BACK AGAIN TO BAKER STREET

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 816, 18 March 1955, Page 26

BACK AGAIN TO BAKER STREET

"-EROM their expressions, their rather careless but at the same time purposeful stance, the silver object before them which they are so studiously ignoring, these three gentlemen, my dear Watson, are undoubtedly actors, Radio ,actors judging by their---ahem-regret-tably casual attire." As usual, our dear Holmes, you are absolutely right. On examining more closely the three ‘figures grouped at the microphone we perceive that they are, on the left, Val Gielgud, who is to impersonate Mycroft Holmes, the detective’s mysterious brother; next to him stands Sir Ralph Richardson who plays the indispensable Dr, Watson; and, on the right, we have Sir John Gielgud as the master mindSherlock Holmes himself, The great detective recently returned to his lodgings at 221B Baker Street from a destination whose whereabouts he has committed himself to Higher Sources not to reveal, However, he has been able, on his return to London, to repair to the studios of Mr. Harry Alan Towers to act as technical adviser for a series of radio programmes based on his own adventures, Acting on the deduction expressed in the venerable saying that "though he might be more humble, there’s no police like Holmes," Harry Alan Towers has assembled the finest cast of actors available to do justice to the great man, his circle of friends and band of enemies, speckled or otherwise. Besides the above a short, stoutish interloper appears on the scene. By his round, babyish face, his unruly hair and tailoring, this fourth man could be but one person-Orson Welles, Theme music for the series has been written by Sidney Torch and the violin solos are played by Alfredo Campoli. About 10.30 then, each Monday night, the swirling fogs of Baker Street will spill out of your loudspeaker if it is tuned to a ZB station; hansom-cab wheels will rattle on the cobblestones as the next client approaches, and inside the comfortable lodgings you will be waiting, waiting with the two tenants for another of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.