Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

Plot synopsis:
At a cafe in Switzerland, two Gestapo agents plot with a man disguised as an old bookseller to abduct Dr. Franz Tobel (William Post Jr.), the inventor of a new bomb sight. However, the bookseller is really Holmes (Basil Rathbone), who sends the Nazis after decoys while he and Tobel drive to a rendezvous with an RAF plane that takes them to London. They go to 221B Baker Street, where Watson (Nigel Bruce) pulls a gun on them, but Mrs. Hudson (Mary Gordon) recognizes Holmes's voice. Holmes leaves to make arrangements with government representative Sir Reginald Bailey (Holmes Herbert), and Tobel sneaks out while Watson is asleep. He goes to see his sweetheart, Charlotte Eberli (Kaaren Verne), and gives her a message which, if anything happens to him, she's to give to Holmes. The message is in a version of the stick-figure code from the Holmes story "The Adventure of the Dancing Men". On his way back from Charlotte's, Tobel is struck on the head, but a policeman rescues him. Back at 221B, Holmes deduces that Tobel has been with a girl, and even describes her based on clues left on Tobel's clothing.The next day, a test of Tobel's bomb sight is a huge success. Tobel will supply it to the RAF, but insists that he will arrange all production, so no one besides himself will know the secret of the invention. The authorities reluctantly agree not to interfere, and will rely on Holmes to protect Tobel unofficially. Tobel brings a gift-wrapped package to fellow scientist Prof. Frederic Hoffner (Henry Victor). It's the prototype of the part of the bomb sight he'll be producing. Three other scientists will produce the other parts, all unknown to anyone other than Tobel. Soon, Scotland Yard reports that Tobel is missing. Holmes tracks down his secret office, but all they find there is some gift wrapping and the scent of an expensive perfume. Holmes deduces that Tobel called his lady love from 221B that first night and has the call traced. When Holmes visits her, Charlotte hands him the envelope Tobel left, but now it only contains a note - "We meet again, Mr. Holmes." It must have been switched by the "electrician" who came to Charlotte's apartment. From her description, Holmes realizes that he's up against Prof. Moriarty (Lionel Atwill).Holmes disguises himself as a thug formerly in Moriarty's employ and roams Soho until an old sailor leads him to one of Moriarty's places of business. The master criminal won't back down from his plans of treason, and has Holmes put in the false bottom of a sea chest, so he can be dumped in the ocean. Meanwhile a "beggar" (Michael Mark) who followed Holmes to Moriarty's place reports back to Watson and Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey). They see Moriarty's two henchmen carrying away the sea chest. Amazingly, Lestrade figures out the false bottom trick and rescues Holmes. Back at Charlotte's, he takes the sheet of paper that was underneath the one on which Tobel wrote his coded message and finds away to reveal the message from it. Watson recognizes the substitution cypher from the earlier case, but it takes Holmes to figure out the variation that Tobel used. Decoded, the message gives the names and addresses of 3 of the 4 scientists (which is enough for Holmes to deduce Tobel's entire scheme). The final name is gibberish - obviously coded differently. Moriarty has had the message longer, and has already murdered the first three scientists and taken the prototypes of their components. The final name has him stumped - as he's busy trying unsuccessfully to torture it out of Tobel. Holmes realizes that the final name and address, of Prof. Hoffner, were coded in mirror image. Not long after, Moriarty comes to the same realization, and sends men to grab Hoffner (who will be more useful alive than the others) and the final component.When the thugs return, Moriarty opens the package, only to find a note - "We meet again, Professor." Of course, the captured scientist is really Holmes in disguise. Unknown to Moriarty and his men, while they were grabbing the fake professor, the real one went to their car and attached a device that would drip luminous paint on the street. Although they are delayed by a false trail at one point, Watson and the police are able to track Holmes to Moriarty's supposedly impregnable hideout. Meanwhile, Moriarty is open about his intention to murder Holmes, but the latter mocks his lack of originality in means of death. If their positions were reversed, he says, he'd put a needle in Moriarty and start slowly removing his blood, so Moriarty would die by inches, fully conscious the entire time. "The needle to the last, eh Holmes?" says Moriarty, but of course he can't resist inflicting this very form of death on the detective. This elaborate process gives Lestrade and Watson time to arrive and rescue Holmes. Nearby, a gunfight breaks out when police attempt to rescue Tobel, and Moriarty escapes in the confusion. Holmes, though weakened, has anticipated Moriarty and has a gun on him. However, Moriarty runs through his special escape tunnel, complete with a trap door that will send anyone following Moriarty plunging sixty feet into the sewers below. As soon as he disappears, we hear a long scream and a splash. Unfortunately for Moriarty, Holmes had found the trap door and left it open.In an epilog, Holmes and his companions watch RAF bombers on their way to Germany, equipped with the new bomb sight. Charlotte is now Mrs. Tobel. Holmes waxes Shakespearean, quoting from John of Gaunt's "Sceptred Isle" speech in Richard II.

