December 4: Steven Spielberg and Company Give Us 'Young Sherlock Holmes'

Steven Spielberg, Barry Levinson, and Chris Columbus came together to make what some would call one of the best mixes of mystery and action that came out in the 1980s. In an interesting mix of things that were and would come to be, these three cinema visionaries mixed together a "supernatural" murder mystery, swashbuckling adventure, and the awkwardness and camaraderie of youth to come up with "Young Sherlock Holmes."

It's no surprise the movie came out so entertaining, considering that Spielberg went on to be one of the most famous adventure directors and Columbus kick started the "Harry Potter" and "Percy Jackson" franchises. The movie hit theaters 26 years ago today.

The 1985 film centers on a young Dr. Watson, who arrives at an English boarding school and befriends teenager Sherlock Holmes. Holmes has become known for his ability to solve riddles, problems, and "crimes." When a group of businessmen begins dying bizarre deaths that appear supernatural, Holmes jumps on the case to discover who or what is to blame.

Chris Columbus wrote "Young Sherlock Holmes." The writer was already carving a niche out in the world of childhood and young adult-oriented films by the time this came out. He had penned the scripts for "Gremlins" and "The Goonies" and would continue his youthful obsession by directing "Home Alone," "Adventures in Babysitting," and the first couple "Harry Potter" films.

Columbus wanted to give the famous sleuth a backstory but not step on the toes of his extremely faithful fan base. He told how Holmes got his inverness, his deerstalker cap, his pipe, and the motive behind Dr. Moriarity becoming his lifelong adversary.

Spielberg was obviously attracted to the action/adventure and supernatural elements of the film. Essentially, the film felt like "Temple of Doom" if Sherlock Holmes replaced Indiana Jones. This movie fits in perfectly with all the other movies Spielberg was making at that time.

Barry Levinson helmed "Young Sherlock Holmes." It was his fourth movie to direct. He had just finished "The Natural" with Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, and Glenn Close. Levinson went on to direct a string of Hollywood hits like "Rain Man" and "Good Morning, Vietnam."

This movie was groundbreaking as well. It features the first completely CGI character ever put in a film. It was scanned and then a laser was used to paint it on the film. The character was a knight coming out of a stained glass window. Industrial Light & Magic accomplished this task under the supervision of John Lassetter, who went on to create "Toy Story" 10 years down the road.

The cast of the film was made up of Nicholas Rowe as Sherlock Holmes, Alan Cox as Watson, and Sophie Ward as Elizabeth Hardy. It also featured Nigel Stock in his final role; he played Dr. Watson in the "Sherlock Holmes" TV series from 1964 to 1968.

"Young Sherlock Holmes" was well received by both critics and moviegoers. The film was an Academy Award nominee for Best Effects, Best Visual Effects. It grossed almost $20 million domestically and cost around $18 million to make. By no means would it be considered a blockbuster. However, it has become something of a cult classic over the years by Holmes enthusiasts.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

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Eric Shirey is the founder and former editor of Rondo Award nominated movie news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other entertainment websites. Eric has interviewed and worked with actors like Harrison Ford, Brooke Shields, Gerard Butler, Brendan Fraser, Selena Gomez, and many more.