Sherlock Holmes: The Voice of Terror (1942)

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR
Digitally Restored in 35mm

The master detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his faithful cohort Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are back, preserved and digitally restored in 35mm to original condition by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. This newly restored version of the classic film includes the period war bond tag, studio logo and credits from its original theatrical release. Filled with ominous shadows and interesting camera angles, the visual beauty of the film in 35mm is stunning.

The Voice of Terror (1942) is loosely based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story "His Last Bow." It was the first film in the Sherlock Holmes series to bring the master detective Dr. Watson into the terrifying modern world of Nazi sabotage and spies.

When taunting saboteurs warn of a Nazi invasion of the British Isles through their horrific radio menace the Voice of Terror, the British Intelligence's Inner Council calls in Sherlock Holmes to help in the crisis.

On the first night of their inquiry, Holmes and Watson find a dying man on their doorstep. His last word sends Holmes to London's seedy Limehouse district, where he enlists the aid of Kitty, the sweetheart of the slain man, to help find the saboteurs.

With the Voice of Terror promising new destruction in the coming days, Holmes and Watson must hurry to solve a complicated puzzle of terrorism and espionage. Preserved and restored in 35mm by the UCLA Film and Television Archive.

Sherlock Holmes goes to war

Universal Studios enlisted Sherlock Holmes's aid against the Nazis when it made the unfortunate decision to update him to contemporary times rather than leave him in the Victorian era. Instead of the classic deerstalker, he sports greasy hair and a men's jacket of the time, which detracts from the iconic image with which so many viewers are familiar. The result is a middling propaganda piece about a Nazi saboteur that has a nice visual flair, yet suffers from the change of era. Somehow, fog-bound 1940s London is just not as romantic as fog-bound 1880s London. As always, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are wonderful in the lead roles, although it remains difficult to understand why Holmes would burden himself with such a dim-witted Watson. The theme of a shadowy terrorist causing death and havoc in the homeland resonates eerily with the concerns of today. July 27, 2008

Worth watching -- a "patriotic" entry

First of all, THIS is the copy of this film that you want to obtain. It's a nice clear DVD digitized by the UCLA film lab from a pristine black-and-white 35 mm print. All other copies are inferior to this one.

The stars here are Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson. We also get to see the great Henry Daniell (as Sir Anthony Lloyd) and Reginald Denny (as Sir Evan Barham). The film was directed by John Rawlins.

The story takes place during WW II as the Nazis have formulated a plan to terrorize all England. The Voice of Terror makes radio broadcasts, informing the public of real-time disasters which their secret operatives have initiated right in the English homeland, ranging from blowing up airplane factories to wrecking trains, usually demolishing secret plans of the British offensive. The 'Inner Council' of British Army and Navy Intelligence seem to be stymied in dealing with the strikes so Sherlock Holmes is called in by the head of the council... but some of the Inner Council members clearly oppose this decision.

One of Holmes' street informants is murdered on the doorstep of 221B Baker Street (Holmes' flat) so Holmes and Watson head for Limehouse to discover the secret of the victim's last word: "Christopher".

In Limehouse, the two fend off attacks before they end up in a sleazy pub where Holmes has to prevail upon the victim's girlfriend ("Kitty") for help in unearthing the Nazi's plans. Kitty, in turn, has to convey an extemporaneous patriotic speech to the Limehouse street criminals in order to engage their help in discovering what "Christopher" means.

At one point, the Limehouse boys save Holmes' bacon but the chief Nazi escapes. It falls to Kitty again to save the day. In the meantime, Holmes is also suspicious of the respective Inner Council members as he is certain that one of them is an enemy agent.

The end is, again, a patriotic salute to the intestinal fortitude of the English, and to the brain of Holmes, in facing down their Third Reich adversaries.

This is a good film, coherently directed, and with good cinematography. While it's not up to the standard of the other series entries, such as "The Hound of the Baskervilles," it's still certainly worth watching. January 20, 2008

Go Sherlock!

