Review of Terror by Night

Terror by Night is an entry in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series that is neither among the best or worst of the series. It's not Hound of the Baskervilles, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Scarlet Claw but it's superior to Voice of Terror and Pursuit to Algiers. It is too short and can feel rushed, but aside from the length the only other things that let it down were the pretty awful performance of Rene Godfrey(as gorgeous as she is) and the identity of the killer being revealed too early, I personally would have done it five-ten minutes later. While not as beautifully made as the likes of Hound of the Baskervilles and Scarlet Claw, Terror by Night is certainly better made than the hurried-looking production values of Pursuit to Algiers. It does evoke a very claustrophobic atmosphere, for a murder mystery set on a train that was actually appropriate and well done. The train is a great setting for a murder mystery as well. The music has haunting and jaunty touches that are used fittingly, while the dialogue is intelligent, with a good mix of comedy and suspense. The mystery elements to the story are clever and suspenseful with lots of nice twists and turns, the final solution itself is pretty ingenious and the climatic fight is exciting, and the comedy is funny and doesn't feel out of place. The film is solidly directed and very well played on the whole with a suave and authoritative Basil Rathbone and an amusing Nigel Bruce leading. Dennis Hoey has always been a mixed bag in effectiveness as Lestrade, not his fault usually it's his placement and how's he written, the good news is that it is one of his better performances of the series and Lestrade is not quite as idiotic as he was before(at his most idiotic he veers on annoying). The supporting acting is not as strong but still good, Alan Mowbrey being the standout, though Skelton Knaggs is relatively creepy too. To conclude, a solid Sherlock Holmes mystery. 7/10 Bethany Cox