Pursuit to Algiers (1945) User Reviews

Tightly-Plotted and Tidy Thriller; a Seminal Shipboard Battle of Wits

[silverscreen888 · 7/10 · 31 January 2007]

Since the wartime production (1945) of the Sherlock Holmes' adventure, "Pursuit to Algiers", many films have been made involving a seagoing setting. Mysteries set aboard a ship I suggest are notoriously easy to begin and difficult to consummate; this is because it is easy to introduce characters in a claustrophobic setting but notoriously more difficult to arrange for a series of logical events perpetrated by them that is varied, believable and possessed of a wide-enough scope of action. I find "Pursuit to Algiers" to be an unusually believable decently-filmed low-budget ship-based adventure and a tidy storyline without any need for apologies. The writers began the piece on land, in fact using a low-grade but intriguing series of clues--recognized by detective Sherlock Holmes as such--to lure him to an expositional meeting. At that meeting, the Prime Minister of a fictitious Balkan country, one whose king has been murdered (though this fact has not been made public), hires the famous consulting detective to safeguard the nation's young prince as he heads home from his school in England to his homeland for a now-vital coronation ceremony. Holmes accepts the commission; then he heads off in an airplane, planning to meet his friend Dr. Watson later, for several reasons. Watson has cause to believe he has been killed; but he eventually does meet his partner aboard the ship they had planned to sail on, after several neat plot twists and a display of unusual intelligence by Holmes; and from then on, the two are kept exceptionally busy trying to assess who the potential murderers are (who will be their deadly opponents). They are given a fairly large cast of suspects to choose from. Holmes then neatly thwarts the villains at every turn, until near the end he is knocked unconscious and the prince is kidnapped--exactly as Holmes had planned. Basil Rathbone is less effective than usual as Holmes and Nigel Bruce more useful as Watson than he was usually permitted to be; he sings beautifully, and acts as an effective comedic foil to his sharp-eyed and sharp-witted partner throughout. Among the larger than usual cast for a Holmesian adventure, Rosalind Ivan as a noisy matron is far better than thin, pretty Marjorie Riordan who sings better than she acts. Veteran heavies Martin Kosleck, John Abbott, Rex Evans and Gerald Hamer steal the film as clever but outwitted suspects or murderers; aboard such a small ship, the scenarists permit the suspects and even the villains to interact with and try to outthink Holmes quite directly, a rarity outside seagoing comedic tales (and, I find, the film's primary distinguishing feature). Frederick Worlock is affecting as the Prime Minister; the young men in the cast are all routine at best. This film was kept moving swiftly and ably by its producer-director, veteran Roy William Neill; the script was done as a screenplay by Leonard Lee adapted from elements of an Arthur Conan Doyle story. The feature's cinematography by Paul Ivano and art direction by John B. Goodman and Martin Obzina are above average; Vera West's costumes are done on an admirably high level throughout. Bernard Brown, for once, keeps a British film's voices and sounds perfectly intelligible. Some of the scenes aboard the ship are quite realistic; others are less successful, although Russell A. Gausman and Ralph Sylos try manfully to make every setting from a cafe to cramped staterooms believable. The seminal portions of this film I assert are the dialogue interactions of the characters which take place throughout; despite the dialogue sometimes being low-key, it is adult, convincing and serviceable from beginning to end. This is a very good second feature by my standards, if no more, on a par with The Woman in White, and quite tightly plotted.

The Giant Rat of Sumatra

[krorie · 8/10 · 25 August 2006]

The definitive movie Sherlock Holmes is Basil Rathbone; the definitive movie Dr. Watson is Nigel Bruce. Together, these two brilliant actors made fourteen Sherlock Holmes films between 1939 and 1946, most of them loosely based on stories by Arthur Conan Doyle; a few based on Doyle stories in name only. All are thrilling, exciting excursions into the realm of mystery and deductive reasoning, even the later low-budget ones.

The original pairing of the super sleuth with his bumbling if lovable assistant portrayed by Rathbone and Bruce was in "The Hound of the Baskervilles," where star billing went to Richard Greene as Sir Henry Baskerville. The popularity of Holmes and Watson showed the studio that the audience cared more for the two supporting players than for the somewhat stiff Greene. Next time in "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," Rathbone and Bruce deservedly received top billing.

During World War II with England in peril from the Luftwaffe, Holmes and Watson were utilized to booster the war spirit. Holmes could be heard at the end of the war-time films haranguing his fellow countrymen and their ally, the United States, about patriotism and gallantry. Winston Churchill was touted as the savior of his nation.

