Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
| Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror | |
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1942 US theatrical poster
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| Directed by | John Rawlins |
| Produced by | Howard Benedict |
| Written by |
Robert Hardy Andrews Lynn Riggs |
| Based on |
His Last Bow 1917 story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
| Starring |
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Evelyn Ankers Reginald Denny Thomas Gómez |
| Music by | Frank Skinner |
| Cinematography | Elwood Bredell |
| Edited by | Russell F. Schoengarth |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
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Release date
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Running time
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65 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror is the third film in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of Sherlock Holmes movies and the first to be produced by Universal Pictures. Made in 1942, the film combines elements of the Arthur Conan Doyle story "His Last Bow", to which it is credited as an adaptation, and loosely parallels the real-life activities of Lord Haw-haw. Horror film "scream queen" Evelyn Ankers appears as leading lady.
The film begins with a title card describing Holmes and Watson as "ageless", as an explanation as to why the film is set in the 1940s rather than Holmes' era of 1881–1914, as the preceding 20th Century Fox films were. There is a nod to the classic Holmes, in a scene where Holmes and Watson are leaving 221b Baker Street, and Holmes picks up his deerstalker. Watson protests, and Holmes reluctantly puts on a fedora instead.
Holmes is called into the "Inner Council" of British Intelligence by Sir Evan Barham (Reginald Denny), to assist in stopping Nazi saboteurs operating in Britain, whose activities are announced in advance in radio broadcasts by "The Voice of Terror".
Gavin (Robert Barron), one of Holmes's operatives, is killed with a German dagger in his back. Before he dies, Gavin utters the word "Christopher." Later, Holmes and Watson go to the Limehouse district of London, where they meet with Gavin's wife Kitty (Evelyn Ankers).
Holmes tells the council that, through the use of an oscilloscope to carefully analyze and compare sound wave patterns from radio broadcasts of live vs. pre-recorded voices, he has determined that "The Voice of Terror" is actually recorded on phonograph records in England, but broadcast from Germany. Using a tip from Kitty, Holmes and Watson go to the old Christopher Docks, where they are followed by Sir Anthony Lloyd (Henry Daniell) of the council. The three men are captured by a group of Nazi spies led by a man named Meade (Thomas Gómez), although Meade manages to escape through a trap door to a waiting speedboat.
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