Where else can you catch the world’s most brilliant sleuths? Elementary, my dear reader: on home video.
Devotees of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous literary creation have their choice of Sherlocks. Basil Rathbone is most famously identified with Baker Street’s deerstalkered detective, but check out Jeremy Brett as Holmes in an acclaimed British-produced series.
Charlie Chan may not be considered politically correct, but the inscrutable detective, portrayed by Warner Orland and Sidney Toler, was one of Hollywood’s most popular.
“The Thin Man” series, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as the cocktail-snifting Nick and Nora Charles, is a sparkling blend of screwball and highball. Another classic gumshoe available on video is Bulldog Drummond, in a series of films starring John Howard.
But why should men have all the fun? Margaret Rutherford stars as Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple in “Murder, She Said,” “Murder Ahoy,” “Murder at the Gallop” and “Murder Most Foul.”
The “Prime Suspect” mini-series mysteries offer a more contemporary, feminist twist on the genre. Helen Mirren won an Emmy Award for her signature role as London’s Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison.
Are these missing from your local video store? Here’s a clue. You can track them down from Movies Unlimited: 800-4-MOVIES.
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