Description

While Sigmund Freud psychanalyzes Sherlock Holmes' addiction to cocaine, Holmes devotes himself to solving a mystery involving the kidnapping of Lola Deveraux. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Sigmund Freud meets Sherlock Holmes
"The Seven-Percent Solution" refers to Sherlock Holmes's usual cocaine formula, first unveiled in "The Sign of Four." While Holmes cocaine usage, which was legal at the time, never played such a huge role in the original stories, author Nicholas Meyer used it as the basis for his novel on which this film is based.

In this story, Holmes's usage has blossomed into a full-blown addiction, from which he must soon free himself or die. His friend, Dr. Watson, lures Holmes to Vienna to meet with famed researcher Sigmund Freud who will help break his addiction. It is an interesting premise, and in theory no more off the mark than Sherlock Holmes's showdown with Jack the Ripper in the excellent film "Murder by Decree." There are some pretty extreme liberties taken with the characters, and hardcore fans might be shockingly disappointed.

As a Holmes story, it is mediocre at best. The writers do not seem to have the necessary flair for detection that makes Holmes so interesting and invincible, and the threaded mystery and expositions are a bit lame. The inclusion of practically every character from the Holmes cannon is a distracting as well. They are all here, Moriarty, Mycroft and even Toby, although they haven't all been cast in their usual roles. A hodgepodge of everything has been packed in, some without rhyme or reason. One gets the feeling that the director was not very familiar with the original Sherlock Holmes stories.

As a character study, the film works well, and the scenes with Freud, Watson and Holmes are very enjoyable. Robert Duvall makes a surprisingly excellent Watson, coming off as far more capable than Nicol Williamson (Merlin in "Excalibur") as Sherlock Holmes. Alan Arkin is also excellent as Sigmund Freud, supplying a steady hand to the shaky addict. Sir Laurence Olivier peeks in as Professor Moriarty, in a part that is far too small.

All in all, "The Seven-Percent Solution" was a quirky film that I enjoyed watching, but I don't feel the need to own. It takes a few too many liberties with the characters, and the mystery is sub-par. It would have made an excellent 1/2 hour television episode, but is stretched too thin here.

An absolutely fascinating movie
It's the only Sherlock Holmes movie I have ever thoroughly enjoyed. It's funny, intriguing, clever and even romantic. It takes a lot of liberties with the characters, both the fictional and the real ones, but it ennobles and humanizes them in the process, so fans of both can have nothing to complain about. The scene where Holmes and Watson chase someone into a brothel and Holmes says something like "Don't look Watson. The Queen wouldn't like it" is priceless.

The psychoanalysis that is done by Freud to Sherlock Holmes is one of those magical moments in life, when everything seems to come together and make sense through the witchcraft of psychology. That doesn't mean that that's the way it is in real life or that you walk away for sure with the "explanation" to the conundrum that is Sherlock Holmes. It simply means that, as the Italian expression goes, if they are not right, they have made a very good point.

Why in the world isn't this thing letterboxed!?
The movie itself gets at least four stars, but minus two for the studio for being so purblind as to issue it with a third of the picture lopped off. Gee, folks, can't you at least give us a choice to watch the entire movie?

Stylish deconstruction of a hero
When Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the original Sherlock Holmes stories, little did he expect they would become the stuff of classics. He thought of them as throw-off stories, light fare, not the serious stuff he wanted to be known for. When he killed off the character at one point, there was such a huge outcry that he had to unwillingly create a miraculous recovery and continue writing about Holmes.

Eventually Doyle made it clear that he didn't care what happened with Holmes after his own death, inviting others to write stories about the famous "consulting detective" in whatever way they saw fit (in absolute diametric opposition to Ian Fleming, who guarded his James Bond character with virtual electric fences to prevent others being unfaithful to his vision).

Fast forward to the early 1970s, and a new Sherlock Holmes novel is released by Nicholas Meyer. It is widely hailed (and rightly so) as the best Holmes novel not written by Doyle himself, although many other mediocre ones ("Enter the Lion," etc.) have been published. The famous subject and #1 best-seller status of the novel ensure that this story will be turned into a major film.

