The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

When a beautiful woman (Genevieve Page) is rescued from drowning in a river, she has no memory. What she has grasped in her hand is the address of the renowned detective Sherlock Holmes (Robert Stephens). What follows is international intrigue and one of the most challenging cases of Holmes' career. Directed by Billy Wilder (SUNSET BOULEVARD). One of Wilder's most underrated movies and his last really good film. He only made four movies after this and none of them are really good. The original version ran three hours and 20 minutes plus intermission but the studio (United Artists) insisted on the film being cut and the release version runs two hours and 5 minutes. Alas, the cut footage no longer exists so we'll never get to see the film as Wilder intended. What's left is very good indeed and in his best film role, Stephens offers us a complex Holmes (with an ambiguous sexuality) and his drug use intact. Colin Blakely's Dr. Watson is used primarily for comedic effect. The relationship with the Belgian played by Page is as close to a romance as allowed in a Holmes movie and the last few scenes concerning her are very touching. There's a gorgeous score by Miklos Rozsa (BEN HUR). With Christopher Lee, Tamara Toumanova, Clive Revill, Stanley Holloway and Catherine Lacey.