The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother

PG

Released Dec 14, 1975

1h 31m

Comedy

List

56%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Sigerson Holmes (Gene Wilder) has something to prove as the lesser-known brother of famed detective Sherlock Holmes. When Sherlock and his assistant, Dr. Watson, are dispatched to Europe on assignment, Sigerson takes the opportunity to prove his mettle as a sleuth. With the aide of bug-eyed Orville Sacker (Marty Feldman) and aspiring opera singer Jenny Hill (Madeline Kahn), Sigerson attempts to crack the case of missing government documents presumed stolen by professor Moriarty (Leo McKern).

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Stephen C

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

David W

A great cast all perform at the top of their game in this hugely enjoyable and often hilarious comedy classic. The legendary Gene Wilder stars, writes and makes his directorial debut in this wonderful and affectionately made spoof of all things Sherlock Holmes. The humour can be a little broad and is a little of its time for some I suppose but as I'm a huge fan of this kind of good natured, goofy, slightly bawdy comedy I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/06/22

Full Review

Kit V

I really can't think of another movie that captures so well the talents of actors who have moved into the realms of legend yet remains still on the fringe and a little unknown. Wilder as ever provides the flesh of the movie as he plays the younger brother of Holmes, his performance is pure Hollywood at its best and the little-seen Fielman (playing the part of Sacker) is a dream however it is Madaline Khan who ultimately takes the prize. Khan is one of those actresses who should have been active in the 1930s, she is a true comedy in this movie and is both funny, versatile and original. The supporting cast is excellent and never overshadows the main characters or takes away from the gentle momentum of the plot. If you enjoy Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles etc then you must watch this film as it is in the fold that the others created. We no longer have Gene Wilder or Fieldman or indeed Kahn they are sadly missed but we do have films like this and this film is evergreen. And before you ask, yes I do think Madaline Khan is the greatest actress of all time, she is also very beautiful. At the very least she is the greatest that we have had since the heyday of Hollywood. Watch it now!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/20/22

Full Review

jon c

Another one of the late Gene Wilder's earliest comedies. He also writes and directs the late Marty Feldman, the late Dom Deluise, and Madeline Khan. After starting in Buckingham Palace 1891 official documents go missing. It might be the work of Sherlock Holmes' arch enemy Moriarty. Turns out Holmes actually has a much smarter but lesser known brother named Sigerson. So while Sherlock and Watson are away on assignment it's up to Sigerson himself to solve the case with the help of Orville Sacker and maybe prove his skills as an upcoming sleuth. He also comes across opera singer Jenny Hill. Trouble is Sacker is wide eyed and a bit on the slow side intellectually. Sigerman is still getting started as his own detective. There's some funny laughs to be had in this spoof. Sorta along the lines of 'Pink Panther' and 'Naked Gun.' It's very difficult to be a hero in real life, but not impossible. The talented cast holds this together and the mixture of visual gags with humorous sound effects. The seriousness of the mystery portion and romance may not blend 100% but there's still plenty to enjoy. There's also enough dirty joke humor by Wilder showing his love for laughing at the traditional sleuthing stories. You can tell his heart is in the right place for silly antics.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

camille l

N'est pas Mel Brooks qui veut et Gene Wilder en a lourdement fait les frais dans sa première réalisation. Le frère le plus futé de Sherlock Hommes veut tour à tour être un film musical, une comédie policière et une romance. Echouant partiellement aux trois tentatives, il n'en demeure pas moins que certaines séquences sont plutôt réussies même si elles finissent quasiment toutes dans une cacophonie hystérique qui en devient assez agaçante, même à moins de 90 minutes. Comme d'habitude, Gene Wilder et Marty Feldman sont très bons. Mais ils ne peuvent sauver un film répétitif, qui frôle bien trop souvent le pathétique plutôt que le désopilant.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I turned it off mid-way through the movie... this could've been great, but.. oh, the agony.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Gene Wilder

Director

Gene Wilder

Sigerson Holmes

Madeline Kahn

Jenny Hill

Marty Feldman

Sgt. Orville Stanley Sacker

Dom DeLuise

Eduardo Gambetti

Leo McKern

Moriarty

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

The film is a series of missed opportunities.

Oct 24, 2023

Full Review

Steve Warren

The Barb (Atlanta)

[Gene Wilder] needs better material than he's given himself to work with here.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Enjoyable, very funny at times, immoderately stupid at others, and impressive considering that Wilder not only starred in it, but also wrote and directed it as well.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 27, 2020

Full Review

David A. Nardozzi

Philadelphia Gay News

The surprises are many, and the formulas bring forth pleasant antics. Not bad for Wilder's directing debut.

May 26, 2020

Full Review

Donald McLean

Bay Area Reporter

The good far outweighs the bad.

May 22, 2020

Full Review

Jacoba Atlas

Los Angeles Free Press

It's as if everyone connected with this offensive little number were suffering from a severe case of arrested development.

Nov 20, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Sigerson Holmes (Gene Wilder) has something to prove as the lesser-known brother of famed detective Sherlock Holmes. When Sherlock and his assistant, Dr. Watson, are dispatched to Europe on assignment, Sigerson takes the opportunity to prove his mettle as a sleuth. With the aide of bug-eyed Orville Sacker (Marty Feldman) and aspiring opera singer Jenny Hill (Madeline Kahn), Sigerson attempts to crack the case of missing government documents presumed stolen by professor Moriarty (Leo McKern).

Director: Gene Wilder
Screenwriter: Gene Wilder
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1975, Original
Release Date (DVD): Apr 4, 2006
Runtime: 1h 31m