upon his passing, my sister and I inherited the entire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. they sit on the bookcase along with my nancy drew books.
*Please ignore the first comment I made-I'm typing on my phone* Is it weird that I own a non venomous snake and this is one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories? O_o
Wonderful acting all round. I found myself saying out loud, like an oath - "I love Jeremy Brett. I love Jeremy Brett." What he does with his eyes when he mentions the deep waters...and yes, the whole scene with the step-father... impeccable. Gods Bless his Wonderful Soul! And what delivery, and his voice! Sigh..! Sherlock perfection.
do not fall asleep, your very life may depend on it...I wonder if I were Watson how would I react, to Jeremy's sexy, whispering voice in my ear? @@ swoon
I remember watching this episode when I was in class when I was in 5th grade, about 1989/1990, and I was totally mesmerized by the story and the intensity/genius of Sherlock Holmes. I didn't know it was a TV series at the time, as we only watched this one episode, but years later I discovered the show on my own and was thrilled to make the connection and find out there was more than just the one we'd seen in class. What a terrific series. Brett is the definitive Holmes.
Holmes was not mentally ill as some have suggested. He was, however, prone to fits of ennui and depression when he was not on a case and that great mind had nothing to do. That's why he took cocaine and played that violin (even though he was awful at it). He had to keep his mind humming and his hands busy. What Brett played so well was the fact that Holmes only felt truly alive when he was on a case.
Earlier, Helen said that her sister was checked for poison but none was found. Holmes said that the snake's venom couldn't possibly be detected by any chemical test, but never explained why. Is that actually true or just fiction? I would think that any toxicology test would show some sign of the venom...
@cadetgj This was back in the 1880's, when such tests were crude and really only designed to recognize some poisons such as cyanide. Poison and venom are two different things, so snake venom wouldn't be detected by a test designed for poisons I believe.
@sideshowbro True, but today's tests are capable of detecting far more than older tests, and medical personal in cases like this would check for any possible kind of venom or poison, as it seems the people who tested the woman in this episode, I guess, didn't think that she got bitten by an exotic snake, so they didn't bother looking for it. Does that make sense? lol
Does anyone know why Julia stoner says "the speckled band" as her her dying words rather than "it's a snake!". Sorry, it's probably an obvious answer, but I've seen two adaptations (Brett and Wilmer) but I haven't read the book yet.
@TallAnimations Haha, because otherwise it wouldn't be a mystery at all! =P In the story, she says, "The speckled band". The Granada series is often very close to verbatim, in regards to the written stories - they use a lot of the original narration/dialogue. I mean, logically, it makes much more sense to say, "OMFG HE HAS A SNAKE!", than, "The speckled band!", but it works for the story. And having been poisoned, she's rather delerious, so I suppose that could make sense that way, also.
@TallAnimations I always took it to mean that she didn't actually realize it was a snake. Something woke her up, she was confused (and poisoned) and she caught a glimpse of something that probably looked like a moving band/rope. This is the quote: "[...] and the use of the word 'band,' which was used by the poor girl, no doubt, to explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of by the light of her match [...]" So that might explain why she didn't say "snake!"
Sherlock Holmes autist ? Oh no ! He has just got a special way to think. I like this, especially in our time of totally dullness of mind, conditionned with medias. Men like Holmes should be a great support for us. And Jeremy Brett did it pretty well in showing a man that's not only a brain.
The only little misunderstanding here is that in that time people thought milk would be like a treat for a snake because of that Indian Cobra tick. The basic thought, that you can condition a snake to simple tasks with the help of food is absolutely right, though. So no reason to keep on babbling about this being illogical.
And Holmes didn't try to kill the snake. I think in the episode they make it quite clear that he is scared and simply reacts and wants it gone.
@Trampadoo In the book it is implied that Holmes merely wanted to preserve both himself and Watson while simultaneously proving his theory; I believe you are right in assuming that he didn't want the snake dead.
Jeremy Brett's performance of Sherlock Holmes should rank very high in the interpretations of Doyle's original work. From a modern standpoint it may not be too bold to say that Holmes had some kind of autism. Perhaps Asperger's. And if so then Brett got the mannerisms and attitude down pat.
@hollywoodwerewolf It's more likely Holmes was Bipolar, just as Jeremy Brett was. If you read the stories, he has bursts of sudden energy and passion followed by times of lethargy and/or depression--typical symptoms of bipolar disorder (though it was not known as such back then, nor was it treated). He doesn't quite have the attributes of autism.
I have to say that I love the Sherlock Holmes fanbase on YouTube. All the comments are so intelligent, tasteful and generally kind. Thanks for being awesome, fellow Sherlockians. You make me proud to be a fan. :D
Thank you for sharing this. I am curious as to what type of snake they used in this episode. Further, I think the idea of being bitten by a snake whilst in the 'comfort' of one's own bed is, well, the stuff of nightmares! Splendid!
