Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman

Play trailer Poster for Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman 1942 1h 3m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 3 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A flurry of unexplained suicides has recently occurred among the wealthy elite of London high society. Intrepid sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) believes the perpetrator is cunning seductress Adrea Spedding (Gale Sondergaard), a woman who perpetually haunts London's gambling halls in search of her unlucky prey. Now Holmes, with help from his steadfast assistant, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), must draw Spedding out by playing the role of her next victim.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman

Critics Reviews

View More
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 12/30/2009
B+
The seventh Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce film in the Sherlock Holmes series is an inspired one. Go to Full Review
Phil Hall IdentityTheory 12/21/2009
2.5/5
Gale Sondergaard brings a healthy dose of camp glamour as the eponymous villain. Go to Full Review
Michael W. Phillips, Jr. Goatdog's Movies 06/09/2006
3.5/5
This is one of the most clever reimaginings of Doyle's stories to make it into this series of films. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Frances H 06/02/2022 A pretty good Sherlock case, if you can overlook some very terrible statements Abut women and the horribly fake spider itself. See more andy f 11/20/2017 More complex than usual classic Holmes and all the better for it. See more 04/03/2017 Action-packed instalment of the long running series with Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Holmes very nearly meets his match in Gayle Sondergaard's Spider Woman (potentially drawn from Conan Doyle's Irene Adler who was Holmes' great female adversary and possible love interest). She almost does him in on more than one occasion as he attempts to solve the mystery of the "pajama suicides" - men awakening in the middle of the night and killing themselves. Of course, Holmes suspects foul play - and he both fakes his own death and goes undercover as an Indian gambler to try to gather evidence about the crimes. In the end, the script draws liberally from several Conan Doyle's stories and also inserts Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito into the plot (as targets at a shooting gallery) as a tip of the hat to modern wartime audiences. Bruce is his usual bumbling self, Rathbone is cunning and playful, and Dennis Hoey is all bluster (though with a sentimental streak) as Inspector Lestrade. The plot has enough twists and moves swiftly. Indeed, all of the elements of the franchise are here and they make for rip-roaring fun. See more 01/20/2015 Tan solo 64 minutos, para esta entretenida pelicula,Sherlock Holmes en nuevo caso esta vez contra la mujer araña. See more 09/03/2012 Holmes goes on to unravel a murder case, which involves possible suicide, a deadly, poisonous woman, and a whole lot of money that seems to be the main motive behind all her actions. With a bunch of witty dialogues, many laughable scenes (Holmes pretending to be a distinguished Indian officer is a masterpiece), and a thrilling climax, The Spider Woman is a must-see for every fan of the series. See more 07/29/2012 It's an open and shut case... with air-holes drilled into it--Entertaining Entry!! See more Read all reviews
Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Movie Info

Synopsis A flurry of unexplained suicides has recently occurred among the wealthy elite of London high society. Intrepid sleuth Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) believes the perpetrator is cunning seductress Adrea Spedding (Gale Sondergaard), a woman who perpetually haunts London's gambling halls in search of her unlucky prey. Now Holmes, with help from his steadfast assistant, Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce), must draw Spedding out by playing the role of her next victim.
Director
Roy William Neill
Producer
Roy William Neill
Screenwriter
Bertram Millhauser
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 1942, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 22, 2020
Runtime
1h 3m
Most Popular at Home Now