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Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon | Year: 1942 Classification: Mystery / Suspense Directed: - Roy William Neill Actors/Actresses: - Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce It's Holmes Against Moriarty--and the Nazis! Although the first two movies Basil Rathbone made as Sherlock Holmes ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") were in the original Victorian setting, Hollywood subsequently decided that even Holmes could pitch in during the propaganda years of World War II. And so, he donned modern dress and rode about in fast cars in pursuit of Nazi collaborators, aided as ever by Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), who oddly enough was still wearing a suspiciously Edwardian collar. "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" is one such vehicle. Somewhat prophetically, the secret weapon is a type of super bomb and its inventor is a much-sought-after fellow. So Holmes goes over to the mainland to fetch him and bring him to the right side, England. While the inventor is very glad to be rescued from the Nazis by Holmes, for some inexplicable reason, he keeps leaving the flat, giving Basil Rathbone an opportunity to put on greasepaint and go scouring the wharves for this guy in cognito as a toughened seaman. That's actually the second disguise BR wears; before the movie's over, he'll indulge a few more times. Well, the upshot is that with all of his goings-about, the stupid inventor eventually gets kidnapped by Holmes' nemesis, Dr. Moriarty (Lionel Atwill), who of course puts him to the screws to get info out of him. Will Holmes get there in time? Since this review is being written in English not German, I think you can figure it out for yourself. Rathbone does a pretty good job in his various incarnations; actually, what strikes me most about him aren't his disguises, but his rather unique coiffure when he's being just plain Holmes. It is a style where the locks around his temples are brushed forward, not back, to make him look as though he were just about to set his hair in curlers. I know he does sport this hairdo again in "SH in Washington", but sad to say, this attempt to make Sherlock Holmes a trendsetter in the world of hairstyles came to naught. Ah well, what he does well, he does well, and so after the culprits are rounded up, Holmes ends the piece by reciting from the "this blessed isle" speech of "Richard II", demonstrating once again that British pluck that did indeed forestall Nazi domination. Not great cinema, but fine for easy viewing. Enjoyable Although these Rathbone/Bruce movies are stupid and are definitely NOT an accurate representation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, I generally find them quite enjoyable. Basil Rathbone played Holmes well. His portrayal wasn't entirely faithful to the character in Doyle's books, but he certainly didn't butcher the character either and I find him a pleasure to watch. Watson's bumbling (which I detest by the way) is very minimal in this one. He's actually somewhat smart most of the time in this movie. I would recommend it as long as you're not looking for something that's largely faithful to Doyle's Holmes stories. For a more accurate representation of the stories, check out the Granada series with Jeremy Brett. One Final Note: I would not recommend this particular version of this movie. It is watchable but the quality is not really worth the price. Rathbone, gloriously brilliant as Sherlock Holmes The second film in Universal's series of Sherlock Holmes adventures starring Basil Rathbone as the Great Detective and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" was one of several titles in the series to fall into the public domain, hence its availability over the years in numerous bargain bin editions of poor quality. Thanks to UCLA's restoration program, this title is now available in all its original black and white glory. Like Universal's first entry in the series, this one drags Holmes out of his original Victorian era habitat to match wits with the Nazis. But those disappointed with the modernization gimmick should be happy to learn that Holmes' arch-nemesis Professor Moriarty is on hand, as well, this time in the person of the magnificent Lionel Atwill who brought his creepy elegance to some of the best films Universal made in the 40s. The plot has little to do with "The Dancing Men," the Arthur Conan Doyle story referred to in the credits, and this film is neither as visually striking or as well-written as "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," or most of the 10 films to come, but it has Rathbone, incadescently brilliant as the greatest master detective of them all, and that's enough to make it a winner. Brian W. Fairbanks Buy Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon Search with the Priority Search Engine on Sherlock Holmes And The Secret Weapon This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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