The Sign of Four (2001 film)
Encyclopedia
The Sign of Four is an Canadian television film directed by Rodney Gibbons and starring Matt Frewer
and Kenneth Welsh
. The movie is based on Arthur Conan Doyle
's second Sherlock Holmes
story.
in 2000, and then followed The Royal Scandal
(a blend of "A Scandal in Bohemia
" and "The Bruce-Partington Plans") also in 2001, and The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire
(an original story) in 2002.
Frewer's portrayal of Holmes was largely criticized.
Tonga is portrayed not as the savage pygmy of the novel but instead as an Asian with facial markings.
Matt Frewer
Matthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
and Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh
Kenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his...
. The movie is based on Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's second 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...
story.
Production
The second of four Holmes adaptations starring Frewer as Holmes, was preceded by The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (2000 film)
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Canadian television film directed by Rodney Gibbons and starring Matt Frewer and Kenneth Welsh. The movie is based on Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles.-Production:...
in 2000, and then followed The Royal Scandal
The Royal Scandal
The Royal Scandal is a non-canonical Sherlock Holmes film which is an amalgam of "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Bruce-Partington Plans". The film was produced in 2001 for The Hallmark Channel as part of an on-going series of Hallmark Sherlock Holmes films....
(a blend of "A Scandal in Bohemia
A Scandal in Bohemia
"A Scandal in Bohemia" was the first of Arthur Conan Doyle's 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories to be published in The Strand Magazine and the first Sherlock Holmes story illustrated by Sidney Paget....
" and "The Bruce-Partington Plans") also in 2001, and The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire
The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire is a non-canonical Sherlock Holmes film utilizing an original story. The film was produced in 2002 for The Hallmark Channel as the last installment in a series of Hallmark Sherlock Holmes films.-Plot:...
(an original story) in 2002.
Frewer's portrayal of Holmes was largely criticized.
Differences from novel
Unlike the source novel, the movie features Holmes meeting with a Scotland Yard chemist named Professor Morgan who not only identifies the poison which killed Bartholomew Sholto but creates an antidote for Holmes.Tonga is portrayed not as the savage pygmy of the novel but instead as an Asian with facial markings.
Cast
- Matt FrewerMatt FrewerMatthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
as Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock 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... - Kenneth WelshKenneth WelshKenneth Welsh, CM is a Canadian film and television actor . He is known to Twin Peaks fans as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle, and has more recently played the father of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.In 1984 he was nominated for a Genie Award as Best Actor for his...
as Dr. John H. Watson - Johni Keyworth as Major John Sholto
- Sophie LorainSophie LorainSophie Lorain is a French Canadian actress and producer. She is known for having played "Anne Fortier" in the highly-rated television series Fortier that first aired in Quebec, Canada...
as Mary Morstan - Edward Yankie as John Small
- Marcel Jeannin as Thaddeus / Bartholomew Sholto
- Michel Perron as Inspector Jones