The Pearl of Death
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| The Pearl of Death | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Roy William Neill |
| Written by | A. Conan Doyle (story) Bertram Millhauser |
| Starring | Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Evelyn Ankers |
| Distributed by | Universal Studios |
| Release date(s) | 1944 |
| Running time | 69 mins. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | The Scarlet Claw |
| Followed by | Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Pearl of Death is a 1944 Sherlock Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. It is loosely based on Conan Doyle's story The Six Napoleons but features some interesting additions such as Rondo Hatton as "The Creeper" and Evelyn Ankers as Naomi, a villainess and the accomplice of Giles Conover, played by Miles Mander.
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[edit] Plot summary
Master criminal Giles Conover steals the famous "Borgia Pearl" from the Royal Regent Museum under the very nose of Holmes and Watson, but when caught the pearl is not found on him and he is released.
Later, Holmes hears of an apparently motiveless murder. An elderly Colonel is found with his back broken amid a pile of smashed china. Holmes takes an immediate interest in the case as the unusual method of killing is that of "The Hoxton Creeper", known to be Conover's right hand man.
Another murder occurs, of a little old lady, also surrounded by smashed china. Conover makes two attempts to kill Holmes, who surmises that Conover is desperately trying to recover the stolen pearl.
After a third killing Holmes eventually tracks down the link in each case - a bust of Napoleon. Conover, when being pursued by the police, had fled through the workshop where they were being made, and hid the pearl inside one of six identical busts.
Holmes tracks down the vendor of the busts and find out that one is still unaccounted for, as does Conover's accomplice Naomi. Conover and The Creeper arrive at the house of the owner of the final bust, only to find that Holmes has taken his place. Overpowered, Holmes convinces The Creeper that Conover will double-cross him, and the Creeper turns on Conover and kills him before the police finally arrive. Holmes smashes the final bust and recovers the pearl "with the blood of five more victims on it".[1]
[edit] Cast
Basil Rathbone ... Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce ... Dr. John H. Watson
Dennis Hoey ... Inspector Lestrade
Evelyn Ankers ... Naomi Drake
Miles Mander ... Giles Conover
Ian Wolfe ... Amos Hodder
Charles Francis ... Digby
Holmes Herbert ... James Goodram
Richard Nugent ... Bates
Mary Gordon ... Mrs. Hudson
Rondo Hatton ... The Creeper
[edit] References
- ^ Davies, David Stuart, Holmes of the Movies (New English Library, 1976) ISBN 450 03358 9
[edit] External links
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