User reviews

When the sinister Voice of Terror taunts England over the radio with news of acts of sabotage against the Allies, the Inner Council of British Intelligence has no choice but to turn to England's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone). Holmes, with help from his criminal underworld connections, investigates and uncovers the true identity of the Voice of Terror.

After two fine films at Fox and a three-year gap, the Sherlock Holmes series movies to Universal. The change of studios also brings with it the updating of Holmes to the 1940s, where he understandably spends the early entries in the series battling Nazis. This change upsets many purists, who already have problems with the Rathbone series for its portrayal of Watson as comic relief and its deviations from the books. If you're one of those, I doubt anything I can say will alter your opinion. I don't happen to be bothered by the changes. I actually enjoy the movies more because of them.

As in his two films at Fox, Rathbone here is the perfect Holmes. One of my favorite scenes from any of his Holmes films occurs in this one when Holmes and Watson go to a seedy pub frequented by criminals. One of the criminals, a particularly frightening thug Sherlock put away years before, approaches the duo and we're led to believe any second now he will try to exact some violent revenge on Holmes. I won't spoil how the scene ends but pay attention to the way Rathbone plays this entire scene. It's wonderful stuff. I would be remiss in doing any kind of review for Voice of Terror without mentioning Rathbone's hairstyle. For some reason they decided to give him a rather silly-looking haircut where the hair on the sides is combed forward. It's hard not to chuckle when you first see it. Thankfully he wears a hat for a lot of the picture.

For his part, Nigel Bruce is a great sidekick. He has less to do here than some of the other movies but, as always, he's pleasant and fun to watch. The supporting cast is great, with the likes of Henry Daniell, Reginald Denny, and Thomas Gomez giving solid turns. Special mention goes to Evelyn Ankers, who gives one of her most different performances here. She plays the wife of a criminal killed for helping Holmes who then agrees to help the detective herself. Not for the sake of law & order but for the love of country. Her best scene is when she gives a rousing speech to her fellow criminals and lowlifes, enlisting them to help Holmes and England.

This is a solid start to the Universal Holmes series. Not the best but very entertaining nonetheless. Reading some of the older reviews here is a bit stomach-churning. Jeez, you'd think these people WANTED the Nazis to win! They seem so bitter and angry over the film being pro-England during World War II. What's this world coming to when people hate patriotism and nationalism so much they gripe about it more than the Nazis? The fact that most of these reviewers identify themselves as being from England or America makes the whole thing doubly sad.

The first two Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes outings (THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES) are usually considered the best of the series, although several of the "modernized" ones (THE SCARLET CLAW, SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH, THE HOUSE OF FEAR) have really really clever mystery stories in them. This one, the first of the 20th Century FOX modern stories, is based on HIS LAST BOW. But it has an interesting modern source to the tale, as well as a secondary source from a non-Conan Doyle writer.

The original Conan Doyle story is (chronologically) the last one in the canon (of 56 short stories and four novels by Sir Arthur). HIS LAST BOW was written in 1917, and was supposed to be a memoir of Holmes final espionage service for the British Government in wrecking the espionage work of one Heinrich Von Bork, the Kaiser's most brilliant agent in England. There are references in it to zeppelins and other wartime machines and events (including the involvement of Irish - American allies to the Kaiser against the hated British). Suffice it to say that it has, what is the classic ending (in terms of dialog) for Holmes and Watson. This is the "There's an east wind, Watson...." dialog, which actually ends this story. I am glad (at least for this much) that the screenplay writers knew enough to use this wonderful dialog to conclude the movie.

To bring it up to date (1939 - 40), the story includes reference to the antics of one of the most aggravating people the British people faced between 1939 and 1945: Mr. William Joyce, a.k.a. "Lord Haw Haw". There are elements of Joyce in the character of Meade (Thomas Gomez) and the basic story in the film about the radio broadcasts. Joyce was an Irish American (he was born in New York City), who moved to England in the 1920s. He was a very intelligent man, who felt he was ignored by too many inferior people, and harbored great resentments as a result. This is Meade to a tee. Joyce happened to have a wonderful speaking voice, but he looked rather ordinary. He gravitated to Fascist circles, soon rising in the British Union of Fascists (BUF) and becoming a leading speaker and propagandist for Sir Oswald Mosley (the would-be Fascist dictator of England).

