The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) The Master Blackmailer (1992) User Reviews

A Downbeat and Entertaining Holmes Film

[ericksonsam60 · 8/10 · 30 January 2012]

This third Sherlock Holmes film from Granada is not as good as "The Sign of Four" or "The Hound of the Baskervilles". However, it is a very enjoyable and well-made production nevertheless. It is an overextended version of what was originally only a short story but making it into a feature-length film only improves it rather ruining it. This Peter Hammond directed- Jeremy Paul scripted adaptation is one of the darkest entries in the Granada series.

It's plot is compelling and dramatic. It does not have much mystery, as we know who the perpetrator clearly is but the drama comes from Holmes's effort to bring down Charles Augustus Milverton from his ruthless blackmailing. Like so many Holmes stories, it exposes the hypocrisy of Victorian society where these so-called "Noblemen" carry their own flaws and dirty secrets. This film is dark and mournful but it has a good share of humor and humanity as well. The most amusing scenes are between Holmes (in disguise) and Agatha (Milverton's housemaid) suggesting a possible romance. I think she loved Holmes but I don't think Holmes cared for her. As Holmes himself is rather asexual, the only true love for him is his work.

The acting by its cast is solid. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke continue to be perfect as the classic duo of Holmes and Watson. Serena Gordon and Sophie Thompson are good as well. However, it is Robert Hardy performance as Charles Augustus Milverton that steals the show. C.A.M. manages to be a villain far more chilling and despicable than Professor Moriarty. Holmes always had admiration for his former arch-nemesis yet with Milverton he brings out nothing but pure disdain.

Riveting from start to finish with superb cinematography, costumes, music, and attention to periodic detail. If "The Master Blackmailer" isn't one of the best Sherlock Holmes films ever made, it is certainly among the better ones.

The Best of the Extended, Rewritten episodes of the "Brett" Holmes series

[theowinthrop · 8/10 · 31 October 2008]

Doyle had never wanted to resurrect Holmes from his joint death with Professor Moriarty in THE ADVENTURE OF THE FINAL PROBLEM. However,financial considerations made him willing (in 1901) to write THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, which is still considered his best Holmes' novel and possibly his best novel. But it was a "memoir" of the great detective, written before his death. Only a greater outcry from his public led Doyle to fully resurrect Holmes in THE ADVENTURE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE, published in 1905.

It is not that the new short stories (and the last novel) are really bad. Maybe three of the stories are really terrible, but even the terrible ones are very readable. Several of the later ones (like THE ADVENTURE OF THE SOLITARY CYCLIST) are really very good. But the unevenness of production (in particularly after the stories in HIS LAST BOW (1917)) become increasingly apparent. He repeats past story lines, and he shows really negative aspects of Holmes. In the story THE ADVENTURE OF THE THREE GABLES Holmes shows a sneering sarcasm at a character who is of African ancestry.

SPOILER COMING UP:

THE ADVENTURE OF CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILVERTON deals with Holmes trying to recover compromising letters from Milverton, a hugely successful blackmailer. It is an interesting example of how Doyle could make a highly readable story with a minimum of plot for there is little real detective work in the tale. Holmes is hired to try to negotiate with Milverton regarding the purchase of the letters, but to get them back no matter what! Milverton proves not only unwilling to consider a smaller amount for the papers but prepared to protect himself from Holmes attempting a search of his person. Later we learn Holmes has gotten into the household of Milverton by romancing a maid while disguised. At the end Holmes goes with Watson to burglarize Milverton's home. He and Watson are in the house when they find that Milverton is awaiting some new business deal in his study (someone with information that Milverton can use). Carefully hiding, Holmes and Watson watch as a woman comes in, who turns out to be a victim of collateral damage from Milverton's past activities, and who shoots the blackmailer to death. Holmes and Watson are able to set fire to Milverton's collection of compromising documents before fleeing the house, and subsequently discover (for themselves) the identity of the woman. The police (under Lestrade) don't discover who the two mysterious men seen running from Milverton's home are, and they are so disgusted by Milverton's activities (they never were able to bring anything home against him) that it is obvious the murder will never be solved.

