IN A SUPERBLY PLAYED BATTLE OF CUNNING AND ESPIONAGE, HOLMES (BASIL RATHBONE) AND WATSON (NIGEL BRUCE) RUSH TO BREAK A CODE OF DANCING STICK FIGURES AND SET OUT TO RESCUE FRANZ TOBEL, THE INVENTOR OF THE BOMBSIGHT, AFTER NAZI
COLLABORATOR MORIATORY KIDNAPS HIM. "DR. TOBEL IS BEING HELD BY ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT MEN IN THE HISTORY OF CRIME," HOLMES SHOUTS, "COME ALONG, WATSON, THERE ISN'T A MOMENT TO LOSE!"
HOLMES AND WATSON'S SECOND WARTIME ADVENTURE (FOLLOWING SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR) MARKED AN IMPORTANT FIRST FOR THE SERIES. ROY WILLIAM NEILL TOOK UP THE DIRECTORIAL REINS AND WOULD GO ON TO PRODUCE AND, OR DIRECT THE TEN REMAINING RATHBONE-BRUCE FILMS. AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS "DEAR MOUSIE" BY RATHBONE. NEILL WAS NEVERTHELESS IN CHARGE. THE IRISH-BORN MOVIE-MAKER (WHOSE OTHER CREDITS INCLUDE THE BLACK ROOM AND FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN) INVESTED THE SERIES WITH HIS REMARKABLE INVENTIVENESS AND HAD THE FINAL WORLD IN ALL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MAKING OF THE FILMS.
FOLLOWING THE PATTERN SET BY VOICE OF TERROR, NEILL AND HIS FILMMAKING TEAM PRESERVED ENOUGH OF A VICTORIAN VENEER TO PLEASE TRADITIONALIST FANS OF THE GREAT SLEUTH. 221-B BAKER STREET WAS STILL A COZY CLUTTER OF BRIC-A-BRAC AND DUST THAT MRS. HUDSON (MARY GORDON) WOULD NEVER GET THE BEST OF. AND
COSTAR LIONAL ATWILL (MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM) PLAYED MORIARITY WITH A SPLENDIDLY SINISTER VICTORIAN INTENSITY. A MYSTERY-THRILLER IS OFTEN ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS VILLAIN. AND ATWILL, WHOSE ENTIRE CAREER WAS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MAD DOCTOR, RUTHLESS SCHEMER AND DIABOLICAL SCIENTIST ROLES, WAS ONE OF THE SCREEN'S BEST.
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