Sherlock Holmes DVD

Thanks to the success of the BFI Out Of The Unknown DVD Box Set for which John Kelly and (to a lesser extent) I supplied the majority of the extra material, we have been asked to provide a similar service on the forthcoming release of the Douglas Wilmer series of Sherlock Holmes (click on the title and you’ll be directed to the purchase page from the BFI, not Amazon). Asked and budgeted for two commentaries John has done his usual magic and provided five, all of which I have moderated. The line-ups for these are:

The Illustrious Client
Peter Sasdy (director)

The Devil’s Foot
Douglas Wilmer (Holmes)

The Red Headed-League
David Andrews (Vincent Spaulding), Trevor Martin (Duncan Ross)

Charles Augustus Milverton
Douglas Wilmer (Holmes)

The Abbey Grange (existing 20 minutes only)
Peter Cregeen (director)

Douglas Wilmer and his wife Anne were courteous enough to welcome us into their home and Mr Wilmer – at 95 – was on fine form, though his relationship with the show was not the easiest. We hosted the other gentlemen at Shepherd’s Bush and it was fantastic to be reunited with Out Of The Unknown alumni Messrs Cregeen and Sasdy (my “moderation” of the latter’s commentary comes to the sum total of about two and a half sentences I think!). David Andrews and Trevor Martin hadn’t seen each other since the episode was made but got on like a house on fire and are great company throughout. It’s another terrific package and the set benefits from reconstructions of the missing portions of the two incomplete episodes – episodes which have never been released commercially until now. The soundtrack exists for one, and the other features a special Story So Far… performed by Mr Wilmer. The set will be released at the end of March 2015 and the extras were turned out in record time. Thanks to ultra-keen exec Sam Dunn of the BFI and John Kelly as ever for going above and beyond. And my old mucker Peter Crocker has tarted up the pictures too!