Jeremy Brett aka Sherlock Holmes
Jeremy Brett was one of the greatest actors of all time. His untimely death saddened us all. Here is my tribute to the man who was taken from us much too young.
Jeremy Brett Through the Years
The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection
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The Return of Sherlock Holmes Collection
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Acting career
Brett trained as an actor at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. He made his professional acting debut at the Library Theatre in Manchester in 1954, and made his London stage debut with the Old Vic company in Troilus and Cressida 1956. In the same year he appeared on Broadway as the Duke of Aumerle in Richard II. He went on to play many classical roles on stage, including numerous Shakespearean parts in his early career with the Old Vic and later with the Royal National Theatre. Brett made his first television appearance in 1954 and his first feature film appearance in 1955.
He was briefly considered by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli for the role of James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service after Sean Connery quit the series in 1967, but the role went to Australian George Lazenby instead. A second audition for the role of 007 for Live and Let Die was also unsuccessful as Roger Moore won the coveted part.
From the early 1960s, Brett was rarely absent from British television screens. He starred in many serials, notably as D'Artagnan in the 1966 adaptation of The Three Musketeers. A few of his appearances were in comedic roles, but usually with a classic edge, such as Captain Absolute in The Rivals. In 1973, Brett portrayed Bassanio in a televised production of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, in which Laurence Olivier portrayed Shylock and Joan Plowright Portia. (Brett, Olivier and Plowright had previously played the same roles in a Royal National Theatre production of the play.) Brett joked that, as an actor, he was rarely allowed into the 20th century and never into the present day.
Although Brett's feature film appearances were relatively few, he did play Freddie Eynsford-Hill in the 1964 blockbuster film version of My Fair Lady. His singing voice was dubbed in the film, but Brett could still sing, as he later proved when he played Danilo in The Merry Widow on British television in 1968.
Notable in all of Jeremy Brett's roles is his precisely honed diction. Brett was born with a speech impediment that kept him from pronouncing the "R" sound correctly. Corrective surgery as a teenager, followed by years of practising, gave Brett an enviable pronunciation and enunciation. He later claimed that he practised all of his speech exercises daily, whether he was working or not.
Although he appeared in many different roles during his 40-year career, Brett is now best remembered for portraying Sherlock Holmes in the 1984-94 series of Granada Television films, adapted by John Hawkesworth and other writers from the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (see The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes). Even though he reportedly feared being typecast, Brett appeared in 41 episodes of the Granada series, alongside David Burke and, latterly, Edward Hardwicke as Dr Watson.
After taking on the demanding role, Brett made few other acting appearances and he is now widely considered to be the definitive Holmes of his era, just as Basil Rathbone was during the 1940s. Interestingly, Brett had played Doctor Watson on stage opposite Charlton Heston as Holmes in the 1980 Los Angeles production of The Crucifer of Blood, making him one of only three actors to play both Holmes and Watson professionally (the other two are Reginald Owen, Watson in the 1932 film Sherlock Holmes and Holmes in 1933's A Study in Scarlet and fellow Old Etonian Patrick Macnee, Watson first in 1976's Sherlock Holmes in New York and Holmes in 1993's The Hound of London).
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Collection
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My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady stars Rex Harrison as linguist Henry Higgins (Harrison also played the role, opposite Julie Andrews, on stage), who draws Eliza into a social experiment that works almost too well. The letterbox edition of this film on video certainly pays tribute to the pageantry of Cukor's set, but it also underscores a certain visual stiffness that can slow viewer enthusiasm just a tad. But it's really star wattage that keeps this film exciting, that and such great songs as "On the Street Where You Live" and "I Could Have Danced All Night." Actor Jeremy Brett, who gained a huge following later in life portraying Sherlock Holmes, is quite electric as Eliza's determined suitor. --Tom Keogh
Release Date: 02/03/2004
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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Boxed Set Collection)
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Family
In 1958, Brett married the actress Anna Massey (daughter of Raymond Massey), but they divorced in 1962 when he left her for a man. Their son, David Huggins, born in 1959, is now a successful British cartoonist, illustrator and novelist.
Years later, Brett and Massey appeared together in the BBC's dramatization of Rebecca (1978), with Brett playing the haunted hero, Max de Winter, and Massey playing the sinister housekeeper, Mrs Danvers. (David Huggins also played an uncredited bit part in the film.). In 1991 Brett and Anna Massey's brother Daniel Massey appeared in an episode of Sherlock Holmes series.
In 1977 Brett married American PBS producer Joan Wilson. She died of cancer in 1985. Brett was devastated by Wilson's death and did not marry again.
Brett was related to another noted British actor, Martin Clunes; Clunes' mother was Brett's first cousin; making Clunes Brett's first cousin once removed.
