The Baker Street Blog

"A Picker-Up of Shells" [HOUN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:03:06 PST

The January 18, 2010 edition of Publisher's Weekly is currently running a piece by Lenny Picker called, cleverly enough, "The Return of Sherlock Holmes."

In it he predicts a spike in sales of books about Sherlock Holmes - the first since the craze that followed the publication of The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and the revival of William Gillette's play in the 1970s. In fact, he notes that PW previously had predicted the phenomenon as they ran a piece in 1974 called "The Case of the Baker Street Boom."

This time around, PW has some great quotes from Sherlockians we know and respect: bookseller and editor Otto Penzler (whom we interviewed on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere), Sherlockian bon vivant Peter Blau, author Lindsay Faye and pastiche database keeper Philip K. Jones. Theories abound as to the reason behind the rise in new Holmes stories - from nostalgia to desire for new stories. But the interview subjects all agree that there are many ways to find our way to Holmes and that there will be many more to come.

Here are a few of the titles mentioned in the article - well worth checking out:

"The Great Black-Faced Monkey" [CREE]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:11:32 PST

I love hearing from other Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts - many have similar stories of how we all got interested; a book, a movie, a visit to London. But sometimes there's a unique twist involved.

Here's an excerpt from a recent email I received from Matt:

About five years ago, I caught a Hound of the Baskervilles showing on television and instantly became a fan Sherlock Holmes. My interest sparked when I shortly thereafter discovered Jeremy Brett's version,and I have seen every episode in that masterful Granada series. A couple years ago, my job afforded me almost weekly travel between New York and London and I had the chance to visit the museum at 221B Baker St., stay in the hotel and visit the pub, both named after the legend.

Another interest of mine since I was a small child, for some odd reason - perhaps their scientific binding to us, has been primates. I remember having collected several stuffed animals, one of which, a sock monkey, still "resides" with me in New York.

For Christmas this year, my girlfriend took is upon herself to combine those two loves and have something unique created for me.

And this is where Matt included the following photo, courtesy of siansburys on Flickr.

Sian has an Etsy shop you can check out - and it looks like she does custom orders. It might be just the gift for the Professor Presbury in your life.

"You'll Feel Bullier" [STUD]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:44:05 PST

In a recent New York Times article, the question of the rights of the characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories was investigated ("For the Heirs of Holmes, a Tangled Web").

As any news story about the rights to Sherlock Holmes does, this one included the name of Andrea Plunket, the widow of Sheldon Reynolds, who claims to hold some copyrights, despite being denied repeatedly by U.S. federal courts. Of course, Sheldon Reynolds was the producer of the 1950s Sherlock Holmes series starring Ronald Howard. You can find the complete series by clicking here.

And as Plunket goes, so goes Lellenberg: Jon Lellenberg, BSI ("Rodger Prescott") manages the literary estate of the Conan Doyle family here in the U.S. and he's more than familiar with Ms. Plunket's claims. However, it would seem that he's not familiar with a use of Sherlock Holmes in some recent advertising - something that he said "definitely should" be licensed:

Asked about a recent Red Bull television commercial that features a cartoon Holmes and Watson, Mr. Lellenberg said he had not seen it. “Very interesting,” he said. “News to me.”

Here, for your consideration (and for Jon's as well) is that Red Bull ad.

And speaking of advertising, you might pick up a copy of the 2009 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual, "Did You Notice Nothing Curious About That Advertisement?" In it, Peggy Perdue takes a look at the various incarnations of Holmes in the marketing and advertising world.

"Globe of Light" [VALL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:12:00 PST

For the three of you who may not have yet heard the news, Robert Downey, Jr. received a Golden Globe award for his role in the recent film "Sherlock Holmes."

His award was for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical (!). Since the film wasn't a musical, we're assuming the august and all-wise members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) put the latest interpretation of the immortal detective in the comedy category. We should all have such a sense of humor.

In his unconventional acceptance speech, Downey - who still refuses to wear a tie - he thanked almost no one. For a while, he seemed to play on the ego for a while, perhaps even channeling a bit of Holmes in his remarks. But then, to the delight of Sherlockians everywhere, he supplied a quote to the HFPA:

"There's a Holmes quote by Conan Doyle - who was a genius, by the way - and he said 'Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms.' That is why I'd like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press - 'cause they're a strange bunch and now I'm one of 'em."

"Somewhat Acid Irony" [VALL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:57:50 PST

Occasionally, we run across images and mentions that strike a particular chord. Humorous, ironic, strange, fortuitous, or amazingly on-point, they bear a mention here. Today's example is one that was just too poignant to pass up: an image at the Baker Street Underground stop.

