The Woman in Green (1945)

Sherlock Holmes investigates when young women around London turn up murdered, each with a finger severed. Scotland Yard suspects a madman, but Holmes believes the killings to be part of a diabolical plot.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Bertram Millhauser (original screenplay), Arthur Conan Doyle (based on the story "The Adventures of the Empty House" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Hillary Brooke

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. Watson
Hillary Brooke	...	Lydia Marlow
Henry Daniell	...	Prof. Moriarty
Paul Cavanagh	...	Sir. George Fenwick
Matthew Boulton	...	Inspector Gregson
Eve Amber	...	Maude Fenwick
Frederick Worlock	...	Onslow (as Frederic Worlock)
Coulter Irwin	...	Williams (as Tom Bryson)
Sally Shepherd	...	Crandon
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson

Storyline

Holmes and Watson investigate a series of bizarre and apparently unconnected murders, and the death of a possible suspect. The trail leads to a society of hypnotists and a mysterious, glamorous woman. The fiendish Dr James Moriarty, though reported hanged in Montevideo, is suspected of being involved.

---

Plot Keywords:

color in title | irish whiskey | body mutilation | professor moriarty character | sherlock holmes character | 

---

Taglines:

Temptress of Pleasure - or Mistress of Murder?

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the second Sherlock Holmes film in which Kay Harding played a murder victim; the first was The Scarlet Claw (1944)"

---

Goofs

When Dr. Watson is walking with the street peddler, you can see the boom reflected in the shop window. It moves with the characters as they walk along the street.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Inspector Gregson: [voiceover] I won't forget that morning, not if I live to be a hundred. I counted the men as they marched out of the Yard. They'd hardly slept for weeks. We at the CID had slept even less, for the nightmare that kept us awake was all the same nightmare. That's why we weren't surprised when the Commissioner asked us up to the conference room for a bit of a talk. He'd talk to us plenty, we knew that. But it didn't help any to know what was ahead of us.

---

Crazy Credits

After The End was screened the message "You're not giving - just lending - when you buy war savings stamps and bonds - on sale here.

---

Alternate Versions

Also available in computer-colorized version.

---

Connections

Follows The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)

User Reviews

Enjoyable bit of Holmes if not brilliant

The police approach Sherlock Holmes when someone is killing young women in London and neatly severing one of their fingers. Holmes investigates and finds that several well known people appear to be suspicious. A late night visitor gives him the motives for the crimes, if not the method - officially thought dead, Professor Moriarty is framing these people for the murders and then black mailing them to keep it hidden. Sherlock doesn't capture him on this occasion but begins to try and stop whatever master plan he has.

Rathbone will always be the image I have of Sherlock Holmes and it is down to these films. Here he gets involved again with archenemy Professor Moriarty in a game of murder and blackmail. The film has all the usual stuff in it and fans of the series will enjoy this. The plot doesn't quite have a fluidity to it and stutters and starts here and there. The murders start well with danger and dramatic possibilities but it loses a bit of momentum when the tact changes to a more pedestrian pursuit of the woman of the title.

Aside from this it does all it needs to do to be enjoyable (as a fan). Rathbone is a great Holmes and he is a good gentleman detective. I always have a problem with him being so very aloof but it is part of how Watson is portrayed I guess. Bruce is good as Watson, even if it does bother me to see him put down so very often. The film misses the comedy presence of Hoey's detective Lestrade and the new officer can't fill his shoes. Daniell's Moriarty is a bit too average - I never got the impression of an evil or dangerous man who was a match for Holmes.

Overall this is a good entry in the series. None of it screams out as being of a very high quality but it does well enough aside from having areas where it could easily have been strengthened.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Invitation to Murder

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1