"Pursuit to Algiers," based on Doyle's "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," finds the crafty detective helping escort Nikolas (Leslie Vincent), heir of a foreign country and a target for conspirators, to assume his crown following the assassination of his predecessor. There are many clever scenes involving Dr. Watson unknowingly being used as a decoy to protect Nikolas. When Nikolas' supporters first contact Holmes surreptitiously, they employ a ruse involving a fish and chips cypher, beyond Watson's grasp. In the process Watson is propositioned by a hooker who calls the good doctor, Ducky, much to his chagrin. Holmes takes the high road by plane; Watson takes the low road by boat. There is much chicanery aboard the ship that takes up most of the movie. The ending may come as a surprise for many.

One of the high points of "Pursuit to Algiers" is Watson's story of "The Giant Rat of Sumatra." Entreated by his fellow passengers to tell about one of Sherlock Holmes' greatest adventures, Watson volunteers to entertain all with his giant rat fable. His use of inanimate objects on the table for purposes of illustration to make the exploits he relates more colorful is well worth the price of admission.

There are more songs than usual for a Sherlock Holmes outing. Such traditional Scottish airs as "Flow Gently Sweet Afton," sung by Marjorie Riordan as a girl from Brooklyn named Sheila Woodbury with something hidden in her sheet music satchel and "Loch Lomond," sung by Watson himself, not only serve as icing but are utilized to embellish the plot.

The twelfth in the Sherlock Holmes series and coming at the end of the war, "Pursuit to Algiers" is one of the most entertaining of the lot and there is no rousing speechifying by Holmes at the end. Those speeches were wonderful morale buildings at the time, but are a bit quaint for today's audiences.

A Voyage Into Danger

[theowinthrop · 6/10 · 13 April 2005]

The Sherlock Holmes Series is actually fun for the fans of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, but the individual films are a mixed bag as mysteries themselves. The best mysteries are THE SCARLET CLAW, THE HOUSE OF FEAR, THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH. The ones about the war are mediocre - more like curiosities dealing with patriotism and the war effort. After the war the series resumed plots dealing with regular crime. The best of these was THE PEARL OF DEATH, but it was not up to the top five films. One of the final films was this one, PURSUIT TO ALGIERS.

Although all the other films were rewritten from the original Conan Doyle stories, PURSUIT TO ALGIERS was totally made up from a comment dropped in the original "Canon". Doyle wrote four novels and fifty six short stories about Holmes. But in this material (equal in size to say LES MISERABLES or DON QUIXOTE) were many little comments and statements that actually have helped lead to the myriad of essays and books by Holmes' fans. Among other things are the large number of cases of Holmes that he or Watson mention casually, but never write of. In this film, the untold story is "the affair of the steamship "Friesland" that so nearly cost us both our lives". It is mentioned in one of the stories of the series called THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and is usually said to be set in 1895. The actions of PURSUIT TO ALGIERS take place on the steamship "Friesland", and do almost cost Holmes and Watson their lives, but this film is set after the end of World War II. Since there was no real short story that is nothing to be critical about.

Holmes is not in part of the film (and at one point it seems he has been killed), but he does appear about the middle, and he is in good form when he is. Witness the way he takes care of Martin Kosleck, and the way he makes a typically ironic comment to Kosleck as to why he was able to be prepared. Also the business about party favors is quite nicely done. So are the supporting parts - especially Bruce's comments regarding Rosalind Ivan and John Abbott and his partner. As an entertainment it is a fine film. As a mystery it really never gets very involving. We never understand who is in the background backing the anti-royal assassins. Presumably the Communists (this is 1945), but such a guess is based on the number of Eastern European monarchies that fell following the end of World War II. Still it would help to know who the super-villain is. But then Hitchcock always ignored the central rationales of his "MacGuffins". Why not on this lesser level then? So forget the pleasure of realism, sit back, and just enjoy the antics of the characters. And keep in mind, Basil and Nigel made only two other of these films afterward. It was nearly the end of the series for them and their fans.

