Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942)

You won't be disappointed!

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Holmes is very much in his guise as World War II spy agent, which sees him and Watson attempt to keep alive Doctor Tobel, an engineer who's developed a new and vital weapon.Created for the audience of the time, the characters seem a little removed from Conan Doyle's creations. In deed the only scraps visible are a reference to the dancing men and an appearance from his Nemesis Professor Moriarty. It has a cheaper feel to it somehow, very much the b movie it was made as.Not a huge deal of character work for Rathbone or Bruce to work with, but they're fun enough. Lionel Atwill's Moriarty I hate to say for me doesn't work at all, not a fan of the character he brought. It's clunky somehow, the camera work seems a bit slow and clunky.It's not hugely engaging by any means, but it's a watch for Sherlock fans, 7/10

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce team up for the fourth time as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson for Universal Studios's second entry in their 1940's Holmes series, "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon." Based on a story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Dancing Men," the plot revolves around a scientist, Dr. Franz Tobel, who is secretly brought to London from Switzerland by Holmes; Tobel has invented a bomb-sight that will provide a strategic military advantage to the side that possesses it. Wisely, the propaganda has been tempered significantly from the previous film in the series, although the Nazis remain the enemy and Holmes makes a short patriotic speech that brings the film to a satisfying close.Rathbone hit his stride as Holmes with this film; his performance is strong, and he evidently relishes the opportunities offered by the script to demonstrate Holmes as a master of disguise. Bruce embodies Watson, the amusing side kick, although herein he provides enough valuable support to show that he is not a bumbling fool. Lionel Atwill returns from "The Hound of the Baskervilles" to reprise his role as Moriarty; enlisted to aid the Nazis in retrieving the bomb-sight, the dastardly professor is a fine match for Holmes. The interplay between the two is particularly amusing when Holmes taunts Moriarty about his mundane methods to murder him; showing contempt for the professor's plan to use a gun, Holmes details his own ingenious method, which Moriarity obligingly utilizes. Dennis Hoey makes the first of several appearances in the series as Inspector Lestrade of Scotland Yard; his amusing take complements Watson, and Lestrade becomes a welcome third party to the famous pair. Mary Gordon also returns with her fourth appearance of many as Mrs. Hudson, Holmes's understanding housekeeper at 221B Baker Street.The lustrous black-and-white cinematography by Lester White is a major asset and often uses deep dramatic shadows, especially in the exterior studio-lot shots, and occasionally hints at an expressionist bent. Director Roy William Neill keeps the pace of "Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon" moving, and the plot is suitably challenging for the skills of Holmes. After a shaky start to the Universal Holmes series, the second outing is decidedly first rate. Rathbone is at his best in his iconic role; the superfluous propaganda has been ratcheted down; Holmes's nemesis, Moriarty, is a formidable opponent; and the movie is solid entertainment.

Roy William Neil took over directing the remainder of the series that stars Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes & Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson. This film, loosely based on 'The Dancing Men', finds Holmes undercover in a Swiss village smuggling out an inventor of a new bomb-sight both the Allied & Axis powers want. They are successful, but back in London the inventor is kidnapped, but had broken up his bomb-sight into four parts, and is being interrogated by the enemy, which this time is Professor Moriarty(played by Lionel Atwill) while Holmes races to find his location. Rather stodgy film with Atwill uninspired though Rathbone still fine. Film starts well but loses steam altogether.

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943)Is there any point to a film as flimsy as this formulaic quickie? Maybe. It's rather plump as a quasi-propaganda piece, prototypical in several ways, a sliver of light onto the day-to-day home front of WWII London.Maybe we do really need to be reminded of the subtle infiltration of Nazis of all colors into everyday British life since enemies will be among us in any war. How do you distinguish? Who do you trust? We might prefer Sam Spade or Peter Falk, for style (or a CSI team for results), but that's only because we Americans don't really own Sherlock Holmes. Never mind that Holmes worked half a century before the SS started gassing morphine users. Who in the whole world would make a better Nazi-hunter? Basil Rathbone does it reasonable justice, made only more cunning by the glaring contrast of Nigel Bruce as his bumbling and necessarily lovable sidekick, Dr. Watson. (Why do you think touring rock bands use local acts as warm-ups?)For Sherlockians (or whatever they are called), there is the problem of transplanting the sleuth from the smoky, opium-glazed, romanticized London that we depend on. It's some comfort to see the old Victorian mechanical tricks (secret doors), elegant revelations (water spilling on the cipher and revealing its key), and good old disguises (three). Because this really is Holmes all over again. And guess who wins? The English, specifically. And guess who disappears to an apparent but unconfirmed death? Yes, Professor Moriarty himself.This is the middle of three Holmes WWII adaptations. The first, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942), is also set in London (great mood throughout). The third, Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943), is a throwaway. There were fourteen movies made for the standard Rathbone/Holmes oeuvre from 1939 to 1946. Not one of them is a masterpiece, but some of them, Hound of the Baskervilles for starters, are distracting in the best way. In the eerie calm after the Blitz, Secret Weapon was surely transparent and glib, and rather fun, and not really propaganda at all. Today, it remains transparent and glib, and rather fun. I miss Mycroft.