The Original Baker Street Babes, Part 2
The Original Baker Street Babes
Female Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
Performers
by
Howard Ostrom
Part Two (1950 – 1999) Stage, Film, Radio and TV
By the 1950’s television was established a major new source of entertainment, and it’s earliest female star would chip in with a Sherlock Holmes skit with none other than that iconic Holmes actor, Basil Rathbone!
1954 – Dagmar, born Virginia Ruth Egnor, (1921 – 2001) was an American actress, model, and television personality of the 1950s. As a statuesque, busty blonde, she became the first major female star of television, receiving much press coverage during that decade. In 1954, on “The Milton Berle Buick Comedy Hour”, Dagmar confiscated Basil Rathbone’s deerstalker and pipe, to help solve the case of the missing Buick. Poor Rathbone was distracted by Dagmar in a manner that reminded me of Benedict Cumberbatch and his encounter with Irene Adler in “A Scandal in Belgravia”.
Dagmar and Basil Rathbone
1960 – June Foray (1917 – ), is known as the ‘Cartoon Queen’. Two of her most famous voices were that of that of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale. In “Box Top Robbery” (1960), on the ‘Rocky and his Friends’ show, as Natasha Fatale, she voiced Dr. Watkins. Paul Frees, as Boris Badenov, voiced Hemlock Soames. The story had twelve 3 min. 30 sec. episodes, two per show. Boris and Natasha were even in disguise during some episodes.
June Foray
A fashion trend, not overlooked by female performers, is that of dressing as Sherlock Holmes for a promotional photo. Holmes sells! Here are a few photos of actresses doing just that.
1961 – Hayley Mills (1946 – ), who is the daughter of a Doctor Watson (her dad Sir John Mills played Dr. Watson to Peter Cushing’s Holmes in “The Masks of Death” 1984), also once posed for a promo dressed as Sherlock Holmes.
1968 – The Golddiggers – Dean Martin brought together twelve beautiful young girls who could sing, dance and act, and gave them the name “The Golddiggers.” In one segment of “The Dean Martin Show”, featuring comedian Bill Cosby, Bill and The Golddiggers all appeared in full Sherlockian garb.
1970 – Barbara Feldon (1933 – ) whose most prominent role was that of Agent 99 on the 1960s sitcom Get Smart, appeared on the cover of ‘TV Guide’ in 1970, with co-star Don Adams, wearing red deerstalkers. The“Kraft Music Hall” TV show on November 18th,, featured an episode titled “Don Adams Investigates the Detectives”.
1970 – Jessica Pearce, played Sherlock Holmes in “The Mystery of the Silent Dog”. “Presented by the Center for Childrens Television and Theatre Instruction. San Francisco: Recreation and Park Department, November 21, 1970. (The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, E1 of 24) Cast: Jessica Pearce (Sherlock Holmes), Roland Perkins (Dr. Watson), Diana Pack (Mrs. Hudson), Edwin Villante (John Fenshaw), Zachary Pine (Inspector Lestrade), Joan Brown (Lady Hilary Bedely), James Villamante (Jonathan), Victoria Nelson (Margaret Fenshaw), Ellen Thomson (Old Simmons), Merlita Villanueva (Chief Mort), Ann Phelan (Dr. Cusack), Corry Pearce (Dr. Stamford), Anthony Carigo (George Irving).”
1971 – Joanne Woodward (1930 – ) may have won an Oscar for her role in “The Three Faces of Eve”, and may be married to Paul Newman, but she is best known in the Sherlockian world for having played Dr. Mildred Watson in the movie “They Might be Giants” (1971). With Oscar winner George C. Scott playing Justin Playfair, the movie plot takes place in a Manhattan psychiatric hospital, where Scott, convinced he is Sherlock Holmes, is treated by a female doctor who happens to be named Watson.
A fantastic clip of Joanne Woodward and George C. Scott from “They Might be Giants” can be seen on Youtube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2oB0pMWh0Q
1973 – ’Cher’ Cherilyn Sarkisian (1946 – ) and Carol Burnett (1933 – ) appeared as Cherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a skit on TV’s “The Carol Burnett Show” (1967- 1978).
1973 – Cindy Schaumburg, played Shirley Holmes in the one act play “If Sherlock Holmes Were A Woman”.
The Algona Upper Des Moines (Algona, Iowa), Jan. 25, 1973
1975 – Allyson Handley plays Shirley Holmes, in the stage play “The Case of the Fallen Dickey”.