Lesser entry in the series, but still worth seeing

[The_Void · 6/10 · 23 January 2006]

I've seen nearly all of Universal's Sherlock Holmes series by now, and have found that the level of quality doesn't vary too much between each instalment. Every entry in the series is worth watching, and I haven't seen any that I would describe as 'bad'. Pursuit to Algiers fits into this equation snugly, but even so; it's definitely one of the lesser Holmes mysteries. It does feature most of what makes the series great beyond the central plot line - such as a great performance from both the leads, a constant stream of intrigue and some great dialogue; but the actual mystery itself is rather lazy. It simply follows Holmes and Watson looking after a prince onboard a ship full of assassins. Adding to this is the fact that the sets are fairly samey, which doesn't help the film as it a few changes of scenery wouldn't have gone amiss. The film seems to know that it isn't the greatest of Holmes mysteries as well; and this translates to the screen. Holmes himself doesn't appear in the film for a proportion of the running time, which is never good when he's the main reason people are watching; and as good as Nigel Bruce is, he's not enough to carry a film about the great literary detective all on his own. I much prefer it when LeStrade features as well. Still, despite it's bad points, Pursuit to Algiers is a worthy yarn and still worth seeing for fans of these films.

Very enjoyable outing

[bob the moo · 28 December 2003]

Despite planning a fishing and shooting holiday in Scotland, Holmes and Dr Watson are approached to help smuggle the Prince Royal of another country back into his homeland. The King has been assassinated already and the Prince is feared to be next. Holmes and the Prince go by plane while Watson travels by boat as a decoy. When Holmes' plane is shot down Watson fears the worst until he finds that Holmes et al are already on the boat. With many days left before Algiers, Holmes must outwit the assassins he suspects are onboard.

I've always enjoyed Watson's contribution to these films just as much as I have Holmes, so I was worried when it looked like Watson would be separated from Holmes for the film. So imagine my happiness when the film actually followed Watson rather than Holmes. Although the film brings Holmes back together with Watson quite quickly, it does give Watson a lot more screen time and respect than they usually do - even going as far to have Holmes praise Watson for his observational skills! This makes a refreshing change - of course Holmes is still the star but it is nice to see him on an almost equal platform for once.

The plot itself is a little worrying at the start but settles once Watson gets on the ship. It allows for some gentleman playing between Holmes and his pursuers who are known to him. This is fun and allows for some nice twists toward the end. The whole thing about the stolen jewels was lost on me and just distracted from the main narrative.

Rathbone is as good as ever and is well worth watching but it is Bruce that impresses here. He does his usual stuff but he gets time to do it and it is fun to see him not being put down by Holmes so much. Holmes' pursuers are better than his usual foes - the amount of screen time that they share and the fact that they are known to each other makes it more enjoyable.

This is a great entry in the series. Bruce rises to the occasion and the twisty confrontation on the ship is very enjoyable as Holmes stays one step ahead. And, having seen the last couple of films end on Holmes giving moral speeches here the film ends on a killer line from Holmes where he advises Watson `never become an actor' - hilarious!

Dashed Good Fun

[jimmccool · 7/10 · 17 May 2005]

Please make sure and get the UCLA restored version of this classic on DVD. There are some appalling Public Domain versions of the Rathbone/Bruce series floating about, especially in the U.K., which seem to have been ripped from poor quality VHS tapes, and they're worse than VCD quality. You'll certainly enjoy this series even more if you see them in good quality prints. Pursuit To Algiers is not the best of the series - that honour goes to SH and the Spider Woman - but it's very certainly worth watching, as it contains some delightful moments, although the storyline is a bit thin. Poor old Watson is put upon, as usual, while Holmes has, at least, the sense to keep his hair tidily back-combed in this episode, unlike others in the series where his barnet is all over the place. This is one to come back to again and again - a cosy evening in front of the fire, and Holmes and Watson off on a chase. But remember! Do yourself and your family a favour and get the RESTORED version. Avoid the market cheapies!

Holmes is a sack of spuds!

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 1 November 2004]

Flicking through the channels I came across this old friend and laid the zapper down. Some of the other Rathbone Holmes' are better old friends, but this'll do admirably.

When we finally leave the convoluted and circuitous (as Holmes himself admitted) opening scenes behind and get to the foggy ship where the action takes place we can relax - this is familiar territory! Holmes and Watson with the game afoot and surrounded by shady omniscient characters, a well bred damsel on the run and (for a change) a King to protect. Watson sings for the damsel, in a dangerously resonant baritone, Holmes plays with a cracker that weighs a gram too much, the Giant Rat of Sumatra is explained away...or is it?

After watching the Definitive DVD, I learn that Martin Kosleck and Leslie Vincent were gay and living together. Nothing terribly unusual of course, but whenever I watch these Holmes films the usually intrusive world of sex never enters my head, so I admit I was surprised. Rathbone apparently was disappointed that his close friend Martin was associating with someone so "talentless" - in the acting department though Basil!

How at the climax did the baddies know Watson had forgotten to take his pipe with him? This tremendous stab in the dark (!) enabled them to rough up Holmes so much that his hair was mussed.

