Sherlock Holmes in Washington

Plot synopsis:
British secret agent Alfred Pettibone carrying a vital secret document is murdered on his way to deliver it in the USA. The British government turns to Holmes for help. He deduces that Pettibone converted the document to microfilm. Avoiding an assassination attempt, he hurries to Washington with Watson to retrieve it before it falls into the hands of an "international spy ring". Holmes is certain that the spies do not yet possess the document, as people who were in contact with Pettibone on his journey have been harassed. Pettibone's body was then delivered to Holmes by the spies as means to throw Holmes off the track.
Before his death, the agent managed to pass the microfilm, hidden inside a "V for Victory" matchbook, into the unwitting hands of Washington debutante and bride-to-be Nancy Partridge. The matches get passed from hand to hand at a party unknowingly and end up in the inadvertent possession of the chief spy, Heinrich Hinkel (known as the seemingly respectable Richard Stanley in Washington), when he has Partridge kidnapped.
Holmes tracks down the ring to an antiques shop, where he confronts Hinkel. During their cat-and-mouse conversation, he even tells the spy that "the man who has it doesn't know he has it", with the matchbook in plain sight. Holmes is taken prisoner, but just as he and Partridge are about to be murdered, the police, summoned by Watson by prior arrangement with Holmes, break in and, after a gunfight, rescue the pair. Hinkel gets away, along with the matchbook, however. Holmes races to the office of Senator Henry Babcock, having led Hinkel to believe the microfilm is under a stamp of a letter in the senator's possession. Holmes arrives first and, as Hinkel eavesdrops, reveals the importance of the letter. Hinkel takes the letter at gunpoint, only to have the police capture him. Holmes then takes the matches and sets fire to the letter, before revealing that the microfilm was in the matchbook all along.

Tags: murder

Review:
Searching for an invaluable microfilm, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON encounters as much danger as ever he did in old London.Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce return as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved characters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this unpretentious but enjoyable film.
Of course, with Rathbone all cerebral intellect and Bruce ever the good-natured bumbler, the viewer knows that God's in His Heaven and all's right with the world.Henry Daniell & George Zucco, two of the series' finest villains, appear in this entry.
This time they portray German agents intent on retrieving an enormously important British document.Others in the cast include the lovely Marjorie Lord (who's quite grotesque with a cigarette dangling from her lips) as a young socialite pulled into the nefarious scheme; Holmes Herbert as a senior civil servant in London; and Thurston Hall as a blustery United Stated senator.Movie mavens will spot several fine actors in uncredited roles: Gerald Hamer as a hapless British agent; elderly Margaret Seddon as a train traveler with mice; dear Mary Gordon as Holmes' landlady, Mrs. Hudson; Mary Forbes as a spy's loving mother; and Ian Wolfe as a slightly sinister antiques store clerk.
Especially notable is the always entertaining Clarence Muse, appearing as a club car porter, who does the almost impossible by stealing a scene from Rathbone.This film followed SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942) and preceded SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH (1943)..
This is one of the most tense and exciting of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies, quickly establishing an atmosphere of danger and uncertainty, and maintaining it to the end.
It's an interesting story that is developed at an effective pace by Roy William Neill, and in particular, the way that the matchbook is used is almost worthy of Hitchcock.George Zucco has only a few scenes, but he does a fine job as Holmes's adversary.
As usual with Holmes films, this one features two great performances from the leads; Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, and it's obvious that these two have worked together on many occasions, as their chemistry is flawless.
The DVD I've just watched is of pristine quality - it really helps to see these potboilers as clean as they were meant to be seen, even if they can't be seen at cinema screen size.Rathbone and Bruce are in Washington searching for a McGuffin - an American match folder with a chunk of important Allied microfilm wedged inside.
For some reason Watson was portrayed as even more bumbling than usual, so it's much better to forget about the original in Conan Doyle while the film's on!All these years and I'd not spotted Rathbone saying something to the American detective about "his blodgings" back at Baker Street!It is a bit of a flag waver, but not so fervent as Voice or Weapon, and a worthwhile oldie to watch as a non-purist..
While not a great and thought-provoking film, Sherlock Holmes in Washington is definitely worth watching if you're looking for something that merely entertains..
