Downey | East Haddam Stories

One Small Town, Two Renowned Sherlock Holmes Actors

Both Robert Downey Jr. and William Gillette Called East Haddam Home

By KEN SIMON

Sherlock Holmes, the fictional British detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has captivated audiences for more than a century. Among the many actors who have portrayed him on stage and screen, two stand out for their distinctive portrayals: William Gillette and Robert Downey Jr..

Despite the century separating their show-business careers, Gillette and Downey share several remarkable things: They both achieved worldwide fame and fortune, and amazingly, they both called our town home.

What are the odds that East Haddam would be home to these two acclaimed actors in the first place, much less that they both famously played the same character to worldwide acclaim. It's a quirky twist of history that early 20th-Century superstar William Gillette spent his retirement years here while Robert Downey Jr, a Hollywood superstar, spent several childhood years here, attending Nathan Hale Elementary School while his avant-garde director dad raised the money to make an very artsy film about drug smuggling.

One classmate says that Downey attended grades 1 to 3, left for a year, and came back for 5th grade. Class of 1983.

They lived on Parker Rd., off Mt. Parnassus.

He lived at various points in Connecticut, New York, California, London, Paris and Woodstock.

Originally titled "Moment to Moment,", "Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight" is a kaleidoscopic, dreamlike journey filled with eccentric characters, bizarre humor, and a non-linear progression, making it a quintessential example of Downey Sr.'s avant-garde approach to filmmaking.

William Gillette, left in 1916, invented the iconic elements we associate with Sherlock Holmes — The hat, pipe, attitude. Robert Downey, Jr., in 2009, took his screen characterization to a whole other level. volutpat nullam; tempor massa malesuadattis. Viverra felis euismod elementum nec venenatis.

Mrs. Ridell's third grade class (1973-1974).

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Mrs. Pear's fourth grade glass (1974-1975). Robert Downey Jr. is circled in all the class pictures.

Mrs. Cooper's fifth grade,class (1975-1976). Class pictures compliments of Glenn Sherman.

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Robert Downey Jr's history of drug addiction began in East Haddam, where he smoked his first joint.

In 2006, during his appearance on "Inside the Actors Studio," Robert Downey Jr. mentioned that at "probably 8, 9, 10," he smoked his first joint while "swinging in a hammock in East Haddam."

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This 1916 film, SHELOCK HOLMES, is based on the four-act play of the same name by William Gillette, which he had been performing for several years prior to the film's release by the Chicago Essanay studio. In 2015, the Cinematheque Francaise collaborated with the San Francisco Silent Film Festival to restore the only known surviving copy of the film. This restoration has new music, English subtitles, and color tinting to match the original.

Robert Downey Jr. co-starred with Jude Law in the 2009 film HOLMES, the first of three films with Downey playing the British detective.

Hollywood Money, a Town Connection, and Robert Downey Sr's Wild Movie

'Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight' Straight Outta East Haddam

Based on the signed legal filings recorded with the East Haddam town clerk in August 1976, Robert Downey Sr. raised a total of $250,000 for "Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight" from 46 individual and institutional investors for The Compliments Company, which was the partnership behind the film.. The documents show that these investors collectively received 49.99999999999999% of the profit shares, effectively 50%, with the remaining 50% retained by Downey.

This group includes a fascinating mix of Hollywood legends, independent investors, and figures from theater, technology, and business. Their backing of Robert Downey Sr.’s film reflects the era’s experimental spirit and the trust they placed in his unconventional vision.

Robert Downey, Sr. discusses with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson what just might be Downey's strangest film (and that's saying a lot), "Two Tons of Turquiose to Taos Tonight." While living in East Haddam in the early1970s, Downey raised $250,000 to make the film. The conversation was recorded in 2012 for The Criterion Channel.

The top investor was businessman Herbert Lutz, who contributed $50,000, receiving 10% of profits. Notable contributors included: iconic TV producer Norman Lear – $10,000 (2%), Hollywood producer/director and Lear's partner Bud Yorkin – $10,000 (2%), actor Jack Nicholson – $5,000 (1%), acclaimed director Hal Ashby – $5,000 (1%), famed theater producer Joseph Papp – $3,000 (0.6%), and legendary cinematographer Haskell Wexler – $7,500 (1.5%), Many others gave $2,500–$5,000 for half to one percent shares. The National Endowment for the Arts also contributed a $10,000 grant.