Mosley was quite an egomaniac, but so was Joyce. After awhile a split developed between the men, as Joyce felt that Mosley was depending too much on British democracy (which Joyce despised). Joyce increasingly looked with admiration at the Nazi model (more so than Mosley was ever willing to look). When the two nations drifted into war Joyce traveled to Germany and offered his services to Josef Goebbels. Goebbels knew a good thing when he could use it, so he agreed. Joyce (once war began) had a German passport that was dated prior to September 1, 1939. But he also had a British passport and an American passport. Joyce planned carefully to keep all three - just in case.

Soon he began broadcasting in his nasal, but pleasing voice, as "Lord Haw Haw". He was an expert in presenting brutality as an expected future way of life - Osama Bin Laden and Al Quaeda could take good lessons from Joyce's still surviving propaganda recordings. For the first three years of the war the British public had to live through his broadcasts, on top of the Blitz by his allies in the Luftwaffe. At the time THE VOICE OF TERROR was made, everyone in Britain, the United States, and the world knew who was the model for that radio voice of doom in the movie.

I don't know if Joyce ever saw the film, but he probably would have dismissed it as allied propaganda (which it was). It might even have flattered him that he was targeted in it. At the time the Axis was winning the war (Stalingrad, El Alemein, and Midway were in the future). But as the war turned against the Axis, Joyce found that his role in Nazi circles was not as grand as he had hoped. Had they won against England, probably he would have been important (as Meade hoped to be in the film), but as England and the U.S. and the Soviet Union advanced (and were gradually joined by France in 1944), Hitler and Goebbels basically treated Joyce as a paid employee. He took to drink - he could see the war was going badly, despite the propaganda he spewed out. When the regime collapsed in ruins in May 1945, Joyce got shot by an Allied soldier, and was returned to the British to stand trial for treason.

It's an interesting trial (if you study the business about the three passports). To this day there is an actually good argument to say Joyce had not committed treason in 1939 - 45 because the German passport made him a German citizen. But his defense was brushed aside, he was found guilty, and he was hanged.

The third element in the film was the novel, THE GREAT IMPERSONATION, by E. Phillips Oppenheimer. Set before World War I, it describes how a German aristocrat meets his exact double (Sir Everard Dominey) in Africa, and decides to kill him and take his place in British society in order to help German war plans. This is part of the conclusion of the film, regarding one of the council.

It is a good film, because of the performances of Rathbone, Bruce, Henry Daniell, Reginald Denny, Evelyn Ankers, and (best of all) Thomas Gomez as the power-hungry/paranoid Meade. But it is not among the best of the Sherlock Holmes series. As for "Lord Haw Haw" it is not the only film that his character popped up in. Trevor Howard plays a character based on him in RUN FOR THE SUN with Richard Widmark.

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (Universal, 1942), directed by John Rawlins, marks the return of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in their now legendary screen roles as Sherlock Holmes and his friend/associate, Doctor Watson. Having been last seen in a pair of 1939 releases ("The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes") for 20th Century-Fox, this edition was an easy attempt for a new film series (1942-1946). Aside from its lead actors now performing their original roles for another studio, the Victorian characters of the 1890s have been modernized into the now contemporary locale set during the London blitz of World War II. For this rather drastic change, the opening title explains its reasoning for it: "Sherlock Holmes, the immortal character of fiction created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is ageless, invincible and unchanging. In solving significant problems of the present day, he remains - as ever - the supreme master of deductive reasoning." And there you have it. In true Hollywood fashion, Holmes and Watson, having moved fifty years into the future from a trip down the Time Tunnel, physically showing Holmes, Watson and their landlady, Mrs. Watson, all haven't aged a bit. The only change would be their clothing. Gone are the horse and buggy replaced by automobiles. Gone are the gas-lit street lamps replaced by electric light-bulbs. What retains here is Sherlock Holmes masterful reasoning of crime solving that never goes out of style.

