Main Cast: Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Dennis Hoey, Evelyn Ankers, Miles Mander
Release Year: 1944
Country: US
Run Time: 69 minutes
Plot
This above-average entry in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series is loosely based on the Conan Doyle story The Six Napoleons. On this occasion, Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) are assigned to guard the priceless Borgia Pearl, a "cursed" gem that has inspired scores of murders over the years. Their principal antagonist is master criminal Giles Conover (Miles Mander), who, though he is constantly thwarted in his efforts to pilfer the pearl, manages to discredit Holmes in the eyes of the public. Conover's chief assistant is the beautiful Naomi Drake (Evelyn Ankers), who adopts several clever disguises in the course of the action. Complicating matters is a series of seemingly unrelated murders, in which the victims are found with their backs broken, lying amidst piles of shattered China. Holmes deduces the connection between the murders and the Borgia Pearl, and in so doing nearly becomes the latest victim of The Creeper (Rondo Hatton), a horribly disfigured homicidal maniac. In addition to providing Basil Rathbone and Evelyn Keyes endless opportunities for bravura disguise scenes, The Pearl of Death launched the short starring career of the tragic Rondo Hatton, a real-life victim of the disfiguring disease known as acromegaly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Pearl of Death is a solid, enjoyable little Sherlock Holmes thriller that might have been even better had it stuck closer to the original Arthur Conan Doyle story that was its source. Of course, fans of Doyle's stories often complain about liberties taken in their translation to other media, but this is more than a matter of being irritated at an inappropriate piece of clothing or a minor change in a plot detail; one of the reasons Pearl is not as satisfying as it might have been is because the writers have forced Holmes to make the kind of boneheaded mistake that is totally out of character (cutting the alarm wires at a museum to prove a point, thereby facilitating the theft of the title object). Aside from this and several other liberties, there's little to complain about with Pearl. Basil Rathbone is again in excellent form as Holmes and Nigel Bruce bumbles delightfully (if unfaithfully to Doyle) as Watson, and they're aided and abetted by a sly turn from Evelyn Ankers and an appropriately evil one from Miles Mander. Roy William Neill's direction is effective if slightly less imaginative than usual. This may not be a priceless Pearl, but it's still a nice little bauble. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Ian Wolfe - Hodder, antique shop owner; Charles Francis - Digby, museum curator; Holmes Herbert - James Goodram Diamond Courier; Richard Nugent - Bates Museum Guard; Mary Gordon - Mrs. Hudson Sherlock Holmes' Housekeeper; Rondo Hatton - The Creeper; Wilson Benge; Billy Bevan - Constable; Lillian Bronson - Maj. Harker's Housekeeper; Harry Cording - George Gelder, Plaster Bust Manufacturer; Leslie Denison - Constable Murdock; Al Ferguson; Leyland Hodgson - Customs officer; Colin Kenny - Guard; Charles Knight - Bearded Man; Connie Leon - Ellen Carey; John Merkyl - Dr. Boncourt; Eric Wilton - Chauffeur; Harold de Becker - Boss; Audrey Manners - Teacher; Arthur Mulliner - Sandeford; Arthur Stenning - Steward
Credit
John B. Goodman - Art Director, Martin Obzina - Art Director, Vera West - Costume Designer, Melville Shyer - First Assistant Director, Roy William Neill - Director, Ray Snyder - Editor, Hans Salter - Composer (Music Score), Paul Sawtell - Musical Direction/Supervision, Virgil E. Miller - Cinematographer, Roy William Neill - Producer, Russell A. Gausman - Set Designer, Edward Ray Robinson - Set Designer, Bernard B. Brown - Sound/Sound Designer, Joe Lapis - Sound/Sound Designer, Bertram Millhauser - Screenwriter, Arthur Conan Doyle - Short Story Author
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]
