A Novel Adaptation #3: ‘The Valley of Fear’

Having previously mused eighteen months ago on fifty dramatisations of ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ and twenty dramatisations of ‘The Sign of Four’, following a recent theatre trip, I intend to move on to the twelve dramatisations of the final of the novels, ‘The Valley of Fear’, that I have experienced. I have left this and ‘A Study in Scarlet’ to the end as their structure – Part 1 featuring Holmes and Watson solving the case ending with a sudden denouement, then Part 2 featuring a seemingly unrelated story about an American society turned criminal with no sign of Holmes and Watson until a final chapter in which the narratives come together explaining the why-dunnit part of the crime – does not suit itself to dramatisations. Not wishing to pre-empt the following discussion, but a ‘shuffled deck’ approach seems to work best, alternating parts of each narrative. ‘The Valley of Fear’ also features the only novel appearance of Holmes’ equal, Professor James Moriarty, albeit in a ‘working behind the scenes’ role.

 

Radio/Audio

It is once again in the audio medium that I intend to start. The most recent again are the entries in the complete Sherlock Holmes projects of BBC Radio (starring Clive Merrison and Michael Williams) and Jim French Productions in the US (starring John Patrick Lowrie and Larry Albert), with the revelation of the identity of the narrator in the former being a highlight. I have also enjoyed a version starring Carleton Hobbs and Norman Shelley (also BBC Radio). However, my favourite radio version is the BBC Radio version in 1986, starring Tim Pigott-Smith (previously a stage Watson, and later author of the ‘Baker Street Mysteries’ series) and Andrew Hilton, and directed by Brian Miller (who played Bradstreet in Granada’s ‘The Blue Carbuncle’), which dramatises the whole case in one 105 minute episode.

Films

I have seen two black-and-white films based on VALL, the first being ‘The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes’ (1935), starring Arthur Wontner and Ian Fleming (not the one you’re thinking of), and ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace’ (1962) a German production featuring Christopher Lee and Thorley Walters. Of these I slightly prefer the latter, despite it being slightly less faithful to the original story. There is also the animated version produced by Burbank Films in 1983, but my comments about their HOUND stand for this also.

 

Television

Just three television versions, as VALL is not commonly adapted. The first is ‘Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Pennsylvania Gun’ (1954) starring Ronald Howard and H. Marion-Crawford. Unfortunately, the 1968 BBC Peter Cushing version is the only one of the novels not to survive, but an Italian 3-part dramatisation of the novel starring Nando Gazzolo and Gianni Bonagura is easily available online. Neither the Granada nor ‘Sherlock’ series has adapted VALL, but an updated version was seen in ‘Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century: The Crime Machine’.  Of these, the Italian version is my favourite.  (I just love a cheeky Nando !).

       

Theatre

I have seen just two theatrical versions of VALL, and both this year. The first was a live stream online from Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center (who I have also seen do the other three novels). This interspersed the American backstory with the ongoing investigation very effectively. The second was by Blackeyed Theatre Company, starring Luke Barton and Joseph Derrington, at Greenwich. (see here for my full review) I had already seen ‘The Sign of Four’ tackled by the same team in 2018, and with the same adapter, Nick Lane. This successfully intertwined the two narratives, but gave Professor Moriarty slightly too much direct involvement, with a new scene featuring a newly imagined first meeting between the foes in an art gallery.

 

Conclusions

So after twelve dramatisations what have I learnt ? Intersperse the two narratives. Don’t build up Moriarty’s part – no meeting Holmes (yet). Never trust a freemason. And I can understand why VALL is rarely adapted, or radically changed if it is.

 

 

Favourites:

Radio/Audio: ‘The Valley of Fear’ – BBC Radio 4  1986   (Pigott-Smith/Hilton)

Film: ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace’ – Central Cinema Company 1962    (Lee/Walters)

TV: ‘La Valle Della Paura’ – Radiotelevisione Italiana 1968   (Gazzolo/Bonagura)

Theatre: ‘The Valley of Fear’ – Blackeyed Theatre Company 2022   (Barton/Derrington)  

 

 

 

Click here for a full list of dramatisations.