A British secret agent carrying important documents is kidnapped en route to Washington, D.C. The British government turns to Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) to find the agent and the documents.
I've seen Sherlock Holmes In Washington a couple of times and although not the best of the series, I found it enjoyable.During the Second World War, Holmes and Dr Watson head to Washington to investigate a missing document on a microfilm which is hidden in a matchbox.
After getting the clues, they retrieve it at the end and head back to London.As always, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce play Holmes and Watson brilliantly and are joined in this one by George Zucco (The Flying Serpent, House of Frankenstein), Marjorie Lord, Holmes Herbert (The Pearl of Death, Ghost of Frankenstein) and Henry Daniell.Though not the best of the Rathbone/Bruce movies, Sherlock Holmes in Washington is certainly worth a look.
It seems to me that which ever Sherlock Holmes {Rathbone} film I watch there is always comments on the site stating it's one of the weaker in the series !!, it really just goes to show how we are all different as regards our love of the series because to me this entry is far from being weak.
Once again Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce deliver the goods in "Sherlock Holmes in Washington." I like this film from 1943....
A great cast that includes Henry Daniell, George Zucco and some other fine actors of note......If I have any gripe at all about the series of 'Holmes' films that Rathbone and Bruce made is, they are all between 60 to 75 minutes long....
For the 1940s, that is a normal run......I love these old-time co-stars like "Henry Daniell, George Zucco, Lionel Atwill & Dennis Hoey." All them guys were pluses for the series of 'Holmes' films produced from 1939 to 1946......
Can watch several times.I particularly enjoy the scenes on the train in the US where Holmes determines the location of the various people while Watson acts out who they are.I also enjoy the way the story deals with the aspects of the British courier/ secret agent, Alfred Pettibone, of Parlow, Nash, Parlow.
SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON (Universal, 1943), directed by Roy William Neil, marks the fifth entry of the popular series and third installment in the newly updated format starring Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Doctor Watson).
This is what Holmes and Watson get to do for their next assignment, coming to America and visiting our nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Though Holmes doesn't get to have tea with the president in the White House lawn, he does, however, have opportunities getting a glimpse of many of its landmarks while doing what he does best, deductive reasoning.The 12 minute prologue opens at the London Terminal Transatlantic Airport where an assortment of passengers come on board an airplane bound for New York City, one of them being Sir Henry Marchmont (Gilbert Emery), a British diplomat who, unknowingly, is being carefully observed by William Easter (Henry Daniell).
Because Grayson has never reached his destination, Mr. Ahrens (Holmes Herbert) of the British Empire, assigns Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his associate, Doctor Watson (Nigel Bruce) to Washington, D.C. Aside from being in constant danger themselves, Holmes and Watson attempt to solve Grayson's disappearance, some murders, and locate the now missing Nancy Partridge, believed to be connected with Grayson's missing document by Richard Stanley (George Zucco), a local antique shop owner.For the first time in the series, the story reportedly doesn't use any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" stories as its sources, but borrows in areas from its previous installment, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942).
Though the opening titles credit Bertram Milhauser for its original story, the screen treatment repeats the idea of subject matter, this time a London lawyer turned secret agent, falling victim of enemy spies, and Holmes called to locate a secret document before reaching enemy hands.
He's here to rescue you."SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON, the most Americanized of the Rathbone-Bruce installments, contains familiar American types including Thurston Hall (Senator Henry Babcock); Edmund MacDonald (Detective Grogan); Clarence Muse (George, the train waiter); and John Archer, Nancy's fiancé, Peter Merriam, lieutenant in the United States Navy.
And yes, Mary Gordon returns briefly as Holmes' landlady, Mrs. Hudson, for one brief scene.Distributed to video cassette by Key Video (1988) and two decades later onto DVD, SHERLOCK HOLMES IN WASHINGTON, along with other Rathbone/ Bruce installments, premiered December 26, 2009, on Turner Classic Movies as part of the cable channel's tribute to the legendary detective.
Holmes is contacted by the Home Office to help find the information before it falls into the wrong hands and he and Watson set out for America, where the Nazi's are also still searching for the information.This particular series of Holmes movies are rarely fantastic but this is surely one of the weakest I have seen thus far.
