The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book

by Kathleen Kaska

  10. What is the name of the Sherlock Holmes play written by Basil Mitchell and staged at the Lyric Theatre in London in 1933? In this story, Holmes has a daughter named Shirley whose goal is to become the first female detective at Scotland Yard. The play appeared on Broadway between 1936 and 1937.

  QUIZ 76 SHERLOCK HOLMES ON TV

  Almost a hundred years after Arthur Conan Doyle put pen to paper and created his Great Detective, English actor Jeremy Brett began his long television career as the quintessential Sherlock Holmes. Brett’s portrayal of Holmes on the Granada Television (U.K.) series is considered by fans and critics alike as one of the best, even rivaling that of Basil Rathbone a generation before. Initially, Brett was reluctant to play the role because he felt that it had been portrayed too many times on film, TV, and stage. But eventually Brett became intrigued with the fictional character and, because of his fascination with Holmes, planned to appear in all sixty Holmes stories, a feat not yet accomplished by an actor. However, this goal was never to be reached. Brett died in his sleep in 1995 at the age of 59. He had completed forty-one episodes. In an earlier interview Brett said that Holmes at times seemed impossible to play: “Sherlock Holmes is a free spirit, you cannot pin him down—he is probably the most complicated character I’ve played in my life.” This quiz contains ten short-answer questions about TV programs and actors who have portrayed Holmes.

  1. What is the title of the first Holmes program which broadcast from Radio City in New York on November 27, 1937? It starred Louis Hector as Holmes and William Podmore as Watson.

  2. What English actor/comedian played Holmes in the British broadcast of “Elementary, My Dear Watson” in 1976 and in “The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It” in 1977?

  3. Who is the British actor who played Holmes in the British television series Sherlock Holmes in 1968 and returned in 1984 to play the detective in the television film The Masks of Death?

  4. What is the name of the popular U. S. children’s show that teaches young people about great works of literature? One particular episode adapted The Hound of the Baskervilles as one of its stories.

  5. Who played Dr. Watson opposite Jeremy Brett in the 1987 PBS Mystery! production of The Sign of Four?

  6. Who is the British actor who played Holmes in the European television productions of Sherlock Holmes, Incident at Victoria Falls (1991) and Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady (1992)?

  7. Which Canadian actor played Holmes opposite James Mason as Watson in the 1979 British television production of Murder By Decree, a story about the Jack the Ripper murders in Whitechapel?

  8. What is the title of the 1998 production of a Holmes animated children’s series produced by Scottish Television Enterprises Ltd. and DIC Productions? In this futuristic story, Holmes is resurrected to assist Scotland Yard in a challenging case, accompanied by a robotic version of Dr. Watson.

  9. Who played Sherlock Holmes in the 1976 television film Sherlock Holmes in New York?

  10. What is the title of the 1987 U. S. made-for-TV film in which the story is set in the present? In the film, a female Watson, descendent of Dr. Watson, travels to England to claim her inheritance, an English manor. In her exploration, she finds the body of Sherlock Holmes frozen in suspended animation.

  QUIZ 77 SHERLOCKIAN LITERATURE

  For Sherlock Holmes fans who wish to discover the details of the Great Detective’s life, William S. Baring-Gould’s delightful book, Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A Life of the World’s First Consulting Detective, is a Holmes biography which reads like a novel. Using a plethora of resources, the author has created the most accurate and concise parody of Holmes ever written. The following quiz asks ten questions about writers and their publications of Sherlockian lore.

  1. In 1896, after Sherlock Holmes had tumbled over into Reichenbach Falls, Conan Doyle wrote a Holmes parody for Edinburgh University’s magazine. What is the name of this story?

  2. What is the name of the author who is currently writing Sherlock Holmes tales which feature a young female apprentice who eventually becomes Holmes’s partner?

  3. What is the name of the 1984 collection of science fiction stories which features Sherlock Holmes? Writers of these tales include Isaac Asimov, Philip José Farmer, Poul Anderson, and Gordon R. Dickson.

