Noite Tenebrosa

Terror by Night is an entry in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series that is neither among the best or worst of the series. It's not Hound of the Baskervilles, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Scarlet Claw but it's superior to Voice of Terror and Pursuit to Algiers. It is too short and can feel rushed, but aside from the length the only other things that let it down were the pretty awful performance of Rene Godfrey(as gorgeous as she is) and the identity of the killer being revealed too early, I personally would have done it five-ten minutes later. While not as beautifully made as the likes of Hound of the Baskervilles and Scarlet Claw, Terror by Night is certainly better made than the hurried-looking production values of Pursuit to Algiers. It does evoke a very claustrophobic atmosphere, for a murder mystery set on a train that was actually appropriate and well done. The train is a great setting for a murder mystery as well. The music has haunting and jaunty touches that are used fittingly, while the dialogue is intelligent, with a good mix of comedy and suspense. The mystery elements to the story are clever and suspenseful with lots of nice twists and turns, the final solution itself is pretty ingenious and the climatic fight is exciting, and the comedy is funny and doesn't feel out of place. The film is solidly directed and very well played on the whole with a suave and authoritative Basil Rathbone and an amusing Nigel Bruce leading. Dennis Hoey has always been a mixed bag in effectiveness as Lestrade, not his fault usually it's his placement and how's he written, the good news is that it is one of his better performances of the series and Lestrade is not quite as idiotic as he was before(at his most idiotic he veers on annoying). The supporting acting is not as strong but still good, Alan Mowbrey being the standout, though Skelton Knaggs is relatively creepy too. To conclude, a solid Sherlock Holmes mystery. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This Conan Doyle story has a big plus for a movie adaptation: the story takes place on a train.

Holmes has been asked to protect a famous jewel, the Star of Rhodesia, while the owner, Lady Margaret Carstairs, takes the train from London to Edinburgh. Of course Holmes cannot prevent the theft, nor is the thief (and murderer) able to get off the train. This is why train stories are among the best settings for a whodunnit: all the suspects are in their own compartments, noone can get off the train and, unlike a whodunnit in a closed room, the detective has more freedom to interrogate the suspects one by one. Of course, the whodunnits on train trips bring their own set of cliches: you can bet that someone will try and kill the detective by pushing him or her out of the train. Sadly Terror By Night isn't without those clichés and, what's worse, gives Nigel Bruce (as Holmes's sidekick Watson) too many chances to spoil the movie by cracking unfunny jokes.

Terror By Night only lasts 60 minutes, so the pace is fast enough to keep the viewer interested and the movie entertaining. The movie is in the skilled directing hands of Roy William Neill, who shot this film shortly before he died of a heart attack. Neill directed more than 100 films between 1917 and 1946, of which ten Sherlock Holmes films and movies with intriguing titles as Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943) and The Good Bad Girl. Apart from helming two Holmes films (this one and Dressed To Kill) he also directed the much praised film noir Black Angel (starring Peter Lorre) in the last year he lived. At least Roy William Neill left the planet in glory, a worthy end of a man who was born on a ship off the coasts of Ireland.

Good film of the splendid Sherlock Holmes-Basil Rathbone and his loyal companion Watson-Nigel Bruce series, including a first-range villain , a Doctor Moriarty's disciple , named Sebastian Moran . When the fabulous Star of Rhodesia diamond is robbed on a train bound from London to Scotland and the son of its owner is killed , Holmes and Watson help Inspector Lestrade - a likable Dennis Hoey , as botcher as Nigel Bruce - which of his suspect fellow passengers is culprit. The main suspicious turn out to be Sebastian Moran . The viewer must discover which of the passengers he impersonates . Who's the killer and the thief?. One Way Ticket to death.! Murder... at 90 Miles an Hour!

Penultime outing in the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes series with the master sleuth up a fabled jewel robbing and against a series of murder on a London to Edinburgh train . Holmes must discover the thief murderous and the responsible ultimately results to be the Colonel Sebastian Moran , an arch-villain and Dr Moriarty's hoodlum.

