The Sign of Four (1983 film)

The Sign of Four
Directed by Desmond Davis
Produced by Otto Plaschkes
Written by 'Charles Edward Pogue
Based on The Sign of the Four 
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Starring Ian Richardson
David Healy
Music by Harry Rabinowitz
Cinematography Dennis C. Lewiston
Release dates
 1983
Running time
 103 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English

The Sign of Four (1983) is a British television film directed by Desmond Davis and starring Ian Richardson and David Healy. The film is based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name, the second novel to feature Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

Production

In 1982, American producer Sy Weintraub partnered with English producer Otto Plaschkes to make six television films of Sherlock Holmes stories.[1] Charles Edward Pogue was enlisted to pen the screenplays[1] but only The Sign of the Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles were ultimately filmed as Granada Television's Sherlock Holmes series premiered in 1984.[1]

In an interview with Scarlet Street, Ian Richardson explained:

"That was the fly in our ointment. Initially, an unseen fly. You see, when Sy Weintraub was planning the films, he was unaware that the copyright on the Holmes stories was about to expire in England and he had to go through a great deal of legal negotiations with the Conan Doyle estate in order to gain permission to use them. However, he was totally ignorant of Granada's plans to film a series with Jeremy Brett...Weintraub was furious, because he'd paid a lot of money to get permission from the estate and here was Granada saying, 'Thank you - but we're going to do it.' So Weintraub took them to court. He had a very good case, apparently; but eventually there was an out of court settlement for an extraordinary sum of money - something like two million pounds - which was enough for Weintraub to cover his costs on both The Sign of Four and The Hound of the Baskervilles, and make a profit, too. And so he wrapped the project up."[1]

Differences from novel

Unlike the source novel, the movie features the murder of Thaddeus Sholto. It also includes the recovery of the Agra treasure, which here was hidden in Small's wooden leg as he attempts to claim he disposed of it, although Holmes realizes what has happened due to the wooden leg's suspicious weight in the water, and it is claimed by the police (Although a particularly large diamond is given to Mary by Holmes).[2]

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sherlock Holmes Society of London
  2. ↑ The Sign of Four (1983)

External links