Terror by Night *** (1946, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Dennis Hoey) – Classic Movie Review 986

‘One Way Ticket to DEATH!’ Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star for the 13th time as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in the 1946 mystery thriller film Terror by Night, their penultimate adventure, this time about the theft of a famous diamond aboard a train.

‘One Way Ticket to DEATH!’

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce star for the 13th time as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in the 1946 mystery thriller film Terror by Night. This rousing tale of Murder on the Edinburgh Express is tensely and atmospherically directed by Roy William Neill.

It the stars’ 11th and penultimate adventure in Universal Pictures’ grand modern-day series adapted from the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, following the two 20th Century Fox Victorian-set features, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939).

In Frank Gruber’s mostly original new screen story, the duo is tasked with trying to stop nefarious villains snatching an enormous fabulous gem, the fabled Star of Rhodesia diamond, aboard a train from London and bound for Edinburgh. Holmes is hired by the honourable Roland Carstairs (Geoffrey Steele) to prevent the theft of the diamond owned by his mother, Lady Margaret (Mary Forbes).

Lady Margaret Carstairs says: ‘My husband gave it to me on our fifth wedding anniversary.’ Sherlock Holmes replies: ‘423 carats, isn’t it?’

Holmes deftly switches diamonds with Lady Margaret while in her compartment. But the fake diamond is stolen and Carstairs is murdered. Holmes and Watson must uncover which of their suspicious fellow passengers is the heinous culprit.

This enjoyable caper benefits greatly from its claustrophobic train setting and the full crew of engagingly eccentric passengers, especially Alan Mowbray as the chief bad guy, Major Duncan-Bleek. Frank Gruber’s story and screenplay are entirely amusing, and it runs at a quick pace for only 60 minutes.

Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade, Renée Godfrey, Frederick Worlock, Mary Forbes, and Billy Bevan co-star.

It follows Pursuit to Algiers (1945). Terror by Night is the stars’ 13th Holmes movie, with one more still to go: Dressed to Kill [Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code] (1946).

Terror by Night (1946, Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Mary Forbes),

Though it is a mostly original story not directly adapted from a Sherlock Holmes story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it nevertheless uses some plot elements from his stories The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Empty House, The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, and The Sign of Four.

It is one of four films in the series in the public domain, available on You Tube.

There is also a restored, colorised version.

Mary Forbes (1883-1974) in Terror by Night in 1946.

The cast are Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, Nigel Bruce as Dr John Watson, Alan Mowbray as Major Duncan-Bleek/ Colonel Sebastian Moran, Dennis Hoey as Inspector Lestrade, Renee Godfrey as Vivian Vedder, Frederick Worlock as Professor Kilbane, Mary Forbes as Lady Margaret Carstairs, Skelton Knaggs as Sands, Billy Bevan as Ticket Collector, Geoffrey Steele as The Honourable Roland Carstairs, and Harry Cording as Mock the coffin maker.

Dr Watson: ‘I say, we-we-we were discussing curry.’ Sherlock Holmes: ‘Oh, yes, curry! Horrible stuff!’ Dr Watson: ‘Oh, really? One man’s meat is another man’s poison.’

Terror by Night is directed by Roy William Neill, runs 60 minutes, is made by Universal Pictures, is released by Universal Pictures, is written by Frank Gruber, based on characters and stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is shot by Maury Gertsman, is produced by Roy William Neill, and is scored by Milton Rosen.

Release date: February 1, 1946 (US).

The films of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942), Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942), Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943), Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), The Spider Woman (1943), The Scarlet Claw (1944), The Pearl of Death (1944), The House of Fear (1945), The Woman in Green (1945), Pursuit to Algiers (1945), Terror by Night (1946), and Dressed to Kill [Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code] (1946).

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 986 derekwinnert.com