The Dying Detective
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
The picture begins with Moriarty and Holmes verbally sparring on the steps outside the Old Bailey where Moriarty has just been acquitted on a charge of murder due to lack of evidence. Holmes remarks, "You've a magnificent brain, Moriarty. I admire it. I admire it so much I'd like to present it, pickled in alcohol, to the London Medical Society." "It would make an impressive exhibit," replies Moriarty.
Holmes and Watson are visited at 221B Baker Street by Ann Brandon (Ida Lupino). She tells him that her brother Lloyd has received a strange note: a drawing of a man with an albatross hanging around his neck, identical to one received by her father just before his brutal murder ten years before. Holmes deduces that the note is a warning and rushes to find Lloyd Brandon. He is too late, as Lloyd has been murdered by being strangled and having his skull crushed.
Holmes, disguised as a music-hall entertainer, attends a garden party, where he correctly believes an attempt will be made on Ann's life. Hearing her cries from a nearby park, he captures her assailant, who turns out to be Gabriel Mateo, out for revenge on the Brandons for the murder of his father by Ann's father in a dispute over ownership of their South American mine. His murder weapon was a bolas. Mateo also reveals that it was Moriarty who urged him to seek revenge.
Holmes realises that Moriarty is using the case as a distraction from his real crime, a crime that will stir the British Empire: an attempt to steal the Crown Jewels. Holmes rushes to the Tower of London, where, during a struggle, Moriarty falls, presumably to his death. In the end, Ann is married and Holmes tries to shoo a fly by playing his violin, only to have Watson swat it with his newspaper remarking, "Elementary, my dear Holmes, elementary."

Review: 3 Early Holmes. Dying Detective, The (1921) ** (out of 4) Sherlock Holmes (Eille Norwood) knows that a man has killed a former partner but he can't prove it unless he finds a dying detective who knows what really happened. Norwood would play Holmes in over thirty films and he's quite good in the role bring an intelligent looking character but that's about the only good thing here. The story is somewhat hard to follow and again, Holmes isn't given much to do.Devil's Foot, The (1921) *** (out of 4) Sherlock Holmes (Eille Norwood) is on vacation when he stumbles into a house and discovers two bodies. Both have been dead for hours but there aren't any visible signs of violence and soon other bodies start to pile up. Here's one I actually enjoyed since we get to see Holmes investigating the murders. As with the other film, Norwood turns in a good performance and the mystery works nice as well.Man with the Twisted Lip, The (1921) *** (out of 4) Sherlock Holmes (Eille Norwood) begins an investigation into a dead man but clues make him think there might not be a body at all. Once again the mystery here is pretty good and Norwood delivers another good performance.. A Half-Hearted Effort. IMDb lists 48 titles in this British series, made between 1920 and 1923. I suppose that output makes consistent quality difficult, and of the three I have seen this is definitely the worst. But, it's still a lot of fun. It reminds me of Yo-Yo Ma's comment about his cello, made in the time of Bach: it is a link with a beloved past. To think that Sir Arthur probably saw this movie--the rumor is he approved of Eille Norwood for the role--and that the stories were still being written when this series was made: well, that's neat.So, I can be kind with my criticism and enjoy it for its own sake. But, I sure hope The Hound of the Baskervilles turns up some day.. Lifeless. Literal version of one of the lesser Holmes stories does not translate well to the silent screen.  Although this team made a couple of dozen short Holmes movies in the early 1920s, they fail to demonstrate any real grasp of the character -- far too cerebral, alas, for so few words, and so not very good.