For this newly formatted series opening, the story, based on Conan Doyle's "His Last Bow," starts off with a view of Germany before revealing those listening to a radio broadcast from an Axis enemy mastermind known as "The Voice of Terror" predicting various acts of sabotage that are to take place in their homeland of England. Sir Ryan Barham (Reginald Denny) of the British Inner Council, calls in ace detective Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Doctor Watson (Nigel Bruce) of 221B Baker Street, to help stop Nazi saboteurs working in England. During his latest assignment, Holmes soon finds his life threatened, followed by Gavin (Robert Barron) stumbling into his apartment to keel over with a knife in his back. His last words before dying is "Christopher." Later, Holmes and Watson, come to Limehouse in a very rough section of town to notify, Gavin's girlfriend, Kitty (Evelyn Ankers) of what has just occurred. Holmes acquires further assistance from the young girl whose determined to fight for England and get the one responsible for Gavin's death. Because of her secret meetings with R.F. Meade (Thomas Gomez - in movie debut), it is uncertain whether Kitty is secretly working for or against this supposed Nazi, adding more suspense to the story, which is the writer's intention.

Also in the supporting cast are Henry Daniell (Anthony Lloyd); Leyland Hodgeson (Captain Roland Shore); Montagu Love (General Jerome Lawford); Olaf Hytten (Admiral Fabian Prentiss) and Hillary Brooke (Jill Grandis, a female taxi cab driver). Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson appears with no screen credit.

Placing Sherlock Holmes in contemporary times is nothing new, having been done previously in some earlier screen adaptations, notably SHERLOCK HOLMES (Fox, 1932), where Holmes (Clive Brook) and Watson (Reginald Owen) are seen in 1930s Chicago. Universal's view of modernizing Holmes was to take advantage of its dated wartime propaganda theme commonly used in countless other films in the early forties. After a few more similar war-related themes, the writers of this series eventually had it phased out in favor of either original screenplays or those adapted whole or in part from the Conan Doyle stories. Many Holmes fanciers label Rathbone's initial Universal entry to be somewhat on the weak side, making its 65 minute presentation to feel a bit longer that it actually is, but overall, it does have some good points, too. Fortunately under Roy William Neil, who was to direct all future films in the series, some even improving from its predecessor, even to a point of reviving Holmes' arch enemy of Professor Moriarty such as THE WOMAN IN GREEN (1945) as played by Henry Daniell, the same Daniell who appears in this edition of THE VOICE OF TERROR.

Sherlock Holmes is ageless, and quite popular, proving so to what developed into a 16 film theatrical series that lead to Sherlock Holmes festivals quite commonly broadcast on television on any given weekend from the 1950s to 1980s, mainly those Universal editions that open with Holmes and Watson, with credits superimposed over their images as the camera follows them walking through the street of uncertainty.

Distributed to home video in the 1980s and later DVD, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR's most recent cable TV offering turned up on Turner Classic Movies where this, and others in that series, premiered December 26, 2009, to commemorate the release of the latest theatrical SHERLOCK HOLMES as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Though the 2009 edition of Holmes retained its turn of the century outlook, it's even more contemporary through its actions. Regardless of how many actors have played Holmes and Watson on screen, the best remains for many, to be the one and only Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Next installment: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942) (***)

While the pleasures of watching BASIL RATHBONE and NIGEL BRUCE play those world famous consulting detectives is undeniable fun, the real enjoyment of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR is it's rich noir atmosphere. The stand out player in this UNIVERSAL programmer is cinematographer ELWOOD "WOODY" BREDELL. Bredell had a nearly 30 year career which began during the silents, and he really had an eye for composition and lighting. Much of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR is shot at night, or in low light circumstances, and really displays the near lost art of high contrast, hard, hot light cinematography at it's artful best. As SHERLOCK HOLMES films go, THE VOICE OF TERROR is entertaining, but as an experience of "film noir" this film could be a minor classic.

