Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
Directed by Roy William Neill

Crime / Thriller / Mystery

Film Review

Abstract picture representing Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
The film in which Sherlock Holmes utters the immortal line "put it away, Watson" and has Watson reciting American colloquialisms to make himself better understood in the United States clearly isn't going to be the most sober entry in the series, but amidst the silliness and obvious wartime propaganda there's plenty of fun to be had.  Holmes's deductive powers are put to good use as he unravels a mystery that may well have been conceived by his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the only thing that is obviously wrong is the location, which is a clumsy and unnecessary attempt to bolster the popularity of the series in America.

On the plus side, Sherlock Holmes in Washington is well-scripted, well-directed, imaginatively shot and offers some solid performances.  George Zucco plays the bad guy again - he had previously crossed swords with Holmes as Professor Moriarty in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) - aided and abetted by Henry Daniell, who would subsequently play Moriarty in The Woman in Green (1945).   Alas, by this stage, only five films into the series, Dr Watson has been well and truly reduced to a figure of fun - Holmes's comedy sidekick, who is a million miles from the thoughtful and helpful ally that Conan Doyle created to assist Holmes in his fight against crime.  You can easily imagine that, by the time the series reaches its conclusion, Watson will be wearing a big red nose, complete with a full clown's apparel, and performing hilarious pratfalls in every scene.  Is that a writer I can hear spinning in his grave?
© James Travers 2009
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Roy William Neill film:
The Pearl of Death (1944)

Film Synopsis

When a British secret agent named Alfred Pettibone disappears on a train bound for Washington D.C., Sherlock Holmes is called in to investigate.  Pettibone was the courier for vital state documents from the British to American governments and calamity would ensue if these were to fall into the hands of a foreign power.  Visiting the home of the missing agent, Holmes discovers that he reduced the documents to microfilm, which he then concealed inside a match folder.  On his arrival in Washington with his associate Dr Watson, Holmes learns that, just before he was kidnapped, Pettibone managed to pass the match folder to a young woman who is about to get married.  Unfortunately, Holmes makes this deduction too late, and the woman also disappears...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Roy William Neill
  • Script: Arthur Conan Doyle (characters), Bertram Millhauser, Lynn Riggs
  • Cinematographer: Lester White
  • Music: Frank Skinner
  • Cast: Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes), Nigel Bruce (Doctor Watson), Marjorie Lord (Nancy Partridge), Henry Daniell (William Easter), George Zucco (Heinrich Hinckel aka Richard Stanley), John Archer (Naval Lt. Pete Merriam), Gavin Muir (Mr. Lang), Edmund MacDonald (Detective Lt. Grogan), Don Terry (Howe), Bradley Page (Cady), Holmes Herbert (Mr. Ahrens), Thurston Hall (Senator Henry Babcock), John Burton (Army Inspector), Eddie Coke (Airplane Steward), Evelyn Cook (Nancy's Friend at Engagement Party), Caroline Cooke (Mrs. Ruxton), Kernan Cripps (Hotel Porter), Leslie Denison (Transport Pilot), Gilbert Emery (Sir Henry Marchmont), Alice Fleming (Mrs. Jellison)
  • Country: USA
  • Language: English
  • Support: Black and White
  • Runtime: 71 min

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