cinema history class: the pearl of death (1944)

The session: "Give Me My Rondo!"
Four weeks of films starring the unique Rondo Hatton

As always, there may be spoilers here. And the trailer may be NSFW and/or NSFL.

Week 3: The Pearl of Death (1944)
Directed by Roy William Neill

My Level of Prior Knowledge
Never heard of it.

Plot:
After the infamous Borgia Pearl is stolen from a museum, Sherlock Holmes must solve a series of brutal murders—victims found with broken backs amid smashed china—unraveling its connection to a master criminal, Giles Conover, and his sinister accomplice known as the Creeper.

Reaction and Other Folderol:
It's an odd thing to feel disappointment at seeing a Sherlock Holmes movie starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. But this was Rondo Hatton month, and I wanted more Rondo.* Rondo, of course, wasn't a leading man type, so his screentime has been somewhat limited in all the movies Keith has shown us. But that's even more the case here. Clearly, this production was not created for Rondo; Rondo, as the villain, is not the star. His role is pivotal, but he is mostly seen in shadows.

But the team of Rathbone and Bruce were arguably the best Holmes/Watson combination. I do think they would be better if Watson weren't portrayed as a bumbler, but this film was typical of the team's work. The existence (however brief) of Rondo Hatton was a bonus.

*In fairness, Keith did tell us in advance that this was a Sherlock Holmes film starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Ahead of each session, he emails us to let us know what we'll be seeing. Maybe I should pay closer attention to these emails. Don't let him know that I missed that detail.