Pursuit to Algiers

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Audience Member I'd say it's one of the more plausible and entertaining "Holmes and Watson time-travel to the 20th Century" capers. If there's weak spot it's the side bar of Watson's infatuation with the much younger songbird on the voyage. The writers did a decent job of concealing Sherlock's subterfuge until the big reveal. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/30/24 Full Review Josh G Well this ones on a boat... It's good but doesn't stand out. The support cast is dec and waston is in his prime, after a fake death on a escort mission, oh wait the plane was shot down. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/26/24 Full Review matthew d A splendid Sherlock Holmes adventure mostly starring Dr. Watson! Roy William Neill directs his mystery adventure Pursuit to Algiers (1945) with a glorious sense of humor and a careful eye for film noir atmosphere. The boat setting is eerie and isolating with striking scenes of foggy decks and charming ship quarters. Neill's direction is fascinating as he engages you in dreary London or by coastal ship harbors alike. He understands where all the excitement comes from clues, intrigue, and Red Herrings of course. Basil Rathbone is highly focused on the main plot of protecting royalty by thwarting assassins left and right during Pursuit to Algiers. Rathbone stays calm and cunning as his sharp wit and keen eye keep you captivated throughout another excellent entry from director Roy William Neill's run of Holmes films. Leonard Lee's seafaring voyage is an intriguing escort mission for Sherlock Holmes to be the vanguard for a European king against assassination plots. Everyone is a suspect on this ship of would be killers and you don't even care as it's hilarious because we focus on Watson the entire time. Getting the old stuffy sidekick to Sherlock all in a fuss over fish and chips or night time songs is too funny. I really like Nigel Bruce in Pursuit to Algiers with all his fussing and absurdly entertaining comedic relief to the ultra serious assassination plot. He's great as Watson hates to be in the company of the ever screaming and demanding lady Agatha Dunham, played by the funny actress Rosalind Ivan. Marjorie Riordan's singing and lovely presence as Sheila Woodbury is quite pleasant. She's charming, sings beautifully, and bears a sincere gravitas as needed. He role opposite Watson works as his foil due to her beauty distracting Watson consistently. Morton Lowry's steward is attentive and intriguing. Leslie Vincent plays the part of the king quite well. Martin Kosleck is great as the knife throwing master Mirko. Rex Evans' patient mastermind Gregor is very compelling with his quirky manner of speech. Lastly, Willie ‘Wee Willie' Davis is fearsome with his giant stature and wrestling strength. Paul Ivano's black and white cinematography is daring to capture all the casual chaos of people enjoying a cruise ship with busy wide shots and carefully placed still shots. He keeps the important clues just in frame for the viewer to follow Sherlock's logic and awareness of the danger of the situation. Pursuit to Algiers is thrilling, funny, and all together charming as one of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce's most fun pictures. Saul A. Goodkind's editing trims all fat on Pursuit to Algiers into a slim film neatly cut. You'll never be bored with this one as we get 4 songs and a few murderous attempts. John B. Goodman and Martin Obzina's art direction keeps to the dark mood of the English terrifying nights from the previous Holmes movies, but on a creepy ship traveling to the Mediterranean. Russell A. Gausman and Ralph Sylos' set decoration looks like a genuine ship with cozy quarters, dining hall, and a party room. The backdrop of water is quite fun to look at occasionally. Vera West's costumes have fun suits and coats for Holmes and Watson, but her dresses and nightgowns for the lead actress are quite dazzling. Jack Pierce's make-up is classy and stylish for this old film noir. In all, Pursuit to Algiers is so fun, that I will always have fun revisiting this staple of Sherlock Holmes cinema. How can you not enjoy a whole movie centered around Dr. John Watson's buffoonery and complaints? Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Jon C Minor but enjoyable Holmes The best scenes in Pursuit to Algiers are the opening ones set in London: they're very atmospheric, with puzzling goings-on that could have come right out of one of Doyle's original stories. After that the film quickly turns into a well-crafted but fairly ordinary "conveyance mystery," that is, one dealing with murder afoot on a train or (as in this case) a boat. Leslie Vincent unfortunately gives a weak performance in a key role, but there is also a well portrayed trio of sinister villains aboard ship, and the brief scenes by character actress Rosalind Ivan as an eccentric grande dame provide interest. Marjorie Riordan's singing is less tedious than B-movie musical interludes usually are, but for fans of the series the film's high point is likely to be Nigel Bruce's charming rendition of "Loch Lomand." If you like the Rathbone/Bruce Holmes films, you'll certainly want to add this movie to your list. It's a lesser entry in the series though, so if you haven't seen any of them you might want to start with one of the better ones. I saw this on the MPI standard DVD, which I've seen advertised both as a stand-alone and as part of double or collection sets; the DVD quality is good. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/16 Full Review Audience Member good entry in the Sherlock holmes series Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member This story is about espionage while travelling on a ship to Algiers. Basil Rathbone is the only true Sherlock. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Pursuit to Algiers

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