Pursuit to Algiers (1945)

Holmes is recruited to escort the heir to a European throne safely back to his homeland after his father's assassination.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (story), Leonard Lee (original screenplay)

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Marjorie Riordan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. John H. Watson
Marjorie Riordan	...	Sheila Woodbury
Rosalind Ivan	...	Agatha Dunham
Morton Lowry	...	Sanford
Leslie Vincent	...	Nikolas Watson
Martin Kosleck	...	Mirko
Rex Evans	...	Gregor
John Abbott	...	Jodri
Gerald Hamer	...	Kingston
William 'Wee Willie' Davis	...	Gubec (as Wee Willie Davis)
Frederick Worlock	...	Prime Minister

Storyline

Holmes and Watson on a transatlantic ocean liner escorting Nikolas, heir to a foreign throne. Also on board are a number of assassins, plotting against their sovereign.

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Plot Keywords:

king | ship | heir | ocean | ocean liner | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes in Pursuit to Algiers

Filming Locations:

Little Europe, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

65 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The twelfth of fourteen films based on Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional consulting detective Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson.

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Goofs

Dr Watson discovers an automatic pistol in a lady passenger's handbag. He consistently refers to the handgun as a revolver. As an ex-Army officer Watson, no matter how daft, would never make such a mistake.

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Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: Well, if one isn't willing to pay the penalty, one shouldn't play the game.

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Connections

Follows Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)

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Soundtracks

"Cross My Heart"
(Everett Carter / Milton Rosen)
Sung by Marjorie Riordan

User Reviews

Lesser entry in the series, but still worth seeing

I've seen nearly all of Universal's Sherlock Holmes series by now, and have found that the level of quality doesn't vary too much between each instalment. Every entry in the series is worth watching, and I haven't seen any that I would describe as 'bad'. Pursuit to Algiers fits into this equation snugly, but even so; it's definitely one of the lesser Holmes mysteries. It does feature most of what makes the series great beyond the central plot line - such as a great performance from both the leads, a constant stream of intrigue and some great dialogue; but the actual mystery itself is rather lazy. It simply follows Holmes and Watson looking after a prince onboard a ship full of assassins. Adding to this is the fact that the sets are fairly samey, which doesn't help the film as it a few changes of scenery wouldn't have gone amiss. The film seems to know that it isn't the greatest of Holmes mysteries as well; and this translates to the screen. Holmes himself doesn't appear in the film for a proportion of the running time, which is never good when he's the main reason people are watching; and as good as Nigel Bruce is, he's not enough to carry a film about the great literary detective all on his own. I much prefer it when LeStrade features as well. Still, despite it's bad points, Pursuit to Algiers is a worthy yarn and still worth seeing for fans of these films.