Serious-minded Sherlock Holmes aficionados has reservations about the Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes films. First, they abhor Nigel Bruce's portrayal of Holmes' sidekick as an incompetent idiot designed chiefly for comic relief. Indeed, these fellows had a valid point, but Bruce was a first-rate actor and only a first-rate actor can get away with playing a moron. Nevertheless, if Watson weren't played as a bumbling fool, everything would be terribly dull. Second, they complain that Holmes never used the expression "Elementary, my dear Watson." On the other hand, the Universal Studios franchise wins praise for Basil Rathbone's sterling performance as the amateur sleuth whose deductions are nothing short of miraculous. Director Roy William Neill's "Terror By Night" was one of the later Holmes' cases and this murder-mystery is confined primarily for budgetary purposes to a train speeding through the night. At least, three people are murdered in this outing with a rare diamond as the prize up for grabs. The main complaint about this epic is the revelation about the identity of the villain at about 40 or so minutes into the action. Instead of having somebody unveil the villain, director Neill and scenarist Frank Gruber do it for us. This is unfortunate because it deprives the viewer from doing so at the end. Whatever the case, "Terror By Night" remains brisk and entertaining stuff from fade-in to fade-out with Holmes making his usual brilliant deductions and Watson behaving like a first-class fool.
The film unfolds in London as Vivian Vedder visits coffin makers Mock and Son to obtain a coffin for her mother's body. The vain Miss Vedder plans to transport the body across the border to Scotland that night on the Scotch Express. However, Holmes and Watson travel aboard the train for an entirely different reason. Ron Carstairs (Geoffrey Steele) has asked them to accompany his mother, Lady Margaret Carstairs (Mary Forbes) on the return trip because she owns the Star of Rhodesia, a priceless but infamous diamond. She came to London to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace. While the Carstairs were in London, somebody made an attempt to pinch the bauble, so he engages Holmes' services. One of the passengers boarding the train turns out to be none other than Inspector Lestrade. Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) is masquerading as a fisherman. He doesn't know the difference between trout and salmon. Basically, Lestrade tells Holmes that he is riding aboard the train to relax. Naturally, Holmes knows better. As the train pulls out of the station from Platform number six, Dr. John Watson appears late but manages to catch the train. Accompanying Dr. Watson is a member of his club, Major Duncan Bleek (Alan Mowbray), who served in India. Initially, the idea is that Watson knows Bleek like a friend, but this is not the case as the film shows us later.
No sooner has the train pulled out of the station than not only is Ronald Carstairs murdered in a highly unusual fashion but also the Star of Rhodesia is stolen by parties unknown. Earlier, as the train is on its way to Scotland, Carstairs allowed Holmes and Watson to examine the 423 carat stone. While most of the occupants of the coach are taking supper in the dining car, Lestrade--holed up in his compartment-hears a thud and pokes his head in to find Carstairs dead. Lestrade launches his investigation by questioning everybody. Watson has a low opinion of Lestrade's expertise and sets out to question another traveler in the same coach, Mathmaticals Professor Kilbane (Frederic Worlock), who objects to his impertinence. At one point, an unknown assailant in a cap and coat tries to push Holmes off the train and very nearly succeeds. Happily, our wily protagonist clings to the exterior of the carriage. Holmes recovers, smashes the window of the locked door, and re-enters the train. Eventually, Holmes and Watson examine the coffin the baggage compartment and discover that the casket contains a hidden compartment. Earlier, tried to knock Holmes off the train, but he failed. Later, when Watson complains about playing a game of rummy with Major Bleek, he mentions the word math to Holmes. The word triggers the memory of Professor Moriarty, who was a math genius and Holmes suspects that the culprit may be none other than Moriarty's accomplice Dr. Sebastian Moran. Everything ends in Scotland as Moran is exposed and arrested by a Scottish detective and a fight ensues with both Watson and Lestrade displaying a little more competence than we expect of them.
"Terror by Night" was the second to last entry in the fourteen film franchise.
The film unfolds in London as Vivian Vedder visits coffin makers Mock and Son to obtain a coffin for her mother's body. The vain Miss Vedder plans to transport the body across the border to Scotland that night on the Scotch Express. However, Holmes and Watson travel aboard the train for an entirely different reason. Ron Carstairs (Geoffrey Steele) has asked them to accompany his mother, Lady Margaret Carstairs (Mary Forbes) on the return trip because she owns the Star of Rhodesia, a priceless but infamous diamond. She came to London to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace. While the Carstairs were in London, somebody made an attempt to pinch the bauble, so he engages Holmes' services. One of the passengers boarding the train turns out to be none other than Inspector Lestrade. Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) is masquerading as a fisherman. He doesn't know the difference between trout and salmon. Basically, Lestrade tells Holmes that he is riding aboard the train to relax. Naturally, Holmes knows better. As the train pulls out of the station from Platform number six, Dr. John Watson appears late but manages to catch the train. Accompanying Dr. Watson is a member of his club, Major Duncan Bleek (Alan Mowbray), who served in India. Initially, the idea is that Watson knows Bleek like a friend, but this is not the case as the film shows us later.
No sooner has the train pulled out of the station than not only is Ronald Carstairs murdered in a highly unusual fashion but also the Star of Rhodesia is stolen by parties unknown. Earlier, as the train is on its way to Scotland, Carstairs allowed Holmes and Watson to examine the 423 carat stone. While most of the occupants of the coach are taking supper in the dining car, Lestrade--holed up in his compartment-hears a thud and pokes his head in to find Carstairs dead. Lestrade launches his investigation by questioning everybody. Watson has a low opinion of Lestrade's expertise and sets out to question another traveler in the same coach, Mathmaticals Professor Kilbane (Frederic Worlock), who objects to his impertinence. At one point, an unknown assailant in a cap and coat tries to push Holmes off the train and very nearly succeeds. Happily, our wily protagonist clings to the exterior of the carriage. Holmes recovers, smashes the window of the locked door, and re-enters the train. Eventually, Holmes and Watson examine the coffin the baggage compartment and discover that the casket contains a hidden compartment. Earlier, tried to knock Holmes off the train, but he failed. Later, when Watson complains about playing a game of rummy with Major Bleek, he mentions the word math to Holmes. The word triggers the memory of Professor Moriarty, who was a math genius and Holmes suspects that the culprit may be none other than Moriarty's accomplice Dr. Sebastian Moran. Everything ends in Scotland as Moran is exposed and arrested by a Scottish detective and a fight ensues with both Watson and Lestrade displaying a little more competence than we expect of them.
"Terror by Night" was the second to last entry in the fourteen film franchise.