I so loved the Basil Rathbone (Sherlock). He spoiled it for me on all other actors who have tried over the years to make it their own. No one can do it better than he and Nigel Bruce (Watson). This classic really brings to light even now patriotism, terrorism, and mindless acts of violence. Even 70 years later the main underlying theme to this movie is still just as current as it was then. October 31, 2007

Sherlock Holmes vs. the Nazis

The story opens with a written disclaimer explaining why the famous Victorian-era detective is living and working in London of the 1940s. Sherlock Holmes' appeal is timeless, the producers claim, and he is quite capable of entertaining audiences in stories set during the then-present day. They are, of course, correct, although the real reason for updating him was that it allowed the filmmakers to produce a series of propaganda films wherein the greatest British detective of all time goes head to head with German spies. When the sleuth emerges victorious (as he must always), he can make a patriotic oration that parallels the real world situation (the "there's an East wind coming" speech from "His Last Bow" given here neatly ties in with the WWII theme). The format is a complete success. I love these films, as far removed from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories as they are. They may get many of the details wrong, but they get the heart right, and they have exactly the correct atmosphere.

The beginning film in this Sherlock Holmes series as produced by Universal jumps right into its Sherlock Holmes vs. the Axis Powers motif. The British government is stumped. At regular intervals, a radio signal is beamed into England from somewhere in Germany. A pompous voice (of terror) gloats about terrible acts of sabotage that then simultaneously occur. The British Intelligence agency, unable to locate the source of the broadcasts or prevent the acts of terrorism is forced to call for Sherlock Holmes.

Many of the films in this series were less mysteries, and more straightforward thrillers. This is no exception. In fact, this is one of the weaker entries in the series as far as its plot is concerned. The storyline relies a bit too strongly on leaps of logic and sheer coincidences; the climax is just a bit too silly. If you're looking for a mystery in the style of the original Doyle stories, you'll be disappointed. There's too much that is held away from the audience, meaning that there's not much left for the viewer to figure out before the detective does.

But where this film succeeds is in its style, regardless of its actual substance. A lot of the story takes place in dark rooms, smoky bars and other sinister locales. The direction, lighting and cinematography are great. The scene in the saloon where Holmes (via a widow) turns a den of criminal elements into a force fighting for the Allies is particularly strong. The director plays the visuals for all they're worth; the craggy faces of the outlaws peering out of the dark, raising drinks to their lips, while Basil Rathbone's sharp features gaze out into the light. Scenes like this are what raise the film above the limitations of its plot.

The acting also serves to this film's advantage. Honestly, I could watch Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce reading the phone book. Yes, I realize that Bruce's interpretation of Dr. Watson is totally at odds with the original (in Doyle's stories, Watson, while not the equal of Holmes, is an intelligent and insightful character, capable of logic and independent thought; on the other hand, one wonders how Nigel Bruce's Watson manages to feed himself every day). But I don't care; I think the two of them are great fun and play off each other well. Henry Daniell makes the first of several appearances in the Sherlock Holmes movies here, playing a member of the intelligence council.

The DVD features are rather light (there aren't any), but the restoration that's been done to the print is astounding. The picture couldn't be any sharper and the sound is very crisp.

As the film reaches its conclusion, the plot holes become harder to ignore. It's a pity because the movie has so much going for it. It is worth watching though, just because it is so successfully stylish. The propaganda elements aren't at all distracting and in fact have become rather endearing as time has passed. This probably isn't the place for a newcomer to the series, as there are better films to choose from. But fans of these Sherlock Holmes films will almost certainly enjoy it as much as I did.
July 24, 2004

Soild start to a popular series

This was the first in the 11 film series featuring Basil Rathbone ( excellent ) and Nigel Bruce (irritating ) as the great team of Holmes and Watson respectively .They are called in by the British government ,then conducting the war against Hitler , to unmask a traitor ,the eponymous Voice .He is infiltrating the airwaves broadcasting dire prophecies of defeat to the British nation .His prophecies of impending military disaster come true .In the face of opposition from some Cabinet members Holmes digs into the case uncovewring a traitor from within the Cbinet itself ,eventually unmasking the culprit in a climax in a ruined church
Good performances all round apart from Bruce ,who to be fair was compelled to play the role as bumbling comic relief and not the stalwart comrade that Doyle wrote .Henry Daniell is excellent as a supercillious civil servant who turns out to be on the side of the angels .

Enjoyable B -movie that shows what an accomplished actor Rathbone was -pure class in every role however under-written June 25, 2004

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