SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942)

In WWII London, the Voice of Terror makes radio broadcasts from Germany, trying to damage the morale of the British people by predicting specific acts of terror by the Nazis (an oil refinery set on fire, a deadly train derailment, the destruction of an airplane factory). The Intelligence Inner Council is stymied and Sir Evan Barham calls on Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson, an old friend of Barham's, for help. Some members of the Council resent hiring a mere private investigator whom they regard as being "unorthodox and theatrical," but Holmes is reluctantly allowed to work for them. Back home, when Watson tells their landlady Mrs. Hudson that they are working on the greatest case of their career, she replies, "Mercy, it always is!" Gavin, an underworld spy working on the case for Holmes, falls into his doorway, a knife stuck in his back, mutters the word "Christopher," and dies. Holmes and Watson head down to Limehouse, a disreputable part of town, find Gavin's widow Kitty and enlist her in a drive to get the tramps and crooks of Limehouse to help him. She gives a stirring patriotic speech and to a man, they all fall in behind Holmes. Meanwhile, Holmes discovers that the Voice of Terror's broadcasts are pre-recorded; even though the broadcasts have been traced to Germany, Holmes theorizes that they are being recorded in England and smuggled back to Germany. Barham is shot at near his home but escapes with just a hand wound. The Limehouse denizens discover that Christopher is a reference to a specific set of waterside docks. When Holmes and Watson head down there, they are followed by Anthony Lloyd, a council member who is opposed to their mission. Holmes, Watson and Lloyd are captured by a group of Nazi spies, but they are rescued by some Limehouse men. Holmes allows Meade, the Nazi leader, to escape, then Holmes sends Kitty on double agent duty, finding Meade and cozying up to him. When the Voice of Terror warns that the Germans will soon pull off a sneak attack on the northern coast, the council suggests that all coastal defenses be moved there, but Holmes figures out that the attack is really going to happen in the south. And Holmes has figured out that one member of the council is a traitor. The exciting climax occurs in a bombed-out church on the coast.

After ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, the second A-list Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone (Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Watson), Fox gave up the franchise and Universal took it over, assigning it to their B-movie production unit and moving the plots into the current day so they wouldn't have to spend money on period sets and costumes—the film opens with a card noting the switch so fans aren't confused, calling Holmes "ageless." Given the wartime context, Holmes was a logical choice for use as war propaganda, which this film certainly is, though that does not diminish audience enjoyment. Rathbone and Bruce have gotten at home in their roles (Bruce's doddering comic relief, which started in BASKERVILLE and which irritated Holmes fans in later movies, is mostly absent here, possibly in the name of patriotism). There's even a joke at Holmes' expense when Watson warns Holmes to leave his deerstalker hat behind when they head out for Limehouse. There is no Lestrade or Moriarty here; instead, for chief support, we have Reginald Denny (Barham) and Henry Daniell (Lloyd) as council members and Thomas Gomez (Meade) as the villain; this was his first role in a long career as a character actor. Evelyn Ankers does a nice job as Kitty, and Mary Gordon continues in her role as Holmes' landlady Mrs. Hudson, a role she would continue in through most of the series. Some critics mark this film as the beginning of the decline of the Holmes films (though they would remain popular enough to warrant production of eleven more films over the next four years), and though you may notice a downturn in terms of budget and style, the film is still fun and fast-paced. Pictured are Denny and Rathbone. [DVD]