Rent Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death (1944)
3.7 of 5 from 57 ratings
1h 8min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
On a channel ferry crossing the famous Borgia pearl is stolen from a courier, the thief enlists an elderly clergyman's innocent aid in smuggling the jewel through customs. Naturally the white haired prelate is a disguised Holmes who sees that the pearl is returned to it's proper destination The Royal Regent Museum from where it is stolen again by the arch criminal Giles Conover (Miles Mander), whom Holmes (Basil Rathbone) describes as 'The man prevades Europe like a plague, yet no one has heard of him. That's what put him on the pinnacle in the records of crime. In his whole diabolical career, the police have never been able to pin anything on him. And yet, if there be a crime without a motive, robbery without a clue, murder without a trace, I'll show you Giles Conover!'. Holmes must retrieve the pearl and battle against Conover's associate 'The Creeper!' a monster whom breaks Conover's enemies backs like twigs upon his command. Holmes declares 'If I could free society of this sinister creature, I should feel my own career had reached it's summit'. - Actors:
- Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Dennis Hoey, Evelyn Ankers, Miles Mander, Ian Wolfe, Charles Francis, Holmes Herbert, Richard Aherne, Mary Gordon, Rondo Hatton, J.W. Austin, Wilson Benge, Billy Bevan, Lillian Bronson, Harry Cording, Harold de Becker, Leslie Denison, Al Ferguson, Leyland Hodgson
- Directors:
- Roy William Neill
- Producers:
- Roy William Neill
- Writers:
- Bertram Millhauser, Arthur Conan Doyle
- Aka:
- The Pearl of Death
- Studio:
- Orbit Media
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Action & Adventure, Top Film and TV Detectives: Guide to Screen Sleuth
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Reviews (2) of Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death
Best of 1944 - Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death review by JD
Basil Rathbone is sublime, Nigel Bruce is good but a little theatrical, some of the minor actors are pretty poor. The overall effect is uplifting and makes you want to go and solve some crimes straight away. I think my English is improved for it too. I believe it is a shame there is so little like this now, heroes now have to be superheroes who can fly. I do not think this is better. There is plenty of scope for escapism in a character like Sherlock.
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Mystery Comedy. - Sherlock Holmes: The Pearl of Death review by Steve
This is the most faithful of the Universal Sherlock Holmes series to the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. The premise of the Adventure of the Six Napoleons is intact, though the script elaborates to good effect. It introduces The Creeper played by Rondo Hatton, a huge actor whose features were deformed by acromegaly.
It's tragic his disfigurement meant he was cast as a human monster. But he turned it into a career and even appeared in a couple of spin offs. Someone has hidden the priceless Borgia Pearl in the bust of one of six new plaster Napoleons. The giant killer breaks the spines of all the buyers, scattering their corpses with the broken pottery.
So Sherlock Holmes investigates. Basil Rathbone complained that all his performances as the great detective were just copies of the first. But he's so perfect, that's a good thing. Nigel Bruce isn't the Dr. Watson from the page, but provides comic relief with some expertise. Miles Manders and Evelyn Ankers make excellent villains.
Ankers was frequently cast as support in Universal monster pictures, and there is a conspicuous aura of horror in this. But the big takeaway is how artfully photographed it is. It's just a B feature, but time has been spent on these lighting setups to create an attractive noir look. This is far better than it needed to be.
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