Sherlock Holmes (1954 TV series) in Scarlet". Ronald Howard, then 36, was chosen to portray Sherlock Holmes. Howard shared Reynolds's view of Holmes and his portrayal was much more laid back than the more famous version portrayed by Basil Rathbone. Howard Marion Crawford, credited as H. Marion Crawford, was cast as Watson and it was a role Crawford had long wanted to play. Crawford desired to play Watson as something other than the buffoon as typified by Nigel Bruce's portrayal. Scottish actor Archie Duncan was cast as Inspector Lestrade. Much akin to Dennis Hoey in the Rathbone/Bruce series of films, Duncan's Lestrade was used as
Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes End actor Eille Norwood in the lead with Hubert Willis as Watson. John Barrymore played the role in a 1922 movie entitled "Sherlock Holmes", with Roland Young as Watson and William Powell in his first screen appearance. This Goldwyn film is the first Holmes movie made with high production values and a major star. Clive Brook played Sherlock Holmes three times: "The Return of Sherlock Holmes" (1929), as part of an anthology film, "Paramount on Parade" (1930), and "Sherlock Holmes" (1932). In 1931 Raymond Massey played Sherlock Holmes in his screen debut, "The Speckled Band", while Arthur Wontner played Holmes