Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Tweekums This story sees Sherlock Holmes being employed by Roland Carstairs to because he believes somebody is planning to steal the 'Star of Rhodesia'; a large diamond that his mother is taking back to Edinburgh in the night train out of Euston. Also aboard are Inspector Lestrade, Dr Watson and his friend Major Duncan-Bleek… although the latter two almost miss the train. While Holmes and these three have their dinner Carstairs is murdered and the diamond is taken! The guard is certain that nobody left the carriage so the number of suspects is limited; a grumpy maths professor, an attractive young woman taking her mother's coffin to Edinburgh and a couple who appear to be feeling guilty about something. Holmes suspects the involvement of Colonel Sebastian Moran; a villain second only to Moriarty who has a penchant for jewel thefts.The moving train has proved a fine location for a number of films; it gives us a closed location with a set number of people and the possibility that somebody might get thrown off! Nobody gets thrown off here, not quite anyway, but it is still rather thrilling in a slightly old-fashioned way. Most of the guest characters are somehow suspect and ultimately emerges that more than one are involved in the plot even if one of them is only tangentially involved and doesn't know about the theft. There are some good twists before the case is closed although one does make ones of Holmes's deductions less impressive than it might have been. Basil Rathbone impresses as Holmes and Nigel Bruce is amusing as Watson… even if the character is rather bumbling. Alan Mowbray provides solid support as Major Bleek and Renee Godfrey is delightfully vampish as Vivian Vedder even if her accent is somewhat bizarre! Over all this is a solid Sherlock Holmes story which fans should enjoy.

dglink Suspicious strangers on a train during a great train robbery; and, while it is not a lady who vanishes, there is murder on the Edinburgh express. Sherlock Holmes is hired to accompany Lady Margaret Carstairs and her son, Roland, on a northward journey from London to Edinburgh; her ladyship owns the Star of Rhodesia, an enormous diamond, that is greedily lusted after by countless criminals, and Holmes is responsible for the gem's security. The jewel is well protected, because not only Holmes and his dear friend, Doctor Watson, are aboard, but also the undependable Inspector Lestrade, who has thinly veiled his involvement as a fishing trip to Scotland. Other passengers of interest in the same rail car with the diamond include Alan Mowbray as Major Duncan-Bleek, an old acquaintance of Watson; Renee Godfrey as Vivian Vedder, a cool dark-haired beauty, who is accompanying her mother's body to Scotland for burial; and Frederick Worlock as Professor William Kilbane, the cantankerous object of Watson's attempts at police investigation. However, the myriad suspicious characters extend beyond those few to a married couple who are obviously concealing a secret, a laconic baggage car attendant, the conductor, and the dining car steward; if they are aboard, they are a suspect.The eleventh in Universal Studios's Sherlock Holmes series, "Terror by Night" was directed by dependable Roy William Neill from an original story written by Frank Gruber using snippets from a few Arthur Conan Doyle stories. Similar to an Agatha Christie mystery, the action largely takes place aboard a speeding train, which appears to limit the number of suspects. Holmes has a close brush with death, meets an old nemesis, and plays sleight of hand during the film's tight one-hour running time. Nigel Bruce also has opportunity to shine, and the well meaning, but bumbling doctor, spars during the interrogation of an unwilling suspect and does some independent examination of the clues with his old school chum. Although lensed by Maury Gertsman, a Universal contract cinematographer of B films, the picture utilizes grainy stock footage of locomotives and unconvincing shots of model trains; however, Gertsman's images inside the train are crisp, sometimes atmospheric, black and white."Terror by Night" is a solid entry in the Holmes series, although sharp viewers will decode the mystery early on. Nevertheless, the fun is watching Holmes ponder the clues, Watson bluster through his sleuthing attempts, and Lestrade claim Holmes's hints as his own. Considering how late in the series this installment appeared, "Terror by Night" is an intriguing who-dunnit, who took it, and who's got it.

