William Gillette

William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes

William Hooker Gillette (born July 24, 1853 in Hartford , Connecticut , † April 29, 1937 ibid) was an American actor and playwright who achieved fame as Sherlock Holmes throughout his life.

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Together with Frances Hodgson Burnett he wrote a piece in 1883 called Esmeralda .

In 1899 Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the play Sherlock Holmes: A Drama in Four Acts with William Gillette , in which the phrase "Oh, this is elementary, my dear fellow" appears for the first time, which became a popular phrase when she was the British actor Clive Brook took up again in the first Sherlock Holmes sound film in 1929 in the version "Oh, this is elementary, my dear Watson". Gillette also starred as Sherlock Holmes in several performances of the play.

For the film Sherlock Holmes (1916, directed by Arthur Berthelet ) Gillette wrote the script and played the leading role. This film was considered missing for a long time, was rediscovered in 2014 and has now been shown again, so that there is now evidence of Gillette's portrayal of Holmes. Gillette's extraordinary self-designed home became a state park and tourist attraction after his death as Gillette Castle .

In 1898 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters .

Works

Held by the Enemy ( 1886 )
Secret Service ( 1896 ), filmed in 1931 by J. Walter Ruben .
The Immortal Sherlock Holmes , made as a radio play in 1938 by Orson Welles

Filmography (selection)

1916: Sherlock Holmes (screenplay, actor)

Web links

Commons : William Gillette - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Literature by and about William Gillette in the catalog of the German National Library
William Gillette in the Internet Movie Database (English)

Individual evidence

^ Austin Theater, Article on William Gillette
↑ Gilette as Holmes
^ Members: William Gillette. American Academy of Arts and Letters, accessed March 31, 2019 .

personal data
SURNAME	Gillette, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Gillette, William Hooker (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American actor and playwright
DATE OF BIRTH	July 24, 1853
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hartford , Connecticut
DATE OF DEATH	April 29, 1937
Place of death	Hartford , Connecticut

[1] Austin Theater, Article on William Gillette

[2] Gilette as Holmes

[3] Members: William Gillette. American Academy of Arts and Letters, accessed March 31, 2019 .