Moriarty and Moran x2
(Silver Blaze
&
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows)
An apparent nod to The Empty House in Silver Blaze, except the silhouetted figure really is Holmes and this Moran only gets a rather small weapon (well, size isn’t everything; it’s what you do with it that counts).
The difference in size between Moriarty and Moran in Silver Blaze amuses me. I don’t really know why, it just does.
Reason number… something or other why Silver Blaze is awesome*: Moran has a gun hidden inside a camera, for shooting Silver Blaze’s jockey (which is probably quite a feat when the horses are all galloping).
*I might be being slightly sarcastic on the awesome part but I do kind of love this film anyway.
So here we have six Morans of varying, er, quality. But one thing they all have in common: no not that they’re murderous bastards. Hats!
(from top l-r: Silver Blaze/Terror by Night/Russian
bottom l-r: Without a Clue/Granada/Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows)
This has been a Morans in hats appreciation post.
There are definite similarities here.
Harding!Moriarty and Goullet!Moran in Silver Blaze/Anderson!Moran and Harris!Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.
It’s just a pity there’s almost nothing else with both in between 1937 and 2011.
Goullet!Moran is in a festive mood, though apparently his festive mood is not very far removed from his ‘mistrustful and murderous’ mood.
When a client (as seen on the right) doubts Moriarty’s abilities or, worse, seems about to threaten him, a good Moran always leaps promptly to Moriarty’s defence before harm can be done.
(from Silver Blaze.)
So in Silver Blaze Moriarty and Moran have a blindfold kink.
Well okay, what actually happens is Moran blindfolds the clients who come to consult Moriarty before they come in and then again as they leave.
Moriarty is poking Moran while he talks to him, which is something Wontner’s Holmes does to Watson too in this film. It’s such a tiny thing that it’s probably not an intentional parallel but I just find that interesting even so.
(Silver Blaze again.)
Moriarty (top) is pleased with Moran’s choice of location for their new evil headquarters.
(From Silver Blaze, AKA Murder at the Baskervilles.)
These two may not be exactly the greatest villains ever (they never are in these old films) but they’re practically Evil Criminal Husbands. It’s quite sweet really.
