The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax

This story is well adapted and is one of the best episodes in the "Casebook" volume of the series. Sherlock Holmes and Watson investigate the disappearance of a woman who has been kidnapped by a con artist with a murderous history. Unlike most filmed adaptations in this series this one ends on a dark note adding a degree of ambiguity. John Madden does a solid job of directing it as T. R. Bowen does of scripting it. As usual for Granada the production values are wonderfully meticulous capturing the flavor of the time period. The cast is excellent with Cheryl Campbell giving a strong performance as the eccentric Lady Frances Carfax and Jeremy Brett still proves why he is the best actor to play the role of Arthur Conan Doyle's master detective.

The story is rather weak, but the original was actually one of the weakest stories. As far as a mystery, it's not much of one. More of a drama than anything. The adaptation done here is pretty well rewritten to at least make it more interesting, but it's still not very good from a mystery standpoint. If you skip this one, you aren't missing much.

John Madden again brings a cinematic quality to The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax.

Dr Watson is in the Lake District and recounts the tales of the eccentric Lady Carfax to Holmes in London. She had a near miss when she fell of a boat that she used to attend church. A disabled war veteran swam out to rescue her.

However Holmes then joins Dr Watson as he senses this independent minded lady might be in danger from a missionary who is in Britain to raise funds.

By the time Holmes arrives, Lady Carfax has gone missing after she encountered a face from her past.

A solid story with a hint of a dark ending with Holmes finding himself temporarily flummoxed with his analytical skills. However you cannot keep a lid on a good detective.

The way the story is presented, it could initially go several ways, the villain here is devious and quick to improvise.

I wondered why a man would travel on vacation to enjoy himself, but instead focus on an eccentric woman he barely knows? But, Watson enjoys the art of observation. It makes sense once Watson explained his interest. He was interested even before any sign of her danger. I thought it was a well laid out story. Watson breaking the case was an interesting angle.

Solving the puzzle many times is very simple. It's staring right at me. But I think human nature leads us to a more complex possibility. Then, comes Holmes with a brilliant, but sometimes simple solution.

Watson is on vacation in the Lake District and he's corresponding with Holmes about his every little observation. In particular, Watson seems very preoccupied with the actions of a very progressive woman...one who seems to be quite the feminist. Watson thinks the woman might be in danger...and based on what Holmes reads in the letters, he, too, thinks the woman is not safe. So, when she disappears, Holmes rushes to help in the investigation.

While I think this case involves a LOT of guesswork and isn't among the best mysteries, it is interesting and the ending is pretty scary and eventful. Well worth seeing.