One of the things that makes this Granada series so great, aside from the great acting, is the fact that they pretty closely followed Doyle's stories. As good as the Rathbone portrayals were, the movies were not set in the time they were supposed to be, the late 19th century, but in the 1920's 30's and 40's, and the stories were not what Doyle wrote but what Hollywood produced!
It is now known that snakes can also hear noises or vibrations that travel through the air. The bibrations caused by noises are also called sound waves.
When people and most animals hear, sound waves strike the eardrum and go to the inner ear, which is sensitive to the sound waves or vibrations. Snakes do not have eardrums, but their skins, muscles, and bones carry
the sound waves to the inner ears. In this way snakes can hear sound carried by the air, but probably not as well as we can.
@artnstories i think they should've changed the word "baboon" to "monkey" too because there aren't any baboons in india. on the other hand, they didn't use a baboon in the video so that's at least a step in the right direction.
@Lothriel And I too! This story was probably my first introduction to the books in Jeremy Brett I have accidently stumbled across MY perfect Holmes. Wonderful stuff. Also the bit when he blows out the candle for the first time and stares at the ventilator shows some pretty brilliant lighting. Love it!
There are some facts that people seem to be getting wrong: The Cheetah was found in India during the era this work was written. It has been extinct in India for the last 60-70 years. Cheetah is an anglicized spelling of the hindi word for the same creature, pronounced Chi-tta, roughly translated as "the spotted creature".
Leopards are abundantly found in India.
The myth of snakes (esp cobras) drinking milk exists in India, and perhaps that's where Doyle picked it up.
I am a big sherlock holmes fan but in this story, how can a snake respond to a whistle, snakes are deaf and they dont drink milk. not a very smart one.
they must have some way of responding to a whistle, and I guess they must drink milk, because arthur conan doyle did lots of in depth studying for his books. you can see how perfect they are written.
Sure thing, it's just basically an example of the Sherlockian system of "playing the game" as it's called,
that is the idea that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson were real people and that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was Watson's literary agent and that these
were actual cases recorded by Watson,
and various explanations of things like how a snake could hear a whistle and feed on milk not to mention survive in a safe for a long period of time with no air holes in it.
I have the New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, too. Your theory that Roylott bred the skink and Gila Monster together is good, but I think they are too far apart genetically for that.
However, I think Watson purposefully obscrured both the exact species of snake and the way Roylott used it. He didn't want to supply a recipe for murder!
But exactly how did he deploy it? I wonder about that.
You guys just don't get it. Sherlock Holmes was the greatest detective who ever lived. He knew stuff about snakes that no one else ever knew -- then or now.
We _know_ swamp adders are real cause we _saw_ Holmes capture it. We _know_ the doctor trained it with a whistle. We heard the whistle!
These episodes came to Australian TV in the 80s. When I watched this utube one I thought that it was a different TV episode in which the murder was done by piping carbon monoxide into a room; anyone know which Holmes story that was because I recall watching it?
I remember the first time I watched this on TV back in 1993. Seeing it on a TV screen was terrifying. Probably moreso than any horror film I have ever seen and I have seen a lot.
Wow. Reading down this comments page has left me baffled. It's fiction, people. Suspend your disbelief or shog off. No-one's forcing you to read / watch this stuff.
when they were leaving their cover (in the last part of the episode) there was still daylight, and all of the sudden there they were approaching the house and it was completely dark!!!
It is superhuman to sit in a complete dark room for hours, stay quiet and not fall into sleep. This video clip does not capture Holmes's ability to stay focused. I remember he and Watson sat in the room for 3~4 hours?
Not really, snakes drink water, as reptiles they don't feed on milk as young, which is strictly related to mammals. while they can and do drink milk if given it, they cant digest it well and it is harmful to them
However, snakes were traditionally believed to drink milk in India and it's possible even probably that Doyle picked up on this fact during his research.
Say this- Roylott came to the mistaken belief that snakes can hear and drank milk due to watching snake charmers in India and the snake was conditioned to come back to him when it smelt the milk. There... plot hole closed.
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it would be cool to see a Sherlock Holmes story where you can enjoy it without constantly thinking "Oh please. That is scientificly impossible". If you re wrote the ending and had Watson come out with the real culprit, the first sister, Julia, who is not dead. She simply faked her death with curare(brought from India), and was dug up by the gypsies(who are working for her). She is going to kill her sister to inherit the whole thing and is framing her step dad, using Holmes.
To us certain things seem impossible given the scientific knowledge at our fingertips. However at the time there was much less known about certain subjects, exotic animals being a pertinent example. Take it with a grain of salt and try to read it at people at the time would have. you'll enjoy it more.
in the stories i deduced it was a cobra of some sort simply because if he had animals from india he would have a snake certainly and being a doctor he would know what snake bites are invisible.
true, snake bites aren't invisible but it's possible that the doctors overlooked the small puncture wounds during the final exam because, not suspecting a snake, they weren't looking for them or passed them off as unimportant.
