Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson travel to Washington D.C. in order to prevent a secret document from falling into enemy hands.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Bertram Millhauser (screenplay), Lynn Riggs (screenplay)

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Marjorie Lord

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Doctor Watson
Marjorie Lord	...	Nancy Partridge
Henry Daniell	...	William Easter
George Zucco	...	Stanley
John Archer	...	Lt. Pete Merriam
Gavin Muir	...	Bart Lang
Edmund MacDonald	...	Detective Lt. Grogan
Don Terry	...	Howe
Bradley Page	...	Cady
Holmes Herbert	...	Mr. Ahrens
Thurston Hall	...	Senator Henry Babcock

Storyline

Sherlock Holmes is engaged by the Home Office to locate a British subject traveling for his law firm to Washington, D.C. The man had flown to New York City and then took the train to Washington. On the outskirts of the city, the man was kidnapped and has not been seen for several days now. Holmes learns from the Home Office that the man was in fact a government agent who was delivering a highly secret, two page document to the US government. In verifying the contents at his flat, Holmes concludes the document had been reduced to microfilm. The question becomes whether he may have had the opportunity to pass the microfilm to someone else on the train before he was taken.

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Plot Keywords:

intercom | sherlock holmes character | dr. john watson character | four word title | psychotronic film | 

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Genres:

Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The dubbed German version released in 1959 removed all Nazi references from the dialogue. The story of this edited version is about gangsters trying to get hold of a secret medicine formula that could be dangerous if in the wrong hands.

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Goofs

The aircraft used in the opening scenes is a DC-3, but the aircraft seen taking off is a Boeing model.

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Quotes

Stanley: And, Howe. No screams till the customer's gone.

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Crazy Credits

Prologue: Sherlock Holmes, the immortal character of fiction created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is ageless, invincible and unchanging.

In solving significant problems of the present day he remains - as ever - the supreme master of deductive reasoning.

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Connections

Follows Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942)

User Reviews

Strike a Match!

A British spy carrying important diplomatic papers from Great Britain to the United States is kidnapped. Sherlock Holmes is needed to find the man, and more importantly the papers that would ruin world peace. This is a fine entry into the Sherlock Holmes cycle, albeit a bit thin in the area of plot. Notwithstanding this, Basil Rathbone and the lovable Nigel Bruce make the most of the material and turn the mundane into the sublime. Rathbone is his usual self, however, in this picture he sports a fairly unique hairstyle. Bruce is as ever a fun man to watch, uttering completely comic absurd remarks with the greatest conviction. The supporting cast is first-rate with the indeliable George Zucco as(who else?) the villain. Aiding Zucco is Henry Daniell. Throw in some great character acting by the likes of Gerald Hamer and Clarence Muse. The scene shared by Rathbone and Muse is particularly enjoyable to watch. At the end the film has its wartime message about the importance of democracy. A good mystery!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes en Washington

Filming Locations:

Glendale Grand Central Air Terminal - Grandview Avenue, Glendale, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1