Tags: good versus evil, murder

Review:
When the scientist and his formulae goes missing, Holmes becomes involved in a rush to rescue the man and prevent nemesis Professor Moriarty getting hold of the rest of the formulae.Although I'm not a major fan of the Holmes films where he finds himself in the modern day world, this is one of the better ones I have seen thus far.
Atwill's Moriarty is good but I always saw him as a leaner, meaner man - Atwill looks more like Watson than Sherlock, even though their battle of wits is good I never felt that he was any match for Holmes, never mind being a nemesis.Overall I enjoyed this film.
Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) and Watson (Bruce), the detecting duo living in 223 Baker Street , again are up against their old enemy Dr. James Moriarty (Lionel Atwill , he earlier performed Mortimer in Hound of the Baskerville , 1939).
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) have been hired by the British government to protect a Swiss scientist Dr. Franz Tobel (William Post Jr.).
Unfortunately the evil Dr. Moriarty (Lionel Atwill) is working with the Nazis and will stop at nothing to get the doctor--and his invention.Moving Sherlock Holmes to the 1940s sounded like a stupid idea but it does work for one reason--Basil Rathbone.
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) begins this story in disguise, helping to smuggle famous physicist "Dr. Franz Tobel" (William Post) out of Switzeralnad and under the watchful eye of the Nazis, who want his bomb sight plans.
It's pretty sad, too, when the usual dim-witted Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) has to rescue his boss from certain death a couple of times!Yes, there are some credibility issues in this story but if you can put your brain on hold a few times, it's a fun film to watch....and it looks beautiful, thanks to the great restoration job done on this DVD.
The evil Professor Moriarty plots to gain control of both SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON which could win the war for the Nazis.Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce return to the screen as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective and sidekick, Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, in this entertaining little mystery.
Indeed Rathbone, as the cerebral ego, and Bruce, as the bumbling id, seem to actually become the characters they are creating, gleefully keeping their faces straight while engaged in the most utter nonsense.Dennis Hoey makes his first appearance as the dogged Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard; teamed with Bruce, these two good-hearted but pedantic fellows actually get to save the intellectually superior Holmes' life twice.
Lionel Atwill, a master of the sinister who deserves more recognition for his talent, does a fine job as Moriarty, making the wicked rascal a foe worthy of Holmes' steel, relishing the scenes in which he gets to inflict torture & pain.William Post Jr. and Kaaren Verne play the Swiss scientist and his girlfriend who are at the heart of the mystery, but they're not given much to do.
Sweet Mary Gordon makes a token appearance as Holmes' landlady Mrs. Hudson.Rathbone spices up his already classic interpretation of Holmes by getting to appear in disguise three times during the story, thereby revealing to the viewer that the great sleuth was a bit of a ham actor at heart.This film--which is based very loosely on elements in Sir Arthur's short stories 'The Dancing Men' and 'The Empty House'--followed SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942) and preceded SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (1943)..