LeonLouisRicci Next to Last in the Sherlock Holmes-Rathbone-Bruce Series of 14 Movies. This is a Step Up from the Last One and is Usually Ranked in the Mid-Range. Simply, Not the Best and Not the Worst. Suffering a Bit from the Confined Setting on a Train, Although it can be Used as a Contrivance, for Low-Budget Efforts, for Good Effect.The Film has an Outstanding Sequence where Holmes is Next to Death and Hanging On for His Life. There are some Villainous Characters that have Cold Blooded Demeanors and some Bait and Switch Shenanigans that Up the Mystery.Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) is the Least Irritating here than in Any of His Appearances and His Role in this Swan Song is a Less Comedic One for a Change. Watson is also Less Bumbling than Usual but does Manage to Mumble Characteristically.Overall, Fast Paced, with Hidden Compartments, Dart Guns, and a Huge Gemstone Attracting All the Attention. An Intriguing Movie and is Entertaining Enough for Fans with an Ending that is Twisted and Turned for Your Viewing Pleasure.

zardoz-13 Serious-minded Sherlock Holmes aficionados has reservations about the Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes films. First, they abhor Nigel Bruce's portrayal of Holmes' sidekick as an incompetent idiot designed chiefly for comic relief. Indeed, these fellows had a valid point, but Bruce was a first-rate actor and only a first-rate actor can get away with playing a moron. Nevertheless, if Watson weren't played as a bumbling fool, everything would be terribly dull. Second, they complain that Holmes never used the expression "Elementary, my dear Watson." On the other hand, the Universal Studios franchise wins praise for Basil Rathbone's sterling performance as the amateur sleuth whose deductions are nothing short of miraculous. Director Roy William Neill's "Terror By Night" was one of the later Holmes' cases and this murder-mystery is confined primarily for budgetary purposes to a train speeding through the night. At least, three people are murdered in this outing with a rare diamond as the prize up for grabs. The main complaint about this epic is the revelation about the identity of the villain at about 40 or so minutes into the action. Instead of having somebody unveil the villain, director Neill and scenarist Frank Gruber do it for us. This is unfortunate because it deprives the viewer from doing so at the end. Whatever the case, "Terror By Night" remains brisk and entertaining stuff from fade-in to fade-out with Holmes making his usual brilliant deductions and Watson behaving like a first-class fool.The film unfolds in London as Vivian Vedder visits coffin makers Mock and Son to obtain a coffin for her mother's body. The vain Miss Vedder plans to transport the body across the border to Scotland that night on the Scotch Express. However, Holmes and Watson travel aboard the train for an entirely different reason. Ron Carstairs (Geoffrey Steele) has asked them to accompany his mother, Lady Margaret Carstairs (Mary Forbes) on the return trip because she owns the Star of Rhodesia, a priceless but infamous diamond. She came to London to attend a reception at Buckingham Palace. While the Carstairs were in London, somebody made an attempt to pinch the bauble, so he engages Holmes' services. One of the passengers boarding the train turns out to be none other than Inspector Lestrade. Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) is masquerading as a fisherman. He doesn't know the difference between trout and salmon. Basically, Lestrade tells Holmes that he is riding aboard the train to relax. Naturally, Holmes knows better. As the train pulls out of the station from Platform number six, Dr. John Watson appears late but manages to catch the train. Accompanying Dr. Watson is a member of his club, Major Duncan Bleek (Alan Mowbray), who served in India. Initially, the idea is that Watson knows Bleek like a friend, but this is not the case as the film shows us later.No sooner has the train pulled out of the station than not only is Ronald Carstairs murdered in a highly unusual fashion but also the Star of Rhodesia is stolen by parties unknown. Earlier, as the train is on its way to Scotland, Carstairs allowed Holmes and Watson to examine the 423 carat stone. While most of the occupants of the coach are taking supper in the dining car, Lestrade--holed up in his compartment-hears a thud and pokes his head in to find Carstairs dead. Lestrade launches his investigation by questioning everybody. Watson has a low opinion of Lestrade's expertise and sets out to question another traveler in the same coach, Mathmaticals Professor Kilbane (Frederic Worlock), who objects to his impertinence. At one point, an unknown assailant in a cap and coat tries to push Holmes off the train and very nearly succeeds. Happily, our wily protagonist clings to the exterior of the carriage. Holmes recovers, smashes the window of the locked door, and re-enters the train. Eventually, Holmes and Watson examine the coffin the baggage compartment and discover that the casket contains a hidden compartment. Earlier, tried to knock Holmes off the train, but he failed. Later, when Watson complains about playing a game of rummy with Major Bleek, he mentions the word math to Holmes. The word triggers the memory of Professor Moriarty, who was a math genius and Holmes suspects that the culprit may be none other than Moriarty's accomplice Dr. Sebastian Moran. Everything ends in Scotland as Moran is exposed and arrested by a Scottish detective and a fight ensues with both Watson and Lestrade displaying a little more competence than we expect of them."Terror by Night" was the second to last entry in the fourteen film franchise.