Any criticism today of the plot's credibility has to be put in the context of the reason the film was made in the first place. Simply it was a jingoistic, morale boosting piece of theatre for the film going public, by 1942 ravaged by the blitz in London, rationing and the fear of Lord Haw Haw broadcasts.

Sure the plot is thin, Evelyn Ankers plays an East End waif with more than a touch of Southern American drawl and the red herrings are obvious.

That said Rathbone remains the pinnacle Sherlock Holmes and Bruce the lovable bumbling side kick. Great entertainment.

Voice of Terror as the first Holmes foray against the Nazis wasn't too bad, and certainly is very watchable simply as a film. Maybe it would have been better if a fantasy scene had been tacked onto the beginning showing how they'd been kidnapped by Moriarty who had discovered the secret of time travel to dump the pair into WW2. I don't recommend watching this straight after Adventures, although as no further adjustment is needed for The Secret Weapon breezing through the remaining Universals does me no harm! But as previously posted, updating Shakespeare into any time - even the future - is OK, and also operas such as La Boheme are similarly always tinkered with too. They call it Arty, I call it trying to save money on costumes and sets!

VOT on its own merits: dark and smoky atmospheric images, beautiful use of nitrate b&w , an interesting subplot with the interplay between Kitty and Meade, and a stirring finale meant to spur people into risking their lives. "We'll remember" is the consolation if death is the result.

Rathbone needed a haircut, Bruce representing an England he obviously didn't know was "unchanging" - because England was changing as they spoke, Daniell and Denny were excellent as usual, Gomez was perfect in his role as Satan's man in London, and Evelyn Ankers never looked lovelier, even as a prostitute! I'm slightly surprised that Rathbone himself wanted the update, but all things taken I'm rather glad the series was moved to 1942!

Basil Rathbone's third appearance as Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric sleuth and the first in Universal's series of 12 films in which the master detective is transplanted from Victorian England to the modern era in which the films were made. "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" was not that unusual in that, until 20th Century Fox produced "The Hound of the Baskervilles" in 1939, most previous Holmes films had also placed our hero in contemporary society. It was not until this film, however, that the contemporary aspects were given such strong emphasis.

There's no Moriarty on hand this time, as Holmes and Watson (played, of course, by Nigel Bruce) join Britain in battling the Nazis. It's all a little awkward, but there is some fine atmosphere, especially in a scene in which Holmes and Watson visit a seedy pub in search of information. The cast is good, with Thomas Gomez as a very effective villain, Evelyn Ankers as the proverbial bad girl with a heart of gold, and, as a diplomat, the wickedly suave Henry Daniell who would return to play Professor Moriarty in "The Woman in Green." Best of all is Rathbone, who is razor sharp despite a very peculiar hairstyle that looks like it belongs in a gladiator flick.

The series improved considerably once Roy William Neill took over as director with the second film, and later entries that did not emphasize the "modern" concept, like "Spider Woman" and, most particularly, "The Scarlet Claw," are far superior, but "Voice of Terror" is still an entertaining show, perfect viewing on a rainy, fog shrouded night.

After two features produced at Twentieth Century Fox in 1939, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson moved to Universal Studios in 1942. Like the original Conan Doyle stories, the two Fox films were set in the Victorian era, but when the master sleuth and his side kick worked at Universal, the plots were moved to the then-present day, which was World War II. "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," the first of the contemporary features, is heavy on British patriotism and anti-Nazi propaganda; the audience is even advised to "Buy War Bonds" after the end credits have faded. In a script adapted from Conan Doyle's story, "His Last Bow," classified information from the Inner Council is finding its way to the Nazis and has led to train crashes, bombings, and other sabotage in war-town Britain. The Council, against the wishes of some members, enlists the help of Holmes and Watson to track down the leak.