The tale is not one of the fascinating ones with real detective work involved like THE ADVENTURE OF THE SPECKLED BAND or SILVER BLAZE. It is a tale of mood and late action - the issue being will Holmes and Watson get the papers or will they be caught by Milverton? It is not one of the best stories, but it is in the bulk of the tales as being really well told and interesting.

At the time he wrote CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILVERTON, Conan Doyle had an experience with the police regarding his sometimes activities as a highly respected amateur detective/crusader. An artist was found murdered in his studio in London, and Conan Doyle began writing his opinions about how the killing was committed. Then he stopped - apparently warned by his friends at Scotland Yard that the murder did not bare looking into. The victim had been a homosexual, and the police were certain that it was a lover's spat gone horribly wrong. For the sake of the family of the Victim (this was in 1905) Doyle dropped his interest in the case. So he was aware that sometimes the British police behaved with restraint on matters that did not seem to justify their full probing - as Lestrade's restraint towards whoever did kill the villainous Milverton in the story.

Given the description of the story it could have been told in the normal hour long version of the series. But the teleplay for THE MASTER BLACKMAILER spent some time showing the horrible dilemma Milverton's victims (in Victorian/Edwardian England) faced. We see a promising young aristocratic army officer kill himself when faced with a homosexual exposure because of Milverton's extravagant demands, all at the start of the teleplay. And it is not only homosexuals. Men and women of good reputation in heterosexual marriages could be smeared by uncovering illegitimate children or past indiscreet relationships. Indeed, in the story, the woman who kills Milverton is avenging the destruction of her husband (a prominent nobleman) destroyed by the blackmailer.

Milverton is well played at his most poisonous blandness by that fine actor Robert Hardy, who even when confronted by the unexpected furies he has unleashed is totally unperturbed (he looks like he will just have the angry woman showed out of his home in a moment). Brett and Hardwicke do quite well in their Holmes and Watson roles, as to be expected.

How serious was the loss of character by rumor or innuendo in 1905? In 1898 one of the heroes of the various imperial wars, and the leader of the last victorious charge at the battle of Omdurman that destroyed the Mahdist army (see FOUR FEATHERS) was Sir Hector MacDonald. He was governor of Ceylon in 1903 when he suddenly, unexpectedly resigned. Sir Hector returned to London, and shot himself in a hotel while awaiting some sort of hearing. It later came out that "Fighting Mac", frequently considered the most popular army commander in Britain, had been caught having sleeping arrangements with native boys. Milverton would have eaten him up very quickly...or his real life counterparts would have.

Entertaining Holmes movie with thrills, mystery, intrigue and a first range villain

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 8 January 2008]

This long episode packs a lot of astounding of surprises, thriller, mystery and concerns a battle of wits between Sherlock against Charles Augustus Milverton , a master blackmailer . This is an excellent as well as overlong runtime of Jeremy Brett-Holmes series. In the film appears usual Holmes's cannon as Inspector Lestrade and Mrs Hudson, though no Moriarty, however there is a greatest villain , Charles Augustus.

It's a genuine ripping yarn with intrigue , thrills, and suspense, including an exciting final twist . This is a particular Sherlock movie but we find to Holmes falling in love with a servant , kissing , crying and even robbing . This time along with the episode ¨Scandal in Boheme¨ with Irene Adler, result to be the only ones which Holmes is enamored . Top-notch Brett performance, he alongside Peter Cushing are the best Sherlock TV , while in the cinema is forever Basil Rathbone . Brett performs as a resolutive , headstrong , impetuous sleuth . Here Doctor Watson isn't a comical , botcher, and clumsy pal personified by Nigel Bruce , but is an astute and cunning partner well incarnated by Edward Hardwicke, a perfect counterpoint to Brett. Casting is frankly magnificent , special mention to Robert Hardy as crafty nasty . Hardy, today famous for his role as Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter , is a veteran actor with forty years of career and several successes such as , ¨The 10th kingdom¨ and ¨Winston Churchill¨. Furthermore , there appear secondary actors with terrific performances : Nickolas Grace, Sophie Gordon, Serena Gordon , among others. The movie gets a colorful atmosphere , the London streets and 221 Baker Street's house are well designed . The motion picture was well directed by Peter Hammond, director of various episodes. It's a must see for the Arthur Conan Doyle novels fans.

can this be - Holmes in love?