1976 – Stephanie Smith, played Sherlock Holmes in “The Speckled Band”, in what may have been the first Holmes play enacted by an all-female cast! “Presented by the Scheherazade Players. Garden Grove, Calif.: Arthur’s Barn, October 29-30, 1976. Cast: Stephanie Smith (Sherlock Holmes), Gloria Rum (Dr. Watson), Carol Rut (Helen Stonor), Denise Dunne (Dr. Roylott), Pat Mullinex (Mrs. Hudson).”
1976 – Gloria Rum, played Dr. Watson in “The Speckled Band”, in what may have been the first Holmes play enacted by an all-female cast! “Presented by the Scheherazade Players. Garden Grove, Calif.: Arthur’s Barn, October 29-30, 1976. Cast: Stephanie Smith (Sherlock Holmes), Gloria Rum (Dr. Watson), Carol Rut (Helen Stonor), Denise Dunne (Dr. Roylott), Pat Mullinex (Mrs. Hudson).”
1976 – Jenny O’Hara (1942 – ), not Lucy Liu, was the original Dr. Joan Watson. In “The Return of the World’s Greatest Detective” (1976), a TV pilot that unfortunately was not picked-up, O’Hara played Doc Watson, while Larry
Hagman played Sherman ‘Sherlock’ Holmes. The premiss of the show was that Hagman, a motorcycle cop, after being hit in the head by his motorcycle, believes he is Sherlock Holmes O’Hara, as a psychiatric social worker, and Holmes’ friend, is assigned his case upon his release from the psychiatric ward.
“The Return of the World’s Greatest Detective”, with Jenny O’Hara, can be viewed at YouTube at:
1979 – Denise Coffey, in the British comedy sketch show “End of Part One”, dressed as an elderly female Sherlock Holmes for a skit. Check out her transformation in the photos below.
1979 – Patricia Stevens, voiced Sherlock Holmes when he showed up in TV’s “Scooby Doo & Scrappy Doo” in 1979.
1979 – Elizabeth Huey, played Sherlock Holmes in “The Case of the Off-White Snowman”. “Presented by the Children’s Television Productions in cooperation with the Commodore Sloat School Parent Club Enrichment Program. San Francisco: Commodore Sloat School, November 30, 1979. (The New Children’s Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Story No. 4) Cast: Elizabeth Huey (Sherlock Holmes), Eric Imperiale (Dr. Watson), Elizabeth Brakeman (Mrs. Hudson), Alison Wentker (Penelope Appleby), Cary Tucker (Rabbi Gordon-Sykes), Harvey Delery (Mr. Marcus Temers), Scott Braden (Pastor Stabler), Allegra de Peralta (Anne Ingram), Loretta Sams (Betsy Dolfuss), Elizabeth Dent (Santa Claus), Heidi Cary, Gretchen Cary, Lesley Tucker, Rebecca Handler, Andria Hom, Elana Allen (Choir Members); Jessica Allen (Announcer).”
1980 – Sheri Gosliner, appeared as Sherlock Holmes in “Thirty Days to Riches, or Billy the Kidnapped”. “Presented by Childrens’ Television and Literature Productions. Introduction by Theodore G. Schulz, B.S.I., as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. San Rafael: Vallecito Middle School, October 25, 1980. Cast: Sheri Gosliner (Sherlock Holmes), David Vasser (Dr. Watson), Andrew Kay (James Wintergreen), David Simon (Billy Wintergreen), Carol Adams (Abigail Black), Colleen Howard (Aveline Black), Anne Quin-Harkin (Sylvia Black), Jenni Asnault (Theodore), Bob Tatum (Tony), Montine Levin (Ms. Pritchard), Matt Botvinick (Steven), Devera Hayes (Cab Driver #1), Sandra Kopp (Cab Driver #2), Ian Adams (Ticket Man), Kerri Daniels (Ticket Girl), Mary Pat Rossetto (Mrs. Hudson), Aaron Chioino (Charles, the butler), English sheep dog (“Peaches”), Jori Botvinick (Billy’s friend), Christine Hall, Laurie Hastings, Wendi Wilhelm, Sean Curley, Bill Pedersen, and Tony Johnstone.”