Have you seen or heard anything that bears a note here? Drop us a line and give us a tip.

"Breakfast 2s 6d, Cocktail 1s" [NOBL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:58:43 PST

For our final day at the BSI Weekend, we recreated the Saturday experience as we've known it for some years: breakfast at the Red Flame Diner, browsing the Vendors' Room at the Algonquin Hotel, and then the Baker Street Irregulars Reception.

Each of these has an important and universal component to it: we have an opportunity to spend time interacting with other Holmesians present at the events. With the advent of Facebook and the Sherlock Holmes Social Network, it's easy to connect with other like-minded souls at any time. But as we've said before, our little hobby is one of the original social networks. We gather because of a single common interest, yet we connect on a variety of levels. And the the convivial conversation, witty banter and intellectual discourse we have in person is irreplaceable. Indeed, it's one of the driving forces behind so many hundreds of us gather in New York each January.

Breakfast at the Red Flame is one of the unscripted events during the weekend. The diner is directly next to the Algonquin, so it's a natural stop for so many of us. Walking in the door, you feel like you're in a neighborhood establishment, as you're instantly greeted by waves and greetings. The booths accommodate up to 4 people, so the breakfast discussions are usually intimate - and funny if you happen to be at some of the booths we've been lucky enough to join over the years.

The gates to the Vendors' Room open at 9:00 a.m., and one will usually find Jerry Margolin foaming at the mouth, lest anyone gain admission before he does. Jerry is always first in and first with his checkbook out. The collectibles range from a full table of BSI publications to rare books, theatre cards, correspondence, jewelry, and a wide variety of Sherlockiana. It's really a site to behold. And usually, we stop in between the tables, chatting with each other and congratulating the newest members of the BSI as they come through.

The Reception
Over the last few years, the New York City Bar Association has graciously shared their quarters with us - very convenient, as they're literally across the street from the Algonquin. In addition to food and drink, attendees hunger and thirst for the entertainment that accompanies this annual party. The BSI dinner is capably recapped - in verse - by Al Rosenblatt ("Inspector Bradstreet") and his daughter Betsy Rosenblatt ("Lucy Ferrier"). This year, they focused on current events including recent late night television show wars, Tiger Woods, and of course the Guy Ritchie film.

Another highlight is the auction for some unique Holmesian items, the proceeds of which benefit the John H. Watson Fund. The fund helps to defray the travel costs for Sherlockians who are otherwise unable to afford the entire price of the BSI Weekend. This year's auction items included a pillow embroidered to reflect events in "The Abbey Grange," a set of posters from the new film, a medical certificate signed by Joseph Bell's father (Bell himself being a medical school professor of Conan Doyle's and an inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes), and a set of five medals/pins from the Curious Collectors of Baker Street. There was also an impromptu bidding for a BSI dinner packet which was left behind last night by the author of this blog. (!)

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Ray Jessel, lyricist for the 1965 Broadway musical "Baker Street" and one of last night's dinner guests, joined us today as well - and graced us with some banter and a few witty songs. Update: You can view the entire set of recorded musical numbers by Ray and others here:

With that, we wrapped up the weekend and hopped on a flight back home. The full recap of the weekend events will be available in the Spring issue of the Baker Street Journal. Please follow the link to subscribe.

"Irregularity at Meals" [3STU]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:58:43 PST

The Friday of the BSI Weekend is typically spent running from meal to meal. By the end of it, one begins to wonder if it was even a wise thing to do to commit to a breakfast, large lunch, and catered dinner all in a single day. But then one thinks back on the conversations had, friendships rekindled, and new faces met, and one realizes that it's well worth the expanding waistline.

The William Gillette Memorial Lunch has been in existence for over 60 years. Currently held at Moran's Chelsea Restaurant, it originated as a lunch for out-of-towners who arrived early for the BSI dinner. Now, it's open to everyone who would like to attend, so you'll see a strong contingent of locals as well as travelers. The locals also include the Friends of Bogey's of Baker Street, a stage troupe who always have an humorous skit that incorporates William Gillette. This year, hilarity ensued as they took a Holmesian approach to nursery rhymes and we were treated to Peter Peter Amberley, the Adventure of the Christmas Pie, the Three Rubadubs, the 24 Black Peeps, and a Cardboard Box containing the severed tails of three vision-impaired mice.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The BSI Dinner
The highlight of the weekend for those who are invited to attend is always the annual dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars - the very event that that got this entire movement started. This year, there was plenty to be excited about, including some celebrity sightings such as Neil Gaiman, Laurie R. King and Curtis Armstrong, to name a few. But the real stars are the Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts who make it such an interesting place to be.

