Basil Rathbone: Master of Stage and Screen

Terror by Night, the penultimate film in the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes series, opens with the history of a 423-carat diamond known as the Star of Rhodesia. "All those who possessed it came to sudden and violent death." The diamond is currently owned by Lady Margaret Carstairs. She and her son Roland are traveling to their home in Scotland by train. Roland Carstairs has asked Sherlock Holmes to accompany his mother and him on the "Scotch Express." Sounds like a train especially for lovers of Scotch whiskey! Holmes demonstrates his skills of deduction in one of the earliest scenes, when he meets young Carstairs at Euston Station:

Carstairs: It was awfully decent of you to come, considering the fact that I was so secretive about it all.

Carstairs: You knew that mother insisted on bringing the Star of Rhodesia with her to London?

Holmes: [chuckle] Oh no, my dear Mr. Carstairs. But the fact that your mother owns the famous diamond is common knowledge. She came down to London to attend the reception at Buckingham Palace, and quite naturally wore the Star of Rhodesia. You want me to accompany you back to your home in Edinburgh. Therefore an attempt must have been made to steal the Star of Rhodesia while you were here in London.

Watson is late getting to the train, and almost misses it. As the train is pulling out of the station, Watson and a friend come running; Sherlock Holmes helps them jump aboard. Watson introduces his friend, Major Duncan-Bleek, and explains that they were reminiscing about India and lost track of the time.

Just as Carstairs feared, the Star of Rhodesia is stolen. In addition, Roland Carstairs is murdered. The game is afoot for Sherlock Holmes to find the diamond and the murderer. The murderer is one of the passengers on the train. In addition to Holmes and Watson, the passengers include:

Holmes suspects that one of the passengers is actually Col. Sebastian Moran, a protégé of Moriarty, known for spectacular jewel robberies, and mathematical puzzles. The women are still suspects—Moran's accomplice could be a woman. Even Lady Margaret is a suspect; she could have stolen the diamond for the insurance. And she didn't seem particularly distraught over her son's death. Of course there are a number of red herrings on the train, including the suspicious-looking guard in the luggage compartment. At one point Holmes says that he accepted the case because he was convinced that Moran could not resist such a "tempting morsel" as the Star of Rhodesia.

"Terror by Night"

SHERLOCK HOLMES ADMIRERS ARE OFFERED ANOTHER SUSPENSEFUL MELODRAMA ALL TO THEIR LIKING.

Confinement of the action to a train en route from London to Edinburgh, gives the latest of the Sherlock Homes melodramas a compactness that is all to the good. Taking its place among the best of the series, "Terror by Night" enhances its suspense by limiting its locale and acquires a good measure of conviction. It certainly doesn't tax the credulity to the extent that so many of it predecessors in the series have. The picture profits from the restraint exercised in devising its melodramatics.

Commanding the interest more than well at all times. "Terror by Night" finds Holmes guarding a priceless gem being conveyed to the home of its owner in Scotland. When the person to whose care the stone has been entrusted is bumped off, the sleuth is confronted with another vexing mystery, which he goes about solving with that efficiency and show of reason characteristic of the man. There is a generous array of suspects, a fact that makes the going so much more interesting and entertaining.

Roy William Neill, functioning under Executive Producer Howard Benedict, has produced the film capably and directed it deftly from a Frank Gruber script stemming from a yarn by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Basil Rathbone once more is Holmes to the fingertips. Nigel Bruce is amusing as ever as the bumbling Dr. Watson. The villain is smoothly played by Alan Mowbray. The others in the supporting cast are more than adequate.

DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Good.

—The Film Daily, February 4, 1946

The serious atmosphere surrounding the murder investigation is lightened by the comic performances of Nigel Bruce (Watson) and Dennis Hoey (Lestrade). When Watson questions Professor Kilbane, Kilbane puts Watson on the defensive by accusing him! When Lady Margaret complains to Holmes and Lestrade that they allowed the Star of Rhodesia to be stolen, she adds, "I intend to report you both to Scotland Yard!" Lestrade sputtered, "But I am Scotland Yard." A short while later Kilbane says to Lestrade, "If you come pounding on my door again, I'll have the law on you." And Lestrade replies, "I am the law."

