Elementary Cinema: The Early Films of Sherlock Holmes (Blu-Ray)
**The Blu-Ray/DVD from Film Masters of “Elementary Cinema: The Early Films of Sherlock Holmes” will be available on August 11, 2026. This is a review of not just the feature, but the Blu-Ray edition. The grade for this will be for the main movie itself; the set grades will be featured in the body.
“Elementary Cinema: The Early Films of Sherlock Holmes” (2026)
In 2021, I had begun watching and reviewing Blu-Ray releases from The Film Detective, a boutique label which specialized in classic and more obscure film releases. One of those was a four-disc set of early Sherlock Holmes films, three of the films which starred Arthur Wontner as Holmes. Five years later, Film Masters- which is continuing the work started at The Film Detective- has an original documentary about the early cinematic legacy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary sleuth, and it is a fascinating companion piece to the early set.
At 45 minutes, Daniel Griffith’s film is straightforward, but very comprehensive, about not just the print history of Doyle’s creation, but in showing the exhaustive early attempts to adapt the character, both on stage and screen. It’s interesting to see all of the different ways in which early filmmakers told stories of Holmes, from a one-minute short in 1900 (“Sherlock Holmes Baffled”) to an attempt by Ebony Studios in 1918 (“A Black Sherlock Holmes”) to even riffs on the form like my beloved “Sherlock Jr.,” starring Buster Keaton.
In a lot of cases, the release of “Elementary Cinema” as the main feature on this disc is if, say, “Empire of Dreams”- the feature-length documentary about the history of the “Star Wars” franchise that came out with the trilogy’s first DVD release- was released as its own movie. Yes, the depth of knowledge- and presentation of said knowledge- is impressive, but this could have been an extra on a larger set rather than its own thing. Having said that, I’m glad I own it, and very glad I was able to watch it. It’s a fine companion to the Film Detective set I have from five years ago.
Blu-Ray Presentation
This is an unusual release from Film Masters, as it involves an original release rather than being a restoration of an older film. But, there is something to be said about them continuing their exemplary job of bringing presentation and context to classic cinema through this release. “Elementary Cinema’s” audio and video presentation is- naturally- fine; it’s a new, original documentary, so it fits the bill. It’s the bonus features that people will find of interest here. If you have the Film Detective set, it will be underwhelming, but as a companion, the bonuses fit perfectly with the film. In addition to a booklet with a new essay by Richard Heft entitled, Holmes, B.B.R. (Before Basil Rathbone), we get a plethora of early Holmes adapted/inspired short films: “Sherlock Holmes Baffled” (1900); “Copper Beeches” (1912); “Cousins of Sherlocko” (1913); two cuts of “A Black Sherlock Holmes” (1918); “Slick Sleuths” (1926)- all of which were on the earlier set- and a Felix the Cat cartoon not on the previous set, “Sure-Locked Holmes.” In addition, we get a television episode adaptation of a Holmes story, “The Case of the Blind Man’s Bluff,” and “Sherlock Holmes and the Blue Carbuncle,” both of which were on the previous set. Do I now have most of these twice? Yes, but if you’ve never seen them before, they are an invaluable part of film history.
Film Grade: B+
Audio & Video: A-
Bonus Features: A
