The Pearl of Death (1944)

When a valuable pearl with a sinister reputation is stolen, Sherlock Holmes must investigate its link to a series of brutal murders.

Director:

Roy William Neill

Writers:

Bertram Millhauser (screenplay), Arthur Conan Doyle (story "The Six Napoleons") (as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Stars:

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Dennis Hoey

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Basil Rathbone	...	Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce	...	Doctor Watson
Dennis Hoey	...	Lestrade
Evelyn Ankers	...	Naomi Drake
Miles Mander	...	Giles Conover
Ian Wolfe	...	Amos Hodder
Charles Francis	...	Digby
Holmes Herbert	...	James Goodram
Richard Aherne	...	Bates (as Richard Nugent)
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Hudson
Rondo Hatton	...	The Creeper

Storyline

When a pearl with a sinister reputation for causing misfortune to its owners is stolen from a museum by a master criminal because of Sherlock Holmes' show-boating, he is naturally obliged to find it. Soon, he learns of a series of brutal murders that seemed to have been commited by a malevolent man mountain known only as the Creeper. Now, Holmes must deal with the seemingly overwhelming menace of this man and his boss in order to retrieve the pearl.

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Plot Keywords:

sherlock holmes character | dr. john watson character | climbing out a window | psychotronic film | pearl | 

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Taglines:

Marked... for sudden and violent Death! A Girl risked everything for it! 20 men lost their lives for it! Who was the Creeper?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sherlock Holmes in Pearl of Death

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

69 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Pearl of Death" includes a scene where Sherlock Holmes kills someone. Such moments hardly occurred in the Basil Rathbone films.

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Goofs

At around 44 minutes, the newspaper says "srriking" instead of "striking".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Courier: Who's there?
First Ship's Steward: Steward, sir.
Courier: I say, we're not at Dover yet, are we?
First Ship's Steward: No sir, but there's a message for you, sir, in the wireless room.
Courier: I'll be right there.

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Crazy Credits

US War Bonds promo tagged onto the end of the film reads: "You're not giving-just lending-when you buy war savings stamps and bonds-on sale here."

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Alternate Versions

Also available in a computer colorized version.

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Connections

Followed by The Woman in Green (1945)

User Reviews

Classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.

Expertly directed by R. William Neill, who was responsible for the film noir classic "Black Angel", "The Pearl Of Death" is based on the Arthur Conan Doyle story "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons". This film has it all: mystery, action, comedy, horror, even a half-assed patriotic message tacked on to the end (it was made as WWII was coming to a close). I was impressed by Basil Rathbone's characterization of Holmes: he consistently utters lines that, coming from an inferior actor, would probably sound ridiculous, yet he manages (probably because this was his sixth turn at the character) to impress me with his believability and sheer presence on the screen. Until I saw this film I was always irritated by Nigel Bruce's bumbling Dr. Watson, whose character is miles away from the Watson portrayed in the books, but I now realize that he was the perfect foil for Rathbone's Holmes. The updating of Holmes into the modern era also troubles me, but the film manages to maintain a kind of 'timeless' quality by avoiding too many 'modern' references. Virgil Miller's cinematography is beautiful: I would hate to see it "Colorized" by Turner and his evil band. Miller, who shot another one of my favorite films, "Mr. Moto Takes A Chance" is the perfect compliment for Neill's great direction: together they make every shot interesting, and provide many unforgettable images.