  4. Which American writer wrote the Sherlock Holmes parody character of Fetlock Jones, who appeared in the tale “A Double-Barreled Detective Story,” published by Harper’s Monthly Magazine in 1902?

  5. What is the name of the first Sherlock Holmes parody, written in 1892 by Robert Barr under the pen name Luke Sharp? The story appeared in the Idler Magazine in May of 1892.

  6. What is the name of the Sherlock Holmes novel written by Loren D. Estleman in which Holmes solves the mystery of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?

  7. What is the title of the 1893 parody written by R. C. Lehmann in which the chronicler is named Cunnin Toil? It was first published in Punch magazine.

  8. What is the name of the collection of Sherlock Holmes stories which was written by Conan Doyle’s son, Adrian Conan Doyle, in collaboration with John Dickson Carr?

  9. What is the name of the parody character created by Charles Harold St. John Hamilton writing under the pseudonym Peter Todd? The eighteen stories were published in Greyfriar’s Herald in 1915 and were chronicled by a character named Jotson.

  10. What is the name of the 1984 novel written by Cay Van Ash in which Sherlock Holmes encounters the notorious fictional character Dr. Fu Manchu?

  TRIVIA FACTS : DID YOU KNOW THAT . . .

  1. Well known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the popular British television series, Jeremy Brett had earlier played Dr. Watson opposite Charlton Heston as Holmes in the 1980 version of the Holmes play entitled Crucifier of Blood.

  2. Nigel Bruce was perhaps the most famous Dr. Watson, starring in fifteen Sherlock Holmes films and over 200 radio broadcasts between 1939 and 1947. Friend and coactor Basil Rathbone had hoped that the aging Bruce would perform as Dr. Watson one last time in the 1953 stage production Sherlock Holmes, but, unfortunately, Bruce died a few weeks before the play opened.

  3. In 1890 Conan Doyle wrote a three-act play which included Dr. Watson, but not Sherlock Holmes. The play, entitled Angels of Darkness, takes place entirely in the United States. Realizing that his readership would never approve of a story about the good doctor without the Great Detective, Conan Doyle set the play aside. Angels of Darkness has never been produced.

  4. Christopher Lee is the only actor to play both Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes in two separate films. He played Sherlock Holmes in the 1962 German film Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes (Sherlock Holmes and the Necklace of Death) and Mycroft Holmes in the 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.

  5. The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted into over three dozen feature films, TV movies, radio programs, and plays since its publication in 1901.

  Lara Pulver and Benedict Cumberbatch as Irene Adler and Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s Sherlock

  NINE

  SHERLOCK CONTINUES

  THE FOLLOWING TWENTY-FIVE QUIZZES comprise some of the most recent Sherlock Holmes adaptations. They include the two Sherlock Holmes films starring Robert Downey, Jr., and directed by Guy Ritchie, BBC’s Sherlock series, CBS’s Elementary series, and HBO and Hulu’s Miss Sherlock series. Also included are trivia facts about Robert Downey, Jr., and Jude Law, Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Jonny Lee Miller, and Lucy Liu. Who knows what the future of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson will have in store? One thing is for sure: The game is always afoot.

  GUY RITCHIE’S SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009)

  The Warner Brothers’ action film, Sherlock Holmes, directed by Guy Ritchie, was released on Christmas Day 2009. The story is set in 1890s London with Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Art Direction. Box office results were over sixty-two million dollars, and li
fetime gross has been over 220 million.

  Cast of Main Characters:

  Sherlock Holmes: Robert Downey, Jr.

  Dr. John Watson: Jude Law

  Irene Adler: Rachel McAdams

  Mrs. Hudson: Geraldine James

  Mary Morstan: Kelly Reilly

  Inspector Lestrade: Eddie Marsan

  TRIVIA FACTS: DID YOU KNOW THAT ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. . . .