This is one of my fave Holmes stories, quite scary! But who the hell has been taking other S.H. episodes off YouTube!?! I had the whole of 'The Priory School' AND 'The Empty House' stored in my Favourites, and now they're gone! Shame on you, for depriving young women everywhere of the very sexy Jeremy Brett!
gandalf17 to answer your questions snakes are attracted to milk. if a snake is in your house you should put milk outside and the snake will go to out. and dr roylott owns a leopard and a baboon.
The daughter is played by Rosalyn Landor. A fine actress and a great beauty. For those who don't like her in this, she also appeared in Star Trek Next Generation.
It's hard for any actress to really stand out given a victorian era character to play - personality wasn't especially approved for women in that era.
In the book it's a cheetah, but I suppose they realised (unlike Doyle,) that cheetah's don't come from India, they come from Africa, so they used a leopard instead
No, its one of the storys twenty flaws. Like snakes don't drink milk, can't be trained and can't hear, so a shrill whistle won't be heard by a snake. No matter how hard you try, the snake would have just gone ad hid somewhere and bitten no one. I don't think an adder would even be likely to crawl upwards. they aren't pythons for crypts sake.
The science in it is all sound, there are leopards in India , snakes will and do drink milk , milk was and is given to them in India it's cultural there but can be bad for the snake, and snakes can hear their skin acts as an auditory receptor . Conan Doyle was a medical doctor for years so he never embellished his stories with whimsical fantasies , as for your alternative ending, I think Doyles was good enough, wouldn't want to spoil a good thing .
Very true. Snakes can indeed hear. The skin and muscle on each side of the head cover a bone, called the quadrate, and it moves in response to airborne sound. They may not huge range, but they do hear.
Really? I never knew that. I thought it was strange that there should be a 'mistake' in an S.H. story, because they are all usually so well thought out.
The original stories seem to be all sound for the late victorian era, and Conan Doyle himself saved two innocent men from the gallows by proving that they could not have been at the crime scene at the time the crime took place. He was a prophet of modern forensic techniques . Take Care
GO CANE!
Amanda1234558 6 days ago
oh dear holmes is shakin...
Amanda1234558 6 days ago
Lmao, "I cannot say that is likely to weigh very heavily upon my conscience."
Ackie282 4 weeks ago
Wonderful, I enjoyed it so much! Thank you!
itisitsits 1 month ago
this simply has to be one of my personal favorite cases! thanks very, very much for sharing this great story with us.
TEHEPICBROS 2 months ago
it's a wicked world and when a clever man turns his brain to crime it's the worst of all
Azoicum 2 months ago
helloooo??
ThEeFaiiLCrEw 2 months ago
what is a "snake-ish temper" ?!
caramelrocket 2 months ago
upon his passing, my sister and I inherited the entire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. they sit on the bookcase along with my nancy drew books.
Jantv81 3 months ago
The first Sherlock story I've seen on screen !!!! This rocks !!!
DOWSOE 3 months ago
Wonderful acting skill!
MrArunavadatta 3 months ago
awesome movie. the book in class was a bit hard to follow so this helped me a lot :) Thanks!
littlemissmuffin07 3 months ago
sir arthur conan doyal was a legend!!! and sherlock holmes made it come true!
musa77751 4 months ago
Brett is wonderful in this episode. Can't get much more Holmes than that.
greengrendel 5 months ago 2
*Please ignore the first comment I made-I'm typing on my phone* Is it weird that I own a non venomous snake and this is one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes stories? O_o
KitsuneTheFoxgirl 7 months ago
Is it weird that I own a non poisonous snam
KitsuneTheFoxgirl 7 months ago
idiotically
Olgalarge 8 months ago
Wonderful acting all round. I found myself saying out loud, like an oath - "I love Jeremy Brett. I love Jeremy Brett." What he does with his eyes when he mentions the deep waters...and yes, the whole scene with the step-father... impeccable. Gods Bless his Wonderful Soul! And what delivery, and his voice! Sigh..! Sherlock perfection.
Julzrael1 8 months ago
do not fall asleep, your very life may depend on it...I wonder if I were Watson how would I react, to Jeremy's sexy, whispering voice in my ear? @@ swoon
wincipoet 9 months ago 3
I remember watching this episode when I was in class when I was in 5th grade, about 1989/1990, and I was totally mesmerized by the story and the intensity/genius of Sherlock Holmes. I didn't know it was a TV series at the time, as we only watched this one episode, but years later I discovered the show on my own and was thrilled to make the connection and find out there was more than just the one we'd seen in class. What a terrific series. Brett is the definitive Holmes.
