The Naval Treaty

The film," The Naval Treaty," starring Jeremy Brett, begins with a man screaming, "help me" again and again. Watson receives a letter from his school friend, Percy, asking for Holmes's help. Holmes determines it is a woman's handwriting in the letter. Holmes and Watson arrive to see Percy and meet Joseph Harrison, the brother of Percy's fiancée, Annie. Percy is recovering from a brain fever for nine weeks, with Annie nursing him back to health. Percy describes how he was given the naval treaty between England and Italy by his Uncle. After spending hours copying the document, Percy went out to get coffee and hears a bell ringing from his office. When he returned, the original treaty was gone. He tells them about the commissioner's wife sneaking out ten minutes before. They investigate the commissioner's wife, but find no evidence against her. Holmes is suspicious of both the Harrisons from the beginning, after interview both of them. He finds out Joseph has been meeting with his stock broker. Holmes and Watson go and check out Percy's office for clues. They are met by a police officer who snubs Holmes. Holmes interviews Percy's uncle about the treaty. Annie reveals Joseph is the one who is supporting her, financially. Holmes makes Percy leave for London with Watson. Holmes meets them for breakfast in London the next day, handing Percy the original treaty. He observed the Harrison siblings through the night, seeing Joseph arrive by boat and enter Percy's room through the window to appear to be a burglar, taking the original treaty he had hidden from Percy. Holmes confronts him and then lets him go. Holmes tells Percy how Joseph knew he worked late, entered into the side door, and stole the treaty in the first place, ringing the bell. Joseph concealed the treaty in chair lining in Percy's room. Holmes also clears Annie, saying she knew "nothing about her brother's criminality."



I thought the film, "The Naval Treaty" starring Jeremy Brett, followed the plot of the book very well. I would give the film 3 out of 4 stars, because there was very little difference. The quality of filmmaking seemed better since it was made in the 1990's and the director wasted no time in bringing us a conclusion of the mystery in only one hour. I wish the film had better special effects and more suspense. I also wish that they would have shown us the direct copy of the treaty, with writing and headlines on it, which they also didn't do in the book, to make it seem more like a real document. It was interesting to see the characters come to life on screen and hear the dramatic music play in the background, making the story more mysterious and creepier. Holmes's interaction with Inspector Forbes is one of my favorite parts of the film, because it capture his antagonism of the local law enforcement. Inspector Forbes says to Holmes while investigating the Foreign Office, "I know about your methods. You're ready enough to use our information, then you try and finish the case yourself and bring discredit on us" and Holmes replies, "On the contrary. In my last 53 cases, my name has appeared in only four and the police have the credit in 49. I don't blame you for not knowing this. You are young and inexperienced. But if you wish to get on in your duties, you will work with me and not against me!" This scene really shows how much of a catalyst, the law is to Holmes, and vice versa in the films and the books. This scene also shows how much the local police need Holmes and how he is aware of that fact.



The book, "The Naval Treaty" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle begins with Watson receiving a letter from his school friend, Percy "Tadpole" Phillips, asking for Holmes's help. Holmes determines it is a woman's handwriting in the letter. Holmes and Watson arrive to see Percy and meet Joseph Harrison, the brother of Percy's fiancée, Annie. Percy is recovering from a brain fever for nine weeks, with Annie nursing him back to health. Working at the Foreign Office, Percy describes how he was given the naval treaty between England and Italy by his Uncle, because he was a good worker. After spending hours copying the document, Percy went out to get coffee and hears a bell ringing from his office. When he returned, the original treaty was gone. He tells them about the commissioner's wife sneaking out ten minutes before. They investigate the commissioner's wife, but find no evidence against her. Holmes is suspicious of both the Harrisons from the beginning, after interview both of them. He finds out Joseph has been meeting with his stock broker. Holmes and Watson go and check out Percy's office for clues. They are met by a police officer who snubs Holmes. Holmes interviews Percy's uncle about the treaty. Annie reveals Joseph is the one who is supporting her, financially. Holmes makes Percy leave for London with Watson. Holmes meets them for breakfast in London the next day, with a bandaged hand, handing Percy the original treaty. He observed the Harrison siblings through the night, ordering Annie to lock Percy's room from the outside. He see Joseph enter Percy's room through the window to avoid having "to pass seven bedrooms," and taking the original treaty he had hidden from Percy. Holmes confronted him by waiting at the window, Joseph "cut" Holmes's hand with a knife and then Holmes let him go after Joseph gave him the papers. Holmes tells Percy how Joseph knew he worked late, entered into the side door, and stole the treaty in the first place, ringing the bell. Joseph concealed the treaty in a cylinder in pipes of the floor boards in Percy's room. Holmes reveals Joseph needed money because he "lost heavily in dabbling with stocks."



Both the film version starring Jeremy Brett and the book "The Naval Treaty" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had the same plot and are very similar in execution. Both versions are fast paced, but the film is only one hour, it seems faster paced than the book, spending mere seconds with Holmes doing his interviews instead long, dragged out scenes like the book. Both versions make the Harrison siblings look like the suspicious party from the beginning of Holmes's investigation, with their stoic body language and stern but concerned voices. I don't remember the film version having Holmes offer a reward for the cab "which dropped a fare at or about the door of the Foreign Office," trying to catch the thief and trace his or her whereabouts before and after the incident. I liked the map Doyle included in the book of the Foreign Office, making sure the future film version could lay out a similar scene of exact location of the Percy's office and the doors. In the book, Joseph concealed the treaty in a cylinder in pipes of the floor boards in Percy's room. In the film, Joseph concealed the treaty in the bottom of the chair's lining in Percy's room. I don't remember the rose scene at Percy's house with Holmes from the book, but in the film, where he says, " What a lovely thing a rose is. There is nothing in which deduction is so necessary as in religion. It can be built up as an exact science by the reasoner. Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again we have much to hope for from the flowers." I thought that was nice scene, if it was added, to show Holmes's love for science.