Jude Law as Watson

Last night I watched David Letterman interview Jude Law about his role as Dr. John Watson in the new Sherlock Holmes move set for Christmas release in the United States.

(Did I mention that I have tickets for the first showing Christmas Day morning? I am so very excited about the release of the new Sherlock Holmes movie!)

Okay, enough of that…on to the Letterman show.

It was…okay. Not too dynamic and a bit of a disappointment for Sherlock Holmes fans who tuned in especially to see the interview. Jude was willing to get excited about his role and the movie, but Letterman was not.

Letterman asked trite questions while Jude did his best to express his excitement about the movie and his role in it. I also watched the video of the red carpet premier in London and saw the same zeal for the movie and his part in it.

Jude expressed his vision about the movie that at its heart, it is a fast moving adventure wherein Holmes and Watson have to live together much as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or the Odd Couple. It could be that it is a combination of both.

He sees Watson as a decorated soldier with the intestinal fortitude of a soldier who had to get his hands dirty.

Aside from his insight into the character of Watson, he said the movie included some fantastic historical areas and amazing set dressings.

Letterman asked if he had read Sherlock Holmes as a kid. Jude replied that while most English boys grow up reading Sir Arthur Canon Doyle’s stories, his first encounter with Sherlock Holmes was when he appeared as in The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place at the age of 16. The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place was an installment in the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes television series which aired in 1991.

Perhaps David Letterman is not a Sherlock Holmes fan, or maybe he was distracted by thoughts of the holidays. Whatever contributed to his lack of enthusiasm for the new Sherlock Holmes movie, I am not going to let his attitude damper my excitement. What are your plans for seeing the movie?

Avoid the lines and buy your tickets ahead of time at Fandango and get a free exclusive song download!

The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place

I wonder if Jude Law ever thought back in 1991 when he played Joe Barnes in The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place that he would ever appear in another Sherlock Holmes work.

Here in San Diego, PBS broadcasts reruns of the Sherlock Holmes television series “The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes” starring Jeremy Brett. Last week they aired The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place which originally aired on March 7, 1991. This story is the last of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and is one of 12 stories in the cycle collected as The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes.

The story takes advantage of Watson’s love of gambling on horses to introduce the story’s characters. Holmes is approached by John Mason, a horse trainer who is worried about his employer’s recent strange behavior. His employer, Sir Robert Norberton, is under a lot of pressure to say the least. His estate, Shoscombe Hall, has come under the control of his sister’s brother-in-law, his creditors are going to ruin him if his prize horse, Shoscombe Prince, doesn’t win the Derby and his sister, Lady Beatrice, who kept him together body and soul with her own funds, has seemingly vanished following an argument with her brother, and Sir Robert has actually given away her favorite spaniel.

It is apparent to Holmes and Watson that Holmes and Watson that Sir Robert is hiding something. But leave it to this dynamic duo to figure out what is going on and to uncover the role that Joe Barnes/Jude Law plays in this mystery.