La voce del terrore

After two features produced at Twentieth Century Fox in 1939, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson moved to Universal Studios in 1942. Like the original Conan Doyle stories, the two Fox films were set in the Victorian era, but when the master sleuth and his side kick worked at Universal, the plots were moved to the then-present day, which was World War II. "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror," the first of the contemporary features, is heavy on British patriotism and anti-Nazi propaganda; the audience is even advised to "Buy War Bonds" after the end credits have faded. In a script adapted from Conan Doyle's story, "His Last Bow," classified information from the Inner Council is finding its way to the Nazis and has led to train crashes, bombings, and other sabotage in war-town Britain. The Council, against the wishes of some members, enlists the help of Holmes and Watson to track down the leak.

Although often expounding patriotism and anti-Nazi warnings, Basil Rathbone always remains in character and fine form as Holmes; his iconic performance is unerring and solid. Nigel Bruce is equally fine as Doctor Watson, who ably supported his friend and provided comic relief through 14 movies. While the film's low budget is evident, the cast is full of pros and boasts some excellent character actors beyond the reliable Rathbone and Bruce; Bruce Denny, Montagu Love, and Henry Daniell among others show the talent and dedication to craft that kept them consistently employed in dozens of classic and not-so-classic movies. Elwood Bredell, the cinematographer, lensed the film with skill; the inky black shadows of Limehouse, the foggy streets of London, the crisp closeups of Rathbone and Evelyn Ankers, the female lead, elevate the film's visuals to near-A-picture status.

While far from the best in the Sherlock Holmes series and a step down from the two preceding entries at Fox, "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" has enough moments and assets to satisfy Holmes fans. The propaganda and message are heavy handed, dated, and only pad the running time; the screeching voice of terror grates on the ear; and experienced watchers of who-dunnits will easily pick out the villain. However, the acting is top notch, the photography first rate, and the fun of watching Rathbone and Bruce solve a crime is unmatched.

While the pleasures of watching BASIL RATHBONE and NIGEL BRUCE play those world famous consulting detectives is undeniable fun, the real enjoyment of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR is it's rich noir atmosphere. The stand out player in this UNIVERSAL programmer is cinematographer ELWOOD "WOODY" BREDELL. Bredell had a nearly 30 year career which began during the silents, and he really had an eye for composition and lighting. Much of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR is shot at night, or in low light circumstances, and really displays the near lost art of high contrast, hard, hot light cinematography at it's artful best. As SHERLOCK HOLMES films go, THE VOICE OF TERROR is entertaining, but as an experience of "film noir" this film could be a minor classic.

The first two Basil Rathbone - Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes outings (THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES) are usually considered the best of the series, although several of the "modernized" ones (THE SCARLET CLAW, SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH, THE HOUSE OF FEAR) have really really clever mystery stories in them. This one, the first of the 20th Century FOX modern stories, is based on HIS LAST BOW. But it has an interesting modern source to the tale, as well as a secondary source from a non-Conan Doyle writer.

The original Conan Doyle story is (chronologically) the last one in the canon (of 56 short stories and four novels by Sir Arthur). HIS LAST BOW was written in 1917, and was supposed to be a memoir of Holmes final espionage service for the British Government in wrecking the espionage work of one Heinrich Von Bork, the Kaiser's most brilliant agent in England. There are references in it to zeppelins and other wartime machines and events (including the involvement of Irish - American allies to the Kaiser against the hated British). Suffice it to say that it has, what is the classic ending (in terms of dialog) for Holmes and Watson. This is the "There's an east wind, Watson...." dialog, which actually ends this story. I am glad (at least for this much) that the screenplay writers knew enough to use this wonderful dialog to conclude the movie.

To bring it up to date (1939 - 40), the story includes reference to the antics of one of the most aggravating people the British people faced between 1939 and 1945: Mr. William Joyce, a.k.a. "Lord Haw Haw". There are elements of Joyce in the character of Meade (Thomas Gomez) and the basic story in the film about the radio broadcasts. Joyce was an Irish American (he was born in New York City), who moved to England in the 1920s. He was a very intelligent man, who felt he was ignored by too many inferior people, and harbored great resentments as a result. This is Meade to a tee. Joyce happened to have a wonderful speaking voice, but he looked rather ordinary. He gravitated to Fascist circles, soon rising in the British Union of Fascists (BUF) and becoming a leading speaker and propagandist for Sir Oswald Mosley (the would-be Fascist dictator of England).

Mosley was quite an egomaniac, but so was Joyce. After awhile a split developed between the men, as Joyce felt that Mosley was depending too much on British democracy (which Joyce despised). Joyce increasingly looked with admiration at the Nazi model (more so than Mosley was ever willing to look). When the two nations drifted into war Joyce traveled to Germany and offered his services to Josef Goebbels. Goebbels knew a good thing when he could use it, so he agreed. Joyce (once war began) had a German passport that was dated prior to September 1, 1939. But he also had a British passport and an American passport. Joyce planned carefully to keep all three - just in case.

