"The Clue According to Sherlock Holmes" is a 1980 television program that aired as part of the CBS "Children's Mystery Theater" television series. The program is an adaptation of The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn that uses interactions between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to frame the story of how Anthony Monday discovered clues that eventually led to the treasure of Alpheus Winterborn.
Plot[]
Inside 221-B Baker Street, Holmes (Keith McConnell) practices his violin and Watson (Laurie Main) attempts a jigsaw puzzle of Aristotle. Though Watson struggles, Holmes encourages him with the reminder that man is the only animal with the ability to solve riddles and puzzles. This is why Holmes enjoys reading so many newspapers: he never knows when such a riddle with reveal itself. One such mystery that has piqued his interest of late comes from a story in the Winterborn Mirror, the local paper of what Watson calls "a sleepy, country town."
Holmes tells the story of Anthony Monday (Keith Coogan) coming home to hear his mother (Claire Malis) and father (Stanley Grover) talking in the kitchen about paying bills and getting by with limited income. Anthony falls asleep reading Treasure Island and envisions himself a pirate captain, bringing home more than enough money to get his family out of their financial crisis.
Is there a greater fortune above books?
Anthony later returns the book to the Winterborn Public Library, pausing briefly at its front door to take in the signage above the doors that asks, Is there a greater fortune above books?
Inside he startles librarian Miss Eells (Dody Goodman) who in turn notices the book is the fourth on the topic of treasure Anthony has checked out that month. Anthony reads the stories as escapist adventures: he wishes he could assist his family. Miss Eells thinks she has an idea how but before she can reveal it she becomes distracted by the sound of a distant teapot. She scurries off and absentmindedly tosses a book on to the counter, unaware it in turn knocks over a series of encyclopedias as if they were dominoes. Anthony narrowly catches the last volume and hurries up to Miss Eells.
Sharing tea and cookies, Anthony asks if Miss Eells meant the Winterborn treasure as a way to help his family. No, she was going to suggest Anthony become her assistant. Anthony appreciates her offer but has his mind on Winterborn and tales of him sailing around the world looking for buried treasure. Miss Eells remembers Winterborn as an odd, old bird who built everything in town and named it after himself. She recalls the tale that on Winterborn's final trip that he found something amazing and hid it somewhere in town, although that story could just have been one of Winterborn's elaborate practical jokes. Anthony comes to terms that there may be nothing to find and accepts her offer as librarian assistant.
External links[]
- Bellairsia
- "The Clue According to Sherlock Holmes" at Bellairsia blog
- "The Clue According to Sherlock Holmes" at Bellairsia Review
- WorldCat
- "The Clue According to Sherlock Holmes" (OCLC 34218568)
- "The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn" (OCLC 25553238)