Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of Everlasting Intrigue

There are stories so universal that they are told over and over again. The tales of Don Quixote have been made into over forty different operas; Romeo and Juliet have had their stars cross’d in opera, ballet, and countless films. However, it’s not just epic heroes and doomed lovers that we return to time after time; for the past 150 years, creative types have been drawn to two men whose cozy Baker Street apartment is continually invaded by thieves, murderers, ruffians, bandits, harlots and every other disreputable denizen known to Victorian London. Enter Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes, the celebrated detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is believed to have been born on January 6, 1854 according to Christopher Morley, an American Sherlock enthusiast who founded The Baker Street Irregulars in 1914. Granted, the veracity of this assertion has been the subject of debate among scholars for ages (and Morley’s justification is admittedly flimsy), but the Irregulars, who still meet today as the oldest literary society dedicated to all things Sherlock, will still be celebrating this weekend with a gala affair in honor of their hero.

It’s yet another testament to the enduring allure of the brilliant Sherlock and his affable, earthy sidekick, Dr. John Watson. The first stage version of their tales bowed in 1899, and in 1916 the first film version of the Holmes saga was created, though, sadly, no print remains.

Talk to truly dedicated Sherlockians, and you are bound to find that opinions as to the ultimate film incarnation of the famed detective are as varied as Sherlock’s case file. Some purists insist that only Basil Rathbone captured the true essence of Sherlock (he did play the role in over a dozen films and was the first to don a cape and deerstalker cap, forever linking the clothing with the character), while others vigorously promote the virtues of Jeremy Brett or Nicol Williamson.

Those of us raised in the 80s and 90s will likely cite Basil of Baker Street, Disney’s animated contribution to the Sherlock canon, as our first introduction to Holmes, while others will espouse the visceral, slightly antic charms of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as the dynamic duo.

The delightfully named Benedict Cumberpatch has been making waves in Stephen Moffat’s newest incarnation of the Holmes tales; “Sherlock” has been a major success both across the pond and stateside, with the action moved to modern-day London and Holmes as “a high-functioning sociopath,” reined in by John Watson (Martin Freeman), who has just returned from serving as an army doctor in Afghanistan.

Even book series staple Irene Adler, the only woman to ever best Sherlock Holmes, has been given a modern veneer; instead of a saucy actress, the New Year’s Day episode featured Adler as a dominatrix, complete with high heels and whip.

Not your grandmother’s Sherlock Holmes, indeed.

But that is the appeal of the Sherlock canon to this day; he is everyone’s detective, the man whose brilliance, wit and deductive prowess lets him soar above our heads like a trapeze artist sailing from bar to bar. He will always be waiting at 221B Baker Street, and regardless of his true birth date, that’s quite enough reason to celebrate.