It was an interesting enough idea, I suppose, to set a series of Sherlock Holmes films in the "modern day"...at the time, the WWII era...but those who are familiar with the first two Rathbone/Bruce films might be thrown off by it.
The Fox films were Victorian period pieces, whereas Universal took the opportunity to utilize Sherlock Holmes in the series of modern-day B-movies into which this entry falls, several of which were fairly standard wartime propaganda...pretty much the order of the day for Hollywood films circa 1942-1945.While the film may boast some entertainment value, the plot is actually quite silly.
Holmes relies just as heavily upon chance and educated guesses as he does upon deduction, and it's the bumbling Watson (who was never bumbling in the original stories) who inadvertently provides the solution to the major stumbling block (despite the fact that the solution should have been obvious to someone as brilliant as Sherlock Holmes).All in all, this film has its moments, but fails to live up to the legend of the world's greatest detective.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a fair number of Sherlock Holmes accounts but the popularity of the famous detective insured that sequels in both print and on film would extend far beyond the author's works.In "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon," Holmes, Basil Rathbone, patriotically serves British intelligence in order to secure a Swiss scientist's desperately needed bombsight.
The film is from 1942 and I wonder if the producers and writers realized how vital bombsight secrets were (the American Norden bombsight was guarded almost as zealously as the new radar sets that would change the course of World War II).Holmes and his faithful but expectedly bumbling companion, Dr. Watson, Nigel Bruce, battle Dr. Moriarty, Lionel Atwill.
In the Universal series of modern Sherlock Holmes stories with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEOPON is not one of the top films - although it is entertaining.
Arthur Conan Doyle's super sleuth Sherlock Holmes(Basil Rathbone) and his assistant Dr. Watson(Nigel Bruce)work seriously to save the British war effort.
Holmes is again up against his arch enemy, Professor Moriarty(Lionel Atwill), who is now working for the Nazi and they must be stopped for getting their hands on information concerning a crucial new bomb site.
They perhaps should have realised that basically people don't change, that what was entertaining to ordinary people in 1942 would still entertain a select group now (2005) and tightened up on the script and sets!Lionel Atwill was going through his Hollywood rape court case at about this time, I wonder if it was that or particularly effective make-up that made him look so haggard as Moriarty?The important thing about SW though is that this was the first Holmes film Roy William Neill directed, I think he directed all of the rest and produced all but one, thus establishing a marvellous ambient continuity..
But when the inventor is kidnapped right from under the nose of Scotland Yard, Holmes discovers it's not just the Nazis he has to contend with but his old nemesis Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill) as well.The second in Universal's highly enjoyable Sherlock Holmes series is also the first directed by Roy William Neill, who would direct every Universal Holmes film after this.
Any movie that features Basil Rathbone vs Lionel Atwill is one where you will be entertained.For some reason, as with other WWII Holmes movies, a lot of reviewers seem to really hate the idea of Sherlock Holmes fighting against the Nazis or for England.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (Universal, 1942), directed by Roy William Neil, the second in the newly formatted series by the studio, makes this the fourth in the series to star Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in their now legendary screen roles.
Aside from Neil's initial assignment as its series director, SECRET WEAPON also introduces Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade and the return of Holmes' arch rival, Professor Moriarty, in the figure of Lionel Atwill (minus his mustache), a role previously enacted to perfection and nearly stolen by George Zucco in the gas lit London 1890s setting edition of THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (20th-Fox, 1939).For Sherlock Holmes latest adventure some fifty years later, SECRET WEAPON opens in Switzerland where Holmes (Basil Rathbone), the master of disguises and deductive reasoning, is seen as an white haired old man entering a pub coming to the table to interest Braum (Robert O.
