The Adventure of the Illustrious Client

I watched "The Illustrious Client" starring Jeremy Brent, made in 1991. I watched the movie on Netflix's streaming and the volume was really low, so I had to really concentrate to hear it, which was a bit disappointing. The streaming also kept freezing every ten minutes or so, which was annoying. I would give the movie three out of four stars. I thought the makers did a really good job of adapting the story from the book. I thought Kitty Winter's scars seemed very realistic and she was the most convincing actor in the film. I was also curious if one of the paintings hanging in Baron's office was of Kitty and thought they should have emphasized it more. I thought the villain and his two henchman didn't seem very scary, which made them seen not that threatening. The film didn't have any exciting special effects that usually are contained in a Sherlock Holmes mystery, such as magic, dark lighting, or eerie music. The classical music played in the Baron and Violet scenes seemed more upbeat than creepy. I wondered why Violet didn't seem to react like a normal person would, if her fiancé was a murder suspect and wouldn't try to find out the truth for herself. The actress just made Violet seem flat as a character, with only one direction. I would have liked to seen her actually reading the diary at the end instead of just her hand over it. The film contained mostly dialogue, with very little action. It would have been interesting to see the Baron poison the boy and beat up the investigator, and his interaction with Kitty, like they showed the henchman beating up Holmes and trying to beat up Kitty. Holmes does his utter his famous catch phrase, "Elementary psychology, Watson" in the film, which I liked hearing. I didn't catch who the seal on the carriage pointed to as the client, but noticed there was a similar seal on the diary.



"The Illustrious Client" starring Jeremy Brent, starts with a man finds a dying woman, and she says to him, "Why did you push me, Barry?," as she dies. He looks up and sees a boy with his dog watching them. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are visited by Sir James Damer, who tells them Baron Gruner is "the most dangerous man in Europe." Baron has been suspected of killing his wife, as seen in the beginning of the film. Baron is shown with a woman named Violet Merville, strolling through the gardens of his manor. James "won't give the identity of his client" to Holmes and Watson. Baron shows Violet his office, and she asks him about his locked diary. Baron shows her his porcelain collection. James reveals Baron and Violet "are supposed to marry next month." James tells them Violet's father, a General, is opposed to the marriage, but is not his client. Holmes sends a message to Shinwell Johnson, when he finds Mrs. Hudson eavesdropping at his door. Holmes visits Baron, who admits he was expecting him and tells Holmes "he has no cards to show." Baron brags about an inspector who was paralyzed while investigating the murder. Holmes is visited by Shinwell and Kitty Winter, a former artist's model, who tells them Baron "collects women." Holmes receives a death threat. Kitty is followed home by two men, who Shinwell beats. Baron reads through his journal of women in which he adds a photograph of Violet. The two men return to Baron to tell him about Porky. Holmes and Kitty visit Violet. Holmes tells Violet the boy who witnessed the murder, died of poisoning. Kitty tells Violet she was Baron's mistress, one of hundreds. Kitty shows her scars all over her body to Violet. Kitty tells Holmes about Baron's book of women and how he tried to make her read it. Baron threw a bottle of acid at her, causing her scars. Holmes is attacked by two men and left for dead. Watson reads of the attack in the newspaper and runs to Holmes's bedside. Violet visits Baron, who tells her he has to go to America on a business trip. Holmes gives Watson a porcelain dish to tempt the Baron, when he visits him. Baron points a gun at Watson and Holmes. Kitty throws bottle of acid at Baron. Holmes finds the diary and gives it to James.



"The Adventure of The Illustrious Client" by Sir Conan Doyle, starts with Holmes and Watson at a Turkish bath. Holmes and Watson are visited by Sir James Damer, who tells them Baron Gruner, an Austrian and expert on Chinese pottery, is the most "dangerous man in Europe." Baron has been suspected of killing his wife. Baron is engaged to woman named Violet de Merville, whom he met on a "Mediterranean yachting voyage." James wants Holmes to stop the wedding, so Violet won't meet the same fate as the Baroness. James "won't give the identity of his client" to Holmes and Watson. James tells them Violet's father, a General, is opposed to the marriage, but is not his client. Holmes sends a message to Shinwell Johnson, as he is a loyal assistant and reformed criminal. Holmes visits Baron, who admits he was expecting him and tells Holmes, he is "trying to play a hand with no cards in it." Baron brags about an inspector who was paralyzed by some "Apaches" while investigating the murder. Holmes is visited by Shinwell and his friend, Kitty Winter, who is a former mistress of Gruner's. Kitty tells them the Baron "collects women" and has a diary about the women he has used or murdered. Holmes and Kitty visit Violet, but she refuses to listen to them. Holmes is attacked by two men and left for dead. Watson reads of the attack in the newspaper and runs to Holmes's bedside. Holmes tells Watson to have Shinwell hide Kitty, so that she doesn't get attacked as well. Holmes gives Watson a porcelain dish, from "The Ming Dynasty" to tempt the Baron, when he visits him. Gruner figures out Watson is working for Holmes "as a spy." Holmes walks in, wearing "bloody bandages" on his head like a ghost. Kitty throws bottle of Vitriol, a sulfuric acid at Baron. Holmes explains to Watson, he had to use him, before Gruner left for America. Holmes finds the diary and gives it to James. As James leaves, Watson notices the "armorial bearings" on the coach.



The book and film versions of "The Adventure of the Illustrious Client" are very similar. The film starring Jeremy Brent contains many scenes of dialogue, directly from the book. The film shows more of the story, instead of just telling us through dialogue. The book doesn't mention Kitty Winters's scars from the acid, like the film uses to scare Violet de Merville into questioning her fiancé. In the book, Kitty tells Sherlock Holmes of the diary before she goes to visit Violet. In the film, Kitty tells Holmes about the diary after they see Violet. The book doesn't include scenes such as a flashback to the Baroness's murder. The book gives us a criminal history and reformation of Shinwell, which the film doesn't include. The book only mentions Holmes being attacked, as opposed to Kitty and Shinwell Johnson being attacked by the same henchman like the film does. We know from the film, Gruner pushed his wife off a cliff onto some rocks. In the book, we don't know how she died, so it made sense to come up with a scene showing the murder in the film. I thought these extra flashbacks and attack scenes were a great addition to the story. In the film, Baron points a gun at Watson and Holmes, which doesn't happen in the book. In the book, Gruner merely tries to attack them by hitting them, until Kitty throws the acid at him. The book only mentions Gruner having the inspector attacked and not the boy who witnessed the crime like in the film. In the book, Gruner doesn't seem as evil as he did in the film. In the book, there is no scenes of Gruner and Violet's interactions like they are in the film. I thought the book did a better job with the attack on Holmes, not letting us now it had happened until Watson reads the headline in the newspaper.