MikeAM78 9 months ago 3
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I am Learning about this in school aha our class is the best
xezzledx 9 months ago
I am Learning about this in school aha our class is the best
xezzledx 9 months ago
Holmes was not mentally ill as some have suggested. He was, however, prone to fits of ennui and depression when he was not on a case and that great mind had nothing to do. That's why he took cocaine and played that violin (even though he was awful at it). He had to keep his mind humming and his hands busy. What Brett played so well was the fact that Holmes only felt truly alive when he was on a case.
tdelamont 9 months ago
Earlier, Helen said that her sister was checked for poison but none was found. Holmes said that the snake's venom couldn't possibly be detected by any chemical test, but never explained why. Is that actually true or just fiction? I would think that any toxicology test would show some sign of the venom...
cadetgj 10 months ago
@cadetgj This was back in the 1880's, when such tests were crude and really only designed to recognize some poisons such as cyanide. Poison and venom are two different things, so snake venom wouldn't be detected by a test designed for poisons I believe.
tritonus411 10 months ago
@tritonus411 my understanding is that even now it is difficult to detect venom or poison if you don't know EXACTLY what your looking for.
sideshowbro 7 months ago
@sideshowbro True, but today's tests are capable of detecting far more than older tests, and medical personal in cases like this would check for any possible kind of venom or poison, as it seems the people who tested the woman in this episode, I guess, didn't think that she got bitten by an exotic snake, so they didn't bother looking for it. Does that make sense? lol
tritonus411 7 months ago
"Don't fall asleep. Your very life may depend on it." - Sherlock Holmes
MissSleepyhed 11 months ago 2
Wonder how the actor for Dr Roylott could play dead so long with eyes open wide and never blinking.
daeodon 11 months ago
wow
the ending is awesome!
MissNasentier 1 year ago
Does anyone know why Julia stoner says "the speckled band" as her her dying words rather than "it's a snake!". Sorry, it's probably an obvious answer, but I've seen two adaptations (Brett and Wilmer) but I haven't read the book yet.
TallAnimations 1 year ago
@TallAnimations Haha, because otherwise it wouldn't be a mystery at all! =P In the story, she says, "The speckled band". The Granada series is often very close to verbatim, in regards to the written stories - they use a lot of the original narration/dialogue. I mean, logically, it makes much more sense to say, "OMFG HE HAS A SNAKE!", than, "The speckled band!", but it works for the story. And having been poisoned, she's rather delerious, so I suppose that could make sense that way, also.
giorgiakerr 1 year ago
@TallAnimations I always took it to mean that she didn't actually realize it was a snake. Something woke her up, she was confused (and poisoned) and she caught a glimpse of something that probably looked like a moving band/rope. This is the quote: "[...] and the use of the word 'band,' which was used by the poor girl, no doubt, to explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of by the light of her match [...]" So that might explain why she didn't say "snake!"
redtopaz 7 months ago
Arthur Conan Doyle's favorite Holmes tale!!
clash5j 1 year ago
Whoa!! I didn't know that the part after the end credits even existed!! That's awesome!!
Lyrictheac 1 year ago
I love it when he goes, "Watson, do you SEE IT!!!!!!!" *wham, wham* Lol awww so cute. *Hugs them both*
SpockLover27 1 year ago 9
best part.
Bean101kkk 1 year ago
2:15 -- You can see something or someone moving behind the ventilator, over Watson's shoulder.
KevinByrne2 1 year ago 4
@KevinByrne2 keen observation
MrSherlockWatson 1 year ago
@KevinByrne2 i didn't notice that until you said it, very observent, Holmes *wink *wink
naruotno1fangal 1 year ago
Sherlock Holmes autist ? Oh no ! He has just got a special way to think. I like this, especially in our time of totally dullness of mind, conditionned with medias. Men like Holmes should be a great support for us. And Jeremy Brett did it pretty well in showing a man that's not only a brain.
misstoujoursplus 1 year ago
The only little misunderstanding here is that in that time people thought milk would be like a treat for a snake because of that Indian Cobra tick. The basic thought, that you can condition a snake to simple tasks with the help of food is absolutely right, though. So no reason to keep on babbling about this being illogical.
And Holmes didn't try to kill the snake. I think in the episode they make it quite clear that he is scared and simply reacts and wants it gone.
Trampadoo 1 year ago
@Trampadoo In the book it is implied that Holmes merely wanted to preserve both himself and Watson while simultaneously proving his theory; I believe you are right in assuming that he didn't want the snake dead.
Lyrictheac 1 year ago
To clear some things up because certain trolls keep repeating nonsense:
1) Snakes can sense vibrations of the ground and travelling though the air.
2) Snakes drink by licking the liquid with their tongue.
3) Reptiles can't be "trained" but conditioned with the help of food to do simple things like moving in a box (done in some zoos)
3) Snakes drink water but will drink any liquid if really thirsty, even if it is harmful to them.
Trampadoo 1 year ago
Jeremy Brett's performance of Sherlock Holmes should rank very high in the interpretations of Doyle's original work. From a modern standpoint it may not be too bold to say that Holmes had some kind of autism. Perhaps Asperger's. And if so then Brett got the mannerisms and attitude down pat.
hollywoodwerewolf 1 year ago
@hollywoodwerewolf It's more likely Holmes was Bipolar, just as Jeremy Brett was. If you read the stories, he has bursts of sudden energy and passion followed by times of lethargy and/or depression--typical symptoms of bipolar disorder (though it was not known as such back then, nor was it treated). He doesn't quite have the attributes of autism.
