Sherlock Holmes Takes to the Boards

When the famous turn-of-the-century actor William Gillette wanted to write a play about Sherlock Holmes, he wrote to Conan Doyle and Conan Doyle replied, “You may marry him, murder him, or do anything you like to him.”  

Doyle himself tried to write one or two Holmes plays, but they all  failed miserably. William Gillette's play on the other hand, turned out to be a tremendous hit and he performed in it for over 30 years.