Cartoon of the Day: The Society for Endangered Grammar

INSPECTOR LEWIS returns to PBS Masterpiece

Inspector Lewis returns this Sunday night to PBS Masterpiece with the first of three new episodes. I've seen them all, and I, of course, love them. The first episode, Entry Wounds, is not my favorite, but be sure and watch. Let me know what you think. The second two are fabulous. Wish the season consisted of more than 3 episodes. Hate to wait a year for more.

Kevin Whately stars as Inspector Lewis, the former working-class foil to the erudite Detective Inspector Morse.  Lewis tackles murder and mayhem in the seemingly-perfect academic haven of Oxford. In a partnership forged through loyalty and mutual--though often grudging--respect, Robbie Lewis works ) to untangle lies and murky motives with his combination of instinct and experience while now Inspector James Hathaway (Laurence Fox), with his wit as sharp as his reason, handles handles suspects and classical allusions with the same deft intellect. Together, they struggle with procedural dilemmas and existential questions about their futures--on the force and in their personal lives.

In three all-new cases (Entry Wounds, October 5), The Lions of Nemea, October 12, and Beyond Good and Evil, October 19), the seasoned Inspector Lewis and the newly-minted Inspector Hathaway encounter the future, in new partner DS Lizzie Maddox, and the past, in the reopening of a closed case and the repetition of its grisly murders.

Lost Sherlock Holmes Film Found!

SHERLOCK HOLMES: 100-YEARS-LOST FILM FOUND AT CINÉMATHÈQUE FRANÇAISE
 
Cinémathèque Française and San Francisco Silent Film Festival to Restore!

The silent film version of Sherlock Holmes starring William Gillette has been found! Long considered lost since its first release, the Gillette film is a vital missing link in the history of Holmes on screen. Directed by Arthur Berthelet and produced by Essanay Studios in 1916, it was discovered at the Cinémathèque Française a few weeks ago.

By the time the film was made, Gillette had been established as the world's foremost interpreter of Holmes on stage. He gave his face and manner to the detective and inspired the classic illustrations of Frederic Dorr Steele. Dynamic but calm, he played Holmes in the colorful attire-bent-stemmed briar, ornate dressing gown, and deerstalker cap-that has been identified ever since with the character. Just as durable was Gillette's distinctive bearing, preserved in the film: the charismatic, all-seeing detective who dominates scenes with his preternatural stillness.

Booth Tarkington famously wrote after seeing Gillette on stage, "I would rather see you play Sherlock Holmes than be a child again on Christmas morning." For the well-known Chicago bookman, Vincent Starrett, Gillette was beyond criticism. But perhaps the most telling accolade came from Arthur Conan Doyle himself, who had killed Holmes off and thought he was through with the character. After reading Gillette's adaptation for the stage, he said, "It's good to see the old chap back."

"Sir Arthur, you don't know the half of it," says Professor Russell Merritt, the supervising editor of the project and member of the Baker Street Irregulars. "At last we get to see for ourselves the actor who kept the first generation of Sherlockians spellbound. We can also see where the future Holmeses-Rathbone, Brett, Cumberbatch, and the rest-come from. As far as Holmes is concerned, there's not an actor dead or alive who hasn't consciously or intuitively played off Gillette."

The newly found Essanay production is not only Gillette's sole surviving appearance as Holmes. It is also the only film Gillette ever made, a unique opportunity to view the work of a major American actor in the legendary role that he wrote for himself. The film faithfully retains the play's famous set pieces-Holmes's encounter with Professor Moriarty, his daring escape from the Stepney Gas Chamber, and the tour-de-force deductions-and illustrates how Gillette wove bits from Conan Doyle's stories ranging from "A Scandal in Bohemia" to "The Final Problem,"into an original, innovative mystery play.

The film is being restored and will premiere in France in January 2015 and debut at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in May 2015.

HT: Frank Price, Sue Trowbridge & More!

Cartoon of the Day: Punctuation

The Smell of Old Books

I love the smell of old books, so I loved this article "Where Does the Smell of Old Books Come from?" on IFLScience.com

Old books have a distinctive smell that can make any booklover’s heart melt. Matija Strlic of University College London described it to The Telegraph as “a combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness, this unmistakable smell is as much a part of the book as its contents.

The secret to the scent is within the hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that make up the book’s paper pages, ink, and adhesive. Over time, the VOCs break down, releasing the chemicals into the air that are picked up by our noses. New books also have a trademark aroma, but it isn’t quite as developed as their older counterparts. Additionally, different materials used in manufacturing the book will alter the VOC profile.

Read the rest of the Article here.

HT: Aaron Macholl-Stanley and Michael Halpren (You guys know what I like!)

Map Back Monday: Helen McCloy's Through a Glass, Darkly

For today's Map Back Monday I chose Helen McCloy's Through a Glass, Darkly. A classic! We read this in my book group many years ago. I used to collect Helen McCloy's and give them to my psychiatrist father. Helen McCloy (1904-1994) was an American mystery writer, creator of the psychiatrist detective Basil Willing. Read more HERE.

 Dell Map Backs were produced in the 1940s and 50s.