Although often expounding patriotism and anti-Nazi warnings, Basil Rathbone always remains in character and fine form as Holmes; his iconic performance is unerring and solid. Nigel Bruce is equally fine as Doctor Watson, who ably supported his friend and provided comic relief through 14 movies. While the film's low budget is evident, the cast is full of pros and boasts some excellent character actors beyond the reliable Rathbone and Bruce; Bruce Denny, Montagu Love, and Henry Daniell among others show the talent and dedication to craft that kept them consistently employed in dozens of classic and not-so-classic movies. Elwood Bredell, the cinematographer, lensed the film with skill; the inky black shadows of Limehouse, the foggy streets of London, the crisp closeups of Rathbone and Evelyn Ankers, the female lead, elevate the film's visuals to near-A-picture status.

While far from the best in the Sherlock Holmes series and a step down from the two preceding entries at Fox, "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" has enough moments and assets to satisfy Holmes fans. The propaganda and message are heavy handed, dated, and only pad the running time; the screeching voice of terror grates on the ear; and experienced watchers of who-dunnits will easily pick out the villain. However, the acting is top notch, the photography first rate, and the fun of watching Rathbone and Bruce solve a crime is unmatched.

All of Universal's Sherlock Holmes movies are well worth watching, and even though The Voice of Terror is a lesser entry in the series, it still captures a lot of what makes the rest of the series so brilliant. As usual, the performances are right on cue; with the quintessential Sherlock Holmes, Basil Rathbone, once again bringing all the right cards to the table that make his performances as the great detective so brilliant. Nigel Bruce impresses once again as well as Holmes' sidekick Doctor Watson. These two are always great to watch, and they could be investigating why paint dries and it would still be interesting. The plot takes on a different stance from usual Holmes mysteries, and this time sees him working for the British government after a series of mysterious broadcasts from 'the Voice of Terror' baffle the country. Holmes is put in a situation where he's working for someone bigger than himself, and it puts something of a damper on the usual mystery plot. Because this film was made at the height of the second world war, it's social comments are a little out of date now; but you can see how the plot may have been frightening to the people at the time that this was made. Another thing that lets the film down is propaganda. It's obvious why the film is patriotic, but it goes over the top sometimes and Rathbone's monologue in a public house is of particular, cringe-worthy note. Still; this is a decent mystery and, like the rest of the series, is well worth seeing.

I've read some of the reviews regarding this film and there seems to be a grave misunderstanding regarding this film.

Many list it as the third in the "series" of Sherlock Holmes films starring Basil Rathbone, but that's quite inaccurate.

This film was not the 3rd in a series, following "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes.

"The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes were a series aborted by 20th Century Fox because of the start of WWII.

With the start of WWII, 20th Century Fox decided these films, set in Victorian times, were far too elaborate and expensive to continue during war times. Thus, the entire series was dropped.

After this, Rathbone and Bruce continued doing Sherlock Holmes on the BBC as a series of radio productions. (this included Mary Gordon who always played Mrs. Hudson) With the success of the BBC radio serial, Universal pictures in 1942, picked up Rathbone and Bruce to play Holmes and Watson. However, because it was still during WWII, Universal decided to set their Holmes in what was modern times. Universal did this for extremely practical reasons which had nothing to do with artistic "interpretation." This was done as a cost cutting feature as the same sets and supporting actors (as any keen eye would notice) were then used in other films and vice versa. (The other films usually featuring Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr. or Boris Karloff) Such a cost cutting feature would not have been possible had Universal set the films in Victorian, London.

Thus, "The Voice of Terror," although the third time for the team of Rathbone and Bruce, was the first film in the Sherlock Holmes series, for Universal pictures.

It is a grave misunderstanding to confuse the two series (the first by 20th Century Fox and the second by Universal). The first were made in the 30s in pre-war Hollywood with much larger budgets. The second were made during the war with the rationing and most understandable budget problems that accompanied such pictures of the day.

Which brings us to the subject of the Voice of Terror. It happens to be my favorite of the Universal Sherlock Holmes movies, despite it's short comings. Rathbone is still at the top of his game and doesn't have the "bored to death with Holmes" appearance he had by the time of his last Holmes film, "Dressed to Kill." Despite reusing the train crash from "The Invisible Man" the film has the tension and mystery intended to give audiences who still saw the Nazis as a real nightmare, instead of the pantomime joke they have become today.