When Holmes observes Professor Kilbane walking to the end of the carriage, he follows him, and is puzzled that Kilbane has apparently disappeared. At that moment someone pushes him out the door, and very nearly off the train. For several minutes he clings to the outside of the train, and then manages to get back in by breaking the glass in the door.

After this close brush with death, Holmes visits the baggage compartment to examine the coffin. He discovers a secret compartment in the coffin, large enough for a small adult to hide in. Holmes now realizes that Colonel Moran has an accomplice.

If you haven't seen the film yet, and don't want the mystery spoiled, then read no further!

Lestrade and Holmes question Miss Vedder again, and she admits that she was paid to take the coffin aboard the train. Strangely enough, in the presence of Miss Vedder and Watson's friend Duncan-Bleek, Holmes tells Lestrade that the diamond wasn't stolen. He had switched it with an imitation--the fake was stolen. Holmes had the real diamond in his pocket all along. He gives it to Lestrade for safekeeping. (Watch carefully the scene in which Holmes first inspects the diamond, and you can see his sleight of hand.)

As Holmes and Watson return to the baggage car (and find the baggage guard murdered!), a small, slimy fellow enters Duncan-Bleek's compartment and hands over the diamond, unaware that it is fake. The villain is now revealed to be Duncan-Bleek, and the small man (named Sands) was the one who hid in the bottom of the coffin. After Duncan-Bleek informs him that Lestrade has the real diamond, Sands attacks Lestrade, knocking him unconscious, and then gets the real diamond. Duncan-Bleek takes the diamond and shoots his accomplice, using an air pistol that fires poison darts. The same weapon was used on Carstairs and the baggage guard.

The train comes to a stop and Scottish police board the train. Lestrade is still shaken from his attack, so Holmes and Watson go to talk with Inspector McDonald in the dining car. Holmes informs Inspector McDonald that Duncan-Bleek is really Col. Sebastian Moran. A struggle ensues, the lights go out, but when it's over McDonald and his policemen exit the train with their prisoner. But all is not as it seems. Holmes knew that "McDonald" was not the real Inspector McDonald, and the policemen were not real policemen either. The twist at the end reveals that Holmes still has Col. Moran, now handcuffed, and the diamond aboard the train. The "prisoner" escorted from the train was Lestrade, who now pulls a gun on the fake policemen and arrests them. Amazing that Lestrade figured out the deception that Holmes had planned!

"Terror by Night"

Another round in Sherlock Homes' unending bout with the masters of the criminal world, one that approaches disaster for the phenomenal detective, Basil Rathbone, "Terror by Night" clings closely to the general pattern of its predecessors. It is good, fairly substantial melodrama, although lacking in originality in story development.

Several participants might reasonably be suspected of the initial murder, and other subsequent nefarious doings, as motivated by the coveted Star of Rhodesia diamond—a king-size gem. But Sherlock knows, and it is only a matter of time, and perilous incident, before he outwits the culprit.

Nigel Bruce, whose name has become synonymous with Dr. Watson, is again on hand, lending his doubtful assistance, and Allan Mowbray is capable enough as the arch-criminal. Dennis Hoey, Renee Godfrey, Mary Forbes, Billy Bevan and Frederic Worlock are in support. Frank Gruber adapted the Arthur Conan Doyle story, Roy William Neill was producer-director, and Howard Benedict was executive producer.

Running time, 60 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, Feb. 2, 1946.

—Gene Arneel, Motion Picture Daily, January 28, 1946

Terror by Night is not based on a Sherlock Holmes story, but the writers may have been inspired by "The Adventure of the Empty House." Some elements in the film that are also in that story are:

The idea of a secret compartment could be from "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax."

