores.
Here I am with one of my best mates Dick, at the Salisbury where I was with our families back in 2009 for a drink - down to the exact same seat!
Big day of meetings over the coming days, so best get some shut eye - will check in soonest.
***
2. FLEMING'S HOME AND RONNIE SCOTT'S IN LONDON
DAYS TWO AND THREE.
Once again, it's 3am and the jet lag in London-town continues to be a killer. But at least it's a chance to reflect what has been and prepare for that which is ahead!
I love London, the history of the place, the sense of occasion, even the fact that the cabbies call you 'Guv'. So I've been walking as much as I can between meetings, and seeing some of my favourite spots on the fly.
Here's a few of them:
(View the pictures at http://buff.ly/12R0ZlB - captions are below)
Not just any house, this was Ian Fleming's home located on Ebury St in London.
I took the chance to pay my respects on what would have been Fleming's birthday - 28 May.
Happy Birthday, Mr Fleming.
The only right way to celebrate the life of my literary hero is by having his favourite meal, scrambled eggs for breakfast, at the Nightingale Cafe.
I chanced upon The Ritz which appears in the final chapter of Hunter: Intrepid 2.
Really enjoyed capturing this view of MI6 from Vauxhall Bridge - exactly where it was shot from in the latest Bond movie Skyfall!
Ronnie Scott's is a jazz club in Soho - an institution. We were last there in 2009 for a memorable night where the Ronnie Scott's orchestra played the Miles Davis Kind of Blue album.
A few of the upcoming gigs at Ronnie Scott's, and it's no surprise to see Madeleine Peyroux is sold out!
Got a bit more time to enjoy in this great old town before flying out to the bright lights of Hollywood on Saturday. It's a whirlwind trip, but I'm loving every minute.
Time for a cup of tea to start the day, I think!
***
3. LORD NELSON & THE RED LION IN LONDON
DAYS FOUR AND FIVE
This has been a whirlwind first week, and still another to go in LA, with some book-related meetings that have blown my mind, and an opportunity to walk the streets of London in between. One of my favourite pubs is in Westminster, called The Red Lion, and when I dropped in there this week, I had a great chat with the staff who were thrilled to hear that their cosy venue is featured in Defender and Hunter!
I hope you enjoy the latest installment...
(View the pictures at http://buff.ly/12VDF6q - the captions are below)
My favourite landmark in London: Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square.
Enjoying being in Conan Doyle territory.
At the Sherlock Holmes museum. Unfortunately there was a line of 250 people down the street waiting to get in, so I saw it from the outside only.
A bobby outside the Sherlock museum. Gotta keep watch!
With Cathy (left) and Desiree (right) and Alex Morgan (centre) at my favourite pub in London, The Red Lion Westminster. It was great to take Morgan & Hunter for a photo opportunity as the venue appears in both books!
Can never go past a plate of bangers & mash at The Red Lion, and a pint of Guiness too!
Quintessential London, walking towards Piccadilly from Oxford Circus.
I was thrilled to be able to catch up for a 3Para reunion lunch with my great mate Bill. Just like old times!
Without any further ado, off to the City of Angels I fly!
***
4. ROBERT DE NIRO & MAD MEN IN HOLLYWOOD
WEEK TWO.
Los Angeles sure does have a different feel to the streets of London. There's little walking to meetings, for one, so I'm seeing the town from moving vehicle than by foot. Everything is big and brash, bright and brassy. There's no shortage of luxury cars at the hotels, either!
It's been an extremely productive week, so before I finish up and fly back Down Under, here's some snaps from about town.
(View the pictures at http://buff.ly/14ithZ2 - the captions are below)
I've waited a long time to see this sign!
The Chinese Theatre which is famous in Hollywood, and you may have seen it in an action scene from Iron Man 3 as well!
I was lucky to be able to spend a couple of days with my good mate Dudge, who has been a staunch supporter of my stories from the very beginning.
We went to the fantastic restaurant AGO which is owned by Robert de Niro - the service was unlike anything I've experienced before!
I had the Osso Bucco. Well, you wouldn't order chicken at a restaurant owned by De Niro, would you?
It's not real, but it's good fun to hold one of these, all the same.
This is a very typical street in Beverly Hills - we see them on the TV shows all the time!
Looking down to Santa Monica Boulevard to Beverly Hills - Century City is in the background and that is where Cleopatra was filmed!
Don is looking across Sunset Boulevard to my hotel so at least I can't get lost!
Even the Beverly Hills Neighbourhood Watch program looks like something from a movie...
Here's the Dolby Theatre, formerly known as the Kodak Theatre, which hosted the Academy Awards this February.
Fajitas and Margaritas with my brother-in-arms from Paratrooping days and hugely successful fellow creative capitalist, Bradley Trevor Greive. If you haven't checked out his work yet, do so here.
I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have seen these sights between my meetings about town, and I reckon LA will be appearing in a future Intrepid story!
I hope you've enjoyed this mini-series of blogs on my recent travels as much as I have.
***
If you're in Sydney, see you at the Willoughby Hotel next Thursday 13 June for a Malfajiri Sunset and a few more yarns? More details here: http://buff.ly/15UM1O8
***
Join up to Intrepid and receive future blog updates by email here: http://intrepidallen.com/contact
LONDON, DAY ONE.
It's 2am and I can't sleep - must be 11am in Sydney. I had a full and busy first day sightseeing in London, even after the cancelled flights which delayed my arrival, and not being able to catch up with some former comrades-in-arms from the British Parachute Regiment as a result.
Here's a few snaps from the first day...
(You can view the pictures at http://buff.ly/1bfdMSi - captions are below)
Outside Australia House, otherwise known as the Australian High Commission. This place became well known to me when I was first sent to London on attachment to the British Army!
