The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Gene Wilder

Writer:

Gene Wilder (writer)

Release Date:

14 December 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

The younger brother of the consulting detective tries to steal Sherlock's glory by solving an important case assisted by an eccentric Scotland Yard detective and a lovely but suspicious actress.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Sherlock Holmes | Spoof | Apostrophe In Title | Victorian Era

Cast

Gene Wilder	...	Sigerson Holmes
Madeline Kahn	...	Jenny Hill
Marty Feldman	...	Sgt. Orville Stanley Sacker
Dom DeLuise	...	Eduardo Gambetti (as Dom De Luise)
Leo McKern	...	Moriarty
Roy Kinnear	...	Moriarty's Assistant
John Le Mesurier	...	Lord Redcliff
Douglas Wilmer	...	Sherlock Holmes
Thorley Walters	...	Dr. Watson
George Silver	...	Bruner
Nicholas Smith	...	Hunkston
John Hollis	...	Moriarty's Gunman
Aubrey Morris	...	Coach Driver
Tommy Godfrey	...	Fred
Susan Field	...	Queen Victoria

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Spain:T | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | USA:PG

Company:

Jouer Films

Trivia:

Cameo: ['Mel Brooks (I)']voice of departing assassin after choosing the "lady" door over the "tiger" door only to discover they're both tiger doors.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Sigerson Holmes is eating the chocolates from the floor, he gets chocolate all over his face. Through the scene, the chocolate smudges on his face change. First it’s very heavy, then its nearly gone and very light, and then when the camera angle is panned out the smudges are heavier.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Royal Herald: The Foreign Secretary, Lord Redcliff!
Lord Redcliff: [rehearsing what to say under his breath] Your Majesty, being inside of your confidence is the greatest joy I've ever known. Ahem...
Queen Victoria: [handing him the document] Lord Redcliff, the fate of England is now in your hands.
Lord Redcliff: Your Confidence... being inside of Your Majesty is the greatest single joy I've ever known.
[realizing what he's said, he tosses the document away]
Lord Redcliff: Woof!
Lord Redcliff: It's alright, Your Majesty! I've got it! I've got it. All's well that ends well!
Queen Victoria: Shit.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Soundtrack:

The Kangaroo Hop

The more times you see this movie, the more you'll like it

There are a select few movies that I enjoy more each time I watch them. "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" is one of them. I've seen the movie over 20 times, and I laugh out loud every single time.

Every main character in the movie gives a great performance. And, the comedic trio of Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn & Marty Feldman is at its best in this film. Dom DeLouise's performance as the opera singer is a gem as well.

This film marks Gene Wilder's first attempt at movie making without the help of Mel Brooks. Although this film stays close to Brooks' style, Wilder overall uses more subtle humor.

The bottom line is, if you are a fan of Gene Wilder's earlier movies like: Blazing Saddles, Silver Streak, The Producers, Willy Wonka..., Young Frankenstein, etc., then this movie should end up being one of your favorites.