This year, the dinner was held at a new venue for the BSI - the Yale Club, just a couple of blocks from the Algonquin Hotel. It was the equivalent of the Union League Club, The Woman for 2010 - typically the (long-suffering) wife of a long-standing BSI member was Karen Gurion, wife of Andrew J. Peck, BSI ("Inspector Baynes, Surrey Constabulary"). She was toasted by Jerry Margolin ("Hilton Cubitt") and then she gave her own remarks. Of Andy's acquisition of an original Frederic Dorr Steele illustration of Sherlock Holmes, she remarked, "That's art?" To which, noted dealer Otto Penzler, who was in attendance replied, "So sell it back!" Karen clearly warmed up to the group, saying that she felt like Sally Field: "You like me! You really like me!" And indeed, we do.

Following the cocktail party, we wound our way upstairs to the dining room and began the proceedings of the evening. Wiggins got right to the awards, first doling out a special crystal award with Queen Victoria on one side and Sherlock Holmes on the other, to Freda Howlett, widow of Holmesian Tony Howlett and one of the co-founders of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London. Directly following Freda's award, Mike launched into the Eddies - awards given to the editors of BSI publications to demonstrate his thanks for the hard work they've done. They were:

Steve Rothman for A Remarkable Mixture
Les Klinger for his general editorship of the BSI Manuscript and History Series and A Tangled Skein
John Bergquist for So Painful a Scandal
Susan Dahlinger and Glen Miranker for co-editing the 2007 BSJ Christmas Annual Rathbone Returns
Gianluca Salvatore for editing Mandate for Murder
A posthumous award to H. Paul Jeffers for the 2005 BSJ Christmas Annual Once a Week in Baker Street

Some remarks from Wiggins followed: the BSI Archives will become increasingly important over the next five years and the correspondence of every member of the BSI is sought; more scholarly conferences around the country will be happening; and we need to keep in mind not to take ourselves too seriously. That being said, we launched into some papers, some serious, some not so serious.

Nils Nordberg ("A Norwegian Named Sigerson") opined on the Scandinavian roots of Holmes, and was followed by Sue Vizoskie ("Mrs. Saunders") who posited that Holmes was a woman (!). Finally, Nathan Hartley ("Penang Lawyer") discussed the original Penang lawyer and the real identity of James Mortimer. Then, Peter Blau ("Black Peter") took the podium and gave a toast to An Old Irregular - in this case, Bill Rabe. We'll have some of the audio at a later date. But Peter let us know that Bill, who was one of the inspirations behind "Aunt Clara," which we sing every year, got his inspiration from a song called "Mush Mush."

Henry Boote ("Meyers, Toronto") stepped up to tickle the ivories and gave us a rendition of "Mush, Mush" and then invited Scott Monty to belt out a few stanzas of "Aunt Clara" with gracious help from the audience on the chorus. And as if that wasn't enough musical entertainment, we were joined by Ray Jessel, the songwriter who was responsible for the Broadway musical "Baker Street" (you can purchase it by clicking through). Ray gave some brief remarks and then played a few songs on the piano, including the memorable "A Married Man." He shared that to write for Watson was eaier, as "he represents the human element" in the Canon. To say that it was a treat to hear Ray play would be an immense understatement.

We then stood on the terrace for the BSIs we lost over the last year. They included: Edwin King, Joe Fink, Ed Lauterbach, Edward Starr, Richard Warner, Frank Beckman, and H. Paul Jeffers. Then it was time to move on to the happier part of the program...

The Honours List
The awarding of the irregular shilling is always a marvelous thing. There were nine in the class of 2010, as well as three Two-Shilling Awards:

"Lord Bellinger" - Tom Cynkin
"Ettie Shafter" - Pj Doyle
"Vernet" - Sir Christopher Frayling
"Imperial Tokay" - Patricia Guy
"The Red Circle" - Laurie R. King
"Violet Smith" - Sarah Montague
"Holloway and Steele" - Daniel Polvere
"The Three Gables' - Sally Sugarman
"Isadora Klein" - Maria Carmen Veiga Hayzen
John Bergquist, Two Shilling Award
Bob Coghill, Two Shilling Award
Steve Doyle, Two Shilling Award

The dinner concluded with the reading of "A Long Evening with Holmes."

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Aplogies for any typos or misspellings; this was done in haste.