[didi-5 · 6 July 2003]

The stand-out sequences from 'The Master Blackmailer', for me, are the ones between the brilliant Jeremy Brett (in disguise, naturally), and Sophie Thompson. Could it be the great detective has actually fallen for a lady?

This aside, there's a intricate blackmail plot involving Robert Hardy (excellent), and plenty of opportunities for Holmes and Watson to get themselves in awkward situations before solving the mystery.

Probably the best of the feature-length episodes, and a fine example of the work Brett and Hardwicke did to immortalise Conan Doyle's characters for the small screen.

Screen version of Sherlock Holmes reaches its zenith in Jeremy Brett's portrayal of master sleuth.

[sonarman65 · 10/10 · 18 January 2006]

After seeing Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes, no actor should ever display such conceit as to imagine that he could ever come close to Mr. Brett's portrayal of "one of the most interesting characters in literature". Jeremy Brett IS Sherlock Holmes and in my opinion there can be no other. The great actor Basil Rathbone is,I must admit, a close second but, is still second. One might make the argument that Mr. Rathbone's screenplays were inferior to the absolutely top notch productions afforded Mr. Brett and to this I would agree. However when all is said and done Jeremy Brett will always and forever be the only actor to truly "become" Sherlock Holmes. The book should be closed on this subject and we,the public,left to enjoy Mr.Brett's unique performances.

Bill Rogers

([e-mail])

Excellent story of intrigue and adventure - Spoilers

[bteigen · 9/10 · 23 December 2004]

The Master Blackmailer, based off of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short story, "the Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton," is the first feature length Sherlock Holmes story with Jeremy Brett that I have seen. The story is interesting and dark. The film has a somewhat dreary, sad feel to it, but it is quite entertaining (with some especially funny scenes).

*Spoilers* Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson attempt to uncover the identity of an illusive blackmailer who has been ruining some of the most prominent families of England by publishing private letters that will, in one way or another, destroy their lives. They eventually find out that he is Charles Augustus Milverton, an "art dealer," after the few tragic consequences for victims that could not pay up. Our heroes must next help Lady Eva Blackwell, who must pay a sum that is beyond her means or else her upcoming marriage will most definitely be called off. The scene in which Holmes and Watson burglarize Milverton's house are intense. Although the film has an essentially happy ending, the tone is sad and regretful.

Outstanding performances by Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke (as usual), and Robert Hardy as the notorious villain (most audiences probably recognize him today as Cornelius Fudge in Harry Potter), Serena Gordon as Lady Eva Blackwell, Norma West as Lady Swinstead and Sophie Thomson as Agatha (the scenes involving her and Holmes are a riot). I give it a ***1/2 out *****. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough Inspector Lestrade. (I wish they would have added in the scene at the end of the short story where he gives the description of the two burglars, one of which matches Watson.)

Better than the story it is based on

[sissoed · 6/10 · 29 October 2009]

I am a longtime fan of the hour-long Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes dramatizations, but the three longer ones I have seen -- this one, The Sign of Four, and The Hound of the Baskervilles -- have left me disappointed. I was going to give this one a pretty negative review, until I went on-line and read the original story, Charles Augustus Milverton.

The faults are almost all in the original, which Doyle wrote in 1904 and which feels pretty rushed and mechanical. Holmes does hardly any deducing or reasoning in this, but then he doesn't in the original, either. The dramatists have done an excellent job in creating a new foreground story and interweaving the central blackmail plot from the original story into several other blackmail plots. They have also developed the Watson character much more, and have fleshed-out Holmes' romance-in-disguise with the housemaid (the ever-excellent Sophie Thompson). Robert Hardy gives a masterful performance as the villain.

As to the core scenes of the original story -- they are all here, practically verbatim.

A pet peeve of mine is when dramatists take a classic character from literature and in an attempt to modernize and flesh-out the character, have the character do and say things that contradict the values of the original character. I thought that a bit of that had happened in this version, but again -- the Holmes here is the Holmes in the original story.

