Talk:Vasily Livanov

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Vasily Livanov played Sherlock Holmes in the following movies:

1). "Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson: The Meeting" (1979)

In this movie, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson become acquainted to one another. Watson cannot get used to Holmes's way of life, which includes his experiments, his strange guests, and weird disguises.Watson cannot grasp why Holmes knows every detail about Chemistry and the Criminal Law, but has absolutely no knowledge about more common things. At first, the movie follows the novel "A Study In the Scarlet." But then, there is an unexpected twist, when Watson suspects that Holmes might actually be a criminal, due to his weirdness and uniqueness. Holmes and Watson get into a boxing fight, and as Holmes knocks Watson out, he explains to Watson that he is not a criminal, but a detective. The two quickly become friends, and soon, the young woman named Helen Stoner enters crying and asking for help. From that point on, for the rest of the movie, the plot follows "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." It is very interesting, that "Speckled Band" is their first case according to these movies, not "A Study In the Scarlet."

2). "A Study In the Scarlet" (1979)

Next film with Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin tells the mystery of the death inthe abandoned house on Brixton Road in Lauriston Gardens. It is here that we are introduced to Inspectors Gregson and epsecially, Lestrade. In most American movies, it is Watson who is portrayed as a fool and a jerk. In the Russian films with Livanov, it is Lestrade who is presented as a dummy, while Watson is just average. In the novel by SIr Arthur Conan Doyle, almost half is devoted to the story of Lucy Ferrier and the Mormons. In the Russian movie, we don't even see the Ferriers, but rather, we just hear about them from Jeffereson Hope's testimony.

3). "King of Blackmail" (1980)

This movie is very intersting, because it mixes plots from "Adventure of the Dancing Men" and "Adventure of Chales Augustus Milverton," and also places Holmes's brother Mycroft into the plot. There is a horrible, pascudinous man named Milverton, who blackmails young rich women from London. He has a postman, an ugky bearded man from America named Abe Slaney, who sends those women codes as dancing man. These cdes contain threats and blackmail. Last victim was Lady Hinckley, whose husband had mysteriously died, and new victim is Lady Eva Blackwell. Holmes and Watson rob Milverton's house, and Lady Hinckley shot Milverton. In this movie, Holmes proves again that he possesses abilities as a criminal, not only as a detective.

4). "Final Problem and Empty House" (1980)

5). "Hound of the Baskervilles" (1981)

[edit] OBE

When he was awarded? Order of the British Empire of the second degree (2006)

[edit] ???=

The article currently says : To most Russians, Livanov represents the true Sherlock Holmes, even though the character that he portrayed is slightly different than what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described.

Could anybody explain this phrase? Speaking for myself, I did not see differencies.Sea diver 10:18, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

I should say more: even if it would be different, this is not unusual for a film adaptation of a novel. And as characters in books hardly can be depicted as expressively, as on the screen, I think, that people quite often consider Karlssons, Flints, Sherlocks and other movie characters as true ones.

I should also question another excerpt:Livanov's first name Vasily is Russian translation of Basil. Coincidentally, in the West, the actor best known for portrayal of Sherlock Holmes was Basil Rathbone. Not only do the two share the same name and the same main role, but they had very similar facial features.

Is this important? First, there were more, than one adaptation in the West - with different actors. Second, the character's face should have features, described by the author of the book, hence, all artists, who play Sherlock should be similar to each other. The only coincidence is in names of actors in two adaptations - is it relevant? Cmapm 00:36, 23 September 2006 (UTC)

irrelevant, removed---~~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 169.232.119.28 (talk) 04:48, 1 May 2008 (UTC)