This is a top-notch Victorian murder mystery with the great sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Charlton Heston) and well accompanied by his agreeable partner Doctor Watson (Richard Johnson) . While uncanny Sherlock Holmes and the ever-faithful Watson encounter into 221 Baker Street are visited by a beautiful young woman , Irene St. Claire (Susannah Harker) and they're hired to investigate . Irene asks help for her unfortunate daddy , a previous war veteran (John Castle), as he has turned into a hopeless opium addict , due to his direct result of guilt and fear. Holmes and Watson , the perfect counterpoint to Sherlock , are involved in killing , poison darts , a fortune in Indian jewels original from luxurious palace of Agra and much suspect behavior by strange characters . The strange clues lead some soldiers of the Great Indian Mutiny, from the siege of Agra in 1857 . This is one mystery that it Not elementary, my dear Watson...
The film packs suspense , intrigue , unanswered mysteries , thrills and excellent set decoration . This is a good Holmes mystery with gripping London setting and including first-range nasties . One of the most charming Holmes television pictures and long runtime . The film is packed with suspense intensified by a theft of a maharajah's treasure, greed , drug dependence , a bloody pact of secrecy , thrills , good performances and evocative scenarios . It is a bit slow-moving and a little boring because being mostly set in interiors and only a few characters . Well cast by notable actors , as Charlton Heston and Richard Johnson's tour-de-force acting. Being supported by good players as Susannah Harker , Edward Fox, John Castle, Simon Callow as Lestrade , Clive Wood , James Coyle . Charlton Heston ¨Chuck¨ as Holmes plays in a clever , broody and impetuous manner , he gives an aristocratic finely modulated voice . Nevertheless , the best TV Holmes , was Jeremy Brett , along with Peter Cushing who starred the series in the 60s and in 1984 played ¨Sherlock Holmes and the masks of death¨. Brett , Cushing in TV and Basil Rathbone in the cinema are the history's best Holmes . Jeremy Brett achieved fame and fortune with ¨ Adventures of Holmes , The Return , The Case-Book and Memories Sherlock Holmes¨ series and four long time films . This story was nicely adapted and professionally directed by Fraser C. Heston . The movie is produced by Peter Snell, Charlton Heston's usual producer who financed the three films he directed as ¨ A man for all seasons¨ and ¨Marco Antonio y Cleopatra¨. Furthermore, he produced him the motion pictures who directed his son, Frazer Clarke Heston and starred Heston as ¨ Island of treasure¨ and ¨The crucifer of blood¨ and ¨Mother lode¨who's the worst film directed by Fraser Heston . Rating : Acceptable and entertaining. See this flick if only to enjoy the lush Victorian backdrop . It is only for Charlton Heston Heston fans and Sherlock Holmes followers . Both of whom series' ordinaries . Rating : Better than average , 6.5/10 . Well worth watching .
Other adaptations about this Arthur Conan Doyle's novel : The Sign of Four are the following ones : ¨Sing of Four¨ (1968) by William Sterling with Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock from Sherlock Holmes Tv series . ¨The Sign of Four¨ realized by Desmond Davis (1984) with Ian Richardson .1987 TV Movie with Jeremy Brett , Edward Hardwicke . Another rendition filmed by Rodney Gibbons (2001) with Matt Frewer and this Sui Generis version by Fraser C. Heston titled ¨Crucifer of blood¨ by Fraser Heston and played by his father Charlton Heston as Holmes.
