If there's anyone who could use a good ribbing, it's Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated creation has been depicted with such steadfast seriousness for so long, it's about time a touch of humor was employed. Comedy great Gene Wilder did just that with his directorial debut in 1975's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother. With such partners in crime as Marty Feldman and Madeline Kahn in tow, Wilder takes a decidedly lighthearted approach to the super sleuth's exploits. It may not be a complete success, but there's something for everyone to laugh at in this little-seen farce.

In addition to writing and directing, Wilder toplines as Sherlock's younger brother, Sigerson Holmes. Sigerson has spent years living in his sibling's formidable shadow, a bitter soul who tries in vain to prove his own worth as a private investigator. But when Sherlock decides to devote his attention to a more pressing case, he passes a lesser assignment on for Sigerson to handle.

It's all meant as a decoy to distract the devious Professor Moriarty (Leo McKern), but try telling that to Sigerson, who sees the job as his chance to be in the spotlight for once. Blackmail is the order of the day, as singer Jenny Hill (Kahn) is in danger of having her affair with another man revealed to the world. But there's more to the case than meets the eye, and despite their repeatedly bungled efforts to crack it, Sigerson and a dedicated Scotland Yard cop (Feldman) remain determined to get to the bottom of things no matter what.

In 1974, Wilder teamed up with Mel Brooks to create two all-time comedy classics, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles. Smarter Brother was released the following year, and though Brooks wasn't involved in the production (aside from a vocal cameo), his influence can't be denied. Wilder incorporates a similarly bawdy sense of humor into the story, spicing up the buttoned-down Sherlock Holmes world with loads of sex jokes and widespread silliness. It's a veritable breeding ground for satire, as the introduction of pure vulgarity makes swift work of stripping down stuffy, Victorian-era conventions.

This attitude permeates throughout the picture, but one scene in particular removes all pretension from an Italian opera and leaves a rather randy show in its wake. It's obvious that Smarter Brother was made by people who had an agenda in mind and knew just how to go about fulfilling it. The jokes aren't telegraphed three scenes in advance but rather have a way of sneaking up on you, emerging from nowhere and vanishing before you know what hit you.

On the other hand, this scattershot approach to humor does something of a disservice to Smarter Brother. Sure, it's funny to see Wilder and Kahn suddenly break out into a ragtime dance routine, but other gags don't come across as well. When McKern's Moriarty randomly yelps during his dramatic speeches, you get the feeling that Wilder's comedic well ran dry and just had the guy come up with something to pass the time.

The story, often the least important aspect of a comedy, is at once paid both too little and too much attention. Wilder seems to be taking things somewhat seriously, yet the details are often so obscured, you never get around to caring all that much. But while the film's energy tends to sag from time to time, the cast members always look like they're having the time of their lives. Wilder does a terrific job of capturing Sigerson's seething anger at playing second banana to big brother Sherlock, not to mention his extremely cocky nature. Kahn is cast as yet another sexpot, but it's a role she relishes in playing to the hilt. Young Frankenstein's Feldman is also a joy to watch as a walking encyclopedia who frequently proves to be much smarter than Sigerson.

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother was played a little too straight for my taste, although there's enough of a laid-back quality to go around. It only aims to have a little fun with one of literature's most prominent characters, serving up an innocent stream of laughs that you don't need to be a Holmes aficionado to enjoy.

Director: Gene Wilder

Writer: Gene Wilder

Cast: Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Leo McKern, Roy Kinnear

Rating: PG (risque humor)

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Run Time: 91 minutes

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Format: Color, widescreen

Photo credits: 20th Century Fox