Full of British patriotism and the stalwart attitude the British still display when their home is attacked as the recent London attacks prove. Thus, the "Voice of Terror" is not really as much archaic hokum as the modern, casual viewer might assume. Instead, the same attitudes in display today, remind us that the more times change, even with "Voice of Terror," the more they remain the same.

Thus, enjoy "The Voice of Terror" even though it is only VERY LOOSELY based on the Conan Doyle great detective. The film is still a lot of fun, and people forever when thinking of Holmes and Watson cannot fail to evoke the mental memory of Rathbone and Bruce.

Worth the Watch.

This is certainly among the worst efforts put forth by Universal in their "updated" Sherlock Holmes series. Oddly enough, it was also the first. What amazes me is that, following this debacle, the series continued to include 11 more films. It's quite fortunate that it did, however, since I'd venture to say that all of the subsequent entries were superior to this initial outing.

Here, we see for the first time...Sherlock Holmes, Nazi Basher! It's a strange occupation for "the world's foremost consulting detective." Here, Holmes acts more in the manner of a government agent...a proto-James Bond kind of character...ferreting out enemy spies and fighting WWII on behalf of the British government. Indeed, in this film (and the two entries which immediately followed), one might get the impression that Holmes is on the government payroll.

The film could have been interesting, on its own, as a piece of stand-alone wartime propaganda. But as a Sherlock Holmes film, it's an abject failure. Deduction takes a back seat to espionage in a most unflattering fashion. With as much as Arthur Conan Doyle's detective admonished Watson for dramatizing and romanticizing his cases, instead of focusing on the science behind his reasoning, I wonder what he'd have to say about The Voice of Terror, which all but ignores the principles of deductive reasoning, in favor of wartime intrigue and sappy back-slapping patriotism. Methinks the good detective would not be kind in his choice of invectives.

Purporting inspiration from Arthur Conan Doyle's tale, His Last Bow, the film takes only the name of one character and a brief speech by Holmes from the story in question. The rest is the invention of the film's screenwriter, and for the most part, is decidedly un-Holmesian. Though the disclaimer at the beginning of the film tells us that Holmes is unchanging...and thus, the perfect man to solve the world's modern problems...and that "he remains the master of deductive reasoning," it seems that this Holmes is very much changed, indeed...and that deductive reasoning is scarcely his stock and trade. Surely, he relies as much upon chance as he does upon logical deduction...lucking his way through the picture, as it were. A pity as Conan Doyle's stated reason for creating Holmes was: "It always annoyed me how in the old-fashioned detective story, the detective always seemed to get at his results by some sort of lucky chance or a fluke." Indeed, this film...and to some extent, the two which immediately succeeded it...personified everything that Conan Doyle seemed to dislike in detective stories. As such, it is a perversion of the character to the utmost extent.

This did not go unnoticed among critics and noted "Sherlockians" at the time of the film's release. There was considerable criticism of the film on those grounds...and also because Watson, though always well-played by Nigel Bruce, had been transformed from Conan Doyle's "everyman" into a bumbling fool. This latter condition would, unfortunately, prove permanent throughout the course of the series...but the former was soon remedied. After the dismal critical and box office failure of the third entry, Sherlock Holmes in Washington, the direction of the series was changed. The Nazi agents disappeared, overt wartime references dwindled, and eventually vanished from the series, and Holmes returned to solving baffling cases through the science of deduction.

A great deal of credit must go to Roy William Neill for guiding the series throughout its run. In fact, it's interesting to note that the series took its turn for the better once he was named Associate Producer (on the fourth film)...and also, that this first venture, The Voice of Terror, was the only film in the series which he did not direct.

In wartime Britain, morale is falling among the troops as a covert radio broadcast calling itself `the voice of terror' directs Nazi agents to carry out attacks and espionage. The Government calls in Sherlock Holmes to track down and stop the broadcast and, as a result, the attacks and espionage.

