THE STRUGGLE OF SUPER-MINDS IN THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY!

After failing to have Moriarty (George Zucco) convicted of murder, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) investigates a case where a man has received a drawing that could be interpreted as a threat on his life.

The second film in the series that began with The Hound of the Baskervilles the same year is very loosely based on a stage play. A good story pitting Holmes against his arch-enemy, with a few surprises along the way, made very enjoyable thanks to Rathbone and Nigel Bruce’s charisma and sense of humor.

Don’t miss the scene where Holmes dresses up as a music-hall entertainer at a party; the final showdown offers excitement at the Tower of London. 

1939-U.S. 85 min. B/W. Directed by Alfred Werker. Screenplay: Edwin Blum, William Drake. Play: William Gilette (”Sherlock Holmes”). Cast: Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Nigel Bruce (John Watson), Ida Lupino (Ann Brandon), Alan Marshal, Terry Kilburn, George Zucco. 

Trivia: Gilette’s play was previously filmed as Sherlock Holmes (1922). Followed by Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942).