Dressed to Kill (1946)

Sherlock Holmes sets out to discover why a trio of murderous villains, including a dangerously attractive female, are desperate to obtain three unassuming and inexpensive little music boxes.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

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

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Patricia Morison

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. John H. Watson
Patricia Morison	...	Mrs. Hilda Courtney
Edmund Breon	...	Julian '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

Storyline

A convicted thief in Dartmoor prison hides the location of the stolen Bank of England printing plates inside three music boxes. When the innocent purchasers of the boxes start to be murdered, Holmes and Watson investigate.

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Plot Keywords:

music box | sherlock holmes | thief | robbery | collector | 

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Taglines:

Queen . . . of a Crime Cult !

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 June 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prelude to Murder

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

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

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Black & White and Color) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last 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

When Sherlock goes to see the auctioneer to ascertain who purchased the music boxes, he reads the purchasers address from the log and says its on "Hampton Way" In the next scene he visits the house on Hampton Road. He also mentions the "correct" street, Hampton Road in a subsequent scene.

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Quotes

Watson: Would you like to hear uncle make a noise like a duck?

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Crazy Credits

This movie's final credit sequence rolled over a scene of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce leaving Dr. Johnston's house. This sequence was later removed by a TV distributor and has been replaced with a THE END frame from one of the earlier Sherlock Holmes films.

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Connections

Follows The Scarlet Claw (1944)

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Soundtracks

"Ya Never Know Just 'Oo You're Gonna Meet"
Music and Lyrics by Jack Brooks
Sung by an unidentifed man in the pub (dubbed by Delos Jewkes)

User Reviews

Their Last Bow

An exceedingly cunning female is DRESSED TO KILL as she challenges Sherlock Holmes for the possession of three nondescript music boxes from Dartmoor Prison.

Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce step in front of the movie cameras one last time as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary characters in this intriguing murder mystery. While it's fun to see the plot get solved the real enjoyment comes from simply being in the company of two very fine actors as they breathe life into their roles. As Sherlock Holmes, Rathbone gives us the great detective in all his cerebral glory, putting his whole intellect into breaking an exceptionally difficult code. Bruce, as Dr. Watson, is all bumbling geniality, quietly loyal to his friend, and, for one delightful moment, even quacking like a duck while trying to soothe a distraught child. Rathbone & Bruce gave us one of cinema's iconic partnerships, forever influencing how we cast Doyle's stories in the theater of our minds.

As in all the previous Holmes films a sturdy supporting cast keeps the intricate plot moving along: Patricia Morison as the exceptionally clever woman in search of the music boxes; Holmes Herbert as a punctilious auctioneer; Edmund Breon as an eccentric collector; Frederick Worlock as a crooked colonel; Henry Cording as a sinister chauffeur; Patricia Cameron as a pretty toy shop owner; Ian Wolfe as the Commissioner of Scotland Yard; and dear Mary Gordon back for her final turn as Mrs. Hudson.

Movie mavens will recognize Olaf Hytten as the auction house bookkeeper; Marjorie Bennett as the top shop clerk; comic Charles Hall as a curious taxi driver; and Wally Scott as the busker in the pub whose encyclopedic knowledge of tunes comes in very handy for Holmes. All are uncredited.

This film, which borrowed the merest wisp of an idea from Sir Arthur's A Scandal in Bohemia, followed TERROR BY NIGHT (1946) and was the last in the cinematic series, although Rathbone & Bruce also played Holmes & Watson many scores of times on the radio.