Sherlock Holmes On Stage & Screen
Watson here will tell you that I never can resist a touch of the dramatic. (from The Naval Treaty)
The stage lost a fine actor...when he became a specialist in crime. (from A Scandal in Bohemia)
You would have made an actor, and a fine one. (from The Sign of the Four)
William Gillette Basil Rathbone Jeremy Brett
The first credited public appearance of Sherlock Holmes was by Charles Brookfield in 1893, performing "Under the Clock" in London. In 1900 an unknown actor made the first film, "Sherlock Holmes Baffled." Clive Brook made the first talkie, and Louis Hector introduced the detective to television sets. Many actors (great and not so great) have played Holmes on stage, in films, and on television. This part of my site is intended to give you a look at a wide variety of those thespians, and to provide information.
Character Gallery Select an era to see portraits and read descriptions of over 75 different actors (the largest I know of anywhere on the Net).
1890 - 1909 1910 - 1919 1920 - 1929 1930 - 1939 1940 - 1949 1950 - 1959 1960 - 1969
1970 - 1979 1980 -1989 1990 - 1999 2000 - 2009
William Gillette Gallery Basil Rathbone Gallery Jeremy Brett Gallery
Why The Gallery? Click here to see why I built this web page.
The Books Behind the Site Click here to see the books that made this site possible.
Holmes on Screen Click here for a century-long look (when it's finished...) at Holmes on tv and in films.
The Definitive Holmes Click here for my own article on the five actors and two illustrators who have defined our images of Holmes.
What About the Gown? Click here to read about a once-standard part of the Holmes image that vanished in the thirties.
Tobacco Cards Click here to see Holmes' image on tobacco cards.
Animated Holmes Click here for animated images of Holmes (no comic books)
The Four Plays Click here for information on the four plays written by Arthur Conan Doyle and William Gillette
I Say, Holmes Click here for quotes by actors who have played Sherlock Holmes.
Filmography I Click here for the Internet Movie Database's listing of Arthur Conan Doyle's movie credits.
Filmography II Click here for the Internet Movie Database's listing of Sherlock Holmes' movie credits.
Misc. Click here for general info. and trivia about the performing Holmes
Questions, comments, additional information I could add? Email me at
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