Sykickv 1 year ago
I have to say that I love the Sherlock Holmes fanbase on YouTube. All the comments are so intelligent, tasteful and generally kind. Thanks for being awesome, fellow Sherlockians. You make me proud to be a fan. :D
DeeperThanSurface 1 year ago
A snakish temper has been roused indeed. Seems any evil no matter how able before Mr. Holmes and all the good he represents doesn't stand a chance!
Amen. May we all be averse to such paths!
motionboy356 1 year ago
at 5:55 he resembles hugh jackman a little bit.
SuperSreemoyee 1 year ago
@SuperSreemoyee I thought the EXACT same thing earlier, when he was confronted by the stepfather!
meluveslost 1 year ago
@meluveslost yeah he does hav certain resemblances.......i doubt whethr anyone else has noticed it apart frm u n i......
SuperSreemoyee 1 year ago
jeremy brett is and always will be the best sherlock holmes ever........
SuperSreemoyee 1 year ago
I love how they supplied that ending for clarification of what happened.
hadassah179 1 year ago
Thank you Youtube for such a nice viewing. Now our text books might become more live and interesting.
dbganjare321 1 year ago
thanks a lot...i love SH...:DDD
shazphilip 1 year ago
Thank you for sharing this. I am curious as to what type of snake they used in this episode. Further, I think the idea of being bitten by a snake whilst in the 'comfort' of one's own bed is, well, the stuff of nightmares! Splendid!
FredericDaguerre 1 year ago
I loved this one!
UglyBetty70 1 year ago
One of the things that makes this Granada series so great, aside from the great acting, is the fact that they pretty closely followed Doyle's stories. As good as the Rathbone portrayals were, the movies were not set in the time they were supposed to be, the late 19th century, but in the 1920's 30's and 40's, and the stories were not what Doyle wrote but what Hollywood produced!
pegcage 1 year ago 3
English Course works :@:@:@.....Y Did Holmes Have To Exist For
1ArsenalFan1 1 year ago
come to think of it ,holmes really is intelligent
spirithorse73 1 year ago
Superb, thanks so much dragonkinght! Wonder how they managed the bit with the snake though?
sitithesecond 1 year ago
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FUCK THIS !
kk88129 2 years ago
@kk88129 How very coarse and foul-mouthed. You, Sir, are no gentleman!
Offshoreorganbuilder 1 year ago
very good one!
saigal3456 2 years ago 3
Strange. In the book, the guy had a cheetah, not a leopard.
Silvia1826 2 years ago 2
yeah i also read that it was a cheetah... but how come the snake responded to the whistle...they can't hear..
saigal3456 2 years ago
It is now known that snakes can also hear noises or vibrations that travel through the air. The bibrations caused by noises are also called sound waves.
When people and most animals hear, sound waves strike the eardrum and go to the inner ear, which is sensitive to the sound waves or vibrations. Snakes do not have eardrums, but their skins, muscles, and bones carry
the sound waves to the inner ears. In this way snakes can hear sound carried by the air, but probably not as well as we can.
Silvia1826 2 years ago
@Silvia1826 Maybe Granada chose to make it a leopard because some leopards do live in India, whereas cheetahs tend to live in Africa...?
But then again, maybe a leopard was easier to bring on their set than a cheetah. Who knows? :-)
artnstories 1 year ago
@artnstories
Lol. I know, right? XD
Silvia1826 1 year ago
@artnstories i think they should've changed the word "baboon" to "monkey" too because there aren't any baboons in india. on the other hand, they didn't use a baboon in the video so that's at least a step in the right direction.
neeraj2608 1 year ago
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Why is he trying to kill a snake? We are all Gods creatures,and I hate people who hurt animals.
lollipopfop 2 years ago
@lollipopfop he wasn't trying to kill it, just drive it back. Would you let one of the most venomous snakes in the world bite you?
calliesaiyan 2 years ago 10
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maiettainocenci 2 years ago
plz add all the episodes of adventure of sherlock holmes starring jeremy brett
anshukhuj 2 years ago
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Superb film I stumbled across it for free at THECINEMA (.) tv
Macleodstockard 2 years ago
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you can watch movies like this at W W W . TV-Video . us
anderlikbeachel 2 years ago
My gosh, look at his hand shaking like crazy at 1:18, the poor dear!! And the look on his face when he sees the snake for the first time...priceless!
I've been watching this series in order for the last couple of days, and am absolutely smitten by it. Thank you for sharing! :)
Lothriel 2 years ago 51
@Lothriel And I too! This story was probably my first introduction to the books in Jeremy Brett I have accidently stumbled across MY perfect Holmes. Wonderful stuff. Also the bit when he blows out the candle for the first time and stares at the ventilator shows some pretty brilliant lighting. Love it!
