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	...	Professor 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:

irish whiskey | body mutilation | professor moriarty character | sherlock holmes character | dr. john watson character | 

---

Taglines:

Temptress of Pleasure - or Mistress of Murder?

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery

---

Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 11th of 14 films based on Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional consulting detective Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.

---

Goofs

When Holmes is walking along the terrace wall, his arms are by his sides, However, in the next shot, immediately Dr. Watson enters, Holmes is standing still with his hands in his pockets.

---

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 Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)

User Reviews

Very good entry in the Rathbone/Bruce series

Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) step in to help Scotland Yard when a series of murders hits London. They're all women and their right forefingers are missing! It seems an evil, beautiful woman named Lydia (Hillary Brooke) and Prof. Moriarty (Henry Daniell) have something to do with it...

Very good entry in the series. It's well-done with some very inventive direction (for this series) from Roy William Neill--especially during the hypnotism scenes. Rathbone is good as always; Brooke is very beautiful and just great and Daniell seems rather subdued. Bruce once again plays Watson as a buffoon--but I blame the screenwriters more than him. And we don't have the annoying Inspector Lestrade in this one.

Worth catching.

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