And so we have it. However, like most films made from books, something fails to make the transition. Perhaps it's the awful miscasting of Robert Duvall as Dr. John Watson (!) While Duvall plays the role true to the original character Doyle created (as opposed to the laughable buffoon from the 1930s/40s films), his dreadful accent and lost expression give the impression of one on the outside looking so far in as to seem from another world.

Much more on target is Nicol Williamson's wonderful turn as Holmes. His intensity and obsessiveness are done beautifully, and Alan Arkin's Freud is interesting as well.

The story ultimately retains two of the more disappointing aspects of the novel: The partial tearing down of the Holmesian persona as a nearly infallible detective, and Meyers' revelation of the always elusive Moriarty (Olivier wasted in this role). I won't go into great detail to spoil it for any prospective viewer, but the whole experience leaves one a bit uncomfortable, and not in a way that necessarily leads to enlightenment or profitable discussions.

The visual style with which the story is presented, however, is one of the things that saves it (along with Williamson's portrayal of Holmes). The sets, costuming, and cinematography make for some breathtaking moments (the horse stampede being the most memorable), and these things ultimately push it from two stars to three for me. Definitely worth seeing once, for those Holmes fans who have not had the chance. Rent it, if possible, before you make a decision on purchasing.

About 70% of the Solution Works
'The Seven Percent Solution' begins as a masterful telling of Detective Sherlock Holmes and his cocaine addiction, as told by Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall). To help free Holmes from his addiction, Watson seeks the help of Dr. Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin). After treatment begins, all three men are hot on the trail of a kidnapper.

The film is really two stories: Holmes and his cocaine treatment/withdrawl, and the kidnapping. Holmes' treatment is the more interesting story and is handled more expertly. All three actors make what begins as the best Holmes/Watson cast ever to hit the screen. All are excellent, but Robert Duvall really loses himself in the role of Dr. Watson. Clearly outstanding work. The nightmare that is Holmes' cocaine addiction is both powerful and gripping. It's too bad that the kidnapping and chase scenes are nowhere near as interesting or as well done as the other parts of the story. What would have been the definitive Sherlock Holmes film becomes instead a very good entry into the Holmes/Watson film saga. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robert Donat won an Oscar for his portrayal of the humble British don in the 1939 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips--and Peter O'Toole was nominatedfor his version of the role in this lackluster musical (he, along with Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight of Midnight Cowboy, lost to John Wayne in True Grit). O'Toole is affecting as the shy English schoolteacher at a private boys' school who is brought out of his shell by the love of a good woman, then goes on to become a teaching legend after her tragic death. But the idea of turning this touching tale into a musical (with totally forgettable songs by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse) was almost as wrong-headed as having O'Toole do his own singing--or as casting singer Petula Clark as his wife. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (35)

A Pageant of English History
Terence Rattigan wrote a wonderful screenplay, perhaps his best, and that's saying a lot because he was one of my all time favorite playwrights and screenwriters.He knew what lonely people are all about, you can see that everywhere in his screen work from THE BROWNING VERSION to THE WAY TO THE STARS to THE YELLOW ROLLS ROYCE, and he has written a wonderful part for Peter O'Toole, based of course on the Hilton novel and the 1939 film script which starred Robert Donat as "Chips."

Here O'Toole is cold, icy, hateful at the beginning of the film, a Latin teacher at "Brookfield Academy," not the warmest environment anyway, but we quickly see that no one likes O'Toole for himself, and few give him a chance to show the warm personality that lies frozen underneath.Rattigan helps us understand that even the least approachable and apparently self-satisfied person may secretly be suffering agonies of self-consciousness, particularly in the class-ridden society that was England before WWII.When Chips meets Katherine, the dance hall soubrette played by Petula Clark here, it's an unlikely pairing, but Rattigan makes it work.She's curious, and she takes the time to get to know him.She manages to make him forget all about his precious boys for a little while and to fall in love with her.She's wise enough to understand that he is a teacher first and foremost and he's addicted to those boys.Perhaps they could remake this musical today and cast Michael Jackson as Chips and Lisa Marie Presley as Katherine.They would each be great in the part.I would love to hear Lisa Marie sing "You And I," Petula Clark's great signature tune from this film.