I have seen several of the modern set Holmes films, most recently `Sherlock Holmes in Washington'. Despite not really liking that one, I decided to give this one a stab anyway. The modern setting seems as much a way of using the films as wartime propaganda rather than as a way of improving the film or anything like that. For that reason this film struggles simply because all the changes have been made for that reason and hence, if they do act as an improvement, then it is only by chance.

The plot is reasonable but not great. It is more about getting the Nazis rather than Holmes' taking on any one foe or trying to solve a specific crime. Rathbone is still good but he looks like a modern fop in his dapper clothes and silly hairdo! Bruce is good but not used as much as he has been in other films. The Nazi's have no character and the support cast is not that strong. Of the film only the conclusion is exciting but even that basically is hinted at heavily all the way through.

Overall, this has all the stuff that I like about Holmes but the modern setting really hurts it. Instead of a good plot, an existing story is twisted to be set in WW2 and deducting is replaced by propaganda and triumphalism over a foe that is never anything more than a caricature.

I saw Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror as a big fan of Sherlock Holmes and of Basil Rathbone's portrayal, and while it was interesting and I'm glad I saw it it didn't come across as one of the best of the Rathbone films series, if anything it was the opposite. The patriotic speeches do come across as rather heavy-handed and melodramatic with the one with Holmes in the public house enough to make anybody cringe. Watson is also underused, while the story is somewhat low on mystery and rather ridiculous. It is not badly paced though and the ending was exciting. The film is also atmospheric and well made, with a score that drives the atmosphere and action very nicely and fittingly. The dialogue, speeches aside, is intelligently thought out and literate, any interplay between Holmes and Watson is always a delight. As well as the production values, the acting was the best thing about Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, Basil Rathbone is superb as always and Nigel Bruce is also good in one of his more subtle performances as Watson. Henry Daniell, Evlyn Ankers and especially Thomas Gomez give compelling support. In conclusion, didn't enthral me very much but it is interesting and still has enough to grab your attention. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Sherlock Holmes strives to destroy the band of Nazi saboteurs whose actions are extolled by THE VOICE OF TERROR.

After a hiatus of three years, and a change of studios from Fox to Universal, Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce returned to portray the beloved characters they had embodied twice before on the screen. And there was one other significant change--the stories were now set during World War Two and served as morale boosters as well as cinematic entertainment.

This leap ahead of nearly 50 years does no violence to Holmes & Watson, although purists might lament the absence of late Victorian ambiance. Indeed, if Shakespeare can be performed in modern dress and become the basis for Broadway musicals, then the inhabitants of 221B Baker Street are served no injustice by this updating. The film offers this explanation as its preamble: `Sherlock Holmes, the immortal character of fiction created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is ageless, invincible and unchanging. In solving significant problems of the present day he remains - as ever - the supreme master of deductive reasoning.'

Here, in a plot very loosely based on Conan Doyle's short story ‘His Last Bow,' Rathbone & Bruce play their roles as comfortably as one might wear an old pair of well-worn slippers. Rathbone, triumphantly cerebral, and Bruce, comfortingly common, are simply perfect for their roles, actually seeming to become Holmes & Watson, rather than just enacting them. In the tiny exchange, where Watson stops Holmes from leaving their flat wearing his famed deerstalker rather than modern headgear, the actors give a wink and a nod to the original conceptions of their celebrated characters.

Kindly Reginald Denny and angry Henry Daniell give their usual stalwart performances as high government officials struggling with the Nazi depredations. Evelyn Ankers adds a bit of spice as the Limehouse lassie who has her own motives for helping Holmes. Thomas Gomez gives a compelling portrayal as a Nazi agent with strange delusions of grandeur.

Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited & lovable Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson, Holmes landlady, who has also been time transported along with her tenants. That's Edgar Barrier, excellent as the Voice of Terror.

This was the third in the Sherlock Holmes film series, following THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES (1939), and preceding SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SECRET WEAPON (1942).

