The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (TV Series) The Woman in the Big Hat (1971) User Reviews

The Female Department relegated to the Storeroom at the Yard

[zoschenkooksanna · 8/10 · 23 September 2022]

But it shines. Yes, if you are one of the Victorian crime literati or a Conan Doyle expert or seasoned Thespian weary of the view beyond proscenium, you will tear great holes in this production. But relatively speaking, compared to the seedy Dorrington episodes, to a normal viewer, this episode of the series, it just shines. The ladies do a great job, Inspector Saunders too.

The culprit wasn't too obvious. The interaction between the personalities, is indeed a tad like a theatre production, reminiscent of the Oscar Wilde productions, but who cares, as long as it is this good?

Even the Viennese virago was faultless, colorful and delightful. If only the rest of Series One was as good.

Oh, and yes, the ladies talk a little bit. Well, a lot. Men, get used to it. And bring on more drama like this, please.

An enjoyable setup here.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 10 January 2023]

At a fancy cafe, a man is found dead at his table, the owner panics, but on hand is Detective, Lady Molly.

I've not exactly been wowed by many of the episodes from this first series, they have been a bit hit and miss, this one however, I'd argue is one of the better offerings, I really did enjoy it.

It had a degree of originality, that has sometimes been lacking, it was nice to see a female Detective for a change, and a slightly less seedy case. I really liked the twist at the end, it wasn't that scenario I'd expected.

Visually I think this was the best one so far, great sets, some lovely costumes, I thought the coffee shop looked fantastic.

Elvi Hale was lovely as Lady Molly, I truly hope she pops up again, great support from Ann Beach and Una Stubbs.

7/10.

A talker

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 19 April 2022]

Not a bad episode but like the previous one it feels very flat in comparison to the original story, which I remember zinging along with vibrancy and life. This one has the trappings and the actors (including Una Stubbs and Peter Bowles) but is again all talk and little to no atmosphere.

The Woman in the Big Hat

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 1 September 2019]

It is the female detective, Lady Molly of the Yard created by written by Baroness Orczy.

When a customer slumps in a Viennese cafe, dead after drinking some hot chocolate, Lady Molly's assistant Mary Grandard (Ann Beach) was nearby.

The dead man Mark Culledon was from a society family and a woman of Austrian origins is held as a suspect. A woman with a big hat was seen with the victim near the time of his death.

Culledon's aunt who dotted on Mark is distant and even irritated with Lady Molly (Elvi Hale) and her investigation. There is something Lady Molly is uncertain about, why would a woman wear a hat that is so big. It points to someone being fitted up for the murder.

It is unusual to see a female detective, Lady Molly was created in 1910. She is seen investigating with Inspector Saunders (Peter Bowles) who is exasperated with some of her methods which could invite trouble such as the ad in the paper offering a reward for information.

There is a side plot of some lower class parlour maids doing some shoplifting who are linked to the Culledons.

It is a layered mystery, the character of the newly married Mark Culledon is ripped apart, someone who was rather cruel and callous which hints why someone would want him dead.

Lady Molly is clearly clever, she solves the mystery using a woman's intuition. It is just a shame that the drama as depicted was a tad dry. It is all so talky which makes the drama stilted, it looks so much like a stage play even though there were a few sly lines here and there. I think a lot of it was due to this being a studio bound production.

Elvi Hale tries to add zest to her character, she is ably supported by her assistant Mary Grandard who actually gives the clue to the mystery early enough. It is just a shame that the direction of this episode was so uninspired.