Terror by Night (1946)

Nice entry in the series, but far from perfect, 26 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Sherlock Holmes has been hired to guard a famous diamond aboard a train bound for Scotland.  But when the diamond is stolen, Holmes not only needs to uncover a thief, but a murderer as well. 

Even though I have a number of problems with Terror by Night, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy rewatching it last night.  Even the worst of the Rathbone Holmes’ films are entertaining. With a mysterious coffin on board, every passenger looking suspicious, and Watson hysterically bumbling around, there’s plenty here to like.  Roy William Neill does an excellent job of keeping things moving. At less than an hour, there’s no time to waste. The claustrophobic nature of the train was put to good use. Everything is close and cramped.  Terror by Night might not have been a big budget film, but you wouldn’t know by looking at it. As with most of Universal’s output from the 40s, the cinematography is terrific. I also enjoyed the miniature work on most of the exterior train shots.  Nicely done.  

As for what didn’t work - some of the acting is a bit iffy.  Rathbone, for example, gives a professional performance, but it’s easy to tell he’s tired of the role.  Renee Godfrey may be incredibly lovely, but her acting is stiff and her accent is laughable. But the biggest negative I have is with the film’s finale.  The solution is fine, but the final fight scene and its aftermath are ludicrous. There’s just no way that could have happened.  

7/10