The Crooked Man

In "The Crooked Man," Jane brings tea for Mrs. Barclay and hears her scream. The door is locked from both sides and the key was missing, so Bates comes running into the window and sees Mr. and Mrs. Barclay on the ground. Holmes and Watson meet with Major Murphy, and abruptly says to Murphy, "tell me the facts." Mr. Barclay is dead and had 2 cuts on the back of his head. Mrs. Barclay has been hospitalized for fainting. A wooden club was in the room. Major Murphy tells Holmes, Mrs. Nancy Barclay "is incapable of dreadful act." He tells them, thirty years ago, Nancy was courted by two men, but Mr. Barclay won her hand. He admits he "saw a different side to the marriage," walking in on them arguing. He also tells them Mr. Barclay suffered from depression. Holmes and Watson go the Barclay manor and interview Jane. She tells them, Nancy went out to a clothing donation and returned, clearly upset and pale. Jane saw Mr. Barclay enter the room and shut the door. She heard Nancy yell "David" twice. Holmes interviews Bates, who was frightened by Mr. Barclay's fearful face when he turned him over. Holmes deduces that the suspect entered and exit through the windows, and there were prints of creature with 4 legs. Holmes interviews Miss Morrison, who was with Nancy at the donation. Morrison recalls a man with a "crooked back" wearing "Oriental clothing", arguing with Nancy. Nancy told Morrison, he was a "former acquaintance." The man was a soldier in India, entertaining the troops with his ferret. Holmes and Watson find the man at a pub and Holmes calls him, "Henry Wood." Wood insists Barclay was killed by his "own guilty conscience." Wood tells Holmes, that he "was the one [Nancy] loved." Barclay betrayed Henry on their mission, leading him to the enemy's camp where they hung his arms from a tree. He lived as a slave, being treated like a dog for a year, and they broke every bone in his body. He escaped and came to London, "no longer wanting to kill Barclay." He saw Nancy at the event and followed her home. He sees Barclay and Nancy arguing and comes through the window. Barclay fell and hit his head, dying of shock. Watson asks who David was, and Holmes tells him it was reference to King David and Bathsheba.



In the story "The Crooked Man," by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes asks Watson to go to Aldershot with him the following day. Holmes tells Watson he is investigating the "supposed murder" of Colonel Barclay. He has met with Major Murphy, Jane the maid, and the Coachman. Murphy told Barclay couldn't stand to be away from his wife, so when she left for an evening to go to a Catholic church clothing donation, he was depressed. Mrs. Barclay returned around 9:15 pm and was upset, asking the maid to bring her tea. The coachman saw Mr. Barclay walk down the hall and enter the room where Mrs. Barclay was. The maid was surprised to hear the Barclays arguing. Jane heard the Mrs. Barclay say "David" twice. The coachman entered the room through the French windows. The staff and the police are puzzled by "the contortion of the colonel's face." Mrs. Barclay has been hospitalized for brain fever. Holmes deduces a "third person must have entered the room" after witness the fight from the street and came "through the window" with a four legged creature. He tells Watson, he interviewed Miss Morrison, who was with Mrs. Barclay at the donation. She told him Mrs. Barclay ran into a man she recognized and said, "I thought you have been dead this thirty years, Henry." They leave to talk and Morrison sees them arguing. Barclay tells her, Henry is "an old acquaintance of mine who has come down in the world." The next morning, Holmes and Watson track down Henry Wood and ask him about the case. Henry claims Mrs. Barclay is innocent and declares, "If [Barclay's] own guilty conscience had not struck him down it is likely enough that I might have had his blood upon my soul." Wood tells them his story of meeting Mrs. Barclay, declaring, "I had her heart, her father was set upon her marrying Barclay." He volunteered to go on a mission, "to warn General Neill." Barclay drew him a map to "get through rebel lines" and led him right into the enemy's hands. Henry shows Holmes his mongoose, Teddy, who was the creature with him, when he broke up the Barclay's fight. Barclay fell and hit his head, dying of "apoplexy." Watson asks who David was, and Holmes tells him it was reference to King David and Bathsheba.



The film and story versions of "The Crooked Man" are very similar in plot and theme. They both involve the "supposed murder" of Colonel Barclay, but are told in different ways through the first act. The film doesn't mention Watson having a wife, as opposed to the book opening with Watson mentioning this case occurred "a few months after my marriage." In the film, there is no visit from Holmes, but starts with the "murder" itself, which makes it more mysterious. The film is in present tense, with Watson going to interview the staff and Miss Morrison with Holmes. In the book, Holmes is narrating his research so far to Watson for the entire first half of the story, which seemed like a long monologue. In the novel, we don't see the events as they occur, as opposed to the film which actually shows the action. Holmes says "Elementary, My Dear Watson" in the film like he does in the story, but doesn't say till the closing. Mrs. Nancy Barclay seemed passive in the book, and seemed more fiery in fight scenes in the film, even though in the book we get a glimpse of her temper in the last fight. She says in the book, "You coward. What can be done now? What can be done now? Give me back my life. I will never so much as breathe the same air with you again. You coward! You coward!," which is similar but longer to what she says in the film. In the book, Holmes explains the David reference to Watson from the Bible in one paragraph. In the film, Holmes explains the David reference which takes up a five minute scene. The film expands on Henry Wood and Major Murphy's flashback with more detail, as opposed to the book which mentions them in less than a page.



I watched the film, "The Crooked Man" starring Jeremy Brett. I watched the film before reading the story, for a change, to see if I could follow it without knowing what happens in the book. I think watching the film before hand, made me notice clues in the book more accurately. They both have an impact on the other, when reading or watching. I would give the film four out of four stars, because I really enjoyed it. I thought the film was really mysterious and suspenseful, yet full of humor from Holmes. I thought this was the best adaptation of the novels we have read, because it added more storytelling to the novel, with additional scenes. I liked the film better than book because I think the film's approach to the storytelling worked better, as it was mostly in real time and not just having Holmes tell Watson about what he had done so far. I thought the acting, especially from the actor who played Henry Wood, was great. I'm beginning to favor Jeremy Brett as Holmes over Basil Rathbone, but really enjoyed Robert Downey, Jr.'s portrayal. I compare all three actors to each other when watching the films, to see how accurately they portray the Holmes of the novels. It was great to see Fiona Shaw as Miss Morrison, since I am familiar with her work as Harry's aunt in the Harry Potter series of films and the school headmaster in 3 Men and A Little Lady. I think she is a great actress and really added to her scenes. The makeup, the costuming, and the eerie lightning really brought his disabilities to light. The film showed Holmes's personality and how seriously he takes his investigations. After he interviews Murphy, he abruptly says to Murphy, "tell me the facts." When the interview is over, Holmes concludes, "What can I say? Major Murphy, you have told me *nothing*!"