Still great stuff.

A Job of Security

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 2 April 2013]

Pursuit To Algiers involves Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in a job of security more than detective work. Both are looking to get away to Scotland for a little rest and relaxation, but they get a curious call for help from the Prime Minister of some Balkan country where the king has died. Not by accident as reported, but was assassinated.

The Holmes mission is to get the Crown Prince to Algiers where presumably the state security people will take over. Why Algiers is never mentioned.

As Basil Rathbone so wisely puts it he dislikes plans made by other people as they have a habit of blowing up in their faces. Rathbone makes his own security arrangements and part of it is making poor Nigel Bruce a decoy in more ways than one. How he succeeds in his mission is quite a good tale.

Favorite scenes in this is Nigel Bruce singing Loch Lomond after singer Marjorie Riordan obliges him with a rendition of Flow Gently Sweet Afton. Nigel Bruce does not do bad with it either. The second scene is Rathbone outsmarting one of the three villains on a ship to Algeria. Martin Kosleck who is best known for playing Joseph Goebbels in several wartime films of varying quality plays an assassin skilled with the use of a thrown knife. I love how Rathbone not only foils him, but decommissions Kosleck for the rest of the film.

Pursuit To Algiers is not pure Holmes in terms of a faithful recreation of an Arthur Conan Doyle, but Rathbone and Bruce are in good form and back from wartime propaganda films and now doing good mysteries.

Looking the Enemy in the Eye

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 14 February 2014]

While this is contrived and silly at times, the best part of it, for me, was the fact that everyone knows what Holmes is up to and he still manages to come out on top. There are two plots at work here. One has to do with the transporting of stolen emeralds and the other the transporting of royalty. On numerous occasions, Holmes turns the tables on his adversaries. The dangers are everywhere and his head spins like an owls as he peers over his shoulder, through the fog, and through portholes. He sets up a wonderful ruse. The men who are out to squelch his efforts are really interesting: a mute thug who uses sign language, a wiry Peter Lorre type with a foreign accent, and a sort of Sydney Greenstreet wannabe. Watson becomes enamored with a pretty young singer who is carrying around secrets. He even belts out his own version of "Loch Lomond" and he proves to have quite a beautiful voice. Without giving anything away, Holmes keeps his cards close to his vest until the denouement. He suspects no one; he suspects everyone. I think this is a lesser effort, but still a lot of fun.

Highly Entertaining and Underrated

[fshepinc · 10/10 · 30 November 2014]

None of the Rathbone-Bruce Holmes films hews too closely to the Conan Doyle originals. For some reason this entry in the series is judged more harshly on that score than the others. But the characters are still delightful, and the film full of suspense and surprises. It's actually one of my favorites. There's much more variety of location than the typical series entry, and a great deal of humor. We are even treated to Nigel Bruce singing! In fact, this is more Watson's film than Holmes', who is absent from the film for a large stretch.

The UCLA restoration is outstanding, and the film looks and sounds better than it did on its release. I understand we have Hugh Hefner of all people to thank for that, as he personally bankrolled the restoration of the series.

Other reviewers have gone over the plot in great detail, with and without spoilers. All I will add is that this film is highly entertaining, and delightful viewing.

Sherlock Holmes Quips "I don't wear paper hats." Not so for Watson

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 6 July 2014]

Most Consider this the Weakest in the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Series and it Probably is, but that Does Not Mean it is Unwatchable or Worthless. By this, the 12th of the Teams Pairing, the Charm for Fans has Made Itself Undeniable and Unobtrusive Despite Some Silliness and Liberties that the Movies So Often Exhibited.

Mostly Taking Place on an Ocean Liner it is Claustrophobic and Confined and the Supporting Cast is Less than Memorable Playing Weak and Ill Defined Villains. The Film does have a Nice Twist at the End and there is Enough Going On that it just Keeps from Getting Tedious.

Sherlock Keeps Most of His Personal Stingers Directed to Watson at Bay. The Final Line of the Movie is a Tongue in Cheek, In-Joke that is Charming and in Good Spirits.

Watson Displays a Fine Voice in Shipboard Mystery

[dglink · 8/10 · 10 August 2015]

Stolen emeralds, an endangered prince, a fog-bound steamship, a plane crash, a revolver hidden in a purse. Through a clever series of encounters, which Sherlock Holmes deciphers with his usual sharp intellect, Holmes and his dear friend, Doctor Watson, are directed to a specific address at a specific time in a foggy London back alley; there, Holmes is engaged by a group of foreign gentlemen to escort an important personage from England back to his home country. While Holmes and Watson do not battle spies in "Pursuit to Algiers," the sleuths do return to matters of foreign intrigue. Leonard Lee wrote the first of two Holmes screenplays for this, the tenth in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series. Lee's screenplay is light on suspense, and, despite the assured direction of veteran Holmes' director Roy William Neill, the film can only be rated better than average among the Rathbone-Bruce movies.

