Original subtitles

The city you consider as home is never so attractive as when you return to it after long and difficult times in other parts of the world.

My name is Dr. John Watson. I had served and been wounded in the more remote regions of Afghanistan and had been discharged from the army with specific instructions to rest.

The sight of London again was already working its soothing tone. As I rode through the familiar streets, I never suspected that a chance introduction would lead me into the most amazing adventure of my entire life.

- Watson, old man! Hello, how have you been? Good to see you. - Not as well as you, obviously. You look great, old man.

- Heard you were wounded. - Well, it could have been much worse. Sit down. Can I get you a drink?

- I'll have one.

- Well, what are your plans now? - Doing nothing really at the moment. I'm looking for lodgings.

Trying to solve the old problem of comfortable quarters at a reasonable price. - That's odd. You're the second man today that's used that expression.

- Really? Who's the other? - Oh, you wouldn't know him. He's doing some work in the chemical laboratory at the hospital.

- That might be interesting.

- Yes, well, I wouldn't mind sharing a flat with somebody if... if he was all right.

- Anything wrong? - No. He's rather strange.

- Well, what's wrong with him? - Well, nothing wrong with Holmes, that's his name, Sherlock Holmes. When I saw him this morning, he was doing some research with a corpse.

- What was he doing? - He was beating it with a stick.

- I beg your pardon.

- Did you ring, sir? - Two sherries please. - Very good, sir.

- What did you say this Sherlock... Holmes fellow was doing?

- He was beating a corpse with a stick.

- Oh.

- What in heaven's name did he want to do that for?

- He wanted to find out if it was possible to inflict a bruise on a body after death.

- Why? - Don't know. Did you ask him?

- That's another strange thing about this Holmes, somehow one never thinks to question him. - I see.

- It works, it really works! Do you realize you've just entered the greatest chapter in the history of forensic medicine? You're Dr. Watson.

- Yes, I am. What works?

- Foolproof test for hemoglobin. You realize what this means, Doctor?

- No, I don't. You must be Sherlock Holmes.

- It will create a revolution in criminal investigation. Yes, I'm Holmes.

- How did you know I was Watson? - Because you've just come back from Afghanistan. How do you do?

- How do you do? How did you know I'd just come back from Afghanistan?

- Well, it's written all over you. The problem has generally been that a man is suspected of a crime months after the crime is committed. Then when they find bloodstains on objects or clothing, they can't be sure if it's blood, mud or rust stains. But this solves the whole thing, of course.

- Of course. Of course.

- Stamford told me you're looking for someone to share the flat you've found. Do you know, if this test had been in existence a year ago, it would have meant that von Bischoff of Frankfurt would most certainly have been hung. And that goes for Mason of Bradford, Muller and Lefebvre, naturally.

- Er... naturally. Who are these people?

- Do you know, I'm delighted to meet you, Watson. I think you'll like the flat. It's in Baker Street, by the way. Oh, we could pop round this afternoon and have a look at it if you can.

- Yes, oh yes, rather. I'd like that.

- Good. Do you mind if I play the violin? - No, go right ahead.

- No, I don't mean now. I mean when we're sharing the flat.

- Oh, no, naturally, I like a bit of good music.

- Oh good. I'm found not very good.

- Oh.

- Um, tell me Holmes... - Yes?

- How did you know I'd just got back from Afghanistan?

- Well, it's obvious.

- Well, you said that before. Is it a bit obvious? - You're a doctor, that much we know. Yes, but with the air of a military man, therefore an army doctor. You've acquired a sunburn, but I know it's not your natural color because your wrists are white. Your eyes tell me that you've recently been ill. I'd say some sort of tropical fever.

Do you use your left arm stiffly as though you sustained a wound. Now the problem becomes: where would an army doctor have contracted a fever and sustained a wound? The answer, my dear Watson, is in the present campaign in Afghanistan, naturally.

Naturally. Of course, it's obvious. Naturally.

We examined the rooms at 221B Baker Street that afternoon and promptly moved in on the following day. I had at this point known Sherlock Holmes for only 24 hours. But the man's fantastic powers of perception, coupled with the almost unpredictable personality I'd ever encountered, kept me in a state of constant surprise when I wasn't being shocked. It was unbelievable the things he knew, and the things he didn't know.

- Now really, my dear Holmes, you mean to tell me you didn't know that the earth moved round the sun? Really? But every schoolchild knows that!

- Well, now I know it too. And I shall promptly proceed to forget it.

- But why?

- Yes, why? Why should I remember it?

- Well, because it's a natural phenomenon.

- Well, is it important? Does it affect us? If you tell me the earth went round the moon, would it make any possible difference to our way of life?