MissRushandRoll 1 year ago
@Lothriel Aww I agree
SpockLover27 1 year ago
How come when the guy screams it sounds like a girl??? Lol :P
SpockLover27 1 year ago
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This is a very nice film, I found it for online for here: viewfilmsfree . c o m
lucyheppsf 2 years ago
Wow, its amazing what some people will do for money...
NatureLover987 2 years ago
0:51 <33 Eeee~
kawaiifoxbabe300 2 years ago
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this is so not like the book in the book they waited in the bed and helen stoner died because of the snake
Mr1244221 2 years ago
Eh... no?
Really no. That´s not what happened in the book at all.
Spyritus 2 years ago 6
There are some facts that people seem to be getting wrong: The Cheetah was found in India during the era this work was written. It has been extinct in India for the last 60-70 years. Cheetah is an anglicized spelling of the hindi word for the same creature, pronounced Chi-tta, roughly translated as "the spotted creature".
Leopards are abundantly found in India.
The myth of snakes (esp cobras) drinking milk exists in India, and perhaps that's where Doyle picked it up.
mehmohmeh 2 years ago 4
Its not a cheetah its a leopard.
Ealasaid17 2 years ago
u idiot the vibration all noises make vibrations daaa
kainS12 2 years ago
Hehe. "I roused its snakish temper."
mcseeker1453 2 years ago
I am a big sherlock holmes fan but in this story, how can a snake respond to a whistle, snakes are deaf and they dont drink milk. not a very smart one.
gauravdocmed 2 years ago
they must have some way of responding to a whistle, and I guess they must drink milk, because arthur conan doyle did lots of in depth studying for his books. you can see how perfect they are written.
I never knew snakes drank milk either! :D
stad97 2 years ago
Leslie Klinger in
'The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes' covers every possible canidate for what
"The Swamp Adder" might have been by Watson's description, although no known animal matches it completely.
1.The Western Taipan (this comes closest although it's Australian not Indian)
2. The King Cobra (India's deadliest snake along with The Krait)
3. The Skink
4. The Gila Monster
the last two aren't snakes but could have been bred by Roylott for rapid acting venom and desired behavior.
cha5 2 years ago
It's a popular debate among Sherlockians right up there with
'what kind of dog was
The Hound Of The Baskervilles?'
and 'what was The Giant Rat Of Sumatra?'
cha5 2 years ago
that's really interesting, i never knew that. but wouldn't it just be the swamp adder snake? surely conan doyle didn't simply invent that.
bred by Roylott? Dr. Roylott isn't even real. or is this some other Roylott that conan doyle based Dr. Roylott on?
and, not that it matters, it was really interesting information, but why are you telling me this? i mean, how does it relate to my comment?
thanks for that interesting information.
cheers,
stad97
stad97 2 years ago
Sure thing, it's just basically an example of the Sherlockian system of "playing the game" as it's called,
that is the idea that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson were real people and that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was Watson's literary agent and that these
were actual cases recorded by Watson,
and various explanations of things like how a snake could hear a whistle and feed on milk not to mention survive in a safe for a long period of time with no air holes in it.
cha5 2 years ago
Anyway there has never been an Indian snake called a "Swamp Adder" outside of the Holmes story,
the closest actual snakes that
1. have rapid acting venom
2. are inclined to climb
3. are (can be) speckled and have a diamond shaped head and a "puffed" neck
ala "The Swamp Adder"
are the Western Taipan and The Cobra.
IMHO most British Sherlock Holmes readers back then likely would have connected
"The Swamp Adder"
with an Indian Cobra.
cha5 2 years ago
i see
so conan doyle did make a lot of stuff up. ah well, who cares, sherlock holmes is still great. ;D
stad97 2 years ago 2
Amen!
cha5 2 years ago
woah, you check youtube often. i was goingt o check out a video when poof, you replied already! ;D
stad97 2 years ago
Sorry about that, LOL goodnight.
cha5 2 years ago
i was just saying because i found it funny. goodnight.
stad97 2 years ago
I have the New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, too. Your theory that Roylott bred the skink and Gila Monster together is good, but I think they are too far apart genetically for that.
However, I think Watson purposefully obscrured both the exact species of snake and the way Roylott used it. He didn't want to supply a recipe for murder!
But exactly how did he deploy it? I wonder about that.
TheKulu42 2 years ago
Comment removed
cha5 2 years ago
Several excellent points,
"These are very deep waters"
cha5 2 years ago 2
Shouldn't Julia have removed the bell pull?
Galutron 2 years ago
she didn't know it didn't work because they never needed it. they didn't know that the bell pull had anything to do with her death.
stad97 2 years ago 3
just finished w
reading this for English class. its a great story, and this is a good adaptation
Vampyr789 2 years ago
The Asian Leopard is still found in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and the one here looks very similar to those I have seen there.
peradeniya1990 2 years ago
You guys just don't get it. Sherlock Holmes was the greatest detective who ever lived. He knew stuff about snakes that no one else ever knew -- then or now.