"One Winter's Night" [MUSG]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:58:43 PST

The first day of the BSI weekend has kicked things off nicely. We arrived to the Algonquin Hotel mid-morning just in time to see the Christopher Morley Walk getting started on the streets of New York. The lobby was fairly quiet, but there was a a table of longstanding friends and Holmesians gathered, including Susan Rice ("Beeswing"), Marilyn MacGregor ("V.V. 341"), Jon Lellenberg ("Rodger Prescott") and Susan Dahlinger ("The Bruce-Partington Plans"). We were soon joined by Curtis Armstrong ("An Actor and a Rare One"), John Baesch ("State and Merton County Railroad"), Scott Bond ("The Copper Beeches") and Sherry Rose Bond ("Violet Hunter"). We were able to briefly get caught up on families, jobs, retirement and general friendly chatter.

Lunchtime saw us first at the National Arts Club for the lunch of the Sacred Six, and then directly next door at the Players Club for the Lunch of Steele, in memory of Frederic Dorr Steele, illustrator of some of the Sherlock Holmes stories. A member of the Players for 40 years, his artwork was on display and his pool cue was still in its holder. The group enjoyed receiving the first lapel pin for the Three Hours For Lunch Club - the precursor to the Baker Street Irregulars.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

At the Williams Club, the annual Morley-Montgomery Award for the best article in the Baker Street Journal, was given to Marshall S. ("Mike") Berdan, a contributor for more than 30 years, won for his Spring 2009 article on "The Mazarin Stone". The award was presented at a reception sponsored by the Baker Street Journal, attended by many of the past year's contributors. While the gathering included many seasoned "regulars" who write frequently for the Journal, also present was 18-year-old Lucy Kiefer, whose first Sherlockian paper appeared in the Summer issue.

As the evening drew closer, it was time for the BSI Distinguished Speaker series, and this outing brought us an archivist - one Joan Winterkorn, a valuation expert with Bernard Quaritch of London. She spoke about some of the great archives she had known, including the papers and correspondence of seven generations of the John Murray publishing family. The latter include most of Lord Byron's important manuscripts and letters as well as much correspondence with Arthur Conan Doyle. The Distinguished Speaker lecture was graced with the attendance of two previous Distinguished Speakers, Sir Christopher Frayling and Laurie R. King, as well as dozens of Sherlockians. It was a bibliophile's dream.

After the lecture, people formed small groups and found their way to local restaurants, savoring perhaps the last intimate moments before the festivities really kick into full gear tomorrow.

"Weekend Visitors" [SOLI]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:58:43 PST

Well, the Baker Street Irregulars weekend is upon us! Hundreds of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts will converge upon New York in an annual ritual that has its origins all the way back in 1934.

The unofficial headquarters of the weekend is the Algonquin Hotel, home of the famed Algonquin Round Table, about which much has been written. We'll be spending plenty of time in the lobby, as well as running from meal to meal and catching up with those we haven't seen in a while.

We'll also be providing regular updates here as time allows, and on Twitter as @S_Holmes. You can also follow in the box on the right, as we use the Twitter "hashtag" (that's a pound sign in front of an acronym) #bsiweekend. Expect to get the news of the newest investitured members of the Baker Street Irregulars on Twitter as they're announced.

If you can't be with us in person, we hope you're with us in spirit. This is an exciting time for Holmesians everywhere. It's amazing how much we'll be able to share through the power of the web.

Click here to see related posts on the BSI Weekend.

"The Purchase Will Be Completed" [STOC]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:24:20 PST

If you've been waiting patiently for the release of the soundtrack of the Sherlock Holmes film, with music by Hans Zimmer, your wait is over!

As of January 12, 2010, Sherlock Holmes: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available for sale on Amazon.com. You even have the option of downloading the digital (mp3) version of it as well.

You can see the previous mentions of the soundtrack and Mr. Zimmer on these posts:
"Scored Once More" [MISS]
"I Reviewed the Whole Extraordinary Sequence of Events" [SIGN]

We hope you'll indulge your musical Holmesian interests and add this fine soundtrack to your collection. We deem it a worthy item.

Related post: "A Composer of No Ordinary Merit" [REDH]

"The Hill-Folk Up There" [CROO]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:02:04 PST

As we continue to try to grapple with writer's block over the movie review, let's lift our collective spirits with some humor. Fans of Benny Hill will appreciate this video.

"I Grieve to Say" [ILLU]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:36:54 PST

We just learned of the passing of H. Paul Jeffers, BSI ("Wilson Hargreave") on December 4. There's something of a personal connection here, but first, let's put the facts in front of you, as Sherlock Holmes would prefer. But fair warning: there are many links to click through if you're up to the task.