- Well, if you put it that way... No.

- Then it's useless information. And I shall do my best to forget it. I advise you to do the same.

At times, I thought the man was joking and simply having a bit of fun at my expense. But I soon learned that he was in dead earnest. I also, unbeknown to him, made a brief classification of the man's knowledge. Literature: nothing. Philosophy: nothing. Astronomy: nothing. Politics: disinterested. Botany: he knew everything there was to know about poisons, and absolutely nothing about practical gardening. Chemistry: profound. Sensational literature: without question, Sherlock Holmes knew the details of every horror perpetrated in the last 100 years.

- I believe we have a visitor.

- Really? Is he coming here?

- I believe so. I would also say he's a retired sergeant of Marines.

- Oh, you know the man? - Never clapped eyes on him before in my life.

- Well, in that case, that's one of the wildest statements I ever heard. How can you possibly guess he's a retired sergeant of Marines if you've never seen him?

- My guess, my dear Watson, is a calculated deduction.

- Yes, he is coming up here. Do you mind if I ask him his profession?

- No, by all means. Now where did I put my violin case? Huh? Oh, it's over here.

- Ah, my old friend. Come in.

- Excuse me, gentlemen. I've a message here for Mr. Sherlock Holmes. - Thank you.

- Excuse me. Do you mind telling me your occupation?

- Not at all, sir. I'm a civil servant employed by the police department.

- Thank you. I just wondered.

- Not at all, sir.

- How long have you been with the police department?

- Just a year, sir. Before that, I was a sergeant in the Marines. Good day, gentlemen.

- How did you know? - Hm, interesting letter Watson, a very interesting letter. Perhaps you'd like to come with me?

- Where? - To catch a murderer, of course.

- Of course.

- How did you know that that man was an ex-sergeant of Marines?

- Who? - The messenger from the police.

- Oh yes, yes, the retired sergeant of Marines.

- That's what I said.

- Well, there's nothing mysterious about such observations, my dear Watson, but unfortunately when explained, they lose their romantic aura of mystery. My decision was based on observation and logical deduction.

The man had a large anchor tattooed on the back of his hand. This was visible from our window.

- I admit I didn't notice it at the time, but since you mention it, I think there was an anchor.

- Oh, there was indeed. He also wore regulation sideburns and had a slight nautical roll. Thus, I judged him a Marine.

- Well, a guess I grant you, but only a refinement of guesses one makes every day.

- Don't be so disgruntled Watson. Test your own powers of observation. We are entering the perfect situation.

- Oh, what are we entering?

- A house that holds a murdered man.

- Is Inspector Lestrade inside?

- Yes sir. May I have your name please?

- Yes, Sherlock Holmes. And this is Dr. Watson. - Oh, that's quite all right, sir. Inspector Lestrade gave instructions to admit you. - Oh, good.

- Oh, by the way, has the body been removed?

- No sir, but the medical examiner's just gone. - Oh, thank you. Let's hope they haven't moved things about too much. The police forces of the world seem to have an organized science of messing things about.

- Oh, I wouldn't say that, Holmes. - Now then, move along there everyone, move along. There's nothing to see today.

- I don't know! I swear I don't know. I tried to help him. Don't you believe me? I had to do what I could, it was instinctive.

- Instinctive, for a woman like you to commit murder!

- That's not true, you know it's not true. I know you hate me, but you can't believe I'd do a thing like this.

- Yes, I can, and I do believe she's a murderess. You know it as well as I.

She murdered your brother.

- It's a lie! Your whole story's a lie. The relationship you had with my son was a lie.

- My son's been murdered. This girl's a murderess.

- Why she did it, what her motive was, I don't know. They were engaged, without my blessing. I can only be grateful that she gains nothing by her crime. Your duty now is to convict her.

- Just a moment, please.

- Notice the angle of incision.

- Yes. The force of the blow and the general penetration of the upper region of the chest.

- How long would you estimate before loss of consciousness?

- Well, it's difficult to say. Thirty seconds... maybe... or between the two.

- I see. And death?

- Shortly thereafter. Two minutes... three... three or four, I'd say. - Thank you, Watson.

- Or I'll take him out.

- Ah, forgive the interruption. I would prefer to have been invited before the body had been moved.

- I thought you'd be interested, Holmes.

- Oh, thank you, Lestrade. Oh, may I introduce my friend Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard. - How do you do? - Well, how do you do?

- So you're completely stuck, Lestrade. - What do you mean?

- Well, you thought I'd be interested. Why don't you admit it? You're in a jam. Reeks of some cabinet work, don't you think?

- What you say isn't exactly true, Holmes. I've done you a favor. This is an interesting case. Of course, there are witnesses...