We _know_ swamp adders are real cause we _saw_ Holmes capture it. We _know_ the doctor trained it with a whistle. We heard the whistle!
Some scientists. Hah!
rickideemus 2 years ago 2
One of the first ones I read. Loved Brett's laugh in the beginning when confronted by the father. lol. That smile.
McCoyFan 2 years ago 36
These episodes came to Australian TV in the 80s. When I watched this utube one I thought that it was a different TV episode in which the murder was done by piping carbon monoxide into a room; anyone know which Holmes story that was because I recall watching it?
carmichaelful 2 years ago
I remember the first time I watched this on TV back in 1993. Seeing it on a TV screen was terrifying. Probably moreso than any horror film I have ever seen and I have seen a lot.
palavos3 2 years ago
Love it! The quintessential Holmes!
"Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent - and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another."
StradMan37 2 years ago 3
Why aren't there actors like that anymore? What a man Jeremy Brett was, and his wife died of cancer around this time too. Wonderful man
foleyoni 2 years ago 6
Wow. Reading down this comments page has left me baffled. It's fiction, people. Suspend your disbelief or shog off. No-one's forcing you to read / watch this stuff.
bpd23 2 years ago 7
Words of wisdom :)
Whynicht 2 years ago
Why didn't Holmes simply capture the snake? Why did he have to go to the trouble of scaring it back through the ventilator?
Averagebum2 2 years ago
Because he didn't know with absolute certainty what would happen. It was something impulsive.
alguien1234 2 years ago
Good thinking! I didn't think of that!
Averagebum2 2 years ago
What's funny is that in the russian version Watson says to the effect, "You're wrong. You really ought to read more Holmes because snakes are deaf."
Holmes, "...oh." Then he laughs and they keep drinking. It was great.
Theta101 2 years ago 3
when they were leaving their cover (in the last part of the episode) there was still daylight, and all of the sudden there they were approaching the house and it was completely dark!!!
navy110 2 years ago
rather it was nearing sunset, I think.
Sadatjabeen 2 years ago
It is superhuman to sit in a complete dark room for hours, stay quiet and not fall into sleep. This video clip does not capture Holmes's ability to stay focused. I remember he and Watson sat in the room for 3~4 hours?
merakhagen 2 years ago
The episode captures it more or less. Could captures it better perhaps, but if we begin to look for flaws ...
Sorry for my bad English.
alguien1234 2 years ago
snakes do drinks milk, some of them
ryuzakikyo 2 years ago
Not really, snakes drink water, as reptiles they don't feed on milk as young, which is strictly related to mammals. while they can and do drink milk if given it, they cant digest it well and it is harmful to them
However, snakes were traditionally believed to drink milk in India and it's possible even probably that Doyle picked up on this fact during his research.
Jourell1 2 years ago
Say this- Roylott came to the mistaken belief that snakes can hear and drank milk due to watching snake charmers in India and the snake was conditioned to come back to him when it smelt the milk. There... plot hole closed.
Jourell1 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
it would be cool to see a Sherlock Holmes story where you can enjoy it without constantly thinking "Oh please. That is scientificly impossible". If you re wrote the ending and had Watson come out with the real culprit, the first sister, Julia, who is not dead. She simply faked her death with curare(brought from India), and was dug up by the gypsies(who are working for her). She is going to kill her sister to inherit the whole thing and is framing her step dad, using Holmes.
lollipopfop 2 years ago
To us certain things seem impossible given the scientific knowledge at our fingertips. However at the time there was much less known about certain subjects, exotic animals being a pertinent example. Take it with a grain of salt and try to read it at people at the time would have. you'll enjoy it more.
Jourell1 2 years ago 3
Ah, my absolute favorite episode. Thanks for sharing!
Moundfreek 3 years ago 4
in the stories i deduced it was a cobra of some sort simply because if he had animals from india he would have a snake certainly and being a doctor he would know what snake bites are invisible.
talic864 3 years ago
Um, no snake bites are not invisible. They puncture the skin.
lollipopfop 2 years ago
true, snake bites aren't invisible but it's possible that the doctors overlooked the small puncture wounds during the final exam because, not suspecting a snake, they weren't looking for them or passed them off as unimportant.
Jourell1 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Why did that asshole just throw the snake on the bed and beat that snake to death? He didn't need to do that.
lollipopfop 3 years ago
because its a pretty deadly snake....no one's gonna let that live if its like three feet away from you- and pissed off to boot!
ScytheWing0120 3 years ago 3
Tis not real my dear, tis an illusion of the silver screen.
perdurabo3 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I didn't mean the cat knew they were armed. i only meant the noise would scare it off. Before anyone said anything.
lollipopfop 3 years ago
not necessarily. theres a pretty good chance it might choose to attack instead of run.
