JEREMY BRETT (1933-1995) Sherlock Holmes

Jeremy Brett is, for many, the quintessential Sherlock Holmes, and most collect him because of that.  Collections have beautifully signed photographs of Brett as Holmes.  The problem is a large number of those are secretarial.  He was notoriously shy about autographs, and by the time he was doing Sherlock Holmes, most TTM requests were handled by secretarial staff.  His untimely death at 61 meant his signing life was shorter than many of his generation.  Below is an in-person card from the incomparable John Verzi, who obtained it on April 14, 1965.  The previous year, Brett had been in the movie My Fair Lady (1964).  I enjoyed Brett as Sherlock Holmes, but I am one of those who preferred Basil Rathbone.  

Tags: Brett, Holmes, Jeremy, Sherlock

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Permalink Reply by michelle on June 30, 2025 at 8:40am

for me as well basil rathbone and nigel bruce every time

Permalink Reply by eddy on June 30, 2025 at 10:00am

If a collector seeking Brett is fortunate, they might stumble across Brett photos, play bills etc signed during the time that he was appearing in The Secret Of Sherlock Holmes in the late '80s at the Wyndham Theatre.

He and Edward Hardwicke were fairly generous backstage signers during that run.  

Here's a signed photo from my collection that he autographed at the time:

Permalink Reply by eddy on June 30, 2025 at 10:01am

Here's the poster that was used.  The photos for signing were available at the theater, I believe.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on June 30, 2025 at 10:48am

That is great shot Eddy. Yes, I think in theater settings he was much more agreeable to signing. It is the through-the-mail autographs that tend to be problematic.  I have also seen that photo signed by Hardwicke alone. I bet it was at same time.  I actually wanted him not for Sherlock Holmes, but because he was in a 1974 episode of the British series Thriller.

Permalink Reply by eddy on June 30, 2025 at 11:05am

I've seen that as well.  That is THE photo that they seemed to sign.  Makes sense as it was part of the publicity for the stage run.

That's nice to have a card from the Verzi collection.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on June 30, 2025 at 1:49pm

I think the fact that it was at the theater that would make sense they did not a huge selection.  All anyone would want in the limited time is some guy mulling over which photograph to get.  

 Mr. Verzi got him fairly early in his career.  He did things in the 1950s,but probably started getting noticed by American collectors after My Fair Lady.  It is nice to have some of his because Verzi put so much time and effort into the hobby.  

Permalink Reply by eddy on June 30, 2025 at 2:04pm

This isn't the best image of it, but here are the signatures of both of them on the poster for the Wyndham run.  Signed at Christmastime 1988.  Picked this up on eBay for not much at all.

Permalink Reply by Scott Paul on June 30, 2025 at 2:18pm

That is really great to have both on it.  Have seen some stills with both, but not common at all.  Not sure if Brett signed that way because rushed or he started to simplify.  I know I have seen others in the 1990s where he signed "Jeremy" that way.  In either case it is a great signed poster by the pair.  I am one of the few anymore that loves inscriptions.

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