The Sherlock Holmes Feature Film Collection
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Sherlock Holmes - The Hound of the Baskervilles
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Starring Sherlock Holmes: A Century of the Master Detective on Screen
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British Holmes expert Davies has updated the original 2001 edition of his comprehensive, copiously illustrated look at the film and TV portrayals of the great detective. As such, this is a must-have for die-hard Sherlockians, though film students and others may fault the author for not having done a better job of balancing breadth with depth. There are interesting tidbits and trivia throughout, starting with the earliest known Holmes film, Sherlock Holmes Baffled (1900), which ran for less than a minute. Davies intersperses his chronological survey of the films with chapters on such topics as Dr. Watson, prominent actors in the Holmes role (most notably Basil Rathbone and Jeremey Brett), and radio adaptations. Some might wish for more comparative analysis of, say, the many (mostly unsuccessful) efforts to translate The Hound of the Baskervilles to film. In addition, given that the last serious Holmes movie, Murder by Decree, appeared in 1979, more discussion of why such a staple of the cinema has fallen on hard times would have been welcome. Finally, in a page devoted to unmade films, Davies (Sherlock Holmes and the Scroll of the Dead) devotes disproportionate space to his own pastiches. Still, those who fondly remember Chris Steinbrunner's classic The Films of Sherlock Holmes (1978) will find much to like.
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Release Date: 10/16/2007
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Quick, what do you think of Jeremy Brett?
Picture of Dorian Gray
The Oscar Wilde Collection (The Importance of Being Earnest / The Picture of Dorian Gray / An Ideal Husband / Lady Windermere's Fan)
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"Wilde" about witty dialogue, scandalous secrets and ingenious intrigue?
Let the BBC transport you back to the decadent aristocratic drawing rooms of 1890's England. Lovingly restored, these plays feature a who's who of great actors of the British stage & screen including stars like Sir John Gielgud, Joan Plowright, Jeremy Brett, Susan Hampshire, Margaret Leighton and Gemma Jones.
Release Date: 05/21/2002
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The Latest Yahoo News on Jeremy Brett
JEREMY BRETT 24x36 COLOR POSTER PRINT
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Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Sherlock Holmes - The Sign of Four
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Illnesses and death
Brett suffered from bipolar disorder and his manic-depressive illness worsened after the death of his second wife, Joan Wilson, on 4 July 1985. She died shortly after Brett finished filming Holmes' "death" in The Final Problem. He took a break from filming the Holmes series. When he returned to film new episodes in 1986, however, grief and the stressful shooting schedule aggravated his disorder.
He suffered a full-blown manic-depressive crisis and was hospitalized. During the last decade of his life, Brett was treated in hospital several times for his mental illness, and his health and appearance visibly deteriorated by the time he completed the later episodes of the Sherlock Holmes series. During his later years, he discussed the illness candidly, encouraging people to recognise its symptoms and seek help.
Brett died on 12 September 1995 from heart failure. His heart valves had been scarred by rheumatic fever contracted as a child.
Mel Gussow wrote in a New York Times obituary "Mr. Brett was regarded as the quintessential Holmes: breathtakingly analytical, given to outrageous disguises and the blackest moods and relentless in his enthusiasm for solving the most intricate crimes." Jeremy Brett's final, posthumous on-screen appearance was an uncredited bit part as the "Artist's Father" in Moll Flanders, with Robin Wright Penn in the title role. This American feature film (not to be confused with the ITV adaptation starring Alex Kingston) was released in the summer of 1996, nearly a year after Brett's death.
Manic Depression Awareness ~ Jeremy Brett ~ Bipolar Help
100 Q&A About Bi-Polar (Manic-Depressive) Disorder (100 Questions & Answers)
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Bipolar Disorder For Dummies
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Release Date: 12/31/1969
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Manic-Depressive Illness: Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression, 2nd Edition
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Release Date: 12/31/1969
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JEREMY BRETT 8x10 B&W PHOTO
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Great Jeremy Brett Stuff on eBay
He is known as the Greatest Detective Who Never Lived. Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and transferred from the original negatives, Sherlock Holmes comes alive on film in this landmark 1980s television series starring Jeremy Brett.
All the classic tales are here, as the Great Detective and his faithful companion, Dr. Watson, tangle with the terrifying Hound of the Baskervilles, the beautiful adventuress Irene Adler, and the dastardly villains Colonel Sebastian Moran, Charles Augustus Milverton, and the Napoleon of Crime himself, Professor James Moriarty.