1980 – Michelle Ball, played Sherlock Holmes in Tim Kelly’s “Sherlock Holmes”. “Presented by the Anchorage Children’s Theatre. Anchorage, Ky.: Anchorage School Auditorium, February 7-10, 1980. Cast: Michelle Ball (Sherlock Holmes), Kip Pritchett (Dr. Watson), Lynn Wilson (Newsboy One), Chamie Schildt (Newsboy Two), Steve Ball (Forman), Jenny Downey (Madge Larrabee), Mimi Pritchett (James Larrabee), Marcy Meyer (Teresa), Teddy Strange (Sid Prince), Natalie Klosterman (Alice Faulkner), Becky Downey (Mrs. Bassick), Alicia Parrish (Ginger), Shannon McAllister (Pepper), Courtney King (Flower Woman), Perry Beck (Gentleman), Kim Kunze (Elegant Lady), Jason Bowen (Detective), Peter Campbell (Professor Moriarty), Midge Cornell (Joan), Nicole Ball (Matchgirl), Becky Andrews (Mrs. Hudson), Vicky McLaughlin (Lady Edwina), Jim Wygal (Prince Carl), Jason Bowen (Lestrade), Susie Lorenz (Gertie), Maureene McAllister (Maggie Baskerville), (Suffragettes, Londoners, Street Singer, Pianist).”
1981 – Kim Lofrano, played Sherlock Holmes in “Between the Buttons”. “Presented by the Children’s Television and Literature Productions. Introduction by Theodore G. Schulz, B.S.I., the Spirit of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Santa Venetia Middle School, May 15, 1981. Cast: Kim Lofrano (Sherlock Holmes), Drew Miller (Dr. John Watson), Michelle Brown (Narrator), Chris Heliotes (Enos Balford), Rachel Barley (Penelope Neff), James Willits (Julius Whitehead), Maria Gistrand (Edora Eikstein), Sean Walling (Norman), Fontaine Segerquist (Cynthia Balford), Adam Fisher (Robert Maigret), John Bagala (Inspector Lestrade), Mike Perodi (Charles Mitchell), Yvette den Held (Mrs. Hudson), Karl Beyer (Helicopter Pilot), Hali Greenberg (Taxi Driver). Kelly McGrath (Shop Keeper), Kali Braunschweig, Pia Caroe, Angela Fetterly, Kelly McGrath, Danielle Rogers, Hali Greenberg, Karl Beyers (Waitresses), “Scotch” (Dog).
1982 – Elizabeth Leroy, appeared as Sherlock Holmes in “The Incident of the Chemical Stain”. “Presented by Jackie Brand’s 6th grade students. Larkspur, Calif.: Henry C. Hall School, April 1, 1982. (Children’s Television and Literature Productions) Cast: Elizabeth Leroy (Sherlock Holmes), Chris Gatty (Dr. Watson), Rachel Schiller (Production Musician), Neka Pasquale (Narrator), Caroline Powers (Texas Girl), Nicole Peters (Dianne Hunt), Mike Collins (Ship’s Captain), Robert Manniche (Lawyer), Bonnie Nielson (Mrs. Hudson), Allyson Fischer (Fisherman’s Daughter), Andre Pardi (Watchman), Sean Croke (Inspector Lestrade), Calezon Ceniceros (Director), Carolyn Wakely (Stage Manager), Matt Shawn (Propman), Neka Pasquale (Gertrude), Caroline Powers (Caroline, doorman), Lisa Bueman (Waitress), Jason Launer (Store Manager).
1983 – Anna Gilbert, performed as Shirley Holmes in “Shirley Holmes and the Case of the Spanish Indian”. Shirley is the great niece of Sherlock Holmes, whose powers of deductive skills could never be equalled, that was until Shirley. “Presented by Theatre Venture. London: Tom Allen Centre, February 16-March 5, 1983.Cast: Anna Gilbert (Shirley Holmes), Angela Bain (Daphne Gotsum), Helen Reece (Hhouana Gonzotti), Michael Knight (Sailor), Jessica Saunders (Trixie O’Hara), Phil Smith (Joe the Barman), Jonathan Stratton (Dick), Ben Onwukwe (Paulo Gonzotti), Michael Knight (Kansas Harry), Phil Smith (Knuckles Johnson), Jessica Saunders (Angie Lucians), Michael Knight (Sanio Cordez), Phil Smith (M.C. in Katkit Club), Jonathan Stratton (Halibar the Great).”
1983-84 – Francesca Annis, dressed as Sherlock Holmes in these promos for “Partners in Crime”, an Agatha Christie’s husband-and-wife sleuthing team shown on British TV in the early eighties.
1983-pres. – Marianne Bötschi, (1931 – ) from Niederneunforn, Germany, has a passion in the stories of Sherlock Holmes that she founded her own theater company.
