Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) allows arrogance to get in the way of common-sense, disarming a museum's alarm system to highlight its inadequacies, and giving criminal mastermind Giles Conover (Miles Mander) the ideal opportunity to make off with a legendary pearl in the process. Conover is quickly apprehended, but not before he has had a chance to stash the valuable gem inside a plaster Napolean bust.
In order to restore his tarnished reputation, Holmes sets out to locate the missing gem, following a trail of broken bodies and smashed crockery left in the wake of Conover's murderous henchman, a massive brute known as The Hoxton Creeper (Rondo Hatton),who is also looking for the pearl, snapping the back of anyone unlucky enough to have purchased one of the ornaments.
I have mixed feelings about The Pearl of Death: as perversely satisfying as it is to see London's greatest sleuth make a complete ass of himself for a change, I find it hard to accept that Holmes's mistake, a result of his pomposity, ultimately results in several innocent people being snapped like a twig by The Creeper; likewise, I struggle with the absurd level of buffoonery displayed by both Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) and Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey)—while admittedly funny, it's extremely hard to swallow that they could really be that stupid.
In the end, it is Rondo Hatton's Hoxton Creeper that qualifies this film as essential viewing: born with the disfiguring condition acromegaly, which causes enlarged features, Hatton's ominous physical presence makes him a truly menacing foe, one guaranteed to send a chill down the spine (immediately before snapping it!).
The Pearl of Death
1944
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
The Pearl of Death
1944
Action / Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Plot summary
When a pearl with a sinister reputation for causing misfortune to its owners is stolen from a museum by a master criminal because of Sherlock Holmes' show-boating, he is naturally obliged to find it. Soon, he learns of a series of brutal murders that seemed to have been commited by a malevolent man mountain known only as the Creeper. Now, Holmes must deal with the seemingly overwhelming menace of this man and his boss in order to retrieve the pearl.
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Jeepers... it's The Creeper!
This One Will 'Creep' You Out!
Here is yet another solid Sherlock Holmes entry, featuring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. This story centers around a chase by crooks to seize a valuable pearl, a bunch of murders that take place as a result of that pursuit, and Holmes trying to make sure the pearl stays with its rightful owner.
It turns out the pearl is hidden in one of six plastic Napoleon busts. Whoever buys these busts winds up dead by a hired killer, monstrous fiend called "The Creeper," a huge man-beast who literally breaks backs.
Holmes (Rathbone) narrowly avoids getting hurt several times himself while Watson (Bruce) mumbles his way through to provide comic relief. Dennis Hoey, who plays "Inspector Lestrade," is as dumb as a brick and adds more humor to the story.
Holmes is, for once, a real stupid idiot!
This Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce entry in the Sherlock Holmes series is a bit unusual because the crime is made possible due to Holmes' hubris and stupidity. After successfully stealing the stolen Borgia Pearl from some crooks, Holmes quickly disables the alarm system in the museum that is now housing it. He intends to demonstrate how shoddy the system is...but instead the crook who previously was responsible for its theft uses this as a chance to steal it once again!! Not surprisingly, Holmes investigates so that he can redeem himself. As is too often the case, the incredibly brain dead Lestrade is on hand to do nothing of any value!. And, equally stupid is Watson...a severe weakness throughout this series.
After the pearl is stolen, the mystery as to its whereabouts is straight from the Conan Doyle story "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons". An unknown brute of monstrous strength is literally snapping the backs of folks who are unfortunate enough to get between him and a group of cheap statues...all in an effort to recover the pearl.
I think this film has some strengths and severe weaknesses. I am thrilled that unlike most of the wartime Holmes movies, this one is NOT about him fighting the Nazis. On the other hand, Holmes is much dumber than usual...as is just about all the good guys. Not only is it Holmes' fault that the pearl was stolen, he later acted like a complete idiot after he received a booby-trapped book. He knows it to be a device designed to kill him and yet opens it with a cane. Had there been a bomb inside, it STILL would have easily killed him! You can only assume that Holmes had ESP!!! As for the mystery as to the pearl's whereabouts, it's nice but as I said, the audience will quickly guess it if they've read the Conan Doyle story.
Overall, this is enjoyable yet often stupid--and cannot at all be compared to the great television versions of Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett. Worth seeing but the writing is too filled with holes to mean much of anything.