"That Mask Which He Was Wont to Assume" [SIXN]

While searching on Brightcove, a video search and aggregation site - like YouTube, but with longer form videos - I came across a number of interesting Sherlock Holmes-related findings. Brightcove hosts its own content (powered by AOL Video), plus it links to other sites that host videos, giving you a wide range of stuff to choose from.

There were a number of the Basil Rathbone / Nigel Bruce films available for download. But more interesting to me - because the videos are less common and because of the lead actor's uncanny resemblance to some of the illustrations of Holmes (Frank Wiles in particular) - were the Arthur Wontner films. I've previously written about the availability of some of these through the Internet Archive, but this was the first time I had seen 3 of the 5 Wonter films available in such a shareable format. The first two Wontner films are unavailable - there are no known prints existing of The Missing Rembrandt (based on "Charles Augustus Milverton"), and The Sleeping Cardinal (based on "The Final Problem") was thought to be lost until a print was discovered in the U.S.

Feel free to watch the three here (note: you need to have Flash installed), download them directly from Brightcove, or to purchase your own copies through Amazon.

"Suddently Sold Out" [VALL]

I've been informed that the block of rooms that the Baker Street Irregulars booked at the Algonquin Hotel for the BSI Weekend has been sold out. I also understand that its smallish rooms were part of a remodeling project that resulted in queen beds replacing the twin beds. The end result is that some potential weekend visitors may be without a room.

Fear not! I have some resources that I can share with you, if you're looking to book a reasonable room in New York. There are links on the sidebar on the BSI Weekend site, or you can click on any of the links below:

"I Tell You That It Is Friday" [TWIS]

In the United States, the Friday after Thanksgiving Day is typically referred to as "Black Friday," because this is the day in the retail industry when stores typically surge into the black (aka turn a profit).

Why is that relevant here? In case you haven't noticed, there are links to Amazon.com along the sidebars and at the bottom of the page. When you click on these links and buy something from Amazon, you help me keep this blog running, as I receive a small percentage of every purchase from Amazon. And to mark the occasion, Amazon is offering hourly deals from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST on Friday, Novemer 23. You can get there by clicking here to be taken to the Black Friday deals page.

This blog is a major effort to maintain - from paying for the domain name and fees associated with online file sharing & storage, not to mention the sheer time that it takes me to search, compose and edit posts for your edification. And there are two ways you can help out, especially in this holiday season:

1. By clicking on any of the Amazon ads or search boxes the sidebars or below, or by clicking on book linkss in the context of each post;
2. By making a gift through the widget in the sidebar section titled "Your Own Gift". Any amount is appreciated, especially at this time of the year.

So, I would appreciate it if you use my links to do any of your online shopping for the holidays. Once you're into Amazon, you can search for whatever you like, whether it's books, DVDs, electronics, household items - the list is seemingly endless. But by using my links to shop, you help to support the blog.

Thank you for your continued encouragement. I hope you find my efforts worthy of your time and attention.

"Keenly On His Guard" [HOUN]

Sadly, the Baker Street Irregulars have lost another one of our own, just over a month after the most recent obit. Paul Smedegaard, BSI ("The Randall Gang") passed away suddenly on November 14.

Paul, who proudly hailed from Racine, Wisconsin, received his investiture in the BSI in 1977 and had been a stalwart member of a number of Sherlockian societies of the Midwest - too many to mention, really - but if you check out his profile on the Sherlockian Who's Who site, you'll see what I mean.

Paul was not only a joiner, but a leader. And everything he led, he led with a fire-in-the-belly passion that ignited similar feelings in others. It was a joy to see Paul get truly excited about things.

If you didn't know Paul, here are a few of his Sherlockian activities worthy of note:

• His involvement in Hugo's Companions, where he was was one of Vincent Starrett's own picks and served as Sir Hugo XIII (lucky 13!). You can read Paul's thoughts on "What Is a Sherlockian" in Sir Hugo's Literary Companion: A Compendium of the Writings of Hugo's Companions, Chicago On the Subject of Mr. Sherlock Holmes, the volume just edited and released by David Humphrey.
  
• Paul's honorary membership in the Sherlock Holmes Klubben i Danmark, as it hearkened back to his father's roots in Denmark.
• His membership in the Master's Masons, a group founded by Ron Fish for Sherlockians who were also Master Masons. Paul took great pride in his affiliation and was an officer in his lodge.
  

Paul was progressive - well, as progressive as a midwestern Sherlockian could be. He advocated for bringing women into Hugo's Companions, and when he did, he was voted off of the executive board. But he hung tough and supported the decision of Tom Stix, BSI ("The Norwood Builder") in his decision as head of the Irregulars to make the group co-ed in 1991. And Paul was very proud of that fact. You can read something of the drama - and of a good deal of Paul's life in the excellent two-part interview that Gael Stahl did with him in 2000.

I had many occasions to chat with Paul during the BSI Weekends, and I even saw him last year in Philadelphia, when I visited the Copper Beeches. Paul had driven all the way from Wisconsin to be there. He was that dedicated. And during teh 2006 BSI Weekend, Paul decided to have an "episode" at the Gillette Lunch, where he turned ghostly white (even for a Wisconsoner) and had to be whisked to the emergency room. True to form, though, he showed up for the BSI Dinner later that night.

