Product: Terror by Night (1946)
Rating: 4.0
Sherlock and the Diamond
The Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes films were moved from Victorian England to current England (1946). Also, like the James Bond films, the only thing similar to the books is the title. If you are looking for faithful adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books then get the Jeremy Brett Mystery series. If you are looking for some great acting and good period mysteries, the Rathbone - Bruce series is great.Lady Carstairs is taking the train from London to Edinburgh with The Star of Rhodesia. Holmes and Watson are hired to protect it from master jewel thief Colonel Moran, who also happens to be a master of disguise. To make things more intriguing, Lady Carstairs son, Roland, is murdered on the train. This is probably one of the more typical plots but is set entirely on a train.The transfer quality is fairly poor but not awful. These are the kind of films that are not usually subject to restoration and the deteriorated status is that of wear and age. I have seen a new collection but they are quite expensive. So if you just want to have a copy of the films just to enjoy these mysteries, these are fine.Of course, for most Basil was Sherlock Holmes, this was probably the first films that he had a chance to a role that he could use his substantial talent. Before these, he was usually the bad guy or a minor supporting player. He was an accomplished swordsman and the joke was he constantly had to lose to actors that he could beat blindfolded. So Basil made these quickie films much more depth than they would otherwise have.