Holmes, Watson and Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) race against time preventing the "secret weapon" from reaching the Nazis, or worse, Moriarty, as he attempts to figure out Tobel's "dancing men" message code.Others appearing in the cast include Philip Van Zandt (Kurt); Henry Victor (Frederick Hoffner); Michael Marke (George); Harry Cording (Jack Brady, one of Moriarty's men); and of course, Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson, Holmes' landlady.An slight improvement over its previous installment, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR, with the writers resuming its London blitz World War II setting once again as its basic theme source, once again borrowing portions from Conan Doyle's original story.
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce return as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this superior tale of Holmes battling the 3rd Reich and the mastermind genius of Professor Moriarty.
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943) *** (out of 4) Second in Universal's series has Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) trying to protect a scientist who has created bomb sight, which needs to stay away from German hands.
Although the previous effort The Voice Of Terror had its limitations and annoyances I still felt that the transition from Fox to Universal Studios, and Victorian in to modern day, was still a success of sorts, yet this film (The Secret Weapon) takes two steps back and feels like it was wrote in two minutes flat.What should be a flag waving trumpet blowing return of Moriarty, is something of a damp squib, we are fed the Anti-Nazi propaganda for so long we barely have time to enjoy the return of the principal rotter of the series, this is unforgivable since up to the point of Moriarty appearing we have been subjected to boorish dialogue, preposterous plot strands, and a sense of going thru the motions from all involved.The final 15 minutes saves the film with Holmes & Moriarty going at each other like vipers, but it still doesn't quite get the bad taste out of the mouth, I'm dusting off my copy of Baskervilles to remind me that good work exists in the series.
Before joining director Neill on the set of "Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man" as the Mayor, Lionel Atwill played the arch-rival of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Moriarty, in this 1942 film.
"The Secret Weapon" isn't set in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's times: the story is transferred to the 1940s and Holmes finds himself battling both Moriarty and the Nazis.
Many a film plot was about bomb sights.In Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon, Victorian Holmes is called up from the past to World War II to protect his blessed isle.
Still the man needs rescuing.The film is based on an Arthur Conan Doyle short story The Dancing Men and what that is all about is a kind of cipher that both Holmes and Moriarty work out almost simultaneously.
I will say this for Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon, at least Doctor Watson isn't the boob that Nigel Bruce played him as in some of the films.
One of the results is "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon," starring a top Holmes, Basil Rathbone, along with Nigel Bruce, Lionel Atwill, Dennis Hoey and Kaaren Verne.
Dr. Franz Tobel, a Swiss scientist who has invented a remarkably accurate bomb-sight, is rescued from the clutches of the Gestapo by the brilliant Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone), and taken to England.
In order to protect his invention from Nazi spies, Tobel divides it into four parts and sends each piece to a different scientist in London for manufacture.When Tobel is abducted by Holmes' arch enemy, the evil Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill), who hopes to get his hands on the bomb-sight for his own personal gain, Holmes (with help from trusty sidekick Watson) must use his incredible powers of deduction to thwart the maniac's plans.Although it took me a while to get used to the rather strange notion of Holmes and Watson starring in what is essentially a piece of wartime propaganda, once I had become accustomed to seeing the detective in full-on 'For King and Country' mode, I finally began to enjoy myself (thanks in no small part to yet another fine performance from always reliable Rathbone).The mystery to be solved might not be as quite as engaging as some of Holmes's other cases (the whole 'Dancing Man'-code thing is hardly riveting stuff and not nearly complex enough to stump the greatest detective of all time for very long), but there is still just about enough intrigue and suspense to make this one worth a go.
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson respectively, the second of the Universal series, where it's again established by means of a written prologue that the famed detective is legendary and spans time.
In this offering, Holmes goes through a few different disguises (with Rathbone's very prominent features, is it likely that people really wouldn't recognize his true identity?) as he protects a physicist from the hands of the Nazis as well as from Holmes' greatest nemesis Professor Moriarty (now played by Lionel Atwill).
It could be the fun that Basil Rathbone has in "The Secret Weapon" wearing several disguises which fool the bad guys and Holmes's assistant Nigel Bruce (Watson) but not the housekeeper (Mary Gordon).