It seemed to me that Holmes here was a bit too quick to go along with the lady's desire to hide the embarrassing letters from her about-to-be husband. After all, she wrote the letters, so doesn't the groom have a fair claim, at least, not to be deceived about his future wife? If the letters are really not so embarrassing, but the groom would terminate the wedding anyway, doesn't that tell us that perhaps he isn't so very suitable? That maybe this marriage should not happen? Is she really marrying the man for money and title, and not for love? The Holmes in the earlier stories would at least have given some thought to these questions, and the Doyle who wrote the earlier stories would have re-shaped his plot to answer all these concerns. But not in this story.

While the dramatists did a good job in expanding the story, it would have been even better had they expanded it by developing the moral and romantic issues in the impending marriage that the original story overlooked.

The best, from the best

[meglos · 10/10 · 23 September 2001]

Jeremy Brett is simply the best Holmes ever, narrowly edging out the great Basil Rathbone of course, and this is probably the best adaptation of a Conon-Doyle short story.

A length adaptation includes some new plot strands that fit in well to the surrounding drama and heightens the hatred one feels for Milverton.

Excellent performances all round, especially from Robert Hardy, and both Brett and Hardwick fully rounded and comfortable in their roles makes this a superb piece of drama.

Slow but okay

[grantss · 7/10 · 31 December 2022]

Colonel Dorking commits suicide after a blackmailer reveals his secret to his fiancée, causing the wedding to be abandoned. On of his final acts is to leave a note to Sherlock Holmes with the details of blackmailer's nefarious ways and his identity: Charles Augustus Milverton. Holmes discovers that several others have been victims of Milverton and sets out to stop him continuing his evil ways.

A film-length episode of Sherlock Holmes, double the length of a standard episode. A length longer than 50 minutes was probably required but someone must have prescribed a length of 102 minutes, rather than just let it run for its natural length. The substance of this episode is a lot less than 102 minutes, resulting in many slow-moving sections and some padding.

It's interesting enough, just a slog to get through some portions.

Excellent Sherlock Holmes mystery

[TheLittleSongbird · 9/10 · 7 July 2010]

As a big fan of Jeremy Brett's Holmes, I really liked this Sherlock Holmes adaptation. I have liked a lot of the feature length adaptations, this, Hound of the Baskervilles and my personal favourite Sign of Four being the best in my opinion.

I agree it is slow at times, but I still liked it because it was well acted, had an interesting story and had excellent period detail. The story it is based on isn't a favourite admittedly, but it was a good enough read, however I do think I prefer this adaptation. As you would expect the period detail, sets, photography, costumes and scenery are exceptional and the music is haunting and beautiful. The story is an interesting and involving one with a touch of regret and melancholy about it, the script is well written and sophisticated, the direction is good and the acting is very good.

Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke are brilliant as Holmes and Watson, no surprise they always are, Serena Gordon is a beautiful, alluring and sympathetic Eva, Sophie Thompson is lovely as Agatha and Robert Hardy is truly excellent as the villain of the piece, and a notorious villain he is too. Overall, excellent in almost every aspect, definitely recommended. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A nice adaptation, but too long. But Robert Hardy was great.

[pfr1685 · 6/10 · 18 October 2021]

Robert Hardy was (as usual) excellent, this time as Charles Augustus Milverton. However, the episode itself was plodding and sometimes confusing to follow. It would have been much better as a standard (50-minute) episode rather than a double-length; the additional padding actually made the production suffer, and too many characters looked similar enough to make it difficult to figure out who was who at times. However, on second viewing, it wasn't as bad as it appeared the first time I saw it (although it was still too long).

A fantastic telling of one of Conan Doyle's best stories.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 5 August 2016]

It falls on Sherlock Holmes to take out Charles Augusts Milverton, The Master Blackmailer who sits like a spider in the middle of a web, a particularly nasty and deceitful individual who uses spies to obtain the dirt on his wealthy victims.

The book is a good one, but the out and out brilliance of Robert Hardy makes Milverton one of the best remembered villains from the Jeremy Brett era of Sherlock Holmes. He plays him with truth, and a degree of downright villainy seldom seen. He is cold and chilling. Brett and Hardwicke combine beautifully, there is a sense of tension and urgency in their performances. Holmes's romancing with Aggie are well worth a look, as are his disguises. Worth noting that The Dowager, played by Gwen Ffrangcon Davies was over 100 years old when this was made.

Beautifully produced, the surroundings are glorious, and the costumes are first rate, it looks exquisite.