Paul was an author and a journalist and was prolific in all of his writing. And to know Paul was to understand how diverse his interests were. They ranged from Sherlock Holmes to Americana, from smoking () to religious topics (Dark Mysteries of the Vatican& The Complete Idiot's Guide to Jerusalem), from secret societies (The Freemasons in America: Inside the Secret Society) to maritime adventure (Burning Cold: The Cruise Ship Prinsendam and the Greatest Sea Rescue of all Time).

The American icons in Jeffers' works included Theodore Roosevelt - Roosevelt the Explorer: T.R.'s Amazing Adventures as a Naturalist, Conservationist, and Explorer and In the Roughrider's Shadow: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. -- War Hero as well as Fiorello LaGuardia, "Diamond Jim" Brady, Billy Mitchell, and Sal Mineo. He even covered one of the greatest natural disasters in the U.S. in the last century in Disaster By the Bay: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906.

His works that involved Sherlock Holmes include Murder Most Irregular (in which a member of the Baker Street Irregulars is murdered on the evening of the annual dinner), and A Grand Night for Murder (in which an Edgar award winner is offed the day after receiving the award). He authored the 2005 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual Once a Week in Baker Street: the Boucher Green Years and edited a book from their work: The Forgotten Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Based on the Original Radio Plays by Anthony Boucher and Denis Green. He even wrote one that combined his interest in Roosevelt and Holmes: The Adventure of the Stalwart Companions, which included Detective Wilson Hargreave of the New York Police Bureau, mentioned in "The Dancing Men."

As you can see, quite prolific. And this isn't even the end of it. Take a look at his Amazon page for a more complete assessment, or scroll through the carousel below.

I was lucky enough to meet Paul at a meeting of the Men on the Tor - the first Sherlock Holmes society I belonged to. It was after I left Connecticut to head to college, and I returned for a meeting at the Griswold Inn in Essex, CT. I remember sitting next to him and admiring the Peterson's Sherlock Holmes pipe that he was smoking. We got to talking and he told me about the two books he wrote about Holmes, as well as his car-less existence; he traveled to meetings via train (or ride-sharing, in some cases). We struck up a correspondence and one day a package arrived in the mail from Paul: he sent me those two books, inscribed. I still have them in my collection and I'll always treasure them.

In 1999, Paul received his investiture from the BSI, which was "Wilson Hargreave," after the detective who made an appearance in Stalwart Companion. If you have a memory of Paul, please feel free to share it in the comments section below.

Note: From time to time, we run obituaries here on the Baker Street Blog, to honor those Holmesians who have passed beyond the Reichenbach. You can find previous entries by clicking on the "terrace" label at the end of the post. The reference to the terrace is from "His Last Bow," in which Holmes says to Watson:

"Stand with me here upon the terrace, for it may be the last quiet talk that we shall ever have."

"The Trend of Events" [LAST]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:03:21 PST

Opening day of the film "Sherlock Holmes" resulted in lots of online chatter. Twitter, as mentioned previously on these pages ("With Every Nerve in a Twitter" [TWIS]) manages to capture that public commentary in near real-time. And it's a fairly decent barometer of the public's reaction to any given current event, as we witnessed in 2009 with the death of Michael Jackson, the Tiger Woods affair(s) and events in Iran, to name a few.

On December 26, we monitored some of the chatter on Twitter using the search feature at http://search.twitter.com which contains a listing of the top 10 trends at any given moment. Throughout the day, the terms "Sherlock" and "Sherlock Holmes" were squarely in the middle of the trending topics and remained there consistently - even beating "Happy Boxing Day" at one point:

That trend continued on December 27th as well.

When one stops to think about it , it's an amazing feat for a character so firmly rooted in the 19th century to appear in the public stream of consciousness so solidly. In addition, there are reports that not only did the film beat the 3-D special effects film "Avatar," but it also set the record for a Christmas Day opening. Overall, it took in $65.4 million at the box office for the weekend. Not to shabby for someone whose rates were on a fixed scale.

Here's hoping that the continued attention on the film will bring more readers to the original stories.

"Quickly Test the Matter" [SILV]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:10:00 PST

We recently discovered another Sherlock Holmes-related app on iTunes. You may recall the recent review we did on a previous app ("Now, That Shows Real Application" [STOC]), which was a modestly priced service that mapped Canonical locations to present-day London.

This new app by SuperMonko is a Sherlock Holmes quiz that challenges your knowledge of the great detective through four different levels of play. But be forewarned: the quiz doesn't only test what you know about the stories; there are references to film and television productions as well.

