Main Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Marjorie Lord, Henry Daniell, George Zucco
Release Year: 1943
Country: US
Run Time: 71 minutes
Plot
One of the silliest and most unbelievable of the UniversalSherlock Holmes series, Sherlock Holmes in Washington is also undeniably one of the most enjoyable. The story gets under way when an Allied spy (an unbilled Gerald Hamer, one of this series' "regulars") smuggles a valuable piece of microfilm into the U.S. The film is hidden in a matchbook cover that passes through several hands, ultimately ending up in the possession of Washington, D.C., socialite Nancy Partridge (Marjorie Lord). Brought to Washington from London to help locate the missing film, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) do their best to rescue Nancy from the clutches of the Axis villains -- nearly losing their own lives in the process. And when the case is finally solved, Holmes reveals that there's still another twist to the proceedings -- a few minutes before he delivers his obligatory patriotic quote from Winston Churchill. One of the delights of Sherlock Holmes in Washington is the casting of George Zucco and Henry Daniell as the bad guys; both actors also played Holmes' archenemy Moriarty in other series entries. It's also fun to see poor old Watson tangle with American slang and a wad of bubble gum, and to watch as Holmes and Watson driven past a series of famous D.C. monuments -- covering several miles in a matter of seconds! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Sherlock Holmes in Washington is one of the lesser entries in the Universal series, but it's still jolly good fun. Clearly, part of the problem with the film can be found in its title -- Sherlock Holmes simply doesn't belong in Washington, and putting him there signals that this film will have little to do with Arthur Conan Doyle. Once one accepts this, however, Washington becomes a rather fun film, employing such well-worn but still effective devices as stolen microfilm, a crowded train, mistaken identities, and the old "carry the abductee away in a carpet" trick. Director Roy William Neill is in good form, especially during a delightful shot in which the microfilm is passed (unwittingly) from one person to another at a party. Basil Rathbone, always good as Holmes, is especially fine here, relishing the opportunity to imitate an "eccentric antique enthusiast" or play cat-and-mouse with the villain (an excellent George Zucco). Washington's biggest flaw -- a common one in the series -- is the concluding monologue, an out-of-place bit of wartime propaganda that is so out-of-step with the rest of the film as to prove irritating. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Martin Obzina - Art Director, Jack Otterson - Art Director, Howard Benedict - Associate Producer, Vera West - Costume Designer, Roy William Neill - Director, Otto Ludwig - Editor, Frank Skinner - Composer (Music Score), Charles Previn - Musical Direction/Supervision, Lester White - Cinematographer, Roy William Neill - Producer, Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer, Edward Ray Robinson - Set Designer, Bernard B. Brown - Sound/Sound Designer, Bertram Millhauser - Screenwriter, Lynn Riggs - Screenwriter
