without a clue

Director: thom eberhardt

Actor: michael caine,ben kingsley,jeffrey jones,lysette anthony

Data Published: Fri Oct 21 1988

Genres: Comedy,Crime,Mystery

Key Words: spoof,private detective,drunkenness,knocked unconscious,attempted suicide

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096454/

WIKI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Without_a_Clue

Description: Without a Clue is a movie starring Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and Jeffrey Jones. A drunken Sherlock Holmes is really just a cover for the real detective, Dr. Watson.

Plot: Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character created by Dr. John Watson (Ben Kingsley) as the central character in a series of short stories published in The Strand Magazine. Watson uses the character to enable him to solve crimes incognito, so as not to disrupt his career as a doctor during a period when he was applying for a post at an exclusive hospital; one in which the senior staff would frown on Watson's "hobby". Although he doesn't secure the job, Watson decides to satisfy public demand to see Holmes in person by hiring unemployed actor Reginald Kincaid (Michael Caine) to play the part of the fictional detective. Continuing to investigate cases, now with Kincaid as "Holmes" by his side, Watson is the detective hidden behind the charade of the fictional Sherlock Holmes. Kincaid must rely on direction from Watson, memorizing the doctor's exacting, detailed instructions every step of the way. After a major case at a museum, Kincaid oversteps his boundaries with Watson, who fires him. Watson wants to write the character off and tries to start a new series about "The Crime Doctor" with Watson himself being recognized as the great detective. The Strand's editor, Norman Greenhough (Peter Cook) is quite cold to the idea, as is everyone else. With a new crime, Watson finds he is unable to get information on his own; only when he mentions "Holmes" does he get anywhere. As the crime becomes a major case, the British government seeks the aid of "Sherlock Holmes" and will accept no one else, including Watson's "Crime Doctor". The mystery involves the Bank of England £5 banknote printing plates that have been stolen, with the printing supervisor, Peter Giles, having gone missing on the night of the robbery. With the counterfeiting of these £5 notes, the collapse of the British Empire's economy would be inevitable. Scotland Yard's Inspector Lestrade (Jeffrey Jones) is jealous of "Sherlock Holmes". He takes every opportunity to spy on "Holmes" and Watson and to steal their ideas. The path of clues leads them to Giles' daughter, Leslie (Lysette Anthony) and twelve-year-old street urchin, Wiggins (Matthew Savage) the leader of the boys Watson pays to keep an eye on people, whom he calls the "Baker Street irregulars", in contrast to the "regular" London police force. Watson and Kincaid discover that Professor Moriarty (Paul Freeman) is the mastermind behind the scheme. Watson is apparently killed, forcing Kincaid to solve the case on his own. Having tracked the villain to an abandoned theatre, Kincaid discovers that Watson is still alive and that the woman who they thought was Leslie is actually one of Moriarty's spies, while the real one is Giles' son and a transvestite and female impersonator who has a famous revue in Paris called "Les Femmes Faux". The two work together to free both Giles men and defeat Moriarty for good. Watson has a new appreciation for Kincaid, who now publicly gives him a large share of the credit and the public is assured that the team of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson will continue their detective work.