Despite a few misspellings and an occasionally vague wording of a question, we found the quiz to be a decent one. The most erudite Sherlockian should be able to answer most of the questions without much help, although there may be a few obscure or arcane items that only the truest devotee will know. The newbies will have enough to keep them interested without feeling ostracized, as the first level contains questions that are basic without being entirely vapid. For the $0.99 purchase price, it's a diversion that's well worth the investment.

You can get the app by clicking here or by clicking on the image above.

If you do download the app to your iPhone or iPod touch, please drop a line and let us know what score you managed to achieve.

"The Second Morning After Christmas" [BLUE]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 05:55:39 PST

As part of our editorial duties, we always strive for a unique and original title for our posts. As such, we try not to duplicate the Canonical phrases that aptly sum up the topic at hand on any given day. And in nearly 500 posts, we've managed to avoid any such duplication, for the most part.

The only exception to that has been the post "The Second Morning After Christmas" [BLUE] which has been used in 2006 and 2008 previously. As is the custom with the Wall Street Journal, which annually reproduces a 1961 editorial on the pilgrims in the new world, we saw no reason to avoid replication here.

So, we bring you "Two Days After Christmas," a tribute to "The Blue Carbuncle" in the style of Clement Moore's A Visit from St. Nick.

Two Days After Christmas

Please feel free to share and use this at your own Sherlockian society holiday meetings. The only thing we ask is that you attribute the poem to its rightful author.

For those of you inclined more to listening rather than reading, here's the audio version, courtesy of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere:

"Production of the Photograph" [SIXN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:53:45 PST

Each year for the last five or six years, I've been lucky enough to receive a Christmas card from fellow Sherlockian Richard Ray Green of the Genus Loci of Birmingham, Alabama. His son Joshua has been a fellow co-conspirator in Richard's interest in the Canon and in many ways has eclipsed his dad with his own activity in plays and other local events.

But the highlight of their year - something they take great pride in - is their Sherlockian Christmas card. It's always a set of photographs that recreate scenes from the Sherlock Holmes stories that are well known. And you can tell that they really put serious thought and hard work into making their creation a reality.

This year, they chose a number of appearances of Holmes in comics and graphic novels, and a couple of stills from the latest film thrown in for good measure. Here's a slideshow of the original images that inspired their card and the resulting scenes that they shot.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

If you like what you see here, you can get an entire 2010 Sherlockian calendar with images from Richard and Joshua. The Sherlockian purveyors Classic Specialties have used their images, along with the matching Canonical images and Sherlockian dates of interest throughout the year. As Classic Specialties themselves wrote:

In order to show the degree of canonical authenticity which Joshua, his contemporaries and his dad have achieved, we have taken the liberty of including appropriate illustrations from the original magazine publications (The Strand and Colliers). As has been our custom during the past couple of years, we also include on each month of the calendar, annotations of the birth dates of all our Sherlockian friends who were kind enough to share that information with us, and, of course, annotations of important canonical events with their associated dates. The graphic at your right shows the Greens' re-enactment of the slaying of The Hound of the Baskervilles (the insert is the Paget version). We certainly hope that you will receive this unique exposition of these Young Sherlockians' energy and creativity with the same enthusiasm that we have.

You can purchase a 2010 Sherlockian calendar for yourself by clicking here.

"Enough to Drive a Patient into an Asylum" [DYIN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:17:00 PST

Everyone wants a piece of the action that Warner Bros is stirring up. Certainly we here at the blog are happy about the additional attention that the greatest literary detective is getting. But as with any push in the entertainment industry, we get all sorts of attempts to cash in at varying levels of quality.

Using the very original title "Sherlock Holmes," a home entertainment company aptly named The Asylum has developed the crazy idea that Holmes should be battling robots and giant monsters in Victorian London (!) as they release their creation directly to DVD. To show you how serious they are about their work, they take great pride in having their video Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus named by Entertainment Weekly as the worst DVD of 2009. Says The Asylum: "They obviously didn't see any of our other films..."

Wired magazine ("Now Playing: Cheap-and-Schlocky Blockbuster Ripoffs")has a term for this: mockbuster. And they refer to the Asylum as "a low-budget studio specializing in shamelessly derivative knockoffs." Evidently, their version of the eponymous film will be made for less than $500,000 thanks to "cheap digital technology and even cheaper talent," and will join the pantheon of other B-movie titles such as Snakes on a Train, Transmorphers, and The Day the Earth Stopped that have made the company $5 million in the last year.

This version of Holmesian happenings not only includes robots, dinosaurs and giant squid, but the creators have graciously added hookers and a bomb-throwing dragon to the mix as well. Originally, we had thought it might have been The Lost World meets Sherlock Holmes, but something tells us that there's more (less?) to it than that.

