‘SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Musgrave Manor with Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock and Nigel Bruce’s Dr. Watson
‘Sherlock Holmes Faces Death’ is the sixth film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce ‘Sherlock Holmes’ film series. It was released in September 1943, five months after ‘Sherlock Holmes in Washington’. 🙂
Apparently, this film is a loose adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1893 story ‘The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual’. The film also breaks away from the World War II spy adventures for the series.
It returns to the pure mystery from where Holmes and Watson are investigating a murder mystery at a house. Mind you, some characters in this film are military types and there are mentions of the war.
I’m not sure if I’ve said it before in another review, but these ‘Sherlock Holmes’ films were made to keep up the morale of people during World War II. This is very evident in Holmes’ speech at the end.
In the film, Dr. Watson calls upon Holmes for help when Musgrave Manor becomes the site of several sinister murders. Holmes agrees to help but the list of suspects becomes bigger in the house.
This ‘Sherlock Holmes’ film features the return of Hillary Brooke, who worked with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce before in ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror’, though as a different character.
Here, Hillary Brooke plays Sally Musgrave, who becomes concerned for one of the wounded American fighter pilots at Musgrave Manor. Not certain if Sally and the fighter pilot are an item here.
The fighter pilot is Milburne Stone as Captain Pat Vickary. Sally also has to partake in ‘the Musgrave ritual’, hence the story’s original title the film is based on, though gets it wrong in the proceedings. 😐
The film also features Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade, who previously appeared in ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon’. Lestrade is attempting to conduct the murder investigation himself.
But as it’s clearly evident Lestrade isn’t the most efficient of crime-solving investigators like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are. It’s demonstrated when Lestrade gets lost, going into a secret passage.
The film also features Arthur Margetson as Dr. Bob Sexton, who claims to have been attacked early on in the film. There’s also Halliwell Hobbes as Alfred Bruton, Musgrave Manor’s suspicious butler. 😐
There’s also Minna Phillips as Mrs. Howells, Frederick Worlock as Geoffrey Musgrave, Sally’s brother and Gavin Muir as Philip Musgrave, another of Sally’s brothers. Not much family interaction though.
There’s Gerald Hamer as Major Langford, Vernon Downing as Lt. Clavering, Olaf Hytten as Captain MacIntosh, Charles Coleman as Constable Kray and Norman Varden as Grace the barmaid in the film.
Quite surprisingly, Peter Lawford (who’s been in 1947’s ‘Good News’ and 1948’s ‘Easter Parade’) plays a customer (a sailor, I believe) in a pub. I know it’s a fleeting appearance, but still what a WOW.
Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson makes an appearance in the film. I know she’s not a major character in the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ series, but I think Una Stubbs’ Mrs. Hudson in the ‘Sherlock’ TV series had a bigger role.
Once again, Basil Rathbone delivers another engaging performance as Sherlock Holmes. I like how charming he is when he conducts investigations, even when he has to be very firm with the suspects.
Nigel Bruce is equally good as Dr. John Watson. I’m sure Watson means well, but he can be pretty foolish, especially when agreeing to keep guard on something. He falls asleep and even gets caught!
I like how the climax was resolved in terms of how Sherlock uncovered the murderer. It was tense when Sherlock was in a struggle with the murderer. Thankfully the gun provided had blank bullets. 🙂
The movie concludes with Sherlock Holmes saying his speech to Dr. Watson in the car. He mentions about ‘the old days of grab and greed are on their way out’. I really wish that were true, Mr. Holmes.
I know this movie was made at a time when people had to keep their spirits up during wartime. But I argue that the way the world’s gone with technology and such, there’s far more grabbing and greed.
‘Sherlock Holmes Faces Death’ is an enjoyable instalment in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce ‘Sherlock Holmes’ film series. It does end on a misguided note, but I can appreciate the idealism in it.
The DVD special features are as follows. There’s a DVD audio commentary by ‘Sherlock Holmes’ expert David Stuart Davies. There’s the ‘Restoring Sherlock Holmes’ featurette, production notes by Richard Valley and a photo gallery.
‘Sherlock Holmes Faces Death’ rating – 8/10
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