So I'm sure the crew at From Gillette to Brett II is going to miss Paul this weekend. The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis were part of his roster and I'm sure he would have made the drive down to Indiana to take part in such a wonderful event.

Paul was one of the nicest Sherlockians out there and he will be missed by many people around the world. He leaves behind his wife Margaret, who is also an Irregular ("The Criterion Bar") a son, a daughter and six grandchilren. Paul's funeral will be Saturday morning at 10:00 AM at Unitarian Universalist Church, 625 College Ave., in Racine. Visitation will be Friday night and Saturday morning from 9 to 10. The full obituary is available from the Racine Journal Times.

Please consider leaving a comment below that we can forward on to Paul's family as a sort of guest book.

"Let Me Recommend This Book" [SIGN]

I think we're in the midst of a Sherlockian / Doylean renaissance - but I'll leave the full premise of that statement for another post. In the meantime, if you've been living under a rock for the past few months, then let me give you just the tip of the iceberg - particularly as it relates to two new books.

Jon Lellenberg, BSI ("Rodger Prescott"), Daniel Stashower, BSI ("Thurston"), and Charles Foley, BSI ("Marlow Bates") co-edited a massive volume of original letters and produced Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters. I won't go into the full details, as I've previously written about it. But what I will recommend (in addition to buying the book) is that you listen to the latest episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, where Burt Wolder and I interview Jon & Dan.

The episode runs nearly an hour and is a fascinating look inside the creative process behind editing and writing such a major book. Especially interesting is their view of the subject matter, both before and after their time spent with the letters.

While you're there, please do consider subscribing to the show (it's free) and telling your friends about it. We need your help to grow our listener base.

There's another biography of Conan Doyle that is being released: The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes: the Life and Times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Andrew Lycett, who has also written a biography of Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond books. I haven't had a chance to review this one yet, but I do plan to have Andrew on the podcast in early 2008. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, you might have a look at a Times Literary Supplement article, The Ghosts of Conan Doyle by Dinah Birch. It's a nice overview of the two books and quite frankly, an excellent piece of writing. To wit:

It is odd that so much comfort is to be had from Sherlock Holmes, given the brutal violence of his adventures. Not only are those who cross his path routinely shot, bludgeoned, or knifed, they run the risk of being starved, buried alive, attacked by huge and frenzied hounds, killed by horses, jellyfish, or venomous snakes, asphyxiated with toxic vapours, afflicted with foul diseases, or crushed in giant iron presses. They might lose a thumb or an ear; occasionally they lose their minds. Yet Holmes is the most consoling of literary icons. He cannot always prevent crime or punish the criminal, but he never fails to explain what has happened, and how, and why. The prosaic Watson likes to claim that his hero is infallible because he scorns the emotional baggage that befuddles the judgement of lesser men. In fact these stories are tense with feeling, for Holmes’s hatred of wrongdoing is a passion rather than an intellectual commitment.

Indeed. Enjoy these times. We are rich indeed to have such a wealth of resources.

"For Sixty Years the Bulwark..." [BLAC]

This is an all-points-bulletin to heads of Sherlockian societies around the world. If you haven't received an email from Gary Thaden, the current president of the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota, please pay special attention to this post. And if you have, pay special attention all the same.

In early January 2008, the Explorers will celebrate 60 years of being a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars. As such, they are holding a dinner and welcome any greetings or congratulatory messages from your group to theirs. You may email Gary directly at gthaden AT gmail DOT com or you may comment on the blog here (click the "comments" link at the bottom of this entry) and I'll see that the messages are passed along to the Explorers. Please have your comments in by November 30th.

In my experience, the Minnesota Sherlockians are some of the most genuinely nice people (they're supposed to be - it's Minnesota, right?) and some of the most profoundly knowledgeable about Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and related subjects. Whether they're active in the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries, or busy coordinating their latest symposium, the group is filled with many great contributors. I won't name any of them here, out of fear of forgetting someone, but my hope is that you'll be able to hear from some of them next year on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.

Thank you in advance for rallying around the Sherlockian community and showing support for one of our own.

"Those Week-End Parties" [SOLI]

To every Sherlockian, it is always the weekend.

This is it! The long-awaited announcement of the January festivities that we Sherlock Holmes devotees always look forward to. For many of us, it's been nearly a year since we rubbed shoulders with each other from venues such as the Algonquin Hotel, Ollie's Noodle House, a city club or two, or just the streets of New York.

This year, rather than reproduce the entire schedule here, I'm trying something a little different. In order to be much more comprehensive in my approach, I've created a separate site where you can find all of your BSI Weekend information - from schedules, to maps, to links to travel site and the general RSVP form for download. You can find this and more at the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend site.

If you join the Baker Street Blog Facebook group, I'll be adding BSI Weekend information and content along the way. It's a great way to meet other Sherlockians virtually and to share pictures, links and discussions with each other. Do please consider joining and seeing what it's all about.

But one of the features I'm most excited to offer this year is real-time updates throughout the weekend. You'll be able to follow these in the upper-left section of the BSI Weekend site. Just think- if you can't make it to the event, you can be the first to know who receives their BSI Investitures or who gets spotted at various events.

I hope to see you in New York in January. If you have any suggestions as to how to improve the BSI Weekend site, or if you have questions about the weekend, please drop me a line.