  1. Robert Downey, Jr. won the Golden Globe and Empire Award for best actor in his role as Sherlock Holmes in the film Sherlock Holmes.

  2. In 1993, he was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor as Charlie Chaplin in the film Chaplin.

  3. Downey topped the Forbes list of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors from 2012 to 2015.

  4. He made his film debut at the age of five, appearing in Pound, written and directed by his father.

  5. “Do I want to be a hero to my son? No. I would like to be a very real human being. That’s hard enough.” — Robert Downey, Jr.

  QUIZ 78 SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) FACTS

  “Don’t fill up on bread.”

  —IRENE ADLER

  Guy Ritchie’s film version of the exploits of Sherlock Holmes is action-packed with witty dialogue, numerous fight scenes, and strong female characters that rival their male counterparts. Here are ten short-answer questions.

  1. Watson is tending to an elderly patient when they hear gunfire coming from upstairs. Watson goes to check on Holmes. What is Holmes’s excuse for firing the gun indoors?

  2. What does Holmes do before an attack or fight?

  3. What did Holmes do to the family dog, Gladstone, to render him unconscious?

  4. Holmes meets Watson’s fiancée, Mary Mortson, over dinner at the Royale restaurant. Hearing about his deductive reasoning skills, she asks that he analyze her. What is her response once he finishes his analysis?

  5. Why does Holmes keep Watson’s checkbook locked away?

  6. Lord Henry Blackwell is hanged for his ritualistic murders of five women. What happens three months later?

  7. It is evident by their familiarity with each other that Irene Adler and Holmes have, on occasion, been involved romantically. Why does Irene Adler contact Holmes?

  8. Why are Holmes and Watson arrested after a violent encounter in a shipyard with a huge man named Dredger?

  9. When Holmes realizes that Irene is in danger, he pleads for her to flee. She refuses. What does she do to keep Holmes from following her?

  10. In one of the final scenes, Mary walks into Baker Street and sees Holmes hanging from a noose. Watson cuts him down and tells Mary that Holmes is too arrogant to commit suicide. What is the reason for Holmes’s antic?

  QUIZ 79 SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) CANONICAL QUOTES

  The following quiz contains seven quotes spoken by Holmes in the film that come directly from Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories. Can you name the short story or novel the quote refers to?

  1. “You have the grand gift of silence, Watson. It makes you quite invaluable as a companion.”

  2. “Crime is common, logic is rare.”

  TRIVIA FACTS: DID YOU KNOW JUDE LAW. . .

  1. Jude Law was named the sexiest man alive in 2014 by People Magazine.

  2. Law is a former roommate of Jonny Lee Miller, the actor who would later play Sherlock on CBS’s Elementary.

  3. Law played Billy Hanson in the 1997 film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

  4. He was nominated for two Tony awards: “Indiscretion” and “Hamlet.”

  5. “Success, and even life itself wouldn’t be worth anything if I didn’t have my wife and children by my side. They mean everything to me.” — Jude Law

  3. “My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work.”

  4. “Data, data, data. I cannot make bricks without clay.”

  5. “One begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”

  6. “There is nothing more stimulating than a case where everything goes against you.”

  7. “The game is afoot.”

  GUY RITCHIE’S FILM A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011)

  A Game of Shadows, the sequel to Sherlock Holmes, brings the ever-popular Professor Moriarty and Mycroft Holmes, as well as Sebastian Moran, into the story. Holmes investigates Moriarty’s plan to carry out terrorist attacks on London, as Dr. Watson and Mary plan their wedding. Watson is determined to sever his investigatory ties with Holmes and begin a peaceful domestic life. But Holmes is not ready to cut Watson loose, and the doctor is quickly drawn into the saga.

  Additional characters:

  Professor James Moriarty: Jared Harris

  Mycroft Holmes: Stephen Fry

  Sebastian Moran: Paul Anderson

  QUIZ 80 A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011) FACTS

  “You mean there are two of you?”

