Alistair Duncan's Blog, page 73

Comments - A Reminder

Hi.

If you comment on a post please make the comment relevant to the subject of the post. I currently delete about one comment a week where it is not related to the post it's been attached to.

Elementary - Just in case you're wondering

There has naturally been a lot of blog posts and other commentary surrounding U.S. Series Elementary and how good/bad it is, how it compares to Sherlock, how faithful it is and so on.


With the occasional exception I have kept largely quiet on this issue. Rest assured that I am not ignoring it intentionally. It is simply the case that, to date, I have only seen the pilot. I don't have access to Sky and hence have not seen the show when it has been broadcast over here.

Through my Scoop.It page I am happy to make the comments of others (both good and bad) more readily available. My only observation to date seems to be that people either seem to think the show is awful (because they simply don't like it or they don't believe it should be allowed to exist alongside Sherlock) or they think it is an okay show in itself but not really canonical.

I'm yet to read an opinion that praises the show as being in any way faithful to the source material or that thinks it will stand the test of time. Am I just looking in the wrong places? Do such really positive opinions exist? Feel free to point me in the direction of such articles and I shall put them out there for further debate.


For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle in about 3 minutes

I recently came across this rather amusing animation that attempts to explain Arthur Conan Doyle's life in about three minutes. It's not 100% accurate but its close enough to be educational.




For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

The Old Horse - Conan Doyle close to death

In 1930, after he collapsed at home, Arthur Conan Doyle drew a sketch called “The Old Horse”. The title referred to him and in the drawing he depicted the eponymous horse pulling a cart into which he had placed all his life’s achievements and the various significant life steps along the way.
The most recent step in the journey depicted Conan Doyle as he was – in his sick bed. He clearly did not expect it to be his death bed.


The contents of the cart are interesting as they give an insight into how Conan Doyle felt about his achievements. The size of the packages gives a good indication as to how big a part of his life he considered things to be. The package for Sherlock Holmes who was a regular part of his life from 1886 to 1927 was of a similar size to that given to his experiences in the Langman Hospitalin South Africawhich covered only a few months. As close to death as he turned out to be Conan Doyle was not prepared to see Sherlock Holmes in the same terms as the rest of the word saw him.


For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Kickstarter Campaign for MX Publishing and Undershaw

Here is the video appeal by Steve Emecz of MX Publishing for money to translate the largely fan written book Sherlock's Home - The Empty House.



In the video Steve talks about the book, the Save Undershaw campaign and there is even a small plug for my book An Entirely New Country.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1229605719/internationalisation-of-sherlocks-home-the-empty-h


For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Undershaw - My latest thoughts

I'm getting a little tired of pro-developer people who pop up to moan on news websites about the defeat the owners of Undershaw have suffered in the High Court.
Me, with my book, at Undershaw in November 2011
I just read one where a commentator asked whether anti-redevelopment supporters intended to sit on their "we won" laurels while the house continued to deteriorate and went on to doubt whether any alternative plan was in place.

For the record, it doesn't matter a jot whether or not there is an alternative plan right now. Having a different plan in place is not a prerequisite for fighting one that is inappropriate.

What has been bought now is some time. It is how that time is used that is important. Interested parties (including the present owners in theory) can put forward plans for the house as one structure and these can then be submitted to the local council for consideration. The positive thing at the moment is that while this is going on the only force attacking the building's fabric and history is nature and nature, in its defence, is not out to make a profit.



For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Snake to the rescue

I am just starting the research for a little article on Conan Doyle's fun with the Adelphi Theatre in 1910. I hope to get it into a society journal. It will look at the dramatisation of Rodney Stone (as The House of Temperley) and how it gave way to a hastily drafted stage version of The Speckled Band.

From this.....

....to this

For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Rejected again!!!

The owners of Undershaw went to the High Court again today in their latest attempt to get permission to appeal the decision from May where their planning permission for Undershaw was overturned.

The High Court has, once again, rejected their request.

One can only hope that they will get the message this time!



For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Moriarty from the 1930s - 1980s

We are so accustomed to seeing Holmes face Moriarty that we may not acknowledge the fact that not every Holmes has had a Moriarty.

If, for the sake of convenience, we start with Arthur Wontner as Holmes - his Moriarty was played by Lyn Harding.  Arthur Wontner and Lyn Harding
Harding had played the part of Grimesby Roylott in Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1910 production of The Speckled Band which he, Doyle, had hastily put together after the virtual collapse of his play The House of Temperley which, in turn, was based on his 1896 book Rodney Stone. The play had supposedly failed to draw large crowds due to its subject matter – bare-knuckle boxing – and this problem was made worse when Edward VII died in the same year and the country, in its mourning, turned its back on many social pursuits – especially theatre.

Doyle replaced the play with his Holmes effort but did not approve of Harding's portrayal of Roylott which he considered too melodramatic. It was his friend J.M. Barrie who convinced him to trust Harding and the play went on to do well.
Basil Rathbone faced no less than three Moriartys. First (and best in my opinion) was George Zucco. Zucco was, to my less than perfect knowledge, the first bearded Moriarty and exuded a level of menace that still impresses me almost thirty years after I first saw him in the role. This menace was to serve him well as he enjoyed a career that involved many appearances in horror films.
George Zucco with Basil Rathbons
Zucco was later replaced by Lionel Atwill who also did a fine job. Atwill had first appeared in a Holmes film as Dr Mortimer in The Hound of the Baskervilles which was also alongside Rathbone. The last of Rathbone’s Moriartys was Henry Daniell who gave us Moriarty the playboy villain. A fine actor rather mis-cast.
Lionel Atwill
Henry Daniell
After this, to my mind, there were no really memorable Moriartys until Eric Porter’s opposite Jeremy Brett in 1985. In my opinion Porter is borderline definitive in terms of both his physical appearance and malevolence.

Brett and Porter (THE Moriarty)
The Holmes actors Ronald Howard, Douglas Wilmer, Peter Cushing, Christopher Plummer, Robert Stephens and Ian Richardson (and no doubt many others) did not (to my knowledge) enjoy the pleasure of the company of the Napoleon of Crime.

Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Do CBS know who I am????

Please read the following blog on an episode of Elementary. The author, Barbara Barnett, suggests that maybe the creators of the series are paying me a personal compliment. I doubt it somehow. That aside, an interesting post that made me smile.




http://blogcritics.org/video/article/tv-review-elementary-flight-risk/



For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .
The Norwood Author  is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.
Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.
Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.