The Pearl of Death (1944)

One of my personal favourites of the Sherlock Holmes cycle of movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. This time Holmes is trying to thwart a gang from stealing a priceless pearl. We get to see Holmes dress up as a befuddled clergyman, outwit a funny Inspector Lestrade, and meet Rondo Hatton's Creeper, a killer that breaks the backs of men with his very hands. Based on the story "The Case of the Six Napoleons," Holmes must locate the pearl that has been embedded in a bust of the French emperor. Rathbone and Bruce are again very affable and turn in their customary good performances. Dennis Hoey as Lestrade, I believe very undervalued in that role, injects a lot of life into this one. And Hatton, of course, just filmed by his shadow until the end, is a convincing film presence. Throw in lovely Evelyn Ankers as a woman out to outwit Holmes, and you have a good mix.