Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror

Film

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) is the first of twelve Sherlock Holmes films made by Universal Pictures. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce reprise their roles as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson respectively. Universal set the series in the 1940s despite the fact that the literary Sherlock Holmes was 60 years old in 1914.

In a good deal of the movies, Holmes is fighting the Nazis. This film (affiliate link) is set during World War II. The Voice of Terror is a German or German agent, who is committing sabotage against England. The Voice is responsible for several terrorist incidents. A council of ministers has called in Sherlock Holmes to investigate the crimes. Holmes seems to be stumped but is it only an act?

bruce-ankers-rathbone

Nigel Bruce, Evelyn Ankers and Basil Rathbone

Evelyn Ankers plays Kitty, who helps Sherlock Holmes in his investigations. She was a staple in the Universal Horror films of the 1940s. Her most notable role was playing Lon Chaney’s love interest in The Wolfman (1943). She married fellow actor Richard Denning in 1942. They would remain married until her death in 1985 at age 67.

Unlike many of the other movies, there is no reference to Moriarty or his henchmen in this film. The film is also much shorter. It comes in at 65 minutes. It is fairly well done but the film is not of the same quality as the Twentieth-Century Fox films.

You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page and Twitter profile.

Pin It
Share