The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)

56% of users liked it
(3,738 ratings)

Comic actor Gene Wilder made his debut as a writer and director in this period comedy in which he plays Sigerson Holmes, the older bother of famous detective Sherlock Holmes. For years, Sigerson has been living in his little brother's shadow, and he is convinced that he must constantly prove his… More Comic actor Gene Wilder made his debut as a writer and director in this period comedy in which he plays Sigerson Holmes, the older bother of famous detective Sherlock Holmes. For years, Sigerson has been living in his little brother's shadow, and he is convinced that he must constantly prove his superiority to his brother in all things at all times. Of course, he often fails, but one can't argue with his determination. In this story, Sherlock (Douglas Wilmer) and his faithful assistant, Watson (Thorley Walters), are called away from England on an assignment, and Sherlock asks Sigerson if he wouldn't mind looking into a case for him. With typically misguided enthusiasm, Sigerson is hot on the trail of a cache of missing government documents, whose theft may be the dirty work of the wicked Moriarty (Leo McKern). Sigerson is assisted in his investigation by Olville Sacker (Marty Feldman), a bumbling Scotland Yard detective who claims to have photographic hearing, and the mysterious and seductive Jenny Hill (Madeline Kahn). Gene Wilder rose to fame in the offbeat comedies of director Mel Brooks, so it was fitting that, for his first film as a director, Wilder cast Brooks in a cameo role (he's heard but not seen after discovering that the door he chose had the tiger, not the lady). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Gene Wilder
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 14, 1975 Wide
On DVD: Apr 4, 2006

Critic Reviews

Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media
Good-natured Sherlock spoof with some dirty-joke humor.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
...the daisy-chain of prop gags, slide-whistle humor, and blackout sketches merge sometimes uneasily with the romantic and mystery-thriller components. What glues it together, barely, is the talented cast in fine form....
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
...arrives on DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and they did a nice job with it.... The big extra is Wilder's new commentary track....

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Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

A classic cast line up including Feldman, Wilder, DeLuise, Kinnear and Le Mesurier unfortunately can't quite save this brilliantly original wacky tale which sounds and looks better than it really is. Its a huge shame to be honest as you really really think this is gonna be an… More
A classic cast line up including Feldman, Wilder, DeLuise, Kinnear and Le Mesurier unfortunately can't quite save this brilliantly original wacky tale which sounds and looks better than it really is. Its a huge shame to be honest as you really really think this is gonna be an epic in the same league as 'Young Frankenstein' but its just lacking bite, the cast do well for whats on offer but it just isn't too funny plus there are some really cringing song n dance routines here. Dom DeLuise is probably the best for a good chuckle as usual with his jolly japes and camp capers hehe whilst Feldman and Kinnear are decent too but alas Wilder comes across as kinda blunt with his miserable character. Some nice sequences like the stagecoach fight but also some pretty dire ones like the finale make it touch n go, still its a nice flick and worth a look if you like Wilder.
AJ V

A very funny spoof of Sherlock Holmes. There are a couple of awkward moments, but overall, it's very funny. Plus, Wilder directs this one.
Tim S

If this had been a Mel Brooks' film, it might have been a lot funnier.
The S

Well meaning and occasionally funny comedy from Gene Wilder delivering a slighltly disappointing sub-Mel Brooks experience. The musical interludes don't work for me.
Alice S

There's something inexplicably sweet in the foolishness of this film. I could try to explain it, but I'm afraid that would be like dissecting a flower to feel its parfume. There are, of course, the extraordinarily expressive faces, and the way they move... and the sets… More
There's something inexplicably sweet in the foolishness of this film. I could try to explain it, but I'm afraid that would be like dissecting a flower to feel its parfume. There are, of course, the extraordinarily expressive faces, and the way they move... and the sets (personally, I loved the sets), and there are some incredibly good and funny lines, the characters are strong but there's something more... there's a matter of perspective. It was supposed to be a joke but this really is the smarter brother. You can feel it. But why? Maybe because he takes things less seriously than Sherlock?