Movie Night: Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942)

 

 

It's movie night here at The Current Thingodrome, and we're going to watch a British WW2 propaganda classic - Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror.

First, some background.

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce played Holmes and Watson respectively in fourteen films between 1939 and 1946. The first two pictures were produced by 20th Century Fox and were rightfully set in the Victorian era having high budgets and production values.

 

Subsequent films were produced by Universal Pictures and had lower budgets, with the intention of making them entertaining B Movies. Universal also abandoned the Victorian setting of the films, instead choosing for propaganda purposes to pit Holmes against the evil Nazis.

 

The Voice of Terror naturally stars Rathbone and Bruce, with the leading lady, Kitty (purrr), played by Evelyn Ankers. Listen out for her laughable Cockney(?) accent. At first, I thought she was an American putting on an English accent but after some investigation, I found her her origins were quite complicated. 

 

She was born in Chile to British parents and returned to England when she was two years old. She attended acting schools in both Britain and America and starred in many American horror films, being dubbed "Queen of the B's", so this fluctuating American lilt may be her actual accent. In any case, I'm sure you'll agree she deserves a resounding "phwoar". 

 

So it's time to grab some popcorn, maybe a hotdog, and no snogging at the back.

Sherlock Holmes and The Voice of Terror (1942)

Director: John Rawlins

Runtime 65 mins

The film starts with a title card describing Holmes and Watson as "ageless" to excuse the act of sacrilege setting it in the 1940s.

Scene 1: The Voice of Terror

The movie proper begins with a bunch of naughty working-class Brits, and some upper-class ones (for research purposes only I'm sure) listening in on the wireless to "The Voice of Terror" broadcast from Germany. Based clearly on Lord Haw Haw, the chilling voice seemingly gives live commentary of attacks on Britain.

Trivia: The train crash in this scene is recycled footage from an earlier Universal picture - The Invisible Man (1933).

Scene 2: Intelligence Inner Council

Holmes and Watson arrive at the not-very-secret headquarters of the Intelligence Inner Council at the invitation of Sir Evan Barham as a last resort to solve the case and Holmes correctly deduces that Admiral Sir John Prentiss objects to his involvement, though changes his tune after they all listen in to the latest horrific broadcast, his son having been on the doomed train.

 

 

Scene 3: Lady Driver

Holmes and Watson are met outside exactly as Holmes predicted by a fetching lady chauffeur provided by the state who drives them back to Baker Street.

 

 

 Scene 4: 221b Baker Street

Watson scares the perennially unimpressed Mrs Hudson whilst cleaning his rusty old revolver, showing they really mean business. Holmes, pipe in mouth, listens intently to a radio broadcast of classical music while drawing a graph of some kind and then phoning the radio station to request a track. We don't know the significance of the music, which is interrupted when "Gavin" turns up at the door, dying with a knife in his back. His last word before expiring is "Christopher". They must find out what this means, and so the pair rush off to the dark streets of Limehouse, but not before Holmes grabs his deerstalker, and in some acknowledgement of the updated 1940s setting, Watson reminds Holmes that he promised to wear a more modern style of headgear.

 

 

 Scene 5: The slums of Limehouse

Arriving in the film noir shadows of Limehouse, Holmes and Watson are being followed. It's the chauffeur girl again. Our two heroes are approached by a stranger with a comedic London accent who warns them that: "this is Limehouse, and we don't fancy your sort of bloke in these parts". They're all criminals around that way, you see. The man threatens violence, but Holmes shows him his stick, and this is enough to make the ruffian back down. The danger has not passed, however. As a knife, German manufactured, we learn, is thrown at the pair. "Knife throwers from Hamburg are extremely expert", claims Holmes. Though thankfully not sufficiently expert to hit the target.