Count us even less excited to see this version. If completist collector John Bennett Shaw, BSI ("The Hans Sloane of My Age") were alive, you can bet he'd add it to his collection. Will anyone else? Until then, we recommend picking up a copy of Schlock Homes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga by Robert L. Fish. At least that volume is clearly a parody.

A tip of the deerstalker goes to MovingPictureBlog.

"A Large Collection of Valuable Curiosities" [SIGN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:20:41 PST

The University of Minnesota Libraries have a valuable claim to fame: they house the Sherlock Holmes Collection - positively the largest collection of material about the great detective than any other in the world.

The curator, Tim Johnson, is a very knowledgable Sherlockian and librarian. He brings his personal passion and professional expertise together in a way that few can. Please sit back an enjoy a few minutes with Tim and others as they take you through some of the wonderful collection you can find at the library.

It goes without saying that if you're ever in the upper Midwest, take some time to get to the collection. They're always happy to have visitors. And you can even join the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collection.

Here are some previous posts about Minnesota and its connection to the Sherlockian world:
"For Sixty Years the Bulwark..." [BLAC]
"My Collection of M's is a Fine One" [EMPT]
"He Has Peremptorily Requested" [SECO]
"At This Conference" [MAZA]

"An Element of Comedy" [3GAB]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:59:38 PST

It seems that the great detective is showing up everywhere in popular culture lately - certainly the film, but online, in print and on the air as well.

In this case, NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon takes a stab at a sketch featuring Fallon as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law making an appearance as Dr. Watson. Take a look here at their attempt.

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

"Sombre Face of the Old House" [VALL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:35:50 PST

And now for something completely different - a Baker Street Blog post that's not about the movie.

Alexian Gregory, BSI ("The Grimpen Postmaster") has forwarded along a petition to help save Undershaw, the home that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's designed in 1897 and in which he wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1902. The home is now in danger of falling into the hands of developers, as it has not achieved the appropriate grade for saving as an historic home.

You can click here to view the petition and sign it electronically. If you choose, you can also donate a nominal amount through PayPal. The text of the petition is here:

'Undershaw' the former home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes and spiritualist's greatest ambassador is under threat from the property developers who plan to split the house up and build apartments in the heart of the Surrey countryside in the middle of National Trust land. The organisation Hindhead Together and many local supporters would like to see this historical house restored to it's former glory and opened to the public as a museum and tea rooms welcoming visitors worldwide.

The developers are due to submit their plans to the planning department very shortly. This petition is to object to private residential dwellings and to prevent 'Undershaw' from being split up and to retain public access to the grounds and building.

It is intended to forward this petition to Russell Morris, the Historical Buildings Officer of the local planning office as and when the plan for the housing complex becomes registered.

Mr John Gibson FRICS has set up and registered 'The Undershaw Preservation Trust' with the government as a Museum and Cafeteria. We desperately need your help, please visit the blog to find out how you can help us support this valuable cause.

Please take the time to read up on this important effort and do what you can to help support it.

Related posts:
"I Can Hardly Explain It" [NOBL] - February 7, 2007
"Shall I Sign Here?" [BLAC] - February 21, 2007
"Possibly You Have Seen Pictures and Read Descriptions of the Famous Old Building" [MUSG] - July 6, 2006

"A Touch of Madness" [3GAB]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:41:00 PST

Marketing blogger Chris Thilk keeps a site called Movie Marketing Madness, in which he summarizes and assesses the efforts of Hollywood in their creativity and execution around marketing new films.

As you can imagine, he's done his homework for the Warner Bros film "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law, directed by Guy Ritchie. You can see previous mentions of the film on the Baker Street Blog by clicking on this link.

Thilk includes in his assessment a mention of the posters, the trailers (yes, there were two), the online component - including the 221B game, the television advertising and cross-promotions such as 7-Eleven and the Visit Britain tie-in, and the TweetDeck theme. In addition, there's an extensive section on press coverage, which very kindly lists the Baker Street Blog.

"Scored Once More" [MISS]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 21:40:18 PST

Previously mentioned in passing on these pages, we're happy to revisit the topic of music and the new Warner Bros. film. The original soundtrack score to "Sherlock Holmes" is by Hans Zimmer, who is also known for his musical work on The Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Gladiator and many others.

The Sherlock Holmes Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It's expected to be available on January 12, 2010. Probably too soon to be able to be in your hands for a trip to the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend in New York later that week. But stay tuned - maybe we'll have the iTunes version announced here at that time (hint, hint). You can keep up with the latest Sherlock Holmes news by subscribing above via email or RSS.

