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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Holmes, Sherlock Holmes


Some time ago I made a blog note to myself, "Sherlock Holmes and James Bond." When I ran across it again recently, I asked myself, "What in the world do those two have in common?"

Quite a lot, when you think about it! Consider that both:
  • Are British icons, known throughout the world;
  • Have become archetypes (Sherlock Holmes = Detective; James Bond = Secret Agent);
  • Have long survived their creators and, in 2013, are still going strong in new books and recent films (and television in the case of Holmes); 
  • Survived a kind of death and resurection at the hands of their original authors (see You Only Live Twice for Bond);
  • Battled a master villain almost as famous he is (Professor James Moriarty, Ernst Stravo Blofeld), a man who headed a far-flung criminal organization;
  • Are not really the loners they seem to be -- they both have a cast of familiar characters in their adventures;
  • Were portrayed by Roger Moore, who was wonderful as The Saint, not so good as James Bond, and downright miscast as Sherlock Holmes. 
Holmes was once a spy, and several other times was involved in the affairs of spies. Bond at times was a bit of a sleuth.

Perhaps the closest tie is in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I've never read the graphic novel, but in the film version, Professor Moriarty is the first "M," head of the British Secret Service that later employs James Bond. And Sean Connery is in the movie as Alan Quartermain!

Are there any other connections between Sherlock Holmes and James Bond?

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