The Books Behind the Essays

Sherlock Holmes may well be the most popular character in television and movie history. Just when it seems that the public has tired of him, some producer decides to dust off the inverness cape and put him on the screen again. Much has been written on the screen Holmes. In our Internet age, more information is available than I certainly could have envisioned as a child, watching those Basil Rathbone movies.

Out of print books can be found on eBay and through on-line book searches. While I have found pieces of information in many different places, I must acknowledge my gratitude to the authors of the books listed below. They have profoundly increased my knowledge in this area.

    A Study in Celluloid - Michael Cox

Contains an episode-by-episode breakdown of the fantastic Grenada series. Cox was the original producer for it and offers an expert insider's view.

    Holmes of the Movies - David Stuart Davies

The most readable of the various on-screen guides, with an introduction by Peter Cushing. Davies is the editor of Sherlock Holmes: The Detective Magazine, as well as several Holmes pastiches.

   The Television Sherlock Holmes Peter Haining

Haining has written several different Holmes works. This book is primarily about the Grenada series, but it covers other shows. This has long been a favorite of mine.

    Sherlock Holmes Screen & Sound Guide - Gordon Kelley

One of my more recent additions, it is an encyclopedic listing of tv, films and radio, plus a bit more.

    Sherlock Holmes on the Screen - Robert Pohle, Jr. & Douglas Hart

This book contains a LOT of information, including much about the non-Holmes roles of the various actors.

    The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes       The Sherlock Holmes File

by Michael Pointer

If I have a mentor in this Holmesian field, it is Michael Pointer. His two books taught me more about Holmes on stage and screen than the rest combined (no slight intended to others).

    The Films of Sherlock Holmes - Chris Steinbrunner & Norman Michaels

Another fine entry in a GREAT book series. The detail from the Rathbone films on is excellent.

 HOLMES ON SCREEN