Stock train footage was used in the film, but, as Steinbrenner and Michaels (The Films of Sherlock Holmes, 1978) note, "any reasonably astute train buff can discern they are of wildly differing engine and carriage models!"

There are a number of unanswered questions in this film. For example, why didn't Watson recognize that Moran was not his old friend Duncan-Bleek? Watson: "I've know him for years; he's a member of my club." And how did Sands get out of Roland Carstairs' locked compartment after murdering him? And remember how Watson and Duncan-Bleek had to run to catch the train in the beginning? When we know that Duncan-Bleek was really Moran, how odd that he would take such a chance on missing the train! What was the point in being so late? But if we refrain from such nitpicking, we can enjoy the fast-paced film and be pleasantly surprised by the plot twists.

Basil Rathbone was under contract to MGM, who loaned him to Universal for this film. Rathbone's salary was $20,000. Nigel Bruce's salary was $15,000.

In his book Sherlock Holmes & the Fabulous Faces, author Michael Hoey tells us that the budget for Terror by Night was $224,725 but the final cost was $251,954, making it the most expensive film in the series. Delays caused by striking studio workers were very likely a contributing factor to the higher production cost. "Production ceased on Terror by Night and Universal's legal department issued a memo to MGM requesting credit on Basil Rathbone's salary for the three lost days." The film was supposed to be shot in 16 days, but it took six days longer.

"Terror by Night" with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce

A fairly good "Sherlock Holmes" program mystery melodrama. Those who have enjoyed the other pictures in the series will probably enjoy also this one, for the action is pretty exciting and, for the most part, mystifying. Following the formula employed in the previous pictures, Basil Rathbone, as "Holmes," goes about solving the crime in his quiet way, while Nigel Bruce, as "Dr. Watson," his aide, provides occasional bits of comedy by his blustering antics. though far-fetched, the methods "Holmes" employs to outwit the crooks are contrived cleverly. One's interest is held pretty well, for suspicion is directed at several of the characters and it is not until the finish that the guilty person's identity is divulged:—

Rathbone and Bruce are hired by Geoffrey Steele to guard a famous jewel that he and his mother were taking to Scotland. Aboard the train, Rathbone meets Inspector Dennis Hoey, of Scotland Yard, who, too, had been delegated to protect the jewel. En route, Steele is murdered mysteriously in his compartment, and the famous gem disappears. Hoey, aided by Rathbone and Bruce, undertakes an investigation and finds reason to suspect among the passengers Frederick Worlock, a professor; Renee Godfrey, a woman of questionable character; and Alan Mowbray, a retired British officer, for whose integrity Bruce vouched, having served with him in India years previously. Carefully sifting his clues, Rathbone comes to the conclusion that Mowbray was actually a notorious international jewel thief, noted for his clever schemes, and that he was implicated in the crime. Upon reaching Edinburgh, the train is boarded by the local police, who, after hearing Rathbone prove that Mowbray had instigated the murder, find the jewel in his possession and arrest him. The jewel thief attempts to escape, but Rathbone, aware that the arresting officers were impostors, part of Mowbray's plan to escape with the gem, subdues Mowbray and through a clever ruse tricks the fake police into taking Inspector Hoey off the train in the belief that they had Mowbray in tow. While Hoey reveals himself on the station platform and arrests the impostors, Rathbone, on the train, handcuffs Mowbray and discloses to Bruce that the real diamond had always been in his possession since he had substituted a fake one in its place.

Frank Gruber wrote the screen play, and Roy William Neill produced and directed it.

Unobjectionable morally.

—Harrison's Reports, January 26, 1946

Note: Terror by Night is one of the four Sherlock Holmes films that is in the public domain. That means that anyone can legally produce and sell a DVD of this film. Consequently, it's easy to find cheap DVDs of Terror by Night. But these cheap ones are also cheap quality. The links above are for the digitally remastered, high-quality DVDs produced by MPI Home Video. Don't waste your money on anything else!

Terror by Night (1946), 60 min. b&w

Terror by Night
(1946), 60 min. b&w