Dressed to Kill (1946)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (story) and
Frank Gruber (adaptation)

Release Date:

7 June 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Queen . . . of a Crime Cult !

Plot:

A set of cheap music boxes that people are willing to kill for puts Sherlock Holmes on the case.

Plot Keywords:

Sherlock Holmes | Prison | Thief | Murder | Doctor

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. John H. Watson
Patricia Morison	...	Mrs. Hilda Courtney
Edmund Breon	...	'Stinky' Emery (as Edmond Breon)
Frederick Worlock	...	Colonel Cavanaugh (as Frederic Worlock)
Carl Harbord	...	Inspector Hopkins
Patricia Cameron	...	Evelyn Clifford
Holmes Herbert	...	Ebenezer Crabtree
Harry Cording	...	Hamid
Leyland Hodgson	...	Tour guide
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson
Ian Wolfe	...	Commissioner of Scotland Yard

Also Known As:

Prelude to Murder (USA) (working title) (USA) (DVD title)
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code (UK)
Sherlock Holmes in Dressed to Kill

Runtime:

72 min (video version) | 76 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1992) | USA:Approved (PCA #11512, General Audience)

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The ploy of using a bogus fire to reveal the location of a hidden item is taken from "A Scandal in Bohemia" and connections are made between Mrs. Courtney and that story's villainess, Irene Adler.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: One of the scenes depicts a "General" omnibus carrying passengers on a normal route. The movie is set post-WWII London (1946). The London General Omnibus Company went out of service in 1933.

Quotes:

Watson: Irene Adler! What a striking-looking woman from the brief glance I had of her! Seemsa only yesterday! What charm! Hmmmm. What poise! And what a mind! Sharp enough and brilliant enough to outwit the great Sherlock Holmes himself!
Holmes: I take it that the new issue of the Strand Magazine is out containing another of your slightly lurid tales.
Watson: It is indeed!
Holmes: And what do you call this one?
Watson: I call it "A Scandal in Bohemia." Not a bad title, huh?
Holmes: Hmmmm. If you must record my exploits, I do hope you've given "The Woman" a soul. She had one, you know!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Follows The Spider Woman (1944)

Soundtrack:

The Blue Danube Waltz, Opus 314

"Praise From You Is Indeed Gratifying"

A suspenseful Holmes and Watson feature about a group of killers out to find three music boxes sold at an auction. The boxes contain something in them that will help lead the crooks to loads of money. Only problem is that Sherlock Holmes is on their trail. Typical good acting and tight direction help this one rise above its somewhat implausible story. The chemistry between Rathbone and Bruce is as ever the binding of the film. Some other good performances are given by Patricia Morrison as a wicked woman and Edmund Breon as "Stinky," a school chum of Watson's. The verbal banter between Morrison and Holmes is for me the most memorable aspect of the film. As I watched the film, the lines slowly crept back into my head. "Praise from you is indeed gratifying Mr. Holmes," and then a line about respecting his memory. Great stuff!