Pursuit to Algiers (1945)

Powerful

Load of rubbish!!

best movie i've ever seen.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Sherlock Holmes plays bodyguard to a European prince in this tenth of the Universal Sherlock Holmes series (twelfth overall). It's often called the least of the bunch and it's easy enough to see why. Almost the entire movie takes place on board a ship at sea yet there is very little creative use made of such a claustrophobic setting. There's not much suspense to be had and the great detective does very little investigating. In fact, despite some interesting red herrings introduced early, the villains of the story are obvious and upfront from the time they first appear on screen. So there's not much in the way of mystery here, save for a twist reveal at the end that really wasn't surprising. Still, it's Rathbone and Bruce doing their thing and that's highly enjoyable to watch even in a lesser Holmes film. Nice support from Martin Kosleck, Rosalind Ivan, Rex Evans, and Marjorie Riordan. A lesser Holmes movie but still very watchable and likable for fans.

Most Consider this the Weakest in the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Series and it Probably is, but that Does Not Mean it is Unwatchable or Worthless. By this, the 12th of the Teams Pairing, the Charm for Fans has Made Itself Undeniable and Unobtrusive Despite Some Silliness and Liberties that the Movies So Often Exhibited. Mostly Taking Place on an Ocean Liner it is Claustrophobic and Confined and the Supporting Cast is Less than Memorable Playing Weak and Ill Defined Villains. The Film does have a Nice Twist at the End and there is Enough Going On that it just Keeps from Getting Tedious.Sherlock Keeps Most of His Personal Stingers Directed to Watson at Bay. The Final Line of the Movie is a Tongue in Cheek, In-Joke that is Charming and in Good Spirits.

While this is contrived and silly at times, the best part of it, for me, was the fact that everyone knows what Holmes is up to and he still manages to come out on top. There are two plots at work here. One has to do with the transporting of stolen emeralds and the other the transporting of royalty. On numerous occasions, Holmes turns the tables on his adversaries. The dangers are everywhere and his head spins like an owls as he peers over his shoulder, through the fog, and through portholes. He sets up a wonderful ruse. The men who are out to squelch his efforts are really interesting: a mute thug who uses sign language, a wiry Peter Lorre type with a foreign accent, and a sort of Sydney Greenstreet wannabe. Watson becomes enamored with a pretty young singer who is carrying around secrets. He even belts out his own version of "Loch Lomond" and he proves to have quite a beautiful voice. Without giving anything away, Holmes keeps his cards close to his vest until the denouement. He suspects no one; he suspects everyone. I think this is a lesser effort, but still a lot of fun.

This is the one that takes place on a passenger liner from England to the Mediterranean. Holmes' mission, should he choose to accept it, is to guard the life of the young king of Ruritania or whatever it is. Holmes chooses to accept it.I don't know why I got such a kick out of it. It's really pretty dumb. Holmes and Watson are walking along a London street in the opening scene, contemplating a holiday in Scotland. A strange man insists Holmes dropped a newspaper, so Holmes accepts it. Next their stroll is interrupted by a man who insists they try the fish and chips in a certain restaurant. They are no sooner seated than another customer obstreperously complains about finding a "fishbone" in his soup. The waiter suggests a dish and circles the price on the menu -- 2/6. When Holmes finally opens his "dropped" newspaper, the time of 8 PM is underlined. Something like that anyway. From all this narrishkeit Holmes deduces that he and Watson are being asked to visit 26 Fishbone Alley at eight o'clock.There they are asked by a delegation of delegates to accompany the King of Ruritania -- "a pillar of the democratic world" -- back to his homeland because certain sinister forces would like to see him removed from his earthly responsibilities. Holmes will accompany the King in a small airplane, but before leaving, Holmes tells Watson to take the Swedish liner Friesland and join him in Ruritania. The airplane takes off as Watson shakes his jowls with concern.The plane is shot down over the Pyrenees, but it really doesn't matter because -- surprise! -- Holmes and the King are also aboard the liner. Why they went to all the trouble of sneaking aboard is a mystery though, because despite the King's disguise as Watson's nephew, everybody seems to know Holmes and Watson and -- are you getting all this? There is an attempt to poison the King in some coffee delivered by a suspicious-looking steward. Somebody tries to blow him up with a party favor. A knife is flung into Holmes empty bed. The King appears at one point to be in danger of being shoved overboard by a suspicious-looking young singer.Well, everybody looks suspicious. Martin Kosleck looks more suspicious than most, but with his ice-sculptured features he always looked suspicious. A nice Jewish kid who fled Germany when the Nazis came to power, he made a career of playing Nazis in Hollywood movies. He played Joseph Goebbels five times.I said the young singer looked suspicious too, and she does, but she gets over it and turns out to be innocent of any foul motives. That's just as well because the singer is played by Marjorie Riordan and she's utterly charming. Her voice is an appealing compound of Paulette Goddard's and Priscilla Lane's. She's quite alluring in a darkly edible way.In contrast, the King is played by Leslie Vincent. He had parts in a few more movies than I did but, as in my case, he was mostly uncredited. It may be a just world after all because the kid is an embarrassment on screen. Furthermore, he's a pretender to the throne.I've noticed that in all of his films, Basil Rathbone, as Holmes, is required to say "Thank you" in his usual crisp manner. He says it so often in this case that I felt I ought to be counting the times. Every time I heard him utter that phrase -- "Thank you" -- it took me back to a scene from the Marx Brothers' "Day at the Races". Groucho has coaxed a tall and duplicitous blond up to his hotel room. He keeps offering her things like a seat at the table and a bowl of soup. With each proffer the blond replies with an elaborately elegant "Thank you." And each time, Groucho replies even more emphatically, "Thank YOU." Example: He offers to take her wrap. "Thank you," she says. "Thank YOU," says Groucho, throwing the wrap on the floor.