Pursuit To Algiers

DVD, Pursuit To Algiers (1945) film

One of the few in the Sherlock Holmes series I hadn't seen before, and one that isn't based on any real story, it suffers a bit because of that, coming across as a bit bland and lacking in the opportunity for Holmes to pull off his remarkable skills. Not to say he doesn't prove a worthy adversary to those who want the foreign king dead, as he effectively foils their plots at every turn. The trouble is, after so many dark, mysterious adventures, a jolly cruise doesn't have the same possibility for danger and suspense. Watson's 'nephew' notes at the end that the voyage had been quite eventful, or something like that, and Holmes replies that it would have been boring otherwise, but I'd say the story suffers from too much inaction and does actually feel a tiny bit boring at times.

Nevertheless, as ever, Watson is there to cheer things up, and while the musical interludes were unnecessary, it was almost worth it to see the Dr. giving a rousing singing performance (not sure if it was actually Nigel Bruce - the singing was obviously mimed during the scene). I was suitably suspicious of the various characters, but it's only the three main suspects that I needed to worry about. Out of those I wanted to see more of the large man in glasses, clearly the leader, as he had a kind of Moriarty panache in the way he verbally jousted with Holmes (even if he was less effective in the action department).

Twice Holmes compliments Watson on his powers of observation, and I couldn't help wondering if he was just buttering him up as the fool is an incompetent wally most of the time, only useful as a decoy and a stooge to signpost the way to the plans Holmes isn't following! But to give him credit he did spot the poison in the tea. I would have thought if you were going to kidnap someone you'd make sure you knew what they looked like first, and the villain's incompetence proved a simple matter for Holmes to outsmart.

The final flourish was a neat twist, but through it all it was more of a waiting game than a good film. The joke Holmes makes at the end seemed full of double-meaning, stepping out of the fourth wall a little bit by telling Watson never to take up acting. Let's hope Rathbone didn't share those views about Bruce! For some reason there are no credits at the end (though I recognised a couple of familiar faces from the roster that have appeared in the series before).

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