Full of suspense, mystery and villainy. This is a slick production, one of the very best, an ending you cannot help but enjoy, love it. 9/10

The Master Blackmailer

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 12 January 2020]

There is a tender scene between Holmes and an elderly dowager played by Dame Gwen Ffrangcon Davies. She was over 100 years old and this was the final role of a noted stage actress who could still recite lines from plays she performed as a young woman in the 1920s.

Robert Hardy has a devil of a time playing the master blackmailer Charles Augustus Milverton. He sets up men or women who are about to get wed to high society for past indiscretions. Milverton knows that posh husbands will not be pleased to now what their intended wives have been up to and he intends to squeeze them for money.

Homes disguises himself as a plumber to get inside Milverton's household and he romances the housemaid Aggie.

There is no deduction here. Holmes and Watson need to stop Milverton. However this is a short story that has been expanded to fit the two hour slot. It is a slog despite new elements being introduced to the story.

Well-crafted tale, with some additions to Doyle's story

[smokehill retrievers · 22 June 2002]

I tend to look askance when they are not entirely faithful to Doyle's sacred canon, but for a Brett performance I'll overlook most anything. The additonal material, while not strictly necessary to the plot, were well-chosen and allowed them to develop more of an atmosphere, probably a good move for those not already dyed-in-the-wool Holmes buffs. Those of us who have most of the canon almost memorized often forget that newer generations of fans, unlike us, may be starting fresh and this may be their first exposure to Holmes, Watson and the foggy streets of Victorian London. A one-hour block is sufficient for almost any Holmes story, but I welcome a stretched, movie-sized version when it is done well. This Holmes-Watson duo is, I believe, the best so far, and overall the large body of Holmes adventures they`left us will be the standard against which all others will be measured for a very long time.

Compelling story but was justice done at the end?

[tadvanapetendree · 8/10 · 13 December 2020]

As someone who has watched every single episode of Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes, this one does not fall short in its appeal. I only find fault in one thing which is why I am compelled to write this review. The blackmailer gets his just deserves as is typical in all blackmail stories. But what about the people who enabled him to perform his monstrous acts - the lovers, the valets, the ladies maids - who ruined the lives of their significant others and employers with no thought to anything but the money they received? Is that fair?

Justice Must Be Done

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 15 February 2014]

"The Case of Charles Augustus Milverton" is the basis for this entry in the Holmes saga. In it a master blackmailer with no sense of compassion uses young women by buying up incriminating letters and documents from disreputable, money grubbing people. He pays a healthy fee, but gains recompense at a future time. Usually, these are young women with marriage prospects, who have done something that will either destroy any possibility of matrimony or cause embarrassment to their upper crust husbands. A young military man takes his own life and this leads to a series events, including one where Holmes and Watson risk their careers to do what is right. Milverton is one of the slimiest villains in the history of literature, having almost no redeeming qualities. His portrayal is subtle and quiet, like a cobra lying in the bush. But he is the most evil kind of cad with no qualms about engaging his psychotic plans. He considers himself a shrewd businessman and carnage is his business.

Diana, Athene and Escott

[Cicero83 · 9/10 · 1 April 2012]

In response to Fletcher - 13.....I believe the bust of Athene symbolises Lady Diana Swinstead (Diana and Athena are one and the same).

The recent Holmes "impersonators" hold no flame to Jeremy Brett's portrayal, who will remain, for me and his loyal fans, The Sherlock Holmes. This is one of my favourites - some posters find the Aggie-Sherlock trysts amusing, and not without reason, perhaps. But I do think there is something deeper going on there. At the beginning, Holmes' isolated childhood is hinted at, and, save Ms. Adler, Aggie appears the only female in the canon to elicit any tenderness of emotion for the opposite sex. I find the scenes touching. Maybe I'm a softie for that kinds of thing, but I think this is one of the few times when we see Holmes' guard down.

Thank you, Jeremy.

well-done extrapolation from Doyle's Sherlock Holmes original (spoilers)

[standardmetal · 10/10 · 8 August 2017]

Robert Hardy died only 5 days ago at age 91, but here he shows his great talent by brilliantly playing the oily title character.

It must be said at the outset that Charles Augustus Milverton was closely-based on a real (alleged) "master blackmailer", Charles Augustus Howell, a shady art dealer who now has his own Wikipedia page.

