Sherlock Holmes sets out to discover why a trio of murderous villains, including a dangerously attractive female, are desperate to obtain three unassuming and inexpensive little music boxes.Sherlock Holmes sets out to discover why a trio of murderous villains, including a dangerously attractive female, are desperate to obtain three unassuming and inexpensive little music boxes.Sherlock Holmes sets out to discover why a trio of murderous villains, including a dangerously attractive female, are desperate to obtain three unassuming and inexpensive little music boxes.
Edmund Breon
- Julian 'Stinky' Emery
- (as Edmond Breon)
Frederick Worlock
- Col. Cavanaugh
- (as Frederic Worlock)
Harry Allen
- Scottish Man at Auction
- (uncredited)
Frank Baker
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Guy Bellis
- Doctor
- (uncredited)
Wilson Benge
- Minister on Museum Tour
- (uncredited)
Marjorie Bennett
- Antique Shop Assistant
- (uncredited)
Ted Billings
- Pub Patron
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe last of 14 films released from 1939-46 based on Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional consulting detective Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Rathbone was reportedly tired of playing the character. However, he would play Holmes on the stage, radio and television at various times the rest of his career.
- GoofsDr. Watson is repeatedly described as having "no ear for music". Yet in two previous films of the series, he is seen both singing and playing the tuba.
- Quotes
Colonel Cavanaugh: By now Mr. Holmes has no doubt exchanged his violin for a harp.
Mrs. Hilda Courtney: Oh, well, assuming that Heaven is his destination.
- Crazy creditsThis movie's final credit sequence rolled over a scene of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce leaving Dr. Johnston's house. This sequence was later removed by a TV distributor and has been replaced with a THE END frame from one of the earlier Sherlock Holmes films.
- Alternate versionsOriginally, this movie ended with the final credits superimposed over a shot of Holmes and Watson leaving Dr. Johnson's house. This footage was trimmed by TV distributors and is now lost, so the MPI restorers had to tack on a THE END sequence from another film to finish this Sherlock Holmes film.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes (1985)
- SoundtracksThe Swagman
(uncredited)
Australian folk song
Played on a music box several times
Played on piano and on violin by Basil Rathbone and whistled by him
Played on piano by Wallace Scott
Featured review
Goodbye old friends - till we meet again
The last Rathbone Holmes (14/14) is again a slightly weaker affair than most of the preceding entries, another variant of The Pearl of Death this time involving music boxes. Music boxes whose tunes play out the location of the stolen and hidden Bank of England £5 plates no less. Holmes proves he has an inbuilt police whistle and a photographic(?) memory for music, whilst Watson says that he likes brass bands but is tone deaf. The woman here, although a thoroughly bad hat is not The Woman, the one and only Irene Adler who had bested Holmes in 1891, but for most of the film she has the upper hand.
By now the steam had left Rathbone, and although Bruce wanted to carry on and Universal held the copyright until 1949 the series had reached its natural conclusion. Director Roy William Neill had less than a year left to live too. Some lovely bits: Holmes consoling Mrs Hudson, distraught at letting 2 people into 221b who turned it over; Holmes' biscuit jar was seen to good advantage. And yes, the bullet holes in the wall from Faces Death were still there at the end! No matter how bad, mawkish or daft this marvellous series got I've always loved every entry. Watching a clean Definitive DVD of this with a lump in my throat I think of Brian Wilson's line "It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die", without even the dignity of end credits (they're lost).
All things must pass.
By now the steam had left Rathbone, and although Bruce wanted to carry on and Universal held the copyright until 1949 the series had reached its natural conclusion. Director Roy William Neill had less than a year left to live too. Some lovely bits: Holmes consoling Mrs Hudson, distraught at letting 2 people into 221b who turned it over; Holmes' biscuit jar was seen to good advantage. And yes, the bullet holes in the wall from Faces Death were still there at the end! No matter how bad, mawkish or daft this marvellous series got I've always loved every entry. Watching a clean Definitive DVD of this with a lump in my throat I think of Brian Wilson's line "It's so sad to watch a sweet thing die", without even the dignity of end credits (they're lost).
All things must pass.
- Spondonman
- May 21, 2005
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Details
- Runtime1 hour 16 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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