In general, this is as entertaining a Sherlock Holmes/Rathbone/Bruce film as one could want, with terrific villians (Zucco, Daniell, et al)and the very visual plot (Roy William Neill was quite a fine B movie director) - butr in specific, having just watched the DVD sans commercials and annoying excuses to make a sandwich, it points up the big strength of the series of Rathbone/Bruce films: speed.
Serviceable third entry in the Universal series takes Sherlock (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) to America where Holmes attempts to secure valuable documents being kept on microfilm after the man carrying them is murdered.
Among the pluses in this movie:We get two top English character actors, George Zucco and Henry Daniell, who both appeared in other Rathbone-Bruce Holmes films.The script offers Holmes some witty rejoinders to the lovable but slightly dim Watson, which Rathbone delivers with wonderful dryness.Fans of the films will notice British actor Gerald Hamer among the cast.
However, you only need to see him in the 2 period films of Sherlock Holmes made by "20th Century Fox" and to listen to those excellent radio episodes to know that he could play Watson as the serious character of the original stories.
Although lacking the atmospherics of his work on the previous Holmes film, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon," cinematographer Lester White provided bright clear images, and stock footage of Washington and New York provide interesting glimpses of those cities during World War II.Rathbone is in fine form as Holmes; his authoritative manner commands attention whenever he appears on screen, and, although he has no opportunity for disguises, Rathbone avoids an expected stereotype when he mimics a fussy antique collector during his inquiry.
Thurston Hall, familiar from the "Topper" television series and numerous screen comedies, provides humorous support as Senator Henry Babcock, and Marjorie Lord, later Danny Thomas's wife in "Make Room for Daddy," plays Nancy Partridge, a young woman on the train to Washington.Despite a lackluster title, "Sherlock Holmes in Washington" is a first rate entry in the Holmes series at Universal.
Despite working outside their familiar London milieu, Holmes and Watson adapt well to the U.S. With a good supporting cast, experienced direction, an intelligent original story by Bertram Millhauser, this entry in the series used the Wartime era to good advantage without heavy handed propaganda.
This is One of the more Clunky Entries but as Always Manages to Entertain because of the Character Actors, a Lively Story and of Course the Team of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.There is Virtually No Atmosphere in this as it All takes place in Extremely Crowded Rooms.
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are sent to Washington to retrieve a top secret document hidden inside a book of matches before it falls into the hands of an international spy ring led by evil German Heinrich Hinckel (George Zucco).The third in Holmes's rather tedious wartime adventures, this film is one of the weakest in the entire Rathbone/Bruce series with very little intrigue and not nearly enough suspense to sustain interest, even over a scant 71 minutes run-time.
It's a full twelve minutes before Rathbone even appears on screen, even longer before he gets to Washington, and once in the capital of the good-old US of A, he's given a guided tour of the city, taking in all of its landmarks (this bit's more like a travelogue than a thriller).Finally, the action begins proper, but it's far from exciting stuff, with a clue leading Holmes' to trawl Washington antique shops in search of the bad guys' lair.
Yawn!Little more than a flag-waving exercise for the allies during WWII, Sherlock Holmes in Washington marks an all-time low for the series; thankfully, this would be the last film to pit Rathbone's Holmes against the threat of the Third Reich, the great detective getting back to solving domestic crimes in his next outing.4.5 out of 10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb..
But Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson take over this very delicate and important case, traveling for the first time to the USA...Apart from the propaganda, at least this time we get to see some of Holmes' good old sleuthing: he very cleverly discovers that the document isn't a letter at all, but has been transformed into a microfilm - the size of an ordinary stamp...
Overall, a good entry, while not one of the best of the films starring Rathbone- the series works so much better in the Victorian era with the odd horror element amongst the suspense and mystery- it was the best of the ones based in the wartime.
Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) *** (out of 4) Third in Universal's series has a British secret agent killed and robbed of an important document but the bad guys (led by George Zucco) aren't quite sure what the document is.
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are called in to track down a kidnapped victim (Marjorie Lord) as well as the book at matches that the document (a microchip) are hidden in.
