Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
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74% of users liked it
(397 ratings)
There are those who consider Sherlock Holmes Faces Death to be the best of Universal's Holmes series, though others hold out for 1944's The Scarlet Claw. Based loosely on Conan Doyle's The Musgrave Ritual, the plot finds Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) being summoned to… More There are those who consider Sherlock Holmes Faces Death to be the best of Universal's Holmes series, though others hold out for 1944's The Scarlet Claw. Based loosely on Conan Doyle's The Musgrave Ritual, the plot finds Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) being summoned to the Musgrave estate when several mysterious murders occur. By the time the mystery is solved, Sally Musgrave (Hillary Brooke), young mistress of the estate, has decided to donate her property to "the people" as part of the war effort, cuing another of Holmes' patriotic curtain speeches. The best moment occurs when Holmes suddenly realizes that the floor of Musgrave castle resembles a huge chess board -- a clue vital to the ultimate solution of the case. Peter Lawford shows up unbilled as an inebriated sailor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Roy William Neill
- Written By
- Bertram Millhauser
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
G,
- In Theaters
- Sep 17, 1943 Wide
- On DVD
- Dec 2, 2003
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Suspenseful and moderately entertaining.
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
Once the fireworks start, though, it's nonstop action and suspense, with a particularly ingenious ending that pits Holmes against the killer's ego.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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Basil Rathbone
as Sherlock Holmes
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Nigel Bruce
as Dr. John H. Watson
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Hillary Brooke
as Sally Musgrave
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Milburn Stone
as Capt. Vickery
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Arthur Margetson
as Dr. Sexton
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Halliwell Hobbes
as Alfred Brunton
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Dennis Hoey
as Inspector Lestrade
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Gavin Muir
as Phillip Musgrave
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Frederic Worlock
as Geoffrey Musgrave
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Olaf Hytten
as Capt. MacIntosh
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Gerald Hamer
as Maj. Langford
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Vernon P. Downing
as Haverling
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Minna Phillips
as Mrs. Howells
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Mary Gordon
as Mrs. Hudson
- Evelyn Ankers
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Holmes Herbert
as Man
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Peter Lawford
as Bit Part
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Norma Varden
as Grace
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Heather Wilde
as Jenny
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Ian Wolfe
as Antique Store Clerk
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Harold De Becker
as Pub proprietor
