98 year old Sherlock Holmes film found!

[Kirk H.]

Found this bit of new today.

Nearly 100-year-old 'Sherlock Holmes' film found in France. Sherlock Holmes has appeared on stage and on screen numerous times played by dozens of actors, and now, thanks to a recent discovery, fans of the world’s greatest detective will be able to view a lost but key piece of his on-screen history.

The French film archive Cinémathèque Française announced on Wednesday that a silent film version of Sherlock Holmes produced in 1916 was discovered in their collection a few weeks ago. Produced by Essanay Studios, the film, simply titled Sherlock Holmes, stars William Gillette as the titular detective, a role for which he was known around the world.
Gillette was the stage actor who gave Holmes the underslung pipe. He used that on stage so the audience could see his face.

I hope it gets released on DVD

Kirk H.

 

[jamespowers]

Found this bit of new today.

Nearly 100-year-old 'Sherlock Holmes' film found in France. Sherlock Holmes has appeared on stage and on screen numerous times played by dozens of actors, and now, thanks to a recent discovery, fans of the world’s greatest detective will be able to view a lost but key piece of his on-screen history.

The French film archive Cinémathèque Française announced on Wednesday that a silent film version of Sherlock Holmes produced in 1916 was discovered in their collection a few weeks ago. Produced by Essanay Studios, the film, simply titled Sherlock Holmes, stars William Gillette as the titular detective, a role for which he was known around the world.
Gillette was the stage actor who gave Holmes the underslung pipe. He used that on stage so the audience could see his face.

I hope it gets released on DVD

Kirk H.

Interesting. Essanay Studios was a big deal out here way back then.
How that film got way out to France I have no idea but Essanay filmed many westerns in Niles, California. There is a museum on the site right now and they show silent films by the company on a regular basis. I wonder if they are aware that this film has been found. I suppose I will contact them and let them know. I am sure they would be interested.
You can see the museum and his background here:


http://nilesfilmmuseum.org/S&A_story.htm

If you can find the article, please let me know the link so I can send it along to the museum.

 

[Dixie_Amazon]

http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/10/breaking-long-lost-william-gillette.html?m=1

 

[jamespowers]

http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/10/breaking-long-lost-william-gillette.html?m=1

Interesting. Thanks!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm not surprised that it turned up in the Cinematheque. That institution is notorious for a history of slipshod filing, to the point where they'll probably never really know everything they have.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm not surprised that it turned up in the Cinematheque. That institution is notorious for a history of slipshod filing, to the point where they'll probably never really know everything they have.

:rofl: Ok, makes sense now.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Professor Moriarty hid it from us, there can be no other explanation. :eusa_doh:

 

[Kirk H.]

Professor Moriarty hid it from us, there can be no other explanation. :eusa_doh:

As the Great Detective himself said "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

 

[Doctor Damage]

I'm not surprised that it turned up in the Cinematheque. That institution is notorious for a history of slipshod filing, to the point where they'll probably never really know everything they have.

I guess that means they didn't destroy everything like the BBC did? +1 for the French.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Henri Langlois, the Cinematheque founder, wasn't so much an archivist as he was a pack rat. He basically hoarded film, wherever he could find it, and squirreled it away in his lair, often without ever bothering to even look inside the cans. He died in the '70s, and they're still digging thru the collection to try and figure out exactly what's there. One discovery was the Lon Chaney film "The Unknown," which had been right there in plain sight for decades -- except that it was lost among the thousands of cans labeled "unknown."