I don't hate this first of the modern "Sherlock Holmes" films at all. There is some good action and a few good cast members other than Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The plot is the main weakness. It doesn't quite work and it isn't down to the film focusing on fighting the Nazis. The other Holmes films of this kind did a better job. In my opinion the best of the modern Holmes movies are as follows: "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon," "The Spider Woman," "Sherlock Holmes Faces Death," "The Scarlet Claw," "The Pearl of Death," "Terror By Night" and "The Woman in Green." Evelyn Ankers is terrible in her part. She may be easy on the eye but an actress she is not. Thomas Gomez is good though.

Here's another example of a film I first thought was so-so until I purchased the Complete Sherlock Holmes Collection that was carefully "restored" on DVD with a package of now-beautiful transfers of these famous films. Instead a poor- quality tape, which was the only thing available in the '90s, now every scene is clear.

In this movie, having a good transfer is more important than normal because this might be the best-looking SH film of them all. There are a ton of night-time scenes, like a film noir, and a lot of facial closeups. In fact, I would say this movie was better filmed than many film noirs I've seen.

The story is about a "Tokyo Rose"-type voice telling the British how inferior they were and how the Nazis were going to were going to commit their terrorist-type activities at the moment of the broadcast. And, indeed they did, as promised. This propaganda over "the wireless," as Dr. Watson and other called the radio back then, was driving English folks crazy. The government and Scotland Yard, in desperation, calls Sherlock Holme to the rescue, if he can help.

Holmes deduces that all these acts are only a prelude to some "huge, diabolical act yet to come" and sets out to discover what that would be and who is responsible for the broadcasts. He finds some in the high muckety-muck society that hired him is a traitor and doing the broadcasts from within, as well as spilling secrets to the Germans.

Evelyn Ankers as "Kitty" helps Holmes and is a very attractive helper. Henry Daniell plays his normal irritating character (he was good at that) and Thomas Gomez was interesting as a Nazi.

Overall, a decent story with super photography.

I remember seeing the beginning of an old Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes movie a while ago that opened with a card explaining why they took Holmes out of the Victiorian Era and transplanted him into WWII. Apparently Holmes is 'timeless' see, so that makes it alright. Well, with that logic Holmes might as well be floating around on a Space Station at some point, solving alien murders. But they only did a few, so I guess I can forgive them.

This mystery has Holmes hired by the Government to find out who is behind the filthy Nazi propaganda being broadcast across Britain, frightening the public with prophecies of doom. Well, we can't have that can we? The silly story really takes a backseat to the thick atmosphere in this one. They make truly wonderful use of shadows and darkness and I'd recommend student filmmakers to take note of this particular style as it is most effective.

There is a decent twist in the end, but for such a ridiculous plot it's hardly classic Holmes stuff.

Egad,...although I like series B-movies from the 1940s (such as Charlie Chan, The Falcon and Sherlock Holmes), I can't get over how insanely positive some of the ratings are for the films on IMDb. How over 30% of the ratings for this film are 10s is beyond me--especially since Basil Rathbone made several other Holmes movies that were light-years better than this one. In fact, this film and SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HOUSE OF FEAR are pretty bad movies,...saved only because Rathbone was such a 'swell' actor (nice 40s word, huh?).

Why was it so poor compared to the other films? Well, first off, the best Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films were the first two made by Fox Studios--THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES and THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. None of the Universal versions of the series come close to the quality of these films--especially since Holmes and Watson live in the late Victorian London of the original stories. Putting Holmes in the role as a propaganda-spewing enemy of Hitler just doesn't seem right! Second, the plot is absolutely paper thin and Holmes doesn't do much 'detecting' at all--at least not like the Holmes of old. He jumps to lots of conclusions and the movie simply moves too fast to allow for realism in his deductions. Third, the film simply isn't fun or interesting--and this is what made many of this series so worth seeing. And fourth, several times throughout the film, Holmes turned towards the camera and began reciting VERY HEAVY-HANDED propaganda speeches. And while I love American propaganda films from WWII, I can't stand to be preached at and having it all laid on so thick!! So my advice is STILL watch films from the series--just save this one and THE HOUSE OF FEAR for your last films to watch. Otherwise, you might be tempted to stop before you've seen them all.