Inspector Lestrade of Sherlock Holmes mysteries

[Naphtali]

Until I saw my first Sherlock Holmes telecast with Jeremy Brett, I had pronounced Inspector Lestrade's name in my mind with its last syllable's vowel sounding like tennis great Rod Laver's first name. The Brett series pronounces that vowel as I pronounce the vowel sound in "trade." Okay, I can live with that. After all, the series and actors are British.

I recently acquired the 1979 motion picture "Murder by Decree" with Christopher Plumber and James Mason. It, too, was filmed in Britain, with all actors British save the small number required by Canadian Law to qualify for that government's financial assistance for production. And, of course, Lestrade is pronounced as I had thought it sounded. I would ask Conan Doyle, but he's not talking to me. And in the sole talking film interview with him in 1929, Doyle doesn't speak the name.

What is the correct - or, perhaps, generally accepted - pronunciation of Inspector Lestrade's last name?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Since the name is probably of French origin I asked Monsieur Poirot himself & he replied " Le, as in 'the' & Strad, as in 'Brad'"(Brad that is with the English accent & not the long voweled American Braaaaad.)..........................Inspector Japp though would probably pronounce it as Le-Strayed which is prehaps the most common pronunciation, as indeed would Lestrade himself being working class, the upper classes, particularlly of London & the home counties, might add an R before the D completely changing the vowel, such as Le -Strard (as in hard)

 

[Doctor Strange]

I always thought of it as Le-straad, probably because that's the way it was pronounced in the Basil Rathbone Holmes films, which I devoured on TV as a kid right around the same time I read all the Holmes stories. In those films, Dennis Hoey portrayed Inspector Lestrade as a clueless, pompous ass who hated seeing Holmes constantly out-think him. Of course, Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson in those films is also handled a bit cartoonishly, so subtlety isn't their strong point.

 

[skydog757]

Of course, Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson in those films is also handled a bit cartoonishly, so subtlety isn't their strong point.

I've always disliked the dynamic between Holmes and Watson in that series of films. I much prefer the more recent Robert Downey Jr/Jude Law films and the Elementary television show that portrays them more as equal partners. In fact, it could be argued that Watson is the more mature of the two, as Holmes is shown as a more rash, mercurial character.

 

[MisterCairo]

As in Le - Strahd. A name of that sort would not in my mind be pronounced as in trade. I think the recent RDJr films get it right.