| The Sign of Four | |
|---|---|
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| Genre |
|
| Based on | The Sign of the Four byArthur Conan Doyle |
| Screenplay by | Charles Edward Pogue |
| Directed by | Desmond Davis |
| Starring | Ian Richardson David Healy Thorley Walters Cherie Lunghi |
| Music by | Harry Rabinowitz |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Sy Weintraub |
| Producer | Otto Plaschkes |
| Cinematography | Dennis C. Lewiston |
| Editor | Timothy Gee |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Production company | Mapleton Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | 7 December 1983 (1983-12-07) |
The Sign of Four (also known asSir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four[1]) is a 1983 Britishmade-for-televisionmystery film directed byDesmond Davis and starringIan Richardson andDavid Healy. The film is based on SirArthur Conan Doyle's 1890 novelof the same name, the second novel to featureSherlock Holmes andDoctor Watson.
In 1982, American producerSy Weintraub partnered with English producerOtto Plaschkes to make six television films of Sherlock Holmes stories.[2]Charles Edward Pogue was enlisted to pen the screenplays[2] but onlyThe Sign of the Four andThe Hound of the Baskervilles were ultimately filmed asGranada Television'sSherlock Holmes series premiered in 1984.[2]
In an interview withScarlet Street, Ian Richardson explained:[2]
That was the fly in our ointment. Initially, an unseen fly. You see, when Sy Weintraub was planning the films, he was unaware that the copyright on the Holmes stories was about to expire in England and he had to go through a great deal of legal negotiations with the Conan Doyle estate in order to gain permission to use them. However, he was totally ignorant of Granada's plans to film a series withJeremy Brett...Weintraub was furious, because he'd paid a lot of money to get permission from the estate and here was Granada saying, "Thank you - but we're going to do it." So Weintraub took them to court. He had a very good case, apparently; but eventually there was an out of court settlement for an extraordinary sum of money - something like two million pounds - which was enough for Weintraub to cover his costs on bothThe Sign of Four andThe Hound of the Baskervilles, and make a profit, too. And so he wrapped the project up.
The Sign of Four was shot simultaneously withThe Hound of the Baskervilles[3] but the schedule precluded havingDavid Healy portray Watson in both films soDonald Churchill was enlisted to play the role inThe Hound of the Baskervilles.[3] Two previous Watsons appear in the film:Terence Rigby who played Watson toTom Baker's Holmes in 1982sThe Hound of the Baskervilles andThorley Walters who played Watson three times previously; withChristopher Lee as Holmes inSherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, withDouglas Wilmer as Holmes inThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother and withChristopher Plummer as Holmes inSilver Blaze.[1]Clive Merrison, who plays Bartholomew Sholto, would go on to played Holmes in the long runningradio series.