Anthony Higgins in 1980s

1985

Young Sherlock Holmes

Young Sherlock Holmes' story was and still is one of the best movies for children. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson solve their very first mystery murder case not as adults, but as teenagers.

Let's talk about Anthony Higgins as Professor Rathe. In this leading part Anthony Higgins does his best as a super villain. Fancying, dramatic dialogs, guile, action, cruelty, disappointments, cunning plans, deep view into the future, brave decisions make his character dangerously attractive. Professor Rathe is a two-faced person, and a leader of an occult religion, another version of Jekyll and Hide, Eh Tar, gained his way with power, money, with drug-poisoned pricks or with simple murders. His hypnotic gift is also a weapon, but as we can see it's not as strong and long lasting as he would wish. Even Rathe/Eh Tar's death is false. The evil revives as Moriarty in the end of the movie.

Anthony Higgins is still the one and only actor, who played Sherlock Holmes and his adversary in the cinema.

It seems to me, that until young Holmes crossed the tiny border between Professor's two duties - as a schoolmaster and as a high priest of a deathly cult, everything was good. Also, we don't know what Eh Tar and his sister are going to do after finishing of their mission. But really, everything that we can see is neither more nor less than a concatenation of circumstances.

So who is Professor Rathe for you? A teacher of your dream or your nightmare? Is he an enemy, who must to be killed in the middle of your journey?

As an excellent fencer, Anthony Higgins does all fights with Nicholas Rowe in slow time in difficult maneuvers and very fast in simple ones. I know how it is hard to fight with a left-handed opponent, so I can say Mr. Higgins was wonderful in this test.

If you are interested in filming locations, there were: Eton College, Windsor, Belvoir Castle (Belvoir, Leicestershire), Berkshire, Oxford (Oxfordshire) all in England, UK. The question is: where did they find The Alps for end titles?

In 1986 Chris Columbus' script became a book with Alan Arnold's easy hand.

Goofs in the end of the film: 1) I like the oars fight scene, where Mr. Rowe runs with oar to hit Mr. Higgins. And look at the bare hand with an oar and with clock on the wrist that is in the frame instead of Mr. Rowe's hand. Look at caps #118 and 119. Uppps! 2) In the last Temple scene Higgins' character tugs four times at the tassels of caldron with boiling wax.

Soundtrack is at Soundtracks page.

Rehearsal photo is at Behind the scene.

Promo photos are at Movie promotional photos.

In 1993 Anthony Higgins played Sherlock Holmes himself in Kenneth Johnson's TV film "1994 Baker Street: Sherlock Holmes Returns", where his actor's work was more interesting and spacious.