Terror by Night (1946)

When the fabled Star of Rhodesia diamond is stolen on a London to Edinburgh train and the son of its owner is murdered, Sherlock Holmes must discover which of his suspicious fellow passengers is responsible.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Frank Gruber (screenplay), Arthur Conan Doyle (adapted from a story by) (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. John H. Watson
Alan Mowbray	...	Maj. Duncan-Bleek
Dennis Hoey	...	Inspector Lestrade
Renee Godfrey	...	Vivian Vedder
Frederick Worlock	...	Prof. William Kilbane (as Frederic Worlock)
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Margaret Carstairs
Skelton Knaggs	...	Sands
Billy Bevan	...	Train Attendant
Geoffrey Steele	...	Roland Carstairs

Storyline

Holmes is hired by Roland Carstairs to prevent the theft of the Star of Rhodesia, an enormous diamond owned by Carstairs' mother, Lady Margaret. Believing the diamond will be stolen on a train trip from London to Edinburgh, Holmes deftly switches diamonds with Lady Margaret while in her compartment. Soon after, Roland is murdered and the fake diamond is stolen. Red herrings abound as Holmes, aided by Dr. Watson and Inspector Lestrade, discover the murderer's hiding place and deduce that long-time foe Moriarty's henchman Colonel Sebastian Moran is somehow involved in the crime.

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Plot Keywords:

sherlock holmes | diamond | rhodesia | train | colonel | 

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Taglines:

One Way Ticket to DEATH..!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes: Terror by Night

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film has a slightly ambiguous setting in time. Although a few characters wear 19th century clothes, many extras can be seen wearing 1940s clothes, implies it's a contemporary update of Holmes.

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Goofs

In the Conan Doyle story "The Empty House", Col. Sebastian Moran kills a young man named Ronald. In this film, "Terror by Night", the young man's name has been changed to Roland. In one scene, Basil Rathbone inadvertently refers to Roland as "Ronald".

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Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: The Inspector's going to Scotland to fish for salmon!
Dr. John H. Watson: [to Lestrade] Oh really? The season doesn't start for another month, but you wouldn't know that, would you?
Inspector Lestrade: 'Oo says I'm gonna fish fer salmon?
Dr. John H. Watson: 'Oo? 'Im!

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Alternate Versions

In some prints, scenes are repeated at the conclusion to illustrate Holmes' explanation scene.

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Connections

Featured in Great Adaptations: 50 Movie Mega Pack (2016)

User Reviews

A train trip to entertainment

This is not the best of the Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce pairings but nonetheless this is one of the most fun mystery movies to watch. Terror by Night is one of those I put on late at night to watch curled up on the sofa with a cat by my side. The rhythm of the train and the steadfast bond between Holmes, Watson and Lestrade creates one of the most relaxing murder mysteries ever put on film. The deliberate pace may not please all, but to those with a taste for it this is the mystery equivalent of a good house wine.