THE SIGN OF FOUR (1983)

Directed by Desmond Davis, Starring: Ian Richardson, David Healy, Cherie Lunghi. Crime, UK, 1983, 97mins, Cert PG.

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

This adaption of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes novel was the first in a planned series of six Holmes stories to be filmed for TV by producer Sy Weintraub. In the end only this and THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES were made (also available from Second Sight).

Directed by Desmond Davis (CLASH OF THE TITANS 1981) from an adaptation by Charles Edward Pogue, it’s an uneven rambling narrative which eschews mystery by revealing it’s murdering perpetrators almost right from the off, and cheats us out of seeing any of the pivotal events in India which led to the formation of ‘The Four’. Stolen treasure, a vengeful one-legged bogeyman and a drainpipe climbing cannibal dwarf fail to instil nearly as much impact as they should. A travelling fair/freak show with a ghost-train ride and a set piece on a carousel seem somehow incongruous, although they do give Ian Richardson’s sprightly humorous Holmes some derring-do moments. I loved the ‘break-neck’ steamboat chase down the River Thames (passing the Royal Naval College going the wrong way). And the icing on the cake: the PSYCHO-like Hermann strings desperately screeching during murders most foul.

Eagle-eyed viewers might spot the clumsily inserted Baker Street shot cribbed from Billy Wilder’s THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES. And whilst on the subject of eyes, I just must mention young dewy-eyed Cherie Lunghi who looks like she’s permanently on the verge of bursting into laughter as the wronged ‘Mary Morstan’. Perhaps she’s inwardly suppressing her mirth at the preposterous flirtations of David Healy’s Dr. Watson. (At least they do not announce their engagement in this version – although had this been included in Pogue’s adaptation I feel sure it would have triggered one final burst of Hermann horrific shower strings – and appropriately so for once!)

Full disclosure: I was first introduced to that oft quoted Holmes line that I couldn’t resist using as the tagline not via the writing of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but instead from Dario Argento’s TENEBRAE. I would, therefore, recommend Holmes expert David Stuart Davies’ audio commentary included on the disc as I strongly suspect he approached the great detective from 221b Baker Street from a purer source than a giallo set in a semi-futuristic Rome.

P.S. My favourite line of dialogue from this adaption (doubtful it’s in the novel) is – and I deliberately provide you with no context whatsoever dear reader: “Best stay clear of old Alfie - he not only bites – he swallows!”

** (out of 5*)

Paul Worts

This review was originally published on the FRIGHTFEST website.