 

 

 Scene 6: Dingy dive bar and Kitty's big speech

Homes and Watson descend from the dark and dangerous streets into the darker and more dangerous underbelly of Limehouse, a basement bar frequented by working-class criminal types. The music stops abruptly as they enter. They ask the barman/waiter for "Kitty", Gavin's wife. All the time being watched intently by a stranger in the gloom who then comes over menacingly. Why, it's a man that Holmes had sent to prison and is harbouring a grudge. Once Holmes explains to the man that he was responsible for his own downfall, as if he wasn't in court to hear the evidence against himself, all thoughts of revenge evaporate and he becomes humble and self-critical. If only all criminals were so easy to pacify.

 

 

Now we meet Kitty, who marches over demanding to know where her husband, Gavin is. Holmes explains that Gavin is no more, that his last word was "Christopher" and that it is a matter of national importance that the meaning of this name is discovered. Kitty, being of lower class, criminal stock is not much moved by Holmes' request for her help until he explains that "Our country, England is at stake". A little different from the reasons given these days for our involvement in the war.

 

 

Holmes explains to Kitty that to bring Gavin's killer to justice and save England from the Nazis, her associates in the bar need to find out what "Christopher" means. Of course, being criminal types, they are reluctant to help which prompts Kitty to deliver her big speech in her wonderfully fluctuating accent.

"I'm not asking this for myself, England's at stake, your England as much as anyone elses. No time to think about whose side we're on, there's only one side - England. No matter how high or how low we are, you, you and you. We're all on the same team, we've all got the same goal - victory."

 

 

So they all immediately vow to find out what "Christopher" means and disappear off into the night full of patriotic fervour.

Scene 7: Back at the inner council

Holmes arrives back at the Inner Council to update them on his progress. Sir Evan comes in. He's been shot, but it's just a flesh wound and he's not at all bothered about the who, how or why. Suspiciously unbothered.

The injury is shown to Dr Watson and Holmes asks him what he makes of it to which the Doctor, expert in these matters replies: "Bullet wound". It's genius.

 

 

The Inner Council then tunes into the latest terrifying broadcast, which gives a live commentary of the East End being bombed. Holmes then explains that he thinks the Voice of Terror is in fact recorded in England, and taken by a German bomber, which breaks formation to collect the recording and other sensitive information (bombing targets and the like), whereby it is flown to Salzburg for broadcast.

A policeman opens the door and announces that there is someone to see Holmes. It's Kitty, who seems to know the top-secret location of the Inner Council and has easy access to it. She whispers something to Holmes who then rushes off urgently, keeping his destination a secret even from the council members, much to their displeasure.

Scene 8: Shadowy streets

Back in the shadowy streets of nighttime London, Holmes and Watson are being followed by Lloyd, one of the council members, who catches up with them before the three of them set off into the night. The trio enters a warehouse in the old and long-forgotten "Christopher" docks.

 

 

In the scene full of suspense, a man with a look slightly resembling Hermann Göring in his civvies appears from the shadows. He points a gun at the detectives, and after a bit of dialogue showing just how evil those bloody Nazis are, he is joined by a handful of other gun-wielding Germans. How will our heroes escape this danger?

 

 

To the rescue comes that band of newly patriotic working-class Londoners from the dingy Limehouse pub. After Holmes distracts them by sneezing, they set about the pesky Germans, who are all then captured by Holmes and the plucky, patriotic plebs. Alas, old Hermann escapes through a handily placed trap door and away into a waiting speedboat.

Scene 9: On Meade's trail

Herman flees to his home. He turns out to be a bloke called Meade, and strangely, Kitty is there to meet him, sent by Holmes to fish for info. How she knows him is a mystery, to me at least.

 

 

 Scene 10: Back at Baker Street

I'm also a little confused about how Holmes and Watson know the identity of Meade. That may be because I have the intellect of a bumbling Watson. Holmes deduces that since a "highly secret military plan is thwarted by each of these disasters", there must be a leak in the Inner Council. A mole, the absolute swine. It is noted that Lloyd "didn't turn a hair" when shot.

Kitty informs them that Meade mentioned Sevenoaks. This must be where the German plane lands to collect the recording, and where Barham owns a property. So off they rush to catch the evil Nazis in the act.