At Baker St Station, where there is a very cool homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic characters on the wall.
I'm not one for stage musicals, but my Sar has always enjoyed them them, and if you combine that with her two other loves, Roald Dahl and chocolate - well, you can't get much better than that!
I was lucky to meet up with Neil Morrissey, the voice of Bob the Builder, one of the characters my three year old son adores.
Here I am with one of my best mates Dick, at the Salisbury where I was with our families back in 2009 for a drink - down to the exact same seat!
Big day of meetings over the coming days, so best get some shut eye - will check in soonest.
***
2. FLEMING'S HOME AND RONNIE SCOTT'S IN LONDON
DAYS TWO AND THREE.
Once again, it's 3am and the jet lag in London-town continues to be a killer. But at least it's a chance to reflect what has been and prepare for that which is ahead!
I love London, the history of the place, the sense of occasion, even the fact that the cabbies call you 'Guv'. So I've been walking as much as I can between meetings, and seeing some of my favourite spots on the fly.
Here's a few of them:
(View the pictures at http://buff.ly/12R0ZlB - captions are below)
Not just any house, this was Ian Fleming's home located on Ebury St in London.
I took the chance to pay my respects on what would have been Fleming's birthday - 28 May.
Happy Birthday, Mr Fleming.
The only right way to celebrate the life of my literary hero is by having his favourite meal, scrambled eggs for breakfast, at the Nightingale Cafe.
I chanced upon The Ritz which appears in the final chapter of Hunter: Intrepid 2.
Really enjoyed capturing this view of MI6 from Vauxhall Bridge - exactly where it was shot from in the latest Bond movie Skyfall!
Ronnie Scott's is a jazz club in Soho - an institution. We were last there in 2009 for a memorable night where the Ronnie Scott's orchestra played the Miles Davis Kind of Blue album.
A few of the upcoming gigs at Ronnie Scott's, and it's no surprise to see Madeleine Peyroux is sold out!
Got a bit more time to enjoy in this great old town before flying out to the bright lights of Hollywood on Saturday. It's a whirlwind trip, but I'm loving every minute.
Time for a cup of tea to start the day, I think!
***
3. LORD NELSON & THE RED LION IN LONDON
DAYS FOUR AND FIVE
This has been a whirlwind first week, and still another to go in LA, with some book-related meetings that have blown my mind, and an opportunity to walk the streets of London in between. One of my favourite pubs is in Westminster, called The Red Lion, and when I dropped in there this week, I had a great chat with the staff who were thrilled to hear that their cosy venue is featured in Defender and Hunter!
I hope you enjoy the latest installment...
(View the pictures at http://buff.ly/12VDF6q - the captions are below)
My favourite landmark in London: Nelson's Column, Trafalgar Square.
Enjoying being in Conan Doyle territory.
At the Sherlock Holmes museum. Unfortunately there was a line of 250 people down the street waiting to get in, so I saw it from the outside only.
A bobby outside the Sherlock museum. Gotta keep watch!
With Cathy (left) and Desiree (right) and Alex Morgan (centre) at my favourite pub in London, The Red Lion Westminster. It was great to take Morgan & Hunter for a photo opportunity as the venue appears in both books!
Can never go past a plate of bangers & mash at The Red Lion, and a pint of Guiness too!
Quintessential London, walking towards Piccadilly from Oxford Circus.
I was thrilled to be able to catch up for a 3Para reunion lunch with my great mate Bill. Just like old times!
Without any further ado, off to the City of Angels I fly!
***
4. ROBERT DE NIRO & MAD MEN IN HOLLYWOOD
WEEK TWO.
Los Angeles sure does have a different feel to the streets of London. There's little walking to meetings, for one, so I'm seeing the town from moving vehicle than by foot. Everything is big and brash, bright and brassy. There's no shortage of luxury cars at the hotels, either!
It's been an extremely productive week, so before I finish up and fly back Down Under, here's some snaps from about town.
(View the pictures at http://buff.ly/14ithZ2 - the captions are below)
I've waited a long time to see this sign!
The Chinese Theatre which is famous in Hollywood, and you may have seen it in an action scene from Iron Man 3 as well!
I was lucky to be able to spend a couple of days with my good mate Dudge, who has been a staunch supporter of my stories from the very beginning.
We went to the fantastic restaurant AGO which is owned by Robert de Niro - the service was unlike anything I've experienced before!
I had the Osso Bucco. Well, you wouldn't order chicken at a restaurant owned by De Niro, would you?
It's not real, but it's good fun to hold one of these, all the same.
This is a very typical street in Beverly Hills - we see them on the TV shows all the time!
Looking down to Santa Monica Boulevard to Beverly Hills - Century City is in the background and that is where Cleopatra was filmed!
Don is looking across Sunset Boulevard to my hotel so at least I can't get lost!
Even the Beverly Hills Neighbourhood Watch program looks like something from a movie...
Here's the Dolby Theatre, formerly known as the Kodak Theatre, which hosted the Academy Awards this February.
Fajitas and Margaritas with my brother-in-arms from Paratrooping days and hugely successful fellow creative capitalist, Bradley Trevor Greive. If you haven't checked out his work yet, do so here.
I feel incredibly lucky to be able to have seen these sights between my meetings about town, and I reckon LA will be appearing in a future Intrepid story!
I hope you've enjoyed this mini-series of blogs on my recent travels as much as I have.
***
If you're in Sydney, see you at the Willoughby Hotel next Thursday 13 June for a Malfajiri Sunset and a few more yarns? More details here: http://buff.ly/15UM1O8
***
Join up to Intrepid and receive future blog updates by email here: http://intrepidallen.com/contact
