cimorene

the red-headed league is one of my dad's very favorite holmes stories. it's not extremely emotional, but it's a wonderful mystery--the whole red-headed league swindle is fabulous. there is an excellent action scene, w. following h. to the 'enemy territory' and skulking behind a wall with him the way the neighbor children used to do with me when we got out my walkie-talkies to play spies.

high points:

+the dramatization of the client's story. the line of red-haired applicants--the near-empty office--the encyclopedia copying...
+watson can't stop laughing at the guy when he's talking about copying the encyclopedias and then when he finishes the story. holmes starts by gesturing him silent but finally can't help it and breaks down laughing himself.
+the police officer they work with saying holmes has 'the making of a detective in him'
+the arrest of the criminal, who gets quite haughty when the policeman reaches for his cuffs. 'well then would you please come upstairs, your highness, so that we may call a cab to take you to jail?'

other of interest: h. takes w. to see a solo violinist, and he's sitting with his head back and this orgasmic expression. w. has a voiceover about how he thinks something bad is coming for the criminals, but it's brilliant the way he's staring at h with a sort of one-raised-eyebrow look.
low points: apprehension of the second criminal in wilson's shop. the scene seems unnecessary.