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Granada Television Series
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Disc 1
A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA, THE DANCING MEN, THE NAVAL TREATY, THE SOLITARY CYCLIST
DISC 2
THE CROOKED MAN, THE SPECKLED BAND, THE BLUE CARBUNCLE, THE COPPER BEECHES
DISC 3
THE GREEK INTERPRETER, THE NORWOOD BUILDER, THE RESIDENT PATIENT, THE RED-HEADED LEAGUE
DISC 4
THE FINAL PROBLEM, THE EMPTY HOUSE, THE ABBEY GRANGE, THE MUSGRAVE RITUAL
DISC 5
THE SECOND STAIN, THE MAN WITH THE TWISTED LIP, THE PRIORY SCHOOL, THE SIX NAPOLEONS
DISC 6
THE DEVIL'S FOOT, SILVER BLAZE, WISTERIA LODGE, THE BRUCE-PARTINGTON PLANS
DISC 7
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LADY FRANCES CARFAX, THE SIGN OF FOUR
DISC 8
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, THE PROBLEM OF THOR BRIDGE, THE BOSCOMBE VALLEY MYSTERY
DISC 9
THE ILLUSTRIOUS CLIENT, SHOSCOMBE OLD PLACE, THE MASTER BLACKMAILER
DISC 10
THE LAST VAMPYRE, THE ELIGIBLE BACHELOR
DISC 11
THE THREE GABLES, THE CREEPING MAN, THE DYING DETECTIVE, THE GOLDEN PINCE-NEZ
DISC 12
THE RED CIRCLE, THE MAZARIN STONE, THE CARDBOARD BOX
Bonus Features Include:
Sherlock Series Promo
Three commentary tracks
Daytime Live
Elementary My Dear Watson: An Interview with Edward Hardwicke
An Interview with Adrian Conan Doyle
Sherlock Museum Short
Spanish/English subtitles
Release Date: 09/25/2007
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Are you in the Jeremy Brett Fan Club?
Share your stories, sightings, thoughts, rants, raves...
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Taylor
Feb 20, 2008 @ 4:59 am | delete
- Wow! i always loved Sherlock Holmes novels.Thanks for the information about Jeremy Brett who has portrayed the Sherlock Holmes character in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.I have got some good stuff on mystery shopping while searching on the internet.
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kikidinha
Nov 17, 2007 @ 12:41 pm | delete
- i like to meet more people that fell the same love that i feel whith jeremy brett.I can part of your fan club?
please contact me:
carmitinha2007@hotmail.com
thanks and regards for all
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Sherlock Holmes - The Master Blackmailer
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Sherlock Holmes - The Eligible Bachelor
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Great Jeremy Brett Stuff on eBay
Find out who's talking about Jeremy Brett on Twitter:
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- Vicki_Lemonds
- @WhenJenHappens The new one? No, I'm watching the Jeremy Brett series.
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- gawdlessheathen
- @toomanyfeelings Jeremy Brett?
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- sithdragn
- @shinymarigold Jeremy Brett <3 <3 Jude Law <3 <3
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- lewyislostalot
- This is magneficent, Charles Gray as Mycroft Holmes with Jeremy Brett as Sherlock. http://t.co/qbuNiJRu
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- ofedasup
- The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes Collection (DVD): The celebrated duo of Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are ba... http://t.co/tkuexdvb
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- ofedasup
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes Collection (DVD): Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke return for their final bow in... http://t.co/OLBqWhsQ
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- TheRedan3553
- Photo: http://t.co/A31LeZJl
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- SongBard95
- RT @sithdragn: At the #SherlockHolmes party watching a Jeremy Brett Holmes vid to Britney Spears 'Circus' that should NOT work but is hawwwwt.
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- sithdragn
- At the #SherlockHolmes party watching a Jeremy Brett Holmes vid to Britney Spears 'Circus' that should NOT work but is hawwwwt.
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- mattias221b
- @bafta4jb And Sweden loves Jeremy Brett! :-)
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- NASCAR_BRETT
- Race winning crew chief Jeremy bullins talks in media center http://t.co/t7vRUN1F
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- 221B_SW
- @RAliceKindle Oh yeah... I think it may be because Jeremy Brett's Hound of the Baskervilles was the first I had seen of Sherlock Holmes and
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- 221B_SW
- In the books I've always imagined him as more of a Jeremy Brett Sherlock. Even when I read it now I see Brett more than Benny...
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- mrtomsimpson
- @allthisandless Jeremy Brett is the only Sherlock Holmes for me.
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- gingertreshall
- @katearthsis As an Anglophile &Jeremy Brett fangirl, allow me to say, "Hell, yeah!" UK & its people are fantastic- except for the socialism
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- dreamin122
- @SHolmesSH I'll take my Holmes unkempt (RDJ), vain (Matt Frewer), straight up (Jeremy Brett), WWII (Rathbone), or modern, but not American.
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- katearthsis
- I feel like I could get along with the Brits, of all people. Granted, this is based entirely off of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes
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- beranger_v4
- Băi, ce cocalari... vă uitați la Europornovision, în timp ce eu mă uitai la Jeremy Brett (as Sherlock Holmes, pt. analfabeți) pe AXN Crime.
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- ChutzpahShiksa
- Heck yah! RT @WLIW21: We love Benedict and all, but how about a little Jeremy Brett at 7? http://t.co/dhum1kly #sherlockpbs
Sherlock Holmes - The Last Vampyre
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In Memory of Jeremy Brett
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