Terror by Night

As fast-paced, tightly-woven Sherlock Holmes mystery as you will find, Terror by Night tells of a famous jewel being transported from London to Edinburgh with the watchful eye of Sherlock Holmes and befuddled, faithful Watson in tow. Along for the ride are Inspector Lestrade, arch-criminal Colonel Sebastion Moran, a cast of eccentric, Victorian-type characters including a wonderful professor of mathematics(not Moriarity), and a train that gives off the right mood for murder and intrigue. I really liked this addition to the series of Holmes' films. It is not the finest of the lot, but it ranks right up there in terms of what it delivers. Good, solid direction from Holmes veteran Roy William Neill, quality, reliable acting from leads Rathbone and Bruce, exceptional character acting from Alan Mowbry and company, and a zippy pace connected to a script that is able to develop the plot and suspense despite the length of the film being just under an hour. All aboard! You won't regret taking this ride if you like good, old-fashioned suspense.

You gotta love the classic Sherlock Holmes films - and I certainly do! To be honest, I wasn't expecting all that much out of Terror by Night - it's not often mentioned alongside the best of the series, and I'm not really sure what the reason for that is. Set aboard a speeding train, Terror by Night breathes a claustrophobic atmosphere throughout and does everything that you could possibly want one of these classic pictures to do. The last film in the Sherlock Holmes series, Dressed to Kill, was sub-par (but certainly not bad!) so it's good to see that the entries in the series leading up to that lapse didn't go the same way. The cast outdo themselves as usual, with Basil Rathbone providing the central role as only he can. Nigel Bruce joins him in support as the inept but lovable Dr Watson, and their chemistry is superb as usual. Perhaps not quite as great as some of the earlier films; but then again, they had done this twelve times already by this point. Finally, Dennis Hoey in the role of Scotland Yard inspector Lestrade makes up the cast. His presence really is underrated in the series, and he helps to give the film all-important extra comic dimension.

A few of the Holmes films made during World War Two annoyed me because of the rampant and often ham-fisted propaganda themes, so maybe one of the reason why this film appealed to me so much is that it stays away from any such themes. What we have instead is a streamlined and simple plot, which allows for more of what we tuned in for; namely, Holmes solving a mystery. The great detective has been hired to guard a lady carrying a rare diamond, The Star of Rhodesia, aboard a train bound for Edinburgh. I won't give anything else away, but I will say that while a few of the plot twists become apparent before they happen; most of them don't, and Terror by Night represents a solid hour of mystery. The classic style that makes the other films such a joy is here too; and because of the fact that this film (or any others in the series) never makes a direct bid for greatness, it is easy to enjoy and ignore any flaws that may ensue. This film isn't often mentioned when talking about the best Sherlock Holmes films - and it is topped by certain entries in the series. However, Terror by Night is a more than solid entry and you'll do well not to skip it!

This Conan Doyle story has a big plus for a movie adaptation: the story takes place on a train.

Holmes has been asked to protect a famous jewel, the Star of Rhodesia, while the owner, Lady Margaret Carstairs, takes the train from London to Edinburgh. Of course Holmes cannot prevent the theft, nor is the thief (and murderer) able to get off the train. This is why train stories are among the best settings for a whodunnit: all the suspects are in their own compartments, noone can get off the train and, unlike a whodunnit in a closed room, the detective has more freedom to interrogate the suspects one by one. Of course, the whodunnits on train trips bring their own set of cliches: you can bet that someone will try and kill the detective by pushing him or her out of the train. Sadly Terror By Night isn't without those clichés and, what's worse, gives Nigel Bruce (as Holmes's sidekick Watson) too many chances to spoil the movie by cracking unfunny jokes.

Terror By Night only lasts 60 minutes, so the pace is fast enough to keep the viewer interested and the movie entertaining. The movie is in the skilled directing hands of Roy William Neill, who shot this film shortly before he died of a heart attack. Neill directed more than 100 films between 1917 and 1946, of which ten Sherlock Holmes films and movies with intriguing titles as Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) and The Good Bad Girl. Apart from helming two Holmes films (this one and Dressed To Kill) he also directed the much praised film noir Black Angel (starring Peter Lorre) in the last year he lived. At least Roy William Neill left the planet in glory, a worthy end of a man who was born on a ship off the coasts of Ireland.

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.

This Basil Rathbone-Sherlock Holmes adventure involves a bunch of suspects on a train, each looking guilty making the viewer undecided who really is the culprit who trying to steal a precious diamond, "The Star Of Rhodesia."

With all these suspects (who are fun to watch), there a number of twists every five minutes to keep us all guessing. There isn't a lot of action, but just enough to keep things lively. Once again Nigel Bruce as "Dr. Watson," provides the humor with his mumbling and bumbling aboard the train. It's always fun to see the equally-bumbling Inspector Lestrade, (Dennis Hoey) too.

What I really appreciated was the fine transfer the UCLA 35mm "restored" process team did on this disc. It looks great. Speaking of looks, there is a very attractive woman aboard, Rene Godfrey, but she must have gotten the part because of those looks because she's not much of an actress. It didn't matter; she didn't have a lot of lines. The wrap-up at the end went a little quickly but overall I have no complaints about this Holmes entry. I would watch it multiple times and always enjoy it.