97 years later, this Sherlock Holmes quote still defines the franchise

Sherlock Holmes is a character that never goes awaywith the 139-year-old regularly revisited and retold in media adaptations, from a 1900s silent short film Sherlock Holmes in English to a recently announced project, with the working title Animated Sherlockwhich sees the famous detective in an animated series aimed at an adult audience only, which is currently in production. That comes in a year that has already seen Netflix’s imminent third installment of Sherlock Enola Holmes and Prime Video’s Young Sherlockdeveloped by Guy Ritchiethe man behind 2009 Sherlock Holmes and follow, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. These projects have produced several memorable quotes (including this one), but only one, first reported in 1929, still defines the character to this day: “Elementary, my dear Watson.”

True Hollywood is the defining phrase of Sherlock Holmes

What is interesting about the quote is that, across four novels and 56 short stories, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle the sleuth never said it. The closest he came was in 1893 Biography of the Crooked Manwith the phrases “My Dear Watson” and “Elementary” there are 52 whole words between them, and in 1904’s The History of the Missing Three-Quarterswhere Sherlock says, “Of course, my dear Watson.” It is believed that the origin of the word lies with the actor William Gillettesaid the line in the 1899 stage production of his play Sherlock Holmesbut that has never been proven.

The first confirmed use of the quote came in a 1929 film Sherlock Holmes returnsspoken by the actor Clive Brookwho played Sherlock, at the end. But the phrase and character became forever linked in popular culture thanks to Basil Rathbonewho first played Sherlock Holmes in 1939 The Hound of the Baskervilles. Everything we associate with Sherlock Holmes – the deerstalker cap, the smoking pipe, even the relationship with Dr Watson – was set at 14 Rathbone. Sherlock Holmes movies. That includes “Elementary, my dear Watson,” which Rathbone sang for the first time in the 1939 review, The adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Over time, Rathbone grew to resent the line and the films, crying when a fan called him out, and feeling that the films diminished the depth of Conan Doyle’s original works (and left him typecast).

This phrase ‘Sherlock Holmes’ still defines the character despite his absence

The reason “Elementary, my dear Watson” works as a definitive quote is because it captures who Sherlock Holmes is so simply. “Elementary” summarizes how easily Holmes recognizes things, while “my dear Watson” shows an affinity for his long-time companion, two basic truths that are generally consistent. It is not just the words, but the way they are delivered that makes the phrase so beautifully perfect for any change in character..

In iterations of the character where he is more polite and noble, ie Basil Rathbone no Henry Cavill In the’ Enola Holmes movies, the phrase takes on more of an advisory tone, maybe a little condescending but certainly not mean, like a “for your benefit, this is how I came to this conclusion” vibe. In the more sociopathic pictures, like Benedict Cumberbatchtaking it in Sherloak (or even Hugh Laurieand non-Sherlock-but-similar Dr. House House). And with a few differences, it fits all points in between too.

The fact that the phrase was never used again from Rathbone’s films is irrelevant. “Elementary, my dear Watson” stands as the perfect summation of the character, even if the character never says it, because his spirit is still visible in the picture. Furthermore, the phrase is so closely associated with Sherlock Holmes that even those who have never heard it delivered on screen know the connection. When the criminal procedure series Primary school hit the airwaves in 2012, the name alone was all people needed to understand that it would be a Sherlock Holmes take: the “who” was simply understood, and all that was left was the”how come.” “Elementary, my dear Watson” is the perfect marriage of character and quote, and its 97-year history only proves it.