Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson - The Treasures of Agra (1983)

Between 1979 and 1986 a series of Sherlock Holmes TV-movies were made for Soviet television. They were hugely popular in Russia (they triggered a real Holmes craze there) and well received internationally. Vasily Livanov starred as as Sherlock Holmes with Vitaly Solomin as Dr Watson.

The 1983 two-part fourth film, The Treasures of Agra (Sokrovishcha Agry), adapted both the 1890 novel The Sign of Four and the 1891 short story A Scandal in Bohemia (which is included as a flashback subplot).

Holmes has a new client, a rather sweet young woman, Miss Morstan. Her father had disappeared in India a decade earlier. Every year she receives, from an unknown source, a small package containing a very valuable pearl. Now she has received a letter promising information about her father if she agrees to a meeting.

It transpires that her father and a Major Sholto found a treasure hoard. There were perhaps others involved, and it seems there was double-crossing. And someone wants to make amends to Miss Morstan. She wants Holmes and Watson to accompany her to the meeting.

The meeting takes place, but a murder takes place as well.

The clues are puzzling, including an odd footprint.

Holmes will of course have to make use of his mastery of disguise.

There’s a man with a wooden leg, there are twin brothers, Inspector Lestrade turns up and arrests everybody in sight (everybody except the guilty parties) and there’s a very cool steam launch chase on the river.

There are revelations about the very murky events that took place years earlier, events which left a legacy of bitterness and guilt.

And Dr Watson is starting to become emotionally entangled with the charming and beautiful Miss Morstan.

In the second part we get the story of Holmes involvement with the glamorous sexy enigmatic Irene Adler and her apparent attempts to blackmail a minor European princeling. Many men have fallen for Irene Adler and Holmes is disturbed to discover that he is not immune to her considerable charms. Both Holmes and Watson display hidden romantic sides to their natures.

While Jeremy Brett’s twitchy neurotic performance in the British TV series is undeniably fascinating it is rather eccentric and many viewers will prefer Vasily Livanov’s more straightforward interpretation of the role. Vitaly Solomin as Dr Watson is a fine Dr Watson, not in the least foolish.

These Soviet TV-movies were clearly made by people with a great deal of respect for the source material, and also for the viewer.

When you look at the sets and costumes and the fine location shooting it’s obvious that real money was spent on this production. It’s very polished. It captures the feel of Conan Doyle’s stories and of Conan Doyle’s version of late Victorian London.

There is fog of course, but used to serve a purpose.  

The supporting cast is excellent. I loved Borislav Brondukov’s lively performance as Inspector Lestrade. This is a Lestrade who is not a fool, just ridiculously over-keen. He makes his arrests before thinking things through, but when he does think them through he is capable of admitting his mistakes.

Larisa Solovyova is a very glamorous Irene Adler. One can understand why Holmes becomes obsessed by her. 

Viktor Proskurin is very good as the rather jumpy Thaddeus Sholto.

The Russian DVD set includes all five movies with English subtitles.

Thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommended.

I’ve also reviewed the first two TV films, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and The Hound of the Baskervilles. 

And I’ve reviewed Conan Doyle’s novel The Sign of Four.