This whodunit film has a fine atmosphere , it's in black and white with lights and shades that originate a suspenseful setting aboard the train . Set design is first-rate and adequate , the movie is very atmospheric . Basil Rathbone's interpretation is magnificent , he's the best Sherlock Holmes at the cinema , likeness to Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett in television . Basil Rathbone as Holmes plays in a clever , broody and impetuous manner . Nigel Bruce plays as Dr. Watson with humor, goofy and joyful , he's the perfect counterpoint to Holmes . The motion picture was professionally directed by Roy William Neill who mostly filmed all the fabulous entries of the magnificent series . After that , Basil Rathbone starred ¨Dressed yo kill¨ his last Sherlock . Once terminated the movie , Basil Rathbone dreary in Holmes character decided killing him , similar to Arthur Conan Doyle made dropping Holmes into Falls of Reichenbach . This decision along with his breaking the radio-broadcasting contract proceeded long time ago , caused the followers were deeply annoyed and Nigel Bruce get angered , but he early died . After that , Rathbone only played Holmes as a parody in ¨Milton Berle show¨ and on Broadway stage about a play written by his wife Ouida and with Thomas Gomez as Moriarty . In spite of various historical and important roles performed by Rathbone , such as ¨Disraeli¨ and ¨Svengali¨, none of them surpassed his immortal character , the ideal role for Rathbone and that gave him fame and fortune . Rating : Better than average , 7/10 . Well worth watching .

As fast-paced, tightly-woven Sherlock Holmes mystery as you will find, Terror by Night tells of a famous jewel being transported from London to Edinburgh with the watchful eye of Sherlock Holmes and befuddled, faithful Watson in tow. Along for the ride are Inspector Lestrade, arch-criminal Colonel Sebastion Moran, a cast of eccentric, Victorian-type characters including a wonderful professor of mathematics(not Moriarity), and a train that gives off the right mood for murder and intrigue. I really liked this addition to the series of Holmes' films. It is not the finest of the lot, but it ranks right up there in terms of what it delivers. Good, solid direction from Holmes veteran Roy William Neill, quality, reliable acting from leads Rathbone and Bruce, exceptional character acting from Alan Mowbry and company, and a zippy pace connected to a script that is able to develop the plot and suspense despite the length of the film being just under an hour. All aboard! You won't regret taking this ride if you like good, old-fashioned suspense.

Terror by Night is directed by Roy William Neill and written by Frank Gruber. It's based on characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle, loosely using ideas from the stories The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Empty House and the Sign of Four. It stars Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Alan Mowbray, Dennis Hoey, Renee Godfrey and Vivian Vedder. Music is by Hans Salter and cinematography by Maury Gertsman.

Plot finds Sherlock Holmes (Rathbone) hired to protect Lady Margaret Carstairs (Mary Forbes) and her precious diamond, the Star of Rhodesia. Who along with her son Roland (Geoffrey Steele), is aboard the express train from London to Edinburgh. It seems that the presence of the diamond on board this train is known by many characters, both good and bad. Holmes and his trusty companion Dr. Watson (Bruce), will need to keep their wits about them.

The thirteenth and penultimate film in the Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes series, Terror by night is a considerable improvement on the one before it, Pursuit to Algiers. Like that film, this one is also set mostly on a passenger vehicle, but where the boat premise wasn't utilised for great drama and mystery previously, here on board a speeding train it is. Clocking in at under an hour in running time, film does have the feel of a TV episode, but the characters are interesting and the twists and turns in the plot are most welcome. Picture also sees more of Lestrade; true enough he's more inept than ever, as is Watson, but they keep the comedy on the high heat till the story veers into mystery solving time. Here there's also enjoyment to be had in trying to guess who the villain is; OK, so you don't have to be Einstein to figure it out, but the mystery unfolds with some wily Holmes trickery and some Dr. Watson gusto. 7/10