Despite some sinister fog-shrouded scenes in London's back streets, cinematographer Paul Ivano shoots most of the film aboard the S.S. Friesland, a steamer bound for Algiers. While interior shots are crisp black-and-white images, the deck scenes are murky and layered with obviously fake fog. Although the producer-director and the two above-the-title stars are back, not only the writer and cinematographer, but most of the supporting cast are fresh faces in the series. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are in good form, and Watson is given a bit more to do than usual, including a song entitled "The Bonnie Banks o'Loch Lomond" that spotlights Nigel Bruce's own fine voice; the retelling over dinner of a Holmes adventure, "The Giant Rat of Sumatra;" and a few solo errands of responsibility at Holmes's direction. None of the supporting players stand out, although lovely Marjorie Riordon as a young singer from Brooklyn has a nice voice, and the cold sexually ambiguous Martin Kosleck is appropriately sinister as the knife thrower.

Perhaps after ten episodes the Universal Holmes series had become routine and perfunctory to the participants. The proceedings play out almost entirely aboard a ship, and the plot lacks a single diabolical villain of the caliber of Professor Moriarty or Adrea Spedding, the Spider Woman. However, most Holmes fans should be pleased, and even the sharpest viewers may not guess Holmes's final revelation. While not the best of the series, "Pursuit to Algiers" is good fun and definitely entertaining.

Sea-through mystery.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 5 November 2007]

Pursuit to Algiers is unfortunately void of any kind of mystery. The villains and their intentions are made clear to the characters and audience very early on so there's no puzzle or clues for Holmes to work with.

The opening is quite well done, however, with Holmes being secretly led to a meeting with foreign officials. His mission is to escort a would-be King back to his native Romanovajebrovia or whatever. But there is a bunch of assassins after him making the chore somewhat difficult. Why Sherlock Holmes, a detective, is hired to do the job of a Secret Agent is a little weird, but it does set up a potentially interesting story as Holmes and Watson board a cruise ship with a bunch of shady characters watching their every move.

There's not much atmosphere to be had, but some of the fog-bound deck scenes are effective. The only thing this entry seems to have going for it is a surprising twist ending with the credits following rather abruptly.

Still worth investing your time in though.

OK, But Not One Of The Better Ones In The Series

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 13 April 2006]

This is one of the weakest Basil Rathbone-Sherlock Holmes films. It's still okay (I like all of them) but it ranks at the bottom if you're looking for an interesting "whodunnit."

Two things, I think, made this sub-par: 1 - the villains weren't evil enough, didn't do enough and didn't create enough tension and; 2 - this was almost a musical instead of a mystery. There were no less than four complete songs sung in this film. Even Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) gets in the act with a song - and he's very good, if that was really him. Marjorie Riordan sang the other three.

In addition, the ending wasn't that satisfactory, either. Yet, despite all that, Watson's typical stupidity and humor made it fun in spots but that's about it. Not recommended unless you're stuck with it as part of a four-disc set as I am, as part of the Sherlock Holmes Restored Collection. (At least the picture was clear.)

Least Entertaining of the Series

[Michael_Elliott · 11 February 2010]

Pursuit to Algiers (1945)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Lesser entry in the series has Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) on vacation when they learn of a King's assassination. They're asked to protect the next in line (Leslie Vincent) as well as get back some stolen jewels that might be in the possession of a woman (Marjorie Riordan) Watson has fallen for. This twelfth entry in the long-running series is so far the least entertaining but there are still a few good moments scattered throughout the 65-minute running time. The biggest problem is the fact that the screenplay is pretty weak and the actual story isn't really strong enough especially when you compare it to previous films in the series. Another problem I had with the movie was the supporting players, none of which were very entertaining or exciting. I really didn't care too much for Riordan as she seemed to a little too bland for my tastes. I also didn't care for Vincent and I must admit that I didn't really care if the bad guys took him out or not. Rosalind Ivan and Morton Lowry aren't that entertaining either. What does work is, as usual, the performances of Rathbone and Watson, although it seemed that both realized that they were working with lesser quality material and that both were forcing a few scenes more than they normally would have. A lot of the film has Bruce handling everything himself with Holmes not on screen and it actually does a pretty good job carrying everything. He even gets to sing a song that doesn't turn out too bad. In the end, this is a mildly entertaining entry but it's also the weakest of the lot.

