How Does the Baskervilles’ Hound Look?: Adaptation as Critique

Abstract

How does Sherlock Holmes look? Does he look like Jeremy Brett (1933-1995) or Basil Rathbone (1892-1967) or Nicol Williamson (1936-2011) or Peter Cushing (1913- 1994) or Robert Downey Jr. (1965- ) or Rupert Everett (1959- )? All these actors have played Holmes in various adaptations, either of the canonical stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) or in pastiches inspired by him, with varying degrees of success. While these actors of different eras approached the role in diverse manners – depending on the school of acting they belonged to – students of film studies as well as Holmesiana have limited their debates to questions such as “who suited the role best” (Britt) and “whether Robert Downey Jr. was not too short to play Holmes” (Gentry-Birnbaum). Such debates are undoubtedly valid – and add considerably to our understanding and enjoyment not only of the adaptation but also of the written text.