If you're interested in other soundtracks related to Sherlock Holmes, please check my review of the original soundtrack of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes: "A Composer of No Ordinary Merit" [REDH].

"We Could Plainly See the Figures on Her Deck" [SIGN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:33:00 PST

In the continued marketing effort for the upcoming Warner Bros. "Sherlock Holmes," we're seeing more of an online push.

Tweetdeck, which is a desktop application for people who use Twitter, has developed a new theme called the Tweetdeck Telegram Co. - prominently featuring the 221B game we reviewed here last month.

If you use Twitter, there are applications such as Tweetdeck that allow you to sort your followers into groups, in order to manage the flow of information. You can create a number of columns, to make the scanning easier. For example, you can create a column with just replies to you; a column that features results from a search term you've input (such as "Sherlock Holmes"); and the Sherlockian version of Tweetdeck allows you watch a column called "Inside 221B" which shows you updates of characters in the game, such as Madame Rowena and Mrs. Hudson's Diary.

It's a very nice interface, with a Victorian / Steampunk flavor to it. Here's what it looks like after you get things going.

"If I Might Offer You" [STOC]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:03:53 PST

From time to time, I'm approached by advertisers with offers for you, my readers. As you can imagine, there are all sorts of Sherlock Holmes-related products out there right now. The discriminating Sherlockian can probably tell the difference between the real thing and the hastily assembled also-ran items.

In the spirit of full disclosure, on any of the Amazon links that I share with you, I receive a small commission. It's not much, but it lets me buy one book or CD about every month. And since I'm doing this blog as a labor of love and not asking any subscription fees or support from my readers, I hope that you'll consider clicking on the links or using the Amazon search box in the sidebar to make your purchases. And I should also note that I won't post an advertisement or offer that I don't personally believe in.

In this case, I've got a pair of great offers from Fandango - you can reserve your tickets to the new movie now, through this link, and get a free download of the song "Holmes" from the soundtrack on iTunes:

And you can also enter the sweepstakes, giving you a chance to win a trip for two to London, with a four-night stay at a 4-star hotel and admission to the Sherlock Holmes Museum:

I hope you'll take advantage of this offer, and consider sharing it with your friends. Enjoy!

"Formidable Machinery In Motion" [STUD]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:35 PST

Hold onto your seat, folks. That is, if you happen to attend a screening of the new Sherlock Holmes film and you're in a theatre that happens to accommodate the technology described below - one that will literally move you.

Of course, this isn't entirely new. You may recall hearing of a film from 1959 called The Tingler, in which a pathologist discovers that a parasite growing on the spine - a "tingler," can only be stopped by screaming. Director William Castle employed the gimmick of electrical buzzers installed in seats and set them off during appropriate moments during the film. More on that from Wikipedia.

Anyway, here's what D-Box is bringing us for Christmas:

D-BOX Technologies, Inc., a leader in innovative motion technology for the entertainment industry, has announced its ninth major motion picture release and fourth one with Warner Bros. for its new holiday blockbuster, Sherlock Holmes, opening Christmas Day.

Audiences will experience the classic, adventure-mystery like never before from seats that move simultaneously with the onscreen suspense and intense action. With motion effects embedded frame by frame, sensations of motion occur during action scenes, while seats remain still during quieter, dialogue-driven sequences.

"With nine new releases, a fourth one with Warner Bros and 10 movie theatre locations to date, we are thrilled with how well D-BOX has been embraced by the industry and movie fans alike," said President and CEO, Claude McMaster. "Since introducing D-BOX Motion Code(TM) in Hollywood earlier this year, we have continued to experience rapid growth, offering the D-BOX experience to moviegoers in the Western United States and Midwest as well as in Canada. We look forward to adding new theatres and continuing to build on our strong support from Warner Bros. and many more industry leaders."

D-BOX motion seats are available at 10 movie theatres in North America including the Mann Chinese 6 Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif.; UltraStar Cinemas in Surprise, Ariz.; Theatres at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn.; Galaxy Highland Theatre in Austin, Texas; Cineplex Odeon Queensway Theatre in Etobicoke, Ontario; Galaxy at the Cannery in Las Vegas, Nev.; UltraStar Apple Valley in San Bernardino, Calif.; Cinema Beloeil in Montreal, Quebec; Wehrenberg Theatres' Ronnies 20 Cine in St. Louis, Mo.; and Emagine Theatres' Canton Theatre in Canton, Mich.

For additional information and theatre details visit www.d-box.com.

Makes us glad we live in Southeastern Michigan. Of course, we have to wonder how the seats will react to Rachel McAdams' appearance as Irene Adler...