Holmes & Watson: Now Voyagers

[lugonian · 6/10 · 29 March 2014]

PURSUIT TO ALGIERS (Universal, 1945), produced and directed by Roy William Neil, is not a continuing saga of Pepe LeMoko, a role immortally enacted by Charles Boyer in the classic motion picture ALGIERS (1938), but a continuation to the popular Sherlock Holmes series, the twelfth installment in fact, starring Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Doctor Watson). Although it might have been interesting having Holmes and Watson coming face to face with LeMoko as part of their new assignment returning the gentleman thief back to the authorities, this Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based story carries on another tale set mostly on board an ocean liner. As in most series films, a need for change of scenery was usually necessary, at times beneficial. Missing in this segment are series regulars Mary Gordon (Mrs. Hudson) and Dennis Hoey (Inspector Lestrade). Rather than the usual five to ten-minute prologue revolving around other people, Holmes and Watson of 22-B Baker Street appear in the very first scene, carrying the story together or individually in this tightly scripted 64 minutes.

In the fade-in, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his colleague, Doctor Watson (Nigel Bruce), have purchased and arranged a delivery of a rifle from Stimson's (Olaf Hytten) store to take with them on their hunting trip in Scotland. With Watson assuring Holmes they'll be no more cases on their holiday, they're soon approached on the dark streets by total strangers, one passing Holmes the London Chronicle newspaper, the other advising him to come to the Soho Oyster House for some fish and chips. While at the pub, Holmes notices written code in the newspaper that soon leads him to place in Fishbone Alley. As they enter a building, they're soon met and summoned by men for Holmes to undertake a mission returning King Nikolas to his country of Rovenia, and with his help, prevent an assassination plot that has already taken place on the young man's father. Later, Holmes boards an airplane with the men, leaving Watson behind to board the S.S. Friestland with plans on meeting him at a latter date. While mingling with other passengers, Watson comes across some mystery of his own, asking himself, "What would Holmes do?" Later, Watson reads in a wireless that Holmes and others on the airplane having perished, only to soon discover Holmes very much alive and on board ship. Accompanied by King Nikolas (Leslie Vincent) posing as Watson's nephew, situations occur with the involvement of international jewel thieves; Sheila Woodbury (Marjorie Riordan) a singer from Brooklyn, who fears the sight of Holmes; Agatha Dunham (Rosalind Ivan); a rich woman with a pistol in her purse whose famous emerald had been stolen; a couple of odd looking gentlemen, Jordi (John Abbott) and Kingston (Gerald Hamer); plus three additional passengers boarding the ship while stopping in Lisbon: the knife throwing Mirko (Martin Kosleck), the deaf mute, Bruno (Wee Willie Davis), and their rugged leader Gregor (Rex Evans) who add to Holmes' worries as they room in the cabin across the hall from him.

Though Holmes doesn't use acquire any disguises as he's done in the past, the fun part of PURSUIT TO ALGIERS is how the master detective manages to outwit the would-be assassins in certain instances. However, Holmes' cleverness is put to a halt when he is subdued by one of them, socked on the jaw and thrown on his bed bound and gagged in his cabin, leading the henchmen free to abduct King Nikolas. Lots of neat twists follow to keep viewers wondering what happens next before the boat ports at its proposed destination, with no Pepe LeMoko greeting a tour of passengers saying, "Come with me to the Casbah." Other than the usual fun and games of mysterious circumstances and some utter confusion regarding Nikolas, co-star Marjorie Riordan takes time entertaining on board with such tunes as "There Isn't Any Harm in That," "Cross My Heart" and "Flow Gently Sweet Afton." Nigel Bruce shows he can carry a tune just as well by singing "Loch Lomond."

Distributed to Key Video in 1988, and later onto DVD, PURSUIT TO ALGIERS, being broadcast on numerous television and cable channels, including Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 26, 2009 for an all night tribute to Sherlock Holmes movies), PURSUIT TO ALGIERS comes with some criticism by Holmes devotees for not being the best in the series. It may not be perfect but still a watchable little item as movie detectives in transition go. Next in the series: TERROR BY NIGHT (1946). (**1/2)

The modernized Holmes and Watson protect the King of fictitious Rovenia during a sea voyage

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 27 July 2021]

