Eille Norwood was a British actor who spent most of his screen career playing Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...

. He was born Anthony Edward Brett in York, England. He apparently took his stage name from his lady friend Eileen and the town of Norwood. From 1920 to 1923 he played Holmes in forty seven silent films (45 shorts and 2 features) directed by Maurice Elvey

Maurice Elvey

Maurice Elvey was the most prolific film director in British history. He directed nearly 200 films between 1913 and 1957. During the silent film era he directed as many as twenty films per year....

 and George Ridgwell

George Ridgwell

George Ridgwell was a British screenwriter and film director of the silent film era. His name was sometimes spelt as George Ridgewell. He was born in Woolwich in 1867. He directed around 70 films including a series of adaptations of Sherlock Holmes stories featuring Eille Norwood as Holmes. His...

. Hubert Willis

Hubert Willis

Hubert Willis was a British actor. He was best known for his recurring role as Doctor Watson in a series of silent Sherlock Holmes films co-starring with Ellie Norwood.-Selected filmography:* The Manxman * The Manchester Man...

 played Watson in nearly all these films. For the final Holmes film, however, Hubert Willis was replaced by Arthur Cullin

Arthur Cullin

Arthur Cullin was a British actor of the silent era. He is often credited as Arthur M. Cullin.-Selected filmography:* The Answer * The Valley of Fear * Whoso Is Without Sin * Disraeli * A Smart Set...

. Given that some Sherlock Holmes stories had not even been written yet, Norwood stands as the actor who played Holmes the most times in existing stories.

Quote

• Conan Doyle himself admired Norwood's portrayal, saying: "His wonderful impersonation of Holmes has amazed me."

Selected filmography

• The Tavern Knight
  The Tavern Knight
  The Tavern Knight is a 1920 British silent historical film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Eille Norwood, Madge Stuart and Cecil Humphreys...
  
  (1920)
• The Hound of the Baskervilles
  The Hound of the Baskervilles (1921 film)
  The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1921 British mystery film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Eille Norwood, Catina Campbell and Rex McDougall...
  
  (1921)
• The Sign of Four
  The Sign of Four (1923 film)
  The Sign of Four is a 1923 British silent mystery film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Eille Norwood, Isobel Elsom and Fred Raynham. It was based on the novel The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle. It was one of a series of Sherlock Holmes films starring Norwood...
  
  (1923)

External links