Sherlock Holmes 1943 (A Change in Public Sentiment)

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death is the sixth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes films

Sherlock Holmes 1943

I'm currently getting through Wilkinson & Pickett's 'The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Well-being' when I came across this lovely quote from the 1943 movie Sherlock Holmes Faces Death. You can find the clip on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArSWjcdi6bo

Holmes, hardly a political revolutionary in the books, give a monologue at the end of the film that is very political

I'll put the whole quote from the book to keep it in context.

"A glimpse of how the downward trend in inequality before, during and after the Second World War percolated through popular culture can be seen in a 1943 Sherlock Holmes film. Once justice has been served, the beautiful heroine chooses to pass up her inheritance for the benefit of her tenant farmers. Holmes, hardly a radical in Conan Doyle's books, explains to Watson:

Holmes:

'There's a new spirit abroad in the land. The old days of grab and greed are on their way out. We're beginning to think what we owe the other fellow - not just what we are compelled to give him. The time is coming, Watson, when we shan't be able to fill our bellies in comfort while other folk go hungry, or sleep in warm beds while others shiver in the cold. And we shan't be able to kneel and thank God for blessings before shining alters while men anywhere are kneeling in either physical or spiritual subjection.'

Watson:

'You may be right Holmes - I hope you are.'

Holmes:

'And God willing, we will live to see that day, Watson.'"

From Richard Wilkinson & Kate Pickett's 'The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Well-being' Here's my prediction: class will be the next big issue. Public interest in the issue is growing, and fast. I feel for the left on this one I truly do. Because this time they won't be able to simply blame someone else. It's going to take a lot of introspection to get it right. Some of them will choke on it. And I feel it will also end up revealing a lot of charlatans. There will have to be a clearing of house where manipulative people posing as victims are revealed and innocent people who have been persecuted are vindicated. In fact, it's my belief that people like that - that use left-wing politics for nefarious ends - will anticipate this and are likely already mobilising. The newly constructed left will be stronger. Adding class to all the other issues they care about will add nuance and precision to their arguments. It will also reduce hypocrisy and any conflicting messages. It will rob the right of most of their criticisms and enable the left to better negotiate with them. The only question is can the left survive such a shake-up and get it together in time to beat the right, which is already mobilising? Only time will tell.