Throughout the history of literature, there are few characters quite as iconic as Sherlock Holmes, who has been the source of many productions in every conceivable medium for well over a decade, with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic creation becoming a part of the cultural vernacular in a way that very few other characters could ever hope to achieve, almost to the point where there is still a large group of people who are surprised to discover that he is a fictional character, rather than a real person. He is so ingrained in the culture, the prospect of making a film centred around the character was famously rejected by Gene Wilder, who was bored by the very thought of retreading the same material that had been the foundation of countless works in prior years, with even the most inventive of artists still inevitably finding themselves using the same ideas, just in different ways, working along the same lines and rarely being able to do anything truly inventive or original, since there are only a finite number of ways you can tell a story of an unconventionally brilliant detective before it starts to feel conventional. Yet, there was still a seed of an idea, which flourished into The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother, in which Wilder (in his directorial debut) begins to tell a story centred on Sherlock Holmes, before having him quickly exit the film, which then shifts in focus to his younger brother, who is seemingly a far more intriguing character, at least under Wilder’s guidance. It seems logical that he would transition into working behind the camera in addition to conveying his iconic sense of madcap energy in front of it, especially since he had taken a more active role in the production of other films in which he starred, famously co-writing Young Frankenstein, which could be seen as the impetus for his decision to leap directing (and it would not be the first time Mel Brooks inspired someone to expand beyond just performing), and the results are as exceptional and entertaining as we may expect, and which understands precisely how to craft a memorable story from some wildly simple material.

It is undeniable that The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother is not a particularly revolutionary film, but it is more the situation surrounding its creation that carries the most significance, and how Wilder decided to try something different, and inadvertently set the foundation for what was to become quite an interesting directorial career. It seems logical that he would choose a story such as this to be his entry-point into directing since his brand of comedy has always been about taking cherished works and well-regarded concepts and making them his own, blending absurdism and surrealist ideas into fascinating and wildly entertaining works, which was present in everything he did, whether it was just as an actor or in a more diverse capacity in the films he wrote and directed as well. Sherlock Holmes has always been a source of inspiration, whether for those wanting to work in the detective genre (since he represents the gold standard of this kind of story), or simply in what he represents, with the concept of a master sleuth who could find answers in the most inconsequential of details that most would overlook being a very entertaining technique in storytelling, which has seen countless terrific works that may follow a very specific formula, but ultimately have enough merit all on their own to warrant our attention – and this film is certainly not any different, with Wilder’s precise and meaningful direction adding an abundance of nuance and complexity to an already fascinating genre, which may not be expected from a film that proposes itself as an outrageous spoof of the detective story when in reality it fits in with the most serious entries into the genre more than many other direct attempts to work within it. The genius of Wilder is that he can take any subject and make it interesting, and this film serves to be a very stark reminder of his brilliance, which continues to be highly influential to many modern filmmakers and comedians.

However, despite being based around fiction’s greatest detective, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother is not a film that is as concerned about solving a crime as we may expect. The crime that catalyzes the events of the film is not all that interesting – it’s tenuous and ridiculous and serves only to be the foundation on which the film is built, rather than the direct driving force behind the story. It takes a while to realize what the film is aiming to achieve, but when we do understand what propelled the story, it is a revelatory moment and adds so much more complexity to what we all expected to be nothing more than another off-the-wall comedy that trades in logic for wall-to-wall humour, which was something that both fans and detractors of Brooks and his artistic progeny have constantly seen as defining of his work, even if it was somewhat reductive. The most important aspect of his directorial process was that Wilder distanced himself from the Brooks style of filmmaking as far as he could, without actually exiting that specific orbit, since being one of the true comedic geniuses of his generation (especially since the likes of Billy Wilder found their careers in a slight decline in the 1970s, and Preston Sturges and Ernst Lubitsch were deceased) meant that many films were crafted in his image, especially amongst those with whom he helped give careers, Wilder being one of his most significant collaborators. This is not simply a spoof of detective stories, but rather something slightly deeper, a strange and entertaining analysis of social conventions, a comedy-of-errors where absolutely nothing goes according to plan, and when it reaches a fever pitch where it seems like all logic is lost, it just surrenders to the absurdity rather than trying to recalibrate itself to make sense – how else can you explain nearly every tense moment in this film not resulting in a resolution that brings it back down to earth, but rather in a performance of “The Kangaroo Hop”, an old dancehall classic that was given a new life through Wilder’s absurdly delightful (and delightfully absurd) comedic masterclass.

Considering the sheer volume of comedy that exists at the heart of this film, it’s not surprising that Wilder would employ actors that he knew would be right for the roles, rather than taking a risk on people who may have been more exciting names in theory, but may not have been able to reach the comedic levels he considered as vital. He draws from Brooks’ usual stable of stars, with most of them being carried over from Young Frankenstein, which was made the year previously and which essentially was where this film was conceived, making it only logical that Wilder would construct it in such a way that these roles were tailor-made for the actors. He is as hilarious and irreverent as always, and his impeccable sense of humour defines the film and makes it such a fascinating and hilariously off-the-wall experience – but he also makes sure to defer to his co-stars, who are the real highlights of the film. Marty Feldman, who is quite possibly one of the most magnetic and charismatic actors of his generation, turns in another brilliant performance, playing “the only person with a photographic sense of hearing”, which is exactly the kind of role that panders to his sensibilities as an actor and makes him such an undeniably well-rounded performer, someone who may have constantly been shoved into supporting roles, but nearly always stole these films in the process. Madeline Kahn was also effortlessly charismatic, being a shining beacon of exceptional comedic timing and pure energy that radiated off of the screen every time she appeared. Having these two alone gave The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother the necessary boost it needed to be successful, and with Wilder’s remarkable prowess behind the camera, it’s hardly a surprise that the results are quite remarkable all on their own. Dom DeLuise is also brought in, appearing in the later portions of the film, and there are new additions to this set of collaborators in the form of legendary British comedy actors Roy Kinnear, John Le Mesurier and Leo McKern, all of whom fit into this world perfectly. A good comedy is only as good as the actors that appear in it, and this film strikes gold in terms of every performance being perfect.

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother is a terrific film with many very strong ideas, and while it sometimes does pale in comparison to the madcap energy that inspired Brooks’ films (and it often feels like an imitation of his work), it is still a strong enough effort to capture our attention and prove that Wilder was as good a director as he was an actor, certainly not an easy task to accomplish, especially in a film that takes quite as many bold strokes as this one. It’s a masterful film with strong ideas, and an even broader sense of humour that makes it far more intriguing than it appears in practice. There is a lot of merit in this film, and we often find ourselves becoming unexpectedly invested in the film and its particular brand of storytelling. It has several moments of sheer brilliance, which only makes it more inexplicable that it doesn’t come up in conversations around great comedies from this era, especially since it dares to go in its bizarre directions at a time when this was seen as a risky choice, and something mainly reserved for more elaborate projects. Yet, there is very little doubt that what Wilder was doing throughout The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother was a signifier of his immense talent, his script being sharp, his direction precise and the performances undeniably entertaining, which is exactly what we have come to expect from a film of this nature. Nuanced, funny and always consistently entertaining, this is a terrific film, and one of the stronger efforts to come out of this era of studio comedies, at a time when they were not afraid to take some risks.