‘PURSUIT TO ALGIERS’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
An Ocean Liner Case with Basil’s Sherlock and Nigel’s Watson
It’s time for the twelfth film of the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ film series with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The twelfth film is called ‘Pursuit to Algiers’ and it was released in 1945. I greatly enjoyed this film. 🙂
The film takes characters and events from the 1911 story ‘The Adventures of the Red Circle’. Apparently unrecorded events are mentioned in this film by Dr. Watson about some previous cases.
This includes events from a 1903 story called ‘The Adventure of the Norwood Builder’. Watson also recounts a case from the 1924 story called ‘The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire’. Very fascinating!
I’m curious as to why Universal Pictures decided to not adapt the adventures of ‘the Norwood Builder’ and ‘the Sussex Vampire’ into films. But Watson proclaims ‘the world is not yet prepared’. 😐
In the film ‘Pursuit to Algiers’, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are hired to protect an heir to a foreign throne. The royal is travelling from London to his homeland on this transatlantic ocean liner.
Beforehand, the king to the royal throne was assassinated. The crown prince is feared to be next. As Holmes and Watson journey for a few days to Algiers, the liner ship contains some likely suspects. 😐
It’s funny how Holmes and Watson were about to leave London for a much-needed holiday in Scotland, I believe. I think this is the third time where Holmes and Watson wanted to go to Scotland.
Holmes and Watson soon receive a cryptic invitation that first involves them going to a fish and chip shop. Watson is very disapproving of fish and chips. Well, I find that rather prejudiced in my opinion.
Surely fish and chips are a part of UK/British culture. Why would Watson be against having fish and chips? They might not be good for you as my Mum would say, but still. Fish and chips are splendid! 🙂
Basil Rathbone continues to be good as Sherlock Holmes. It’s interesting how he made Watson take the ocean trip first, making out he was boarding a plane before actually being on the liner instead. 🙂
Nigel Bruce is equally good as Dr. Watson. Watson does his best to carry out Holmes’ instructions in how they handle the Algiers case, but is so surprised by how Holmes had a different plan by the end.
The film also features Marjorie Riordan as Sheila Woodbury. Sheila is a singer whom Watson takes a fancy to when they’re aboard the liner. But could Sheila be the person wishing to kill a crown prince?
There’s Rosalind Ivan as Agatha Dunham, an exercise fanatic. She’s rather eccentric and can be quite strange in her manner to passengers and crew aboard the liner. But would she want to kill a prince?
Leslie Vincent plays Prince Nikolas who ends up acting as Dr. Watson’s nephew ‘Nikolas Watson’. For a while, it seemed as if he was about to be assassinated left, right and centre. But is he the prince? 😐
There’s Morton Lowry who plays the Steward in the film. I was surprised by the Steward’s character reveal by the end of the film. I didn’t think twice about him whilst I watched the film throughout. 😀
There are three Soviet agents that come aboard the liner when it makes an unscheduled stop at Lisbon. They’re Rex Evans as Gregor, Martin Kosleck as Mirko and William ‘Wee Willie’ Davis as Gubec. 🙂
Mirko happens to be a circus knife thrower and Gubec happens to be a hulking mute. Gosh, Gubec had the easiest job in the film by not saying much. I wonder if he auditioned to be the Incredible Hulk. 😀
John Abbot, who played the pacifist Ayelborne in the ‘Star Trek’ episode called ‘Errand of Mercy’, plays a character called Jodri in the film. There’s also Gerald Hamer who plays Kingston in the film. 🙂
Other cast members include Tom Dillon playing a restaurant owner, Frederick Worlock playing the Prime Minister of Ovinia, asking for Sherlock Holmes’ help, and Sven Hugo Born playing Johansson. 🙂
Whilst the surprise twist at the film’s end was welcoming, I wish the climax was longer in order to know what happened to ‘Nikolas Watson’ once he got captured. The ending felt really abrupt for me.
‘Pursuit to Algiers’ is an enjoyable ‘Sherlock Holmes’ film with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. I enjoyed the ocean liner setting for the film and it was nice having a surprise twist at the film’s end. 🙂
The DVD special features are as follows. There’s the ‘Restoring Sherlock Holmes’ featurette, production notes by Richard Valley and a photo gallery.
‘Pursuit to Algiers’ rating – 8/10
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