  —MARY (MORSTAN) WATSON

  The following ten true/false statements provide tidbits from the plot without spoiling the ending, for we all know, no matter the version, pastiche, or twist on Holmes’s exploits, he always survives “the fall.”

  1. In the first film, Sherlock Holmes, Irene Adler plays a significant role. In A Game of Shadows, she only appears early in the movie because she goes into hiding.

  2. Holmes was to plan Watson’s stag party the night before the wedding. When Watson arrives at the music hall, he learns that Holmes did not invite anyone.

  3. Holmes throws Mary Watson, John’s new bride, from a moving train. She lands in a river and is rescued by Moriarty.

  4. Holmes learns that Professor Moriarty, having amassed arms and ammunition factories, plans to start a war in Europe.

  5. Moriarty will direct his retaliation to Mycroft if Holmes interferes with Moriarty’s plan.

  6. At the stag party, Holmes encounters Madam Simza, an opera singer, and saves her from becoming another Moriarty victim.

  7. Holmes steals Moriarty’s account book, which contains evidence that links him to all his misdeeds.

  8. Madam Simza helps Holmes decipher the code that Moriarty used to hide his connections.

  9. Supposedly Moriarty uses Irene Adler to carry out his murderous plan in Paris.

  10. Holmes survives the fall in Reichenbach and delivers his favorite pipe to Watson as a clue that he’s still alive.

  QUIZ 81 A GAME OF SHADOWS (2011) CANONICAL REFERENCES

  The following quiz contains five Holmes canonical reference questions. Can you name the short story or novel the references come from?

  1. One of Holmes’s most famous quotes, “Come at once if convenient. If inconvenient, come all the same. S.H.,” comes from a note Holmes sent Watson. In which Arthur Conan Doyle short story did this appear?

  2. What two Arthur Conan Doyle short stories is A Game of Shadows based on?

  3. Dr. Watson introduces Mary Morstan, his fiancée, to Holmes as he did in which novel?

  4. Holmes disguises himself as a woman. In which Conan Doyle short story does Holmes do the same?

  5. Moriarty is introduced in the second film. In which story in the canon does Holmes mention he has a brother?

  BBC’S SHERLOCK BBC’S SHERLOCK SEASON 1: THE STAGE IS SET

  Season one introduces us to a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mrs. Hudson, along with Inspector Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes, and James Moriarty. In the first season, their relationships unfold and their lives intertwine. The stage is set for future drama.

  Cast of Main Characters:

  Sherlock Holmes: Benedict Cumberbatch

  Dr. John Watson: Martin Freeman

  Mrs. Hudson: Una Stubbs

  Inspector Lestrade: Rupert Graves

  Molly Hooper: Louise Brealey

  Mycroft Holmes: Mark Gatiss

  Professor James Moriarty: Andrew Scott

  Mary Watson: Amanda Abbington

  QUIZ 82 “A STUDY IN PINK”

  “The name is Sherlock Holmes and the address is 221B Baker Street.”

  —SHERLOCK HOLMES

 
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson become flatmates out of necessity and soon find one another indispensable. Try your hand at the following ten short-answer questions.

  1. John’s therapist suggests, now that he’s returned from Afghanistan, he write a blog about everything that happens to him. What is his reply?

  2. What’s the name of Sherlock’s website?

  3. What does Mycroft say about bravery?

  4. In what business was Mrs. Hudson’s husband involved?

  5. When Sherlock and John meet, Sherlock asks John if he was recently in Afghanistan or Iraq. What’s his next question?

  6. What does Sherlock say to John about his post-traumatic stress condition?

  7. What case does Inspector Lestrade call Sherlock to help investigate?

  8. Who is the serial killer’s sponsor?

  9. What weapon is used to kill the victims?

  10. John finds Sherlock in the nick of time and rescues him. How does John know where to find Sherlock?