Good vehicle for Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce investigating weird happenings , while they guard over a royal heir on a luxury liner . They have got to get a young prince home after his father is assassinated and along the way they find plot and counter-plot , a real challenge for Sherlock's razor intellect .Fine Sherlock Holmes movie with nice settings , thrills , plot twists , suspense , unanswered mysteries and outstanding , first-class villains . The game's afloat in this rather tired and no excessively brilliant Sherlock Holmes mystery . After an intriguingly mysterious opening in a typically foggy London , the Great Detective Holmes and Bumbling Doctor Watson are bogged down in a shipboard adventure , fending off would-be assassins of the young European monarch they are escorting .As Holmes helped by his distracted , dumb colleague Doctor Watson uncover a twisted plot .The crime masters at their greatest! New Thrills! Holmes Haunts a Ship ! . His best Mystery of all !. Grim Mystery to hold you breathless!. THEIR NEWEST AND GREATEST ADVENTURE! .

A genuine ripping yarn with much suspense , thrilling events and complex intrigue aboard a ship voyage during which assassins close in . Twelfth in Rathbone/Bruce series with only two more and energies starting to flag . Pretty stale stuff , though Nigel Bruce makes his singing debut with ¨Loch Lomond¨ . Nigel is even more botcher and ineffectual than usual . Interesting and suspenseful entry with Basil Rathbone facing off strange suspicious people who attempt to kill a monarch . It is all a bit elementary and no great challenge for Holmes's brain or even ours for the matter . This is a suspenseful and intriguing film in Universal style , freely based on the splendid novels by Arthur Conan Doyle . The film gets mystery , tension , thrills , detective action , red herrings and packs an exciting deal of outstanding surprises with great lots of fun . Of course , Holmes and Watson solve the mystery at the end , including a surprising twist . Displaying functional settings , appropriate and brilliant cinematography , as well as evocative musical score from Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner , Universal's regular composers . Magnificent Basil Rathbone's interpretation , considered to be the best and most authentic Sherlock Holmes . Rathbone plays Holmes as an intelligent , obstinate , broody , pipesmoking sleuth , his acting is similar to subsequent actors as Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett for TV or Nicol Williamson (Seven-per-cent-solution) or Christopher Plummer (Murder by decree) . As usual , Dr. Watson plays his botcher, bungler or clumsy partner , masterfully incarnated by Nigel Bruce . They are well accompanied by notorious secondaries , though no too much known . However , this time here doesn't appear series' usual secondaries as Inspector Lestrade : Dennis Hoey , and Mrs Hudson : Mary Gordon.

This atmospheric motion picture was compellingly directed by Roy William Neill , though inferior than other entries , as the Holmes series was seriously running out of steam by the time this was made and it shows . Roy William Neill shot efficiently various episodes of the attractive series . Neill directed in his ordinary style , in fact he was regular filmmaker -along with John Rawlins- of the stunning series , such as : Dressed to Kill, Terror by Night , Pursuit to Algiers , The Woman in Green, The House of fear , Sherlock Holmes in Washington , Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon , Scarlet Claw , among others . Rating : 6/10. The picture will appeal to fans of the excellent series starred by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, resulting to be a passable and acceptable episode.

In his majesty's secret service

[binapiraeus · 7/10 · 4 March 2014]

An unusual 'job' is being offered (or rather commanded) to Holmes this time: he's supposed to guard the heir, whose father has just been assassinated, of the throne to an obscure little kingdom safely to Algiers, from where he'll be taken home.

So an ADVENTUROUS ship's passage lies ahead of Holmes, Watson, and the young monarch; the atmosphere is quite dense (even the fog on deck is thicker than in the streets of London...), the plot is suspenseful and has got its pretty surprising moments; and a special feature for friends of Scottish nostalgia and our good Doctor Watson: here Nigel Bruce gets the opportunity to sing (undubbed!) the old Scottish tune "Loch Lomond"!

One of the lighter entries in the Rathbone/Bruce series, good, solid, classic crime entertainment.

"Where would we be without the cow, Doctor?"

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 17 September 2014]

Sherlock Holmes plays bodyguard to a European prince in this tenth of the Universal Sherlock Holmes series (twelfth overall). It's often called the least of the bunch and it's easy enough to see why. Almost the entire movie takes place on board a ship at sea yet there is very little creative use made of such a claustrophobic setting. There's not much suspense to be had and the great detective does very little investigating. In fact, despite some interesting red herrings introduced early, the villains of the story are obvious and upfront from the time they first appear on screen. So there's not much in the way of mystery here, save for a twist reveal at the end that really wasn't surprising. Still, it's Rathbone and Bruce doing their thing and that's highly enjoyable to watch even in a lesser Holmes film. Nice support from Martin Kosleck, Rosalind Ivan, Rex Evans, and Marjorie Riordan. A lesser Holmes movie but still very watchable and likable for fans.

