Sherlock Holmes – Conway & Bruce (US)
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sherlock Holmes: Tom Conway – Dr. Watson: Nigel Bruce In the fall of 1946, Basil Rathbone left the radio program and was replaced by Tom Conway, a fine British actor known for playing RKO Picture’s The Falcon, with Nigel Bruce continuing his portrayal of Dr. Watson. The series maintained a high level of quality, but for reasons of expense and support, the production was moved to New York less than a year later and new actors were brought in. When Basil Rathbone left the role of Holmes for the New York stage, actor Tom Conway stepped in as replacement. Apparently some people didn?t even realize that Rathbone was gone as many felt that Conway?s voice was so similar. It also helps that Nigel Bruce continued as Dr. Watson so there was a sense of continuity that might not have been there with two totally different actors. One major improvement occurred with this new series: orchestra accompaniment – which replaced the (cheaper option) organ used in the latter series of Rathbone / Bruce episodes. Original music was composed and conducted by Alex Steiner making these Conway / Bruce episodes far more atmospheric than previous productions. The set up was essentially the same: narrator / introducer Joseph Bell calls around to Watson’s study for a fireside “chat” with the good doctor? whence the listener is plunged into another intriguing and baffling case which only the master detective can solve. Heard today, “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, with Tom Conway and Nigel Bruce, not only retain their entertainment value but compare quite favorably with the earlier series with Rathbone. Conway as Holmes does capture Rathbone?s style and Nigel Bruce is always charming as the sometimes baffled but always loyal Dr. Watson. A total of 38 episodes have survived, Tom Conway was ill for one episode – The Ancient Egyptian Curse – and was replaced by Ben Wright
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