Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)

Director:

John Rawlins

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (story) and
Robert Hardy Andrews (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 September 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

THE MASTER MINDS OF MYSTERY! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

England, at the start of World War Two. Mysterious wireless broadcasts, apparently from Nazi Germany are heard over the BBC...

Plot Keywords:

Propaganda | Nazi | Threat | Knife Murder | Revenge

Cast

Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Dr. John H. Watson
Evelyn Ankers	...	Kitty
Henry Daniell	...	Sir Alfred Lloyd
Thomas Gomez	...	R.F. Meade
Reginald Denny	...	Sir Evan Barham
Leyland Hodgson	...	Capt. Roland Shore
Olaf Hytten	...	Adm. Sir John Prentiss
Montagu Love	...	Gen. Jerome Lawford
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Arthur Blake	...	Unidentified Character [AFI catalog name: Crosbie] (unconfirmed)
George Sherwood	...	Unidentified Character [Cabby, per AFI catalog] (unconfirmed)
Donald Stuart	...	Unidentified Character [AFI Catalog name: Grady] (unconfirmed)
Rudolph Anders	...	Scheeler, Nazi at church (uncredited)
Edgar Barrier	...	Voice of Terror (uncredited)
Robert Barron	...	Gavin, murdered man (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Hillary Brooke	...	Jill Grandis (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Camberwell, dive patron (uncredited)
Leslie Denison	...	Air Raid Warden Dobson (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Smithson, butler (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson (uncredited)
Alec Harford	...	Grimes, dive patron (uncredited)
Charles Jordan	...	Dugan, dive patron (uncredited)
Gavin Muir	...	BBC radio announcer (uncredited)
John Rogers	...	Dive patron (uncredited)
Arthur Stenning	...	Unidentified Officer (uncredited)
Harry Stubbs	...	Taxi Driver 3016 (uncredited)
John Wilde	...	Unidentified Nazi (uncredited)

Directed by
John Rawlins

Writing credits
Arthur Conan Doyle		story "His Last Bow" and
Robert Hardy Andrews		adaptation (as Robert D. Andrews) and
Lynn Riggs		screenplay &
John Bright		screenplay

Produced by
Howard Benedict	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Non-Original Music by
Ludwig van Beethoven		(from "Symphony No.5")

Cinematography by
Elwood Bredell		(director of photography) (as Woody Bredell)

Film Editing by
Russell F. Schoengarth		(as Russell Schoengarth)

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Costume Design by
Vera West		(gowns)

Art Department
Martin Obzina	....	associate art director
Edward R. Robinson	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
Robert Pritchard	....	technician

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director
Richard Hageman	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Tom McKnight	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• MPI Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MPI Home Video (2003) (USA) (VHS)
• MPI Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS) (laserdisc)
• Motion Pictures for Television (MPTV) (????) (USA) (TV)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes Saves London (USA) (working title)
Voice of Terror (UK)

Runtime:

65 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

UK:U

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Debut of 'Thomas Gomez'.

Goofs:

Factual errors: No-one - not even Sherlock Holmes - would be able to phone the BBC and ask for a specific record to be played on air immediately, in the manner of a jukebox. There were no "BBC request stations."

Movie Connections:

Features The Invisible Man (1933)

Soundtrack:

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

Fabulous Photography Elevates This Holmes' WWII Tale

Here's another example of a film I first thought was so-so until I purchased the Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection that was carefully "restored" on DVD with a package of now-beautiful transfers of these famous films. Instead a poor- quality tape, which was the only thing available in the '90s, now every scene is clear.

In this movie, having a good transfer is more important than normal because this might be the best-looking SH film of them all. There are a ton of night-time scenes, like a film noir, and a lot of facial closeups. In fact, I would say this movie was better filmed than many film noirs I've seen.

The story is about a "Tokyo Rose"-type voice telling the British how inferior they were and how the Nazis were going to were going to commit their terrorist-type activities at the moment of the broadcast. And, indeed they did, as promised. This propaganda over "the wireless," as Dr. Watson and other called the radio back then, was driving English folks crazy. The government and Scotland Yard, in desperation, calls Sherlock Holme to the rescue, if he can help.

Holmes deduces that all these acts are only a prelude to some "huge, diabolical act yet to come" and sets out to discover what that would be and who is responsible for the broadcasts. He finds some in the high muckety-muck society that hired him is a traitor and doing the broadcasts from within, as well as spilling secrets to the Germans.

Evelyn Ankers as "Kitty" helps Holmes and is a very attractive helper. Henry Daniell plays his normal irritating character (he was good at that) and Thomas Gomez was interesting as a Nazi.

Overall, a decent story with super photography.