Dressed to Kill

"Dressed to Kill" Tops for Sherlock Holmes

This is a classy number in the Sherlock Holmes series, which series has gone its way so long now, and on so consistently satisfactory a standard, that it is beside the point to say whether one episode is better than another.

But "Dressed to Kill" has its points. There is a mystery intriguing to both Sherlock and the spectator presented very early, things begin to happen speedily, the deductive process is sustained interestingly, and there is real physical danger to Sherlock before victory is won.

The mystery premise concerns the efforts of a convict in Dartmoor to get certain valuable information to his confederates in the outer world. He makes attractive music boxes which are sold in London and has hit on the device of using the toys to convey a code message.

Holmes enters the case when intrigued by the apparent value a mysterious group is placing on these boxes, and before he is through the great detective and faithful Doctor Watson have entangled with a smooth underworld group that is seeking the hiding place of stolen Bank of England plates.

Fine story basis and tight scripting give Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce opportunity to be seen at their best. Patricia Morison, in the role of a female crook, registers very effectively both in personality and ability.

Frederick Worlock, Harry Cording, and Edmund Breon register in the well chosen support.

The picture is a credit item for workmanship on the slate of executive producer Howard Benedict and particularly of producer-director Roy William Neill who has nursed these Sherlock Holmes adventures along so successfully. His direction is high skill in creating credibility, the atmosphere of intelligence, and in no way pulling punches on his melodrama. Universal needs his skill for some of the higher budget assignments.

—Box Office Digest, May 25, 1946

Dