Storyline

Holmes and Watson are recruited in a serpentine fashion to escort the heir to a European throne back to his native country following his father's assassination. Because the prince has been educated in Great Britain, Holmes persuades him to masquerade as Watson's nephew Nikolas on an ocean liner bound for Algiers. Unfortunately, the ship is filled with red herrings as well as real assassins and Holmes is challenged to outwit them all and deliver his charge to his destination. Among the suspects are a knife-throwing circus performer, two shadowy archaeologists, a hulking deaf mute, an enigmatic ship's steward, a chanteuse with a mysterious song case, and a gun-toting British dowager.—Gabe Taverney(duke1029@aol.com)

Plot Keywords

handgun, gun, sheet music, sign language, tea, coffee, salt, wine, disguise, glass of milk, booby trap, explosion, pocket watch, hearing aid, monocle, ship captain, decoy, plane crash, airplane, knife

Short Review

A splendid Sherlock Holmes adventure mostly starring Dr. Watson!Roy William Neill directs his mystery adventure Pursuit to Algiers (1945) with a glorious sense of humor and a careful eye for film noir atmosphere. The boat setting is eerie and isolating with striking scenes of foggy decks and charming ship quarters. Neill's direction is fascinating as he engages you in dreary London or by coastal ship harbors alike. He understands where all the excitement comes from clues, intrigue, and Red Herrings of course. Basil Rathbone is highly focused on the main plot of protecting royalty by thwarting assassins left and right during Pursuit to Algiers. Rathbone stays calm and cunning as his sharp wit and keen eye keep you captivated throughout another excellent entry from director Roy William Neill's run of Holmes films.Leonard Lee's seafaring voyage is an intriguing escort mission for Sherlock Holmes to be the vanguard for a European king against assassination plots. Everyone is a suspect on this ship of would be killers and you don't even care as it's hilarious because we focus on Watson the entire time. Getting the old stuffy sidekick to Sherlock all in a fuss over fish and chips or night time songs is too funny. I really like Nigel Bruce in Pursuit to Algiers with all his fussing and absurdly entertaining comedic relief to the ultra serious assassination plot. He's great as Watson hates to be in the company of the ever screaming and demanding lady Agatha Dunham, played by the funny actress Rosalind Ivan.Marjorie Riordan's singing and lovely presence as Sheila Woodbury is quite pleasant. She's charming, sings beautifully, and bears a sincere gravitas as needed. He role opposite Watson works as his foil due to her beauty distracting Watson consistently. Morton Lowry's steward is attentive and intriguing. Leslie Vincent plays the part of the king quite well. Martin Kosleck is great as the knife throwing master Mirko. Rex Evans' patient mastermind Gregor is very compelling with his quirky manner of speech. Lastly, Willie ‘Wee Willie' Davis is fearsome with his giant stature and wrestling strength.Paul Ivano's black and white cinematography is daring to capture all the casual chaos of people enjoying a cruise ship with busy wide shots and carefully placed still shots. He keeps the important clues just in frame for the viewer to follow Sherlock's logic and awareness of the danger of the situation. Pursuit to Algiers is thrilling, funny, and all together charming as one of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce's most fun pictures.Saul A. Goodkind's editing trims all fat on Pursuit to Algiers into a slim film neatly cut. You'll never be bored with this one as we get 4 songs and a few murderous attempts. John B. Goodman and Martin Obzina's art direction keeps to the dark mood of the English terrifying nights from the previous Holmes movies, but on a creepy ship traveling to the Mediterranean. Russell A. Gausman and Ralph Sylos' set decoration looks like a genuine ship with cozy quarters, dining hall, and a party room. The backdrop of water is quite fun to look at occasionally.Vera West's costumes have fun suits and coats for Holmes and Watson, but her dresses and nightgowns for the lead actress are quite dazzling. Jack Pierce's make-up is classy and stylish for this old film noir.In all, Pursuit to Algiers is so fun, that I will always have fun revisiting this staple of Sherlock Holmes cinema. How can you not enjoy a whole movie centered around Dr. John Watson's buffoonery and complaints?

Trailer

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