William Gillette, American playwright, actor and theatrical special effects e…

William Gillette, American playwright, actor and theatrical special effects expert, helped bring Sherlock Holmes to the stage using all his skills. He collaborated on the script for what became “Sherlock Holmes – A Drama in Four Acts” with Conan-Doyle, but when the manuscript was destroyed in a fire he rewrote the entire thing from their notes in a month. He starred as the famous detective on both sides of the Atlantic (from 1988 until 1901) and his special effects dazzled audiences.