In case anyone thinks the denouement of this episode is a case of "wishful thinking", Howell's end in real life was strikingly similar to Milverton's even though his real killer still remains unknown.

The early scene in the Victorian gay bar is, of course, not suggested by Doyle's original and the drag singer is singing Debussy's early song (Beau Soir in an English translation) but it seems a logical scene to include in an updated episode about a blackmailer.

The best fenture length Sherlock Holmes episode

[krisztisoma · 10/10 · 26 December 2017]

The episodes in vonderfull. Jeremy Brett is exellent actor and Edward Hardwicke is a best Dr.Watson

Naughty Holmes.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 8 August 2012]

The production values, as usual, are excellent. There's even a big ballroom scene with Watson doing the polka. Maybe it's not up to "War and Peace" or "Madame Bovary" but there are a lot of extras, its colorful, and the music is tripping. Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke as as good as always and the supporting players get the job done.

But I don't know why it isn't more enjoyable. Sometimes it even made me squirm with discomfort. It was never my favorite story, and I haven't read it for years, and I can't understand why the producers and the writer, Jeremy Paul, drew it out to such length. Unlike "The Hound" and "The Sign of Four", it was not a novella to begin with. It was just another short story, and not one of the best.

Except for the climactic confrontation, at 102 minutes this is rather a long, slow slog -- more of a melodrama than a mystery. Holmes pulls off no spectacular feats of deduction. Nothing about cigar ash, footprints, or even somebody's old hat. Except for two or three extended scenes in which Holmes appears (convincingly) as a raggedy plumber, the sleuth's name might as well have been Philo Vance.

Holmes does a couple of illegal and unethical things to nail Charles Augustus Milverton, the nasty blackmailer. He engages in burglary, he witnesses a murder and allows the killer to escape without informing on her, and he woos a simple housemaid to get information.

Murder, burglary, okay, but that housemaid business is unnerving. She's Agatha, Sophie Williams, plain but honest in her affection for Holmes the ersatz plumber. And Jeremy Brett plays his attraction to her in a perfectly straight manner -- straight, the way Holmes would be straight. She asks him to kiss her and he replies in a tremulous voice, "I don't know how." In another scene he's flat on his back in the garden and she's lying on top of him and tells him of her feelings for him. "Agatha," he says, barely able to get it out, "you have touched my heart." Watson objects to his using the girl and Holmes brushes it aside, "It can't be helped." And in a later scene he shows up at the house not in the persona of the unkempt plumber but as Holmes, the world's only consulting detective, and he sweeps past the maid without a glance.

The final scene has Holmes and Watson back at Baker Street. Watson takes up his pen and a subdued Holmes begs him not to write up the story, adding that the case isn't one that he's particularly proud of. Right.

Well-crafted tale, with some additions to Doyle's story

[smokehill retrievers · 22 June 2002]

I tend to look askance at departures from Doyle's sacred writings, but the additions in this film were well-chosen and done well. Those of us who have most of the Holmes canon mostly memorized tend to forget that for many viewers this may be their first exposure to Holmes, Watson and the foggy streets of Victorian London. A bit more atmosphere and additional plot may be a good introduction for newcomers to the Foggy Fables.

The large body of work left by Brett and his associates is, I believe, the best and most faithful Holmes films so far.

The Detached but Moral Holmes Takes on a Grisly Adversary

[classicalsteve · 9/10 · 13 May 2012]

The Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes of the 1930's and 1940's is probably how most people imagine Sherlock Holmes. He dons a knit cloak and a deerstalker hat sporting a magnifying glass. However, the Holmes of the original novels by Arthur Conan Doyle are not quite such a cliché detective, and yet he actually created the first recurring character sleuth! As far as I know, none of the books portray him as wearing the deerstalker hat, and the cloak would only be worn when traveling. The deerstalker cap was favored in rural communities but not as much in London. However, since the studios decided to have Rathbone wear it in these early films, they became ever fused with the stereotype image of Sherlock Holmes.