 

Scene 11: Sevenoaks

Here we see Barham, who moonlights as an Air Raid Warden, getting ready to do his rounds. Meade is lurking in the shadows, while Holmes and Watson are driven speedily by that fetching lady driver to intervene in whatever they may find there. Holmes catches up with Lloyd and whilst chatting about the case, air-raid sirens are heard, and a German plane is spotted nearby. As it lands, Meade runs to it to deliver the recording and top-secret plans. Lloyd shoots at him but misses allowing Meade to escape on foot.

 

 

 Scene 12: Meade's place

Meade arrives home to a waiting Kitty, who appears to be posing as his girlfriend. He goes on a megalomaniacal rant about how he'll soon be in a position of power. Power-mad, these Gerries.

 

 

 Scene 13: The Inner Council

The Inner Council members stand around helplessly listening to the latest broadcast informing them that the coast is woefully undefended in one unnamed location. Reports suggest that there is increased German activity in the north, and being absolute fools, the members suggest diverting all available forces to this area, leaving the rest of the country undefended. There's a man to see Holmes, a cab driver this time who seems to know the location of the Inner Council and have easy access to the building. So in he comes and informs Holmes that Kitty and Meade are on the south coast. Holmes insists on rushing off to catch them, and somehow stop the invasion whilst the council members want to do nothing for unexplained reasons. Luckily, Barham then receives a phone call from a superior ordering them to assist Holmes. How the mysterious person on the phone knew about the new information is not stated. But we won't dwell on the details, this is a low-budget B movie after all.

Scene 14: The finale

Holmes and the Inner Council bigwigs speed down to the coast propelled by some exciting music and arrive at a ruined church where the Nasties are hiding out, coordinating the invasion in full uniforms, swastika armbands and all. Quickly with the help of some brave Tommies, they are apprehended.

But there's a twist. Holmes is about to identify the Voice of Terror, who Holmes says is in this very room and who furthermore is a member of the Inner Council. Who could the swine be?

But while Holmes is solving the mystery, Meade spots a gun that's been left in easy reach and smirks an evil smirk as he edges closer to it.

 

 

Of course, the Voice is identified by Holmes as Sir Evan Barham, in fact, a German spy, who immediately admits his foul deed whilst smirking an uncontrollable evil German smirk. You see he's been working undercover for twenty-four years! "The Germans plan well in advance", explains Holmes. The sort of cunning that is barely comprehensible to the innocent British mind. But Barham, who now slips into a slight Cherman accent, lets slip his stereotypical arrogance. His still confident that he's in the driving seat, with the German invasion underway and the British army sent to the other end of the country. But no. The evil Nazi plan has indeed been thwarted by Holmes who was one step ahead.

 

 

Ah, but you'd forgotten about Meade, hadn't you? He grabs the gun and shoots poor Kitty before the Tommies fire back in a scene so full of wooden acting they may as well have used cardboard cutouts. Indeed, one of the Tommies literally stands motionless like a statue throughout the action. Universal would probably have had to pay him more for moving.

 

 

And so the Germans have been defeated, for now. Holmes gives his closing speech.

"There's an east wind coming all the same, such a wind as never blew on England yet. It will be cold and bitter, Watson, and a good many of us may wither before its blast. But it's God's own wind nonetheless and a cleaner, better stronger land will lie in the sunshine when the storm has cleared.”

 

The evil Nazis will be defeated and we'll all live happily ever after. If only that were true.

This was the first time I have ever sat and watched the entirety of a Basil Rathbone Holmes movie and I have to say it was fun and entertaining, even if it was cheap, full of poor acting, awful caricatures and a plot barely stitched together. As a piece of propaganda it no doubt served its purpose at the time.

Rathbone plays the part well, as does Bruce, whose depiction of a bumbling Watson I didn't hate as I thought I would, he works as a good counterpoint to the serious and capable Holmes.

We will have our criticisms of course, but I hope you entered into the spirit and enjoyed the film, as I did.