The Copper Beeches

A young lady consults Holmes for advice: She's been offered an unusually high paying job, but the house is far in the country, and her employer has some odd requests about her hair and dresses. She doesn't want to cut her beautiful hair, of course, and is obviously wary about the odd requests, but the pay is too high to refuse. Holmes tells her that since she's already made up her mind, there's not much for him to do. However, things take a sinister turn quickly.

The premise is very similar to The Solitary Cyclist story, and the episode is similarly mediocre. Joss Ackland and Natasha Richardson are great, though, it's worth watching just for the sake of them. Of course, saying " Joss Ackland is great" is redundant, has there ever been a performance of his that's not great?

When Sherlock Holmes is visited by Violet Hunter the game-is-on when she reveals a strange story where she has just been employed as a governess. Miss Hunter tells the story of a man, Mr Rucastle, that lives in a wealthy estate well outside of London asking her to do some bizarre things around the house.

After cutting her long red hair as part of her obtaining the job, Miss Hunter, at times, has to wear a blue dress and sit by the window. And once was told to turn around and wave at young man, that was standing at the gate, away from the house.

Even with the strange direction given her, Miss Hunter feels like she is being paid well for her service. It is not until she stumbles upon stairs leading to the attic that all of the sudden her feeling change. There a shadow coming from the room at the top of the stairs. Sherlock has a good idea of what is afoot in the manor located outside of town.

The climax of the story was not the highlight of this episode. In fact the ending was rather bland by regular standards. But it was the odd requests, the bizarre feeling and the outright sinister job that made the story entertaining. A well written script performed well by the actors. And with that, the conclusion of the episode ends with Holmes and Dr Watson discussing the case. The look of Sherlock Holmes at the fade-out is priceless.

Money seemed to talk pretty well in this day. Several of the Holmes stories involved men or women who would normally have said no but who were offered substantial financial incentives. "The Red Headed League" and "The Solitary Cyclist" come immediately to mind. In this one, however, the young woman is asked to do some pretty bizarre things, one being to cut her hair a certain way. She also works for a couple of pretty weird folk and their incorrigible child. She is also asked to sit a certain way near an open window and to wear clothing chosen by her employers. This odd arrangement finally is laid at the feet of Sherlock Holmes. There is something even stranger going on in this house and that's where the mystery lies. This offering in the Granada series works quite well. I learned a lesson a while back in an American history course I was taking. One must separate current mores and motivations from the historical setting. The more of these stories one reads, we can see the effects of the class system in England near the turn of the Nineteenth Century. Stay with this. It is quite well done.

I give "The Copper Beeches" a 7/10. Breaking three 10/10s in a row. Still a terrific watch. Not a spectacular ending. But, the acting of the Rucastle House's creepy inhabitants steals the show. The late Natasha Richardson is very delightful as Violet. Again, Brett & Burke's rapport is so open & honest in their appraisals of each other to the tiniest point. Holmes holds nothing back.

While this is one of those Holmes mysteries that borders on the unusual, it is like many Granada adaptations is still compelling. It is so weird it is almost spooky but when Holmes and Watson come to investigate the mystery all will become clear. It does feature eerie moments (especially in the attic scene) and builds up suspense. What stands out most from this episode is the memorable performances from veteran British actors, Joss Ackland and the late Natasha Richardson. Ackland is creepy as Rucastle and Richardson is able to make us the viewer feel sympathetic to her character. It is not one of the best stories from the canon but the early "Adventures" years of the Granada Sherlock Holmes were so well done that it is entertaining.