“Marianne Bötschi is a passionate follower of Sherlock Holmes. She played in front of Holmes stories with a small self-made puppet theater. For this purpose she tinkered all dolls of wood and fabric. But small furniture or dolls house walls were built by hand. As a Kasperlitheater – just with Holmes characters. This theater fits in a bag, so it is also called ‘blind theater’. It is practically to support and she could act at any time alone, she says. But the ‘blind theater’ for her was not enough. ‘That did not do the great Holmes stories justice. I wanted to organize a real theater.’ Therefore Bötschi presented 24 years ago a community theater which played every spring and autumn, mostly in Greuterhof. For two years, but there is only one piece per year. Because the theater give a lot of work, so the troops wanted to cut consumption somewhat, says Bötschi. For these plays she translated the original short stories from English. The existing German translations had never been sympathetic and she could rewrite the stories so equal in a script. The translation was not a problem for her as before she became a teacher, she worked as an interpreter. She is fluent in English and French.”
1985-2009 – Russel ‘Russi’ Taylor (1944 – ), is an American voice actress who has been the voice of Minnie Mouse since 1986. Besides voicing Detective Minnie, on the Disney Channel’s “Mickey Mouse Club” (2009), she voiced Huey, Dewey, & Louie dressed as Sherlocks in “Duck Tales” (1989) and Baby Gonzo as Sherlock Holmes in “Muppet Babies” (1985, 1988).
1986 – Gabriela Glatzer, was the voice for the Berenstain Bears when they donned deerstalkers in an episode of “Berenstain Bears”, for Australian TV in 1986.
1986 – Margaret Colin (1958 – ) appeared as Jane Watson, with Michael Pennington as Sherlock Holmes, in “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”, a 1986 TV movie. The plot was that Sherlock Holmes is brought back to life by Doctor Watson’s female descendent, Jane Watson, a private detective, after being cryogenically frozen for eighty years. In 2013 the lovely Ms. Colin returned to the Sherlockian world as the villainess in an episode of TV’s “Elementary”.
A clip from “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”, with Margaret Colin, can be viewed at YouTube at:
1986 – Ekaterina Vasilyeva (Yekaterina Sergeyevna Vasilyeva) (1945 – ), played Shirley Holmes and Galina Shchepetnova (Simonova) or, Galina Simonova-Shchepetnova (she had been Shchepetnova but married Alexey Simonov) (1948 – ), played Jane Watson, in the lovely Russian feature film, “My Dearly Beloved Detective” (1986). A polished, delightful production in itself, this film pays homage to the Sherlockian tradition, especially the (then recent) superb cycle of Holmes films starring Vasily Livanov & Vitaly Solomin.
“Two employees of a private detective agency, Miss Holmes and Miss Watson, applying the deductive method, successfully investigating hopelessly complicated case. Scotland Yard decides to get rid of the competition, but there it was! For the young ladies love intervenes …”
You can watch “My Dearly Beloved Detective”, in it’s entirety on YouTube,
with English subtitles and I highly recommend you do!
1988 – Laura Carter Alley, played Charlotte Holmes in “Charlotte Holmes and Dr. Watson” Richardson, Tex.: Richardson Children’s Theatre, February 1988.
“Cast: Laura Carter (Charlotte Holmes), Collin Flagg (Dr. Watson), Marie Mann (Catherine De Mise), Erin Jay (Melanie Goodenrich), Feikes (Trudy Usefull), Brian Nixon (Geoffrey Patterson III), Barrett Ray (Tympani Drummond), Allison Warren (Sadie Cash), Monica Blaschke (Freida Weeper), Lauren Mobley (Melodie Script), Wade McIntyre (Richard Tracey), Stephanie King (Ida Kilder), Stephanie Madone (Anita Reedmore).”
1988 – Shelley Reid was Sherlock Holmes in, “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Speckled Band” in “Abbeville, S.C.: The Abbeville Opera House, June 24-26, July 1-2, 8-9, 1988. Cast: Shelley Reid (Sherlock Holmes), Richard Phillips (Dr. Watson), Ruth Settles (Mrs. Hudson), Coyann Gray (Helen Stonor), Charlie Peterson (Dr. Grimesby Roylott).”
1989 – Tress MacNeille, (1951 – ) voiced Chip as Sherlock Chip, in an episode of “Chip ’N Dale Rescue Rangers” an animated television series on The Disney Channel.