In this 1942 Sherlock Holmes movie, the great London detective (Basil Rathbone) and his assistant Watson (Nigel Bruce) have to fight their arch enemy Prof.
While definitely being one of the lesser Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, The Secret Weapon is nonetheless an enjoyable film about Holmes in a new setting(giving up Victorian London for World War II London).
Dr. Tobel has invented a revolutionary bomb sight that will change the course of the war against the Germans if Sherlock Holmes can outwit Professor Moriarty, played by a rather blustery Lionel Atwill.
It is up to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to keep Tobel & his secret weapon safe from Moriarty and the Nazis.The mystery takes a few twists and turns that are unexpected.
Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce team up for the fourth time as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson for Universal Studios's second entry in their 1940's Holmes series, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon." Based on a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Dancing Men," the plot revolves around a scientist, Dr. Franz Tobel, who is secretly brought to London from Switzerland by Holmes; Tobel has invented a bomb-sight that will provide a strategic military advantage to the side that possesses it.
As much as I appreciate Universal's decision to resurrect the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes films during World War Two, I can't agree that fighting Nazis was the master detective's true calling.
In 'Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943),' there is never any doubt as to who is performing evil deeds against the Allied cause, and Holmes' battle of wits with long-time nemesis Professor Moriarty plays out more like a James Bond flick than anything else.
Fortunately, for those who can't stomach the war propaganda, you need only wait until 'Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)' for the detective to return to what he does best.Swiss scientist Dr Franz Tobel (William Post Jr.) has just escaped to London after Nazi spies attempted to steal his idea for a revolutionary bomb-sight, a weapon with the potential to alter the course of the war.
When Tobel goes missing, it falls to Sherlock Holmes and his bumbling sidekick Dr Watson (Nigel Bruce) to follow the clues, and it doesn't take long to ascertain that the man behind this sinister business is none other than Holmes' nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill).
The film, directed by Roy William Neill  who helmed all but one Universal Holmes film  was ostensibly based upon Doyle's "The Adventure of the Dancing Men," though there is little resemblance aside from the complex cypher than Holmes and Moriarty must decode {the previous installment, 'Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)' didn't have much in common with "His Last Bow," either}.It's a pity that Basil Rathbone isn't really well-known outside of his Sherlock Holmes character, and I'd really like to explore the other work in his career.
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Professor Moriarty (Lionel Atwill) engage in a battle of wits for control of a Switz inventor's newest bomb-sight creation.
Unlike "The Voice of Terror", the previous Rathbone/Bruce film, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" is really very uninteresting and bland, and it's got a rather silly plot also.
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are men out of time in this World War II era mystery, centered on the development of an advanced bomb sight by Dr. Franz Tobel (William Post Jr.).
Add the bumbling Inspector Lestrade (Denis Hoey) of Scotland Yard, Dr. Tobel's love interest Charlotte Eberli (Kaaren Verne), assassins, mysterious scientists & a puzzling coded message & Holmes has his work cut out to keep Dr. Tobel alive so he can deliver his bomb sight...Directed by Roy William Neill Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon was the fourth in a series of fourteen Holmes films made between 1939 & 1946 to feature Rathbone & Bruce as Holmes & Watson.
It's one of the paradoxes of Basil Rathbone's wartime anti-Nazi Sherlock Holmes films (Voice of Terror, SH in Washington, and this one) that while the plots and settings are mostly terrible, he is so good in them.
But, there's also a lot to dislike--the stories are set during the war and are often obsessed with plots involving Nazis and other plot elements that you NEVER would have found in the Conan-Doyle stories--a serious affront to fans of the originals.This film is better than some of the series (such as SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH) but still pales in comparison to the original Nigel Bruce-Basil Rathbone films made by 20th Century Fox that actually WERE set in the Edwardian/late-Victorian period like the stories.
Basil Rathbone does an impressive job as Holmes and Lionel Atwill is suitably menacing as Moriarty, there is also solid enough support from Nigel Bruce and William Post Jr as Watson and Tobel.