The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
1h 25m | PG-13
Having once again avoided criminal conviction, Professor Moriarity develops a murderous plan to “finish off” his last major nemesis, Sherlock Holmes, by making him fail to prevent the perfect crime. Does it involve a family curse, the crown jewels of England, or something else…
Director: Alfred L. Werker
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Video: 720p
Cast
Basil Rathbone
as Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce
as Dr. Watson
Ida Lupino
as Ann Brandon
Alan Marshal
as Jerrold Hunter
Terry Kilburn
as Billy
George Zucco
as Professor Moriarty
Reviews
My personal favourite of these Rathbone/Bruce combinations. This time, the fiendishly clever Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) intends the crime of the century and so has Holmes and Watson distracted by an ominous series of murders whilst he sets about perpetrating his true desire. Henry Stephenson also chips into this accomplished murder-mystery that keeps you guessing for quite a while. The atmosphere of a foggy London all adds to the dramatic effect of this film and Rathbone and Bruce are clearly now on their way to establishing their own, definitive, characterisations of their fictional alter-egos.