Thankfully, the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes never dons a deerstalker hat. He does, however, smoke a pipe upon occasion, yell at his housekeeper, and often shake his head at Dr Watson. These elements are in the novels and stories, and they are certainly there in Brett's interpretation of Holmes. His Sherlock Holmes is a rather scatter-brain eccentric genius. On one hand he is brilliant, savvy, and ultimately moral. On the other hand, he is vain, disrespectful, and at times downright rude, ignoring most accepted social etiquette. Which makes for a great character. While Christie's Hercule Poirot is always kind, respectful and downright lovable, Holmes isn't. But his brilliance outweighs his shortcomings.

In the Master Blackmailer, Holmes goes up against one his most heinous foes. Although he never pulls a trigger or puts arsenic into iced tea, this foe is responsible for the pain and suffering of many innocent people. A few even end up dead for their troubles. The Master Blackmailer buys letters written by upper-crust families but ill-gotten by their maids and butlers. He then blackmails the poor victims. If they can't pay, the letters will fall into the hands of people who shouldn't see them. His scheme seems perfect until one of the blackmailed decides to solicit Holmes instead of facing the consequences.

A wonderful tale of intrigue and blackmail in one of Holmes' most interesting cases. Brett is superb as the sleuth who must find a way to save his client before she is eaten alive by the blackmailer. Can he do it and save her reputation without her having to pay a king's ransom for the damning material? Unpredictable fun all the way.

Refreshing & Uplifting

[salemcat · 10/10 · 15 August 2015]

Totally Satisfying.

Unlike "The Sign of Four", where, sadly, Sherlock is on the wrong team, "The Master Blackmailer" has an exceedingly pleasant conclusion.

A loathsome worm, Charles Augustus Milverton, harms others with malice, needlessly. His fortune is assured; any money he coerces from others feeds his black heart more than his purse.

His doom is pleasant. He is middle-aged, in excellent health, and would have had many years before him. Years he could have tortured others with.

Suddenly, much to his surprise, not a single cartridge, but 2/3 of an entire revolvers' cylinder is emptied into his lungs, liver, spleen, and any other organs that may have been in the way.

He is seen suffering from the punctures, yet happily his assassin has saved a final pair of rounds to increase his pain and further his injuries.

Best of all, no rounds were to his face. Which makes the final application of high-heels to his eyes and face, transforming his features into a simple blood pudding, all the better.

There are times when mercy would be inappropriate.

A movie-length installment...and it's a good one!

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 19 September 2023]

Robert Hardy was a fine actor who had a lot of credits during his long career. I didn't recognize him at first, but in "The Master Blackmailer", my aunt kept thinking she recognized him...and then realized he was the man who played Zigfried in the original "All Creatures Great and Small" series. This is interesting because here he plays a man almost the exact opposite of nice Ziegfried...he plays one of the worst villains in all the Sherlock Holmes stories! He was so loathsome and despicable I kept rooting for someone, anyone, to kill him!

The episode is movie length, unlike most installments in the series. It is about a master blackmailer...a man who has gotten rich off exploiting the foibles of others. One of them ends up killing himself for fear that Charles Milverton (Hardy) would expose his secret. Holmes knows what sort of creature Milverton is...but how to catch him since his victims have so much to hide and are barely the type to tell others about their plights! Eventually, Holmes is so determined to stop Milverton that he's willing to break various laws to do so....but, sadly, it didn't involve killing Milverton!

The story here is just so interesting and well done that I think it's one of the best of the Jeremy Brett shows featuring Sherlock Holmes. It's interesting because Holmes really has to admit that he's unable to stop some evil doer and it's interesting how Milverton met his just reward. Well worth seeing.

Fantasticccccccccc !

[dzdzmls · 10/10 · 12 February 2017]

I am just watching it now on ITV+.... What a masterpiece ! Almost inside the book, living in the author's breath. A perfect example of Cinema becoming Art when the director is really in his element & he exhibits his craftsmanship. A "Must Have" in a collection. :) I will never forget Holmes flirting with the Maid .His laughter on the ladder.The amazing moments of still scenes director made look like we are just having a glimpse into the spirit of that era. Incredible!I will get this movie at once! It will be one of the tops I keep watching over & over again. If Arthur Conan Doyle was able to watch this I am sure he would be awed to see the accuracy of images exactly as he imagined them to be. A piece of Art can't be described it should be experienced so I recommend dedicated followers of Cinema watch this movie & make a treasure of it.