Terror by Night - A Sherlock Holmes Movie Review
Starring Basil Rathbone As Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson
Sep 28, 2009
By 1946 Basil Rathbone had grown weary of playing Sherlock Holmes, feeling that the role that he had first created in 1939 in 20th Century-Fox’s two movies, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, was stifling his career. However, knowing that the Universal Holmes series would be soon ending, Rathbone was able to reignite a spark in Terror by Night.
Basil Rathbone as Holmes
For the Holmes role, Basil Rathbone was cast against type, having built his career mainly playing suave villains in costume dramas and swashbucklers. The decision, first made by 20th Century Fox and later by Universal, was a brilliant one. His physical features nearly matched those of the literary Sherlock and his Shakespearean training allowed him to bring a dignified, but often unemotional, quality to the role.
Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson
It was Rathbone’s suggestion that brought his good friend Nigel Bruce to the role of Watson. Bruce had built his career playing loyal and amiable, but slow-witted characters. Rathbone argued that Bruce’s acting traits were the perfect complement to the often cold, calculating persona of Holmes. The choice of Bruce helped to create a memorable pair.
Synopsis of Terror by Night
- Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Dennis Hoey, Renee Godfrey, Mary Forbes, Frederic Worlock, Gerald Hamer
- Director: Roy William Neill
- Length: 60 minutes
- Color: B&W
Holmes has been hired to accompany Lady Margaret Carstairs (Forbes) and her son on the London to Edinburgh overnight express. They have in their possession the highly valuable Star of Rhodesia and one attempt has already been made to steal it. Accompanying Holmes is Dr. Watson and, for reasons not explained, Inspector Lestrade (Hoey) is also onboard the train.
Shortly after leaving London, young Carstairs is discovered dead in his locked compartment and the Star of Rhodesia gone. Holmes, Watson, and Lestrade then turn their attention to determining which of the passengers and crew committed the crime.
Among the suspects are a nervous young woman (Godfrey); an irritable professor (Worlock); Major Duncan Bleek (Mowbray), who has recently returned from India; an elderly man (Hamer), who has reason to feel guilty; and a wary baggage car attendant. Even the haughty Lady Margaret comes under suspicion when it appears that she is more upset by the loss of her jewel than the death of her son.
Eventually, Holmes determines that the hand of Sebastian Moran is behind the crime. After an attempt is made on Holmes' life, the detective announces that he has had the real Star in his possession the whole time and that a fake was stolen. This revelation forces Moran to reveal himself and, soon, he and his henchmen are arrested.
Analysis of Terror by Night
At sixty minutes, the movie’s brevity is to its benefit, making the story’s numerous unanswered questions less noticeable. These questions include:
- Moran has been posing on the train as an old chum of Watson’s. Although Watson hadn’t seen this "friend" in years, shouldn’t he have been able to spot a phony?
- Moran’s killer henchman is carried onboard in a coffin. How did he get out without being noticed by the baggage attendant? Was the attendant part of the gang? Was he bribed?
- Carstairs’ murder occurs in a compartment that is apparently locked, so how did the killer pull it off?
- In order for Holmes to capture Moran and his henchmen, he must devise a last second ploy that requires Lestrade understanding it without being told. How is it possible that Lestrade, who has been his dunderhead self throughout the movie, is suddenly perceptive enough to sense what Holmes is going to do?
Unfortunately, the script makes Watson look even more foolish than usual. His mocking by Professor Kilbane when he attempts to interrogate him is meant to be humorous, but instead comes across as mean-spirited and cruel.
The movie has more of a “B-Film” feel than others in the series. This is due in large part to its extensive use of stock footage, including the frequent use of model railroad trains racing across the English “countryside.”
Overall though, Terror by Night is easy to watch. The story moves quickly and the acting by those in supporting roles is quite good, led by veteran character actor, Alan Mowbray, as the congenial Major Bleek. Even Rathbone, after a lackadaisical effort in his previous film, Pursuit to Algiers, appears to be having fun again.
Perhaps one reason for the Sherlock-weary Rathbone’s enthusiasm was his realization that he needed to only do one more Holmes film. This movie was Dressed to Kill and featured his first female adversary since The Woman in Green.
Sherlock Holmes DVD
The entire Universal series of Rathbone/Holmes movies has been released on DVD in a three volume set. The last volume contains Terror by Night.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