Enjoyable Sherlock Holmes mystery

[chris_gaskin123 · 7/10 · 19 December 2005]

Pursuit to Algiers is is the one where we have Nigel Bruce singing! He sings the Loch Lomand song and his voice is actually not too bad.

In this one, Holmes and Dr Watson are assigned to escort a Prince, Nikolas on a ship to Algiers. But on board are several shady characters who want him dead. There are also attempts to take Homes and Watson's lives too. The attempted murderers are arrested at the end when they leave the ship in Algiers.

As always Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are excellent as Holmes and Watson. But I didn't know Bruce could sing though! Worth seeing just for that.

Rating: 3 stars out of 5.

Sinister Voyage

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 14 May 2005]

Holmes & Watson endure a PURSUIT TO ALGIERS whilst assisting a young king to evade assassins.

Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce appeared as Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson on screen for the twelfth time in this enjoyable fast moving film. Not the best of the series by any means, it still offers the two wonderful actors adding nuances to the classic characters: Holmes seems a tad more human and enjoys a kiss from a pretty female, while Watson raises his voice to sing Loch Lomand.

The plot, which has the intrepid duo escort a college boy monarch (Leslie Vincent) on a dangerous cruise from Britain to North Africa, is a bit silly, but it does serve to introduce some intriguing characters, including a frightened singer (Marjorie Riordan), a strident fresh air fanatic (Rosalind Ivan), a nervous little fellow with a big knife (Martin Kosleck), and a strangely obliging steward (Morton Lowry).

This film followed THE WOMAN IN GREEN (1945) and preceded TERROR BY NIGHT (1946).

Not very good

[Penfold-13 · 6/10 · 28 August 1999]

Definitely a "Based on characters created by Conan Doyle", this is a Rathbone/Bruce Sherlock Holmes caper.

They're the best screen pairing to have played the parts, and this run-of-the-mill spy thriller is the product of their success. We have Holmes acting as a king's bodyguard on a ship, with all manner of assassination attempts directed at him and his charge.

Nigel Bruce blunders about happily, Rathbone gives the usual performance, and all is right with the world.

Entertaining enough if you're a fan of these two as Holmes and Watson, otherwise pretty much forgettable.

Pursuit To Algiers

[Spuzzlightyear · 8/10 · 24 January 2013]

Pretty awesome way to finish off (for me that is, I previously had watched the final two in the series earlier in the year (or maybe earlier than that loll) The Basil Rathbone / Nige Bruce Sherlock Holmes series. Holmes and Watson are on board a ship trying to protect a young head of a foreign country from being kidnapped or killed. They take a cruise ship to where they're supposed to go with a lot of suspicious characters. Who are they and why are they are on board? All of them are explained in due time. This is all terribly entertaining as the plot, although with some implausibilities, twists and turns to it's delightful (but again, somewhat implausible) surprise ending. One of the best!

My dear Nikolas, perhaps you don't realize that it's tea that has made the British Empire and Dr. Watson what they are today.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 26 December 2009]

The beginning was cleverly done with clues left that only Holmes could understand, leaving Dr. Watson as befuddled as ever. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are united once again in the Universal series of Sherlock Holmes. While not the best of the 12 films, it is, however, worth the time spent watching to see excellent acting and great direction, again by Roy William Neill.

This film featured several songs by the lovely Marjorie Riordan.

One cannot imagine that the potential assassins could be such bumblers. Holmes manages to foil them at every turn. That's a stretch for anyone. Nice twist at the end though.

Holmes plays shuffleboard—far from riveting stuff!

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 12 August 2011]

With most of this movie taking place aboard an ocean liner, an unlikely setting for Holmes and Watson (who are far more at home when investigating creepy old country manors or pounding the foggy streets of London), Pursuit to Algiers is one of the more awkward and consequently least satisfying entries in the series.

The film starts off silly, with Holmes being invited to a clandestine meeting by way of obtuse clues handed to him by total strangers, and only proceeds to get more and more ridiculous, as the action becomes sea-bound and a trio of useless assassins frequently fail to bump off their intended target (the young ruler of the fictional Eastern European kingdom of Rovenia) thanks to the great detective's repeated intervention.

A dull subplot in which Holmes also solves the theft of a valuable set of jewels allows for the obligatory role for an attractive actress, in this case, Marjorie Riordan as singer Sheila Woodbury, who has been duped into smuggling the contraband in her music case.