Beginning with the usual explanation/apology as to why Holmes exists in the 'modern' day, the film has the character travel to Washington to help solve where a British Secret Service agent hid a precious microfilm.
Watson is a bit more of a comical buffoon than usual, but I find it entertaining even if it doesn't fit the original image of the character.The patriotic speech at the end (typical of the modern, WWII Sherlock Holmes movies) does feel tacked on and is pretty damn unsubtle..
In this, the third entry in the Universal Sherlock Holmes series, Holmes is once again doing battle against Nazi agents...thankfully, for the last time.
And yet, once again, we see a Sherlock Holmes who is greatly changed, shoved into a very timely story (the Nazis pretty much date these early films) in which he has no rightful place.The next film in the series, Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (loosely based upon Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's tale, The Musgrave Ritual), was the start of a new trend in the Universal Holmes films...placing the detective and his faithful companion/biographer, Dr. Watson, in the middle of a seemingly incomprehensible mystery, with very little allusion to WWII (certainly no enemy agents), and a setting which, even if it is modernized, is at least somewhat reminiscent of what made the character of Holmes such an enduring icon in the first place.
It is clearly an inferior product and I'm by no means a Holmes purist.But this was wartime and it would only be natural that world's most famous detective be called on to lend his services overseas when a British agent carrying a vital document disappears, but not before he passes it on to an unsuspecting Marjorie Lord on a train.
Still Thurston Hall was quite good, possibly the best thing from this film.After some wartime propaganda films, the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies got back to some of Conan Doyle's stories as the material for the films.
Sherlock Holmes(played by Basil Rathbone) & Doctor Watson(played by Nigel Bruce) are called in to investigate, and discover the document had been put on microfilm, and currently resides inside a matchbook, though they are the only ones who know that, and must race against time to save an innocent woman being held captive as well.
When a British agent carrying vital war plans to Washington D.C. is kidnapped, the ace detective Sherlock Holmes flies in to investigate.
Can he recover the missing document and apprehend the dastardly culprits ?This fifth film in the Rathbone-Bruce series is a strong entry with an excellent script by Lynn Riggs and Bertram Millhauser, featuring a perfect example of the MacGuffin as we follow the vital matchbook from person to person, cringing as it falls into the hands of the uncomprehending villains.
Directed by Roy William Neil, the master of deductive reasoning Sherlock Holmes(Basil Rathbone)and his often bumbling parter Dr. Watson(Nigel Bruce)make a trip to Washington, D.C. after a top-secret agent is kidnapped and murdered after passing off hidden valuable microfilm inside the cover of a matchbook.
Before the girl's actual abduction, Pettibone/Gregson is kidnapped, tortured, and murdered by these same Nazi agents, (one of whom is played by Daniell).Holmes and Pettibone had worked together before on important cases so Holmes is ready to take on the task and travel with Watson to Washington when the British authorities tell him that his associate has disappeared, along with the document.
Then, Holmes has to dredge up some quick clues to locate the Nazi agents' (the boss of whom is played by the great and sinister George Zucco!) base of operations.Will Holmes be in time to save the girl and recover the document?!?
Holmes is competing with Nazi agents also eager to recover the document.NOTES: Number 5 of the Rathbone-Bruce series.COMMENT: The Washington setting lent itself very well to Holmes' pro-Allies, anti-Axis, "hands-across-the-sea" patriotism propaganda messages, whilst the script was equally hackneyed.However, Rathbone and Bruce received excellent support in this episode from both a former (Zucco) and a future (Daniell) Moriarty.
Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes once again crosses swords (or at least gunfire) with Professor Moriarty, or at least the actor who played the role several years before, villain extraordinaire, George Zucco.
In modernizing Holmes, the setting is switched to modern day London, ultimately leading Rathbone and Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson to Washington DC where they seek to protect an important document from getting into Nazi hands.
The British government entrusts locating the missing agent, the secret papers he carried, and, ultimately, the success of the Allied war effort to Holmes.I've never been much of a fan of the modern day, WWII set Sherlock Holmes films.
In addition, Sherlock Holmes in Washington benefits from having some above average supporting players (George Zucco and Henry Daniell) and from having Roy William Neill in the director's chair.