ScytheWing0120 3 years ago 2
This is one of my fave Holmes stories, quite scary! But who the hell has been taking other S.H. episodes off YouTube!?! I had the whole of 'The Priory School' AND 'The Empty House' stored in my Favourites, and now they're gone! Shame on you, for depriving young women everywhere of the very sexy Jeremy Brett!
WomaninBlack215 3 years ago 7
Umm, probably Granada?
camolanphy 3 years ago 2
Hear! Hear!
Whynicht 2 years ago
Thats not a cheetah its a jaguar. Cheetahs are leaner with the spots more spread apart.
jennyw2512 3 years ago 3
The swamp adder is not a fictitious snake, it's real. Its called the Proatheris, but usually called swamp adder since it's easier to say.
shempy15 3 years ago 4
does it lap milk with its forked tongue like a cat? i don't think so? And why would a jaguar attack three armed men? Very unlikely.
lollipopfop 3 years ago
i don't understand why the woman screamed
ximepretty 3 years ago
She didnt Dr Roylott did after the snake attacked him. It just cut to a scene of the girl.
bryemycaz 3 years ago 2
oo thanks!
SelenaSupporter4life 3 years ago
gandalf17 to answer your questions snakes are attracted to milk. if a snake is in your house you should put milk outside and the snake will go to out. and dr roylott owns a leopard and a baboon.
Lazyboy5298 3 years ago
The daughter is played by Rosalyn Landor. A fine actress and a great beauty. For those who don't like her in this, she also appeared in Star Trek Next Generation.
It's hard for any actress to really stand out given a victorian era character to play - personality wasn't especially approved for women in that era.
tikikor 3 years ago 4
how do you lure a snake with milk? and what was with that tiger at 1:54? how did they go past that beast?
gandalf117 3 years ago
suposed to be a cheetah but they cudnt find a cheetah so they used a leopard
kvyas2 3 years ago
In the book it's a cheetah, but I suppose they realised (unlike Doyle,) that cheetah's don't come from India, they come from Africa, so they used a leopard instead
WomaninBlack215 3 years ago 4
but leopard's are native to Africa too aren't they? The only Indian Cats are the tigers, bengal and Sundarban and Gir Lion as far as I know
Nightlightknight 3 years ago
Comment removed
WomaninBlack215 3 years ago
they do have leopards in india..
9967363408 3 years ago
Exactly...India = no cheetah. That is the point. The book has him bringing a cheetah from India, which is impossible. You are agreeing.
lollipopfop 3 years ago
not a chhetah, cheetahs are completely different and live in Africa, that was an asian leopard which was stil present in India up to 50 yaers ago
flormarplay 2 years ago
Yeah, I never heard of leopards from India. That's the story's only flaw.
PyroCLastik 3 years ago
No, its one of the storys twenty flaws. Like snakes don't drink milk, can't be trained and can't hear, so a shrill whistle won't be heard by a snake. No matter how hard you try, the snake would have just gone ad hid somewhere and bitten no one. I don't think an adder would even be likely to crawl upwards. they aren't pythons for crypts sake.
lollipopfop 2 years ago
It is about conditioned reflexes not about real training. And I am sure that snake can crawl up and down the tree if they are spedcialized for that.
rymicka 2 years ago
The science in it is all sound, there are leopards in India , snakes will and do drink milk , milk was and is given to them in India it's cultural there but can be bad for the snake, and snakes can hear their skin acts as an auditory receptor . Conan Doyle was a medical doctor for years so he never embellished his stories with whimsical fantasies , as for your alternative ending, I think Doyles was good enough, wouldn't want to spoil a good thing .
perdurabo3 2 years ago
Very true. Snakes can indeed hear. The skin and muscle on each side of the head cover a bone, called the quadrate, and it moves in response to airborne sound. They may not huge range, but they do hear.
Jayjen35 2 years ago 3
But leopards really live in Africe but also in Asia - There are fragmented populations in Pakistan, INDIA, Indochina, Malaysia, and China.
rymicka 2 years ago
oh shut it
emerick3867 2 years ago 3
Cheetahs were once native in India as well, but they were hunted, while many were kept as pets by Maharajahs, and they died.
greatbalance 3 years ago
I checked and yes, there was an Asiatic Cheetah, the last ones known in India were killed in 1947.
pinz2022 2 years ago
Cheetah's did inhabit India while Conan Doyle was alive. so Cheetah or Leopard they both have lived in India.
perdurabo3 2 years ago
Really? I never knew that. I thought it was strange that there should be a 'mistake' in an S.H. story, because they are all usually so well thought out.
WomaninBlack215 2 years ago
The original stories seem to be all sound for the late victorian era, and Conan Doyle himself saved two innocent men from the gallows by proving that they could not have been at the crime scene at the time the crime took place. He was a prophet of modern forensic techniques . Take Care
perdurabo3 2 years ago 2