Tress MacNielle
1993 – Tracy-Lee Smythe, voiced Madeline dressed as Sherlock Holmes in “Madeline and the 40 Thieves”. “At the Old House – and all over the neighborhood – people’s hats, gloves and scarves are missing. Madeline and Pepito work with Detective Moreau to find the perpetrators, then finally discover that the “thieves” are some altruistic magpies who are distributing the warm clothes to the homeless in the park.”
1993 – Debrah Farentino (1959 – ) appeared as the beautiful Amy Winslow, with Anthony Higgins as Sherlock Holmes, in the TV movie “1994 Baker Street: Sherlock Holmes Returns” (1993). “Sherlock Holmes is awakened in modern times from suspended animation as a result of an earthquake. He is aided in his recovery by Amy Winslow (Debrah Farentino), who lives in Baker Street in San Francisco. Holmes pits his wits against the descendants of the Moriarty family, led by James Moriarty Booth. He is also aided by a new group of Baker Street Irregulars led by Zapper (Mark Adair-Rios).”
“1994 Baker Street: Sherlock Holmes Returns”, with Debrah Farentino, can be viewed at YouTube at:
1993 – Asia Vieira, (1982 – ), a Canadian child star, wore a deerstalker in
“Dudley Gets a Tummy Ache” an episode of “The Adventures of Dudley The Dragon”, a Canadian TV children’s series.
1994 – Therese Lentz wrote and appeared as Sherlock Holmes in “221B Baker Street” for the Group Repertory Theater. “It’s quite elementary, if you think about it. Sherlock Holmes was a woman who disguised herself as a man. That high voice and hairless chin, that secrecy about the past and the mysterious childhood. That love of dissembling. How else could a Victorian woman solve crimes in such a chauvinistic age? Curiously, Holmes’s trusty chronicler Dr Watson (and Arthur Conan Doyle) failed to note this fact. But Therese Lentz did with her 1994 play 221B Baker Street. When it comes to the world’s greatest detective, the theatre has often lifted the curtain on some lesser known aspect of his life.”
1996,2000 – Kristin Fairlie, (1985 – ), a Canadian actress, voiced Little Bear in “Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear”, a Canadian educational children’s series. Little Bear wore a deerstalker and used a magnifying glass in the episode “Little Sherlock Bear” (1996) and in the episode “Detective Little Bear” (2000).
1996-2000 – Meredith Henderson (1983 – ), played Shirley Holmes, Sherlock’s grand-niece for 52 episodes of the superb Canadian children’s TV program “The Adventures Of Shirley Holmes” (1996 -2000). When I contacted her for an autograph she sent me a lengthy letter, in which she expressed a desire to reprise the role as a
grown-up Shirley. I’m sorry to see that this never came to fruition. Perhaps someday, someone reading this article will organize a kick-start program on that project. In a side note from “The Adventures of Shirley Holmes”, movie heartthrob Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook”) surely had one of his earliest acting roles, as a bad boy, in an early episode of the show.
An excellent website, for all the information you could ever want, about “The Adventures Of Shirley Holmes” is; http://shirleyholmes.damonford.com/
1996-pres. – Minami Takayama (高山 みなみ) , (1964 – ), is the voice of Detective Conan on the hit Japanese detective magna series “Case Closed”, which is also known as “Detective Conan” (名探偵コナン). Minami has voiced Detective Conan since 1996 on TV, as well as in 19 feature movies since 1997.
1997 – Ashley Taylor, voiced Stacey Sticker, who in an episode of the Canadian TV anime “Stickin Around” played Sherlock Stickler or was it Stacey Holmes?
1998-pres. – Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding, a classic female comedy duo, star as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in “Move Over Moriarty”. “Written by Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding, ‘Move Over Moriarty’ follows super sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his dim sidekick John Watson as they investigate the Garibaldi Biscuit Affair, a case as impenetrable as a London pea-souper. Fear stalks the backstage corridors of The Strand Theatre as acts are murdered by an invisible hand. First performed in 1998, ‘Move Over Moriarty’ has grown to become a cult classic…”
Ah, I need to watch some of these. Would love a chance to see “Move Over, Moriarty”. I also highly recommend “My Dearly Beloved Detective” (and wish I could get it on DVD!). Thanks so much for all this research!
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We have heard from a select member of The Bootmakers, but it was along the lines of that we were liars and should be ashamed of ourselves. Unfortunately. It s made me apprehensive about approaching them. I don t suspect the BSI will address this tbh, but no, we have not asked.