Soon he began broadcasting in his nasal, but pleasing voice, as "Lord Haw Haw". He was an expert in presenting brutality as an expected future way of life - Osama Bin Laden and Al Quaeda could take good lessons from Joyce's still surviving propaganda recordings. For the first three years of the war the British public had to live through his broadcasts, on top of the Blitz by his allies in the Luftwaffe. At the time THE VOICE OF TERROR was made, everyone in Britain, the United States, and the world knew who was the model for that radio voice of doom in the movie.

I don't know if Joyce ever saw the film, but he probably would have dismissed it as allied propaganda (which it was). It might even have flattered him that he was targeted in it. At the time the Axis was winning the war (Stalingrad, El Alemein, and Midway were in the future). But as the war turned against the Axis, Joyce found that his role in Nazi circles was not as grand as he had hoped. Had they won against England, probably he would have been important (as Meade hoped to be in the film), but as England and the U.S. and the Soviet Union advanced (and were gradually joined by France in 1944), Hitler and Goebbels basically treated Joyce as a paid employee. He took to drink - he could see the war was going badly, despite the propaganda he spewed out. When the regime collapsed in ruins in May 1945, Joyce got shot by an Allied soldier, and was returned to the British to stand trial for treason.

It's an interesting trial (if you study the business about the three passports). To this day there is an actually good argument to say Joyce had not committed treason in 1939 - 45 because the German passport made him a German citizen. But his defense was brushed aside, he was found guilty, and he was hanged.

The third element in the film was the novel, THE GREAT IMPERSONATION, by E. Phillips Oppenheimer. Set before World War I, it describes how a German aristocrat meets his exact double (Sir Everard Dominey) in Africa, and decides to kill him and take his place in British society in order to help German war plans. This is part of the conclusion of the film, regarding one of the council.

It is a good film, because of the performances of Rathbone, Bruce, Henry Daniell, Reginald Denny, Evelyn Ankers, and (best of all) Thomas Gomez as the power-hungry/paranoid Meade. But it is not among the best of the Sherlock Holmes series. As for "Lord Haw Haw" it is not the only film that his character popped up in. Trevor Howard plays a character based on him in RUN FOR THE SUN with Richard Widmark.

Basil Rathbone's third appearance as Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric sleuth and the first in Universal's series of 12 films in which the master detective is transplanted from Victorian England to the modern era in which the films were made. "Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror" was not that unusual in that, until 20th Century Fox produced "The Hound of the Baskervilles" in 1939, most previous Holmes films had also placed our hero in contemporary society. It was not until this film, however, that the contemporary aspects were given such strong emphasis.

There's no Moriarty on hand this time, as Holmes and Watson (played, of course, by Nigel Bruce) join Britain in battling the Nazis. It's all a little awkward, but there is some fine atmosphere, especially in a scene in which Holmes and Watson visit a seedy pub in search of information. The cast is good, with Thomas Gomez as a very effective villain, Evelyn Ankers as the proverbial bad girl with a heart of gold, and, as a diplomat, the wickedly suave Henry Daniell who would return to play Professor Moriarty in "The Woman in Green." Best of all is Rathbone, who is razor sharp despite a very peculiar hairstyle that looks like it belongs in a gladiator flick.

The series improved considerably once Roy William Neill took over as director with the second film, and later entries that did not emphasize the "modern" concept, like "Spider Woman" and, most particularly, "The Scarlet Claw," are far superior, but "Voice of Terror" is still an entertaining show, perfect viewing on a rainy, fog shrouded night.

This Sherlock Holmes feature, the first of Universal's series that took the two stars (though little else) from the two earlier 20th Century Fox Holmes movies, got the new series off to a good start with an involved, entertaining story and a very good supporting cast. It has its flaws, but they by no means keep it from being an enjoyable movie with good characters and plenty of action. Though the credits cite the Arthur Conan Doyle story "His Last Bow" as the source, it is actually an entirely new story with only a handful of minor elements remaining from the original.

The choice to move the stories from the original Victorian setting to the (then) present meant that the new series would never have quite the same feel as the Doyle originals, but as some compensation it allowed for Holmes to be portrayed battling enemies that were then foremost in viewers' minds. This story of "The Voice of Terror" makes full use of anxieties and unpleasant possibilities that must have been only too frequently in the minds of its original viewers. It still succeeds in building tension and interest with its tale of Nazi-created disasters and mocking threats.

The story is very interesting, although it has a few overly convenient turns and plot holes. It gave Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce a chance to perform the kinds of material that they had already gotten used to doing together. They are helped considerably here by the supporting cast, which includes Reginald Denny and Henry Daniell as the most prominent members of the government council that is employing Holmes's services. But it is Thomas Gomez and Evelyn Ankers who really make a difference. Gomez has one of his best character roles as a crafty enemy agent, and Ankers does a fine job as a woman of low standing who gets a chance to serve her country.

The series would get even better as it went along, as Rathbone and Bruce continued to develop their camaraderie and as the production team eased into a familiar formula that could be varied as needed. But this one already got the series off to a solid start with a good movie that is still worth seeing.