Herbert Ross made many memorable films during his career.He was a choreographer first, not an especially good one, and he soon gravitated towards direction.GOODBYE MR CHIPS remains one of his very finest projects, but for me, the distinction of the film is all to the credit of the two stars (and of Michael Redgrave, who plays the headmaster of "Brookfield" with a strange and almost desperate gallantry) and of course Terence Rattigan, who had to re-imagine the whole thing for a post war audience.

HELP
Hi anyone out there,

PLEASE ,PLEASE can anyone help. I am DESPERATELY looking for a copy of GOODBYE MR CHIPS 1969 VERSION with Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark.I believe I can get this movie from America but it will not be playable in the UK which doesn't help me at all!!!If anyone knows of a video or even better a DVD that will be suitable for the UK then PLEASE E mail me.
Thanks,

Ann

Goodbye, Mr. Chips
This is a wonderful movie!Why isn't it on DVD?(I've had the VHS tape forever!) The scene when Peter O'Toole learns of his wife's death and returns to his classroomgets me everytime.Plus, I have the soundtrack on a casssette tape--why isn't the soundtrack on CD?I can't find the 1969 version ANTWHERE!Hope it finally gets done.Thanks.

Please come to DVD
One can only presume that now that Amazon are actually listing this title it is not too far away from a release date. One of the greatdramatic movies of its day with music, it has long been under valued and not appreciated. perhaps now when the film comes on DVD it will gain some of the recognition it so deserves. "Mr Chips" arrived in Australia in the summer of 1970 and was a huge box office hit, but it didnt stop MGM from pulling all copies and slashing thirty minutes from it after it flopped so badly in the States. The Video release restored most (but not all)of the original footage and one can only hope that with Warners doing such a superb job re releasing these movies, that the lost footage will turn up, at least as an added extra. Peter O Toole desevedly was nominated for an oscar for this film and it gave Petula Clarke her best screen role and the chance to sing the song that has since become one of her biggest hits in concert=-"You and I" (albeit in a truncated version in the film).....Send big prayers to DVD heaven that this movie finally makes its way to a medium that will make the film shine in all its glory

Overlooked ignored masterpiece.
Goodbye Mr Chips (1969) always has and always will be one of my all time favourite movies. I have directed three stage versions over the years with young actors based on Terrence Rattigan's brilliant, witty, theatrical script. I am always amazed the film was not well received in its initial release. When it was released in Australia in 1970, it was a smash hit, yet its failure in the States forced distributors to pull it out of theatres and slash 30 minutes out of it. There were so many various cut versions I have seen over the years. Thankfully it was released on VHS about fifteen years ago and was restored to its original length (well almost, the song "When I Was Younger" has always been cut from the film altho on the soundtrack). I despair it has never been released on DVDand only a shortened CD exists where it is doubled up with songs from the soundtrack of "The Boy Friend:"/. I feel sure if it was released on DVD it would find a whole new audience. I watched it again recently and was amazed at how fresh and charming it is, its one of those rare movies that never date. A movie desperately needing to be re-evaluated by critics again. Also, the music is wonderful, why do people criticise Bricusse. His style is so subtle, hummable? What does that mean> These are gentle, tender love songs with a couple of theatrical showstoppers....PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone get a full length CD (its pefect for Rhino to release) and DVD of this movie out very soon., O Toole and Petula Clarke were never better. My one criticism of the VHS is that it is a little misty (and I dont mean in the sequences that are supposed to have that effect) and not very sharp and clear. It needs to be srestored to its original 70MM brilliance. ... Read more