The In 14 films and in hundreds of radio episodes, Dr. John H. Watson, Detective

Fiction's greatest sidekick was brought to life with a funcular charm by British actor Nigel Bruce.

For generations of moviegoers, Nigel Bruce is Dr Watson, the always loyal, ever-genial friend and biographer to the world's greatest

detective. Though modern audiences tend to be split in their reaction to his

portrayal of the good doctor, there's no denying that Nigel Bruce is a key figure in the history

of Sherlock Holmes, and he played a large part in the character's enduring success through

the 20th century.

And we're saluting him today with a belated birthday tribute.

He was born 120 years ago this month on February 4, 1895. Before his show business career, Bruce served in World War I,

where he was seriously wounded in France. In 1920, he made his stage debut and he worked extensively on the British stage and in

silent films before he moved to Hollywood in 1934.

Bruce found many of his friends from the British film world who had also made the track to the United States, including Basil Rathbone.

The two were members of the famous Hollywood Cricket Club, along with Errol Flynn, Ronald Coleman, and Leslie Howard, among others.

Bruce was the captain of this across the pond fraternity.

In 1939, Bruce and Rathbone were tapped to star in 20th

century Fox's adaptation of the Hound of the Baskervilles. The smashing success of the film led Fox to quickly assemble a sequel

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes which was released just a few months later.

Just a month after that film hit theaters the duo went on the air in the new

adventures of Sherlock Holmes a radio series presenting adaptations of the

original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories,

as well as original mysteries penned by writers like Edith Meiser

and the team of Anthony Boucher and Dennis Green.

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