Over 100-year-old silent 'Sherlock Holmes' returns to screen!
A silent Sherlock Holmes film, starring Eille Norwood, is set to be screened for the first time since its release in 1922. The film, titled The Golden Pince-Nez, was recently restored by the BFI National Archive. Norwood was a favorite of Arthur Conan Doyle, who created the character of Sherlock Holmes. The restored film will premiere on October 16 as part of the BFI London Film Festival.
'The Golden Pince-Nez' based on 1904 Conan Doyle short story
The Golden Pince-Nez is based on a Conan Doyle short story, which was first published in 1904. The film follows the classic Sherlock Holmes detective style, where he deduces the truth from the slightest of clues. Doyle once said of Norwood, "His wonderful impersonation of Holmes has amazed me. Norwood had that rare quality...which compels you to watch an actor eagerly even when he is doing nothing. He has a quite unrivaled power of disguise."
Norwood discussed the role with Doyle, says BFI curator
Bryony Dixon, the curator of silent film at the BFI National Archive, told The Guardian that Norwood had even discussed the role with Doyle. Dixon said that Norwood was a serious stage actor who immersed himself in the character. She revealed the Golden Pince-Nez film is "fairly close" to Doyle's original story: "It involves Holmes using his classic powers of deduction. [In] a complicated plot...there's been a murder...of a professor's secretary and Holmes is called in."
'Golden Pince-Nez' among 45 episodes Norwood made during 1921-23
The Golden Pince-Nez was among 45 episodes that Norwood made between 1921 and 1923, each lasting up to 30 minutes. The premiere will also screen two other restored episodes: A Scandal in Bohemia, where Holmes falls for a woman, and The Final Problem, where Holmes meets his arch-enemy, Moriarty. The BFI National Archive acquired the original negatives for the Holmes series in 1938.
BFI National Archive duplicated two-reel camera negative onto safety stock
In the early 1950s, the BFI National Archive duplicated the two-reel camera negative of The Golden Pince-Nez onto safety stock before the original decomposed. Dixon said that the quality of the restoration is "pretty much as good as it gets." To note, the premiere will take place at Alexandra Palace, featuring a live score specifically created for the event, through a new collaboration between the BFI and the Royal Academy of Music.
