A Quiz About Sherlockian Firsts and Lasts

Those three images of Sherlock Holmes were my prizes. 

One of the many high points of the Baker Street Irregulars & Friends Weekend 2017 in New York was Gaslight Gala on Friday night, flawlessly hosted by Carla Coupe and Mary Alcaro. It was just plain fun. More about that in a future post.

To my surprise and delight, I won the quiz about Sherlockian first and lasts. I don’t usually do well on quizzes, but general knowledge seems to be my strong suit. By popular demand, here’s the quiz, which was compiled by Karen Wilson:

1. Even Arthur Conan Doyle acknowledged that the first detective in fiction was not Holmes, but which literary character disparaged by him in A Study in Scarlet?
2. In what publication did Sherlock Holmes make his debut?
3. What was the first Holmes short story to be published?
4. What was the last Holmes short story to be published?
5. In the Canon’s internal chronology, what is Holmes’s first case?
6. In the Canon’s internal chronology, what is Watson’s first case?
7. What is the first sentence uttered by Holmes to Dr. Watson?
8. In the Canon’s internal chronology, what is Holmes’s and Watson’s last case?
9. The first illustrator of a Sherlock Holmes story was not Sidney Paget. For two points, who did the first magazine illustrations? (Or, for one point, who did the first book illustrations?)
10. In ACD’s first draft of his first Holmes story, what was the detective’s first name?
11. The first radio adaptation was “The Speckled Band,” by Edith Meiser, in 1930. In it, Holmes was voiced by what actor much better known for playing the detective in another medium?
12. 20^thC. Fox’s two Sherlock Holmes films were both released in 1939. Which came out first?
13. What was Universal Studios’ first Sherlock Holmes film, inspired by “His Last Bow”?
14. In what 1978 pastiche by Michael Dibdin does Holmes meet the Ripper “up close and personal”?
15. This 2004 novella by Michael Chabon never names its Holmes hero, but its title is a macabre riff on one of Dr. Watson’s.
16. In 1987, Frank Langella starred on Broadway as a rather unpleasant incarnation of the title character in what play by Charles Marowitz, which ran for 124 performances?
17. Ciaran Hinds appeared as a tragic Jim Browner in the 41^st and final episode of the Holmes series by what production company?
18. Which of the three current Holmes portrayers recently gave an interview teasing that “this may be the last time I play Sherlock Holmes”?
19. In what year was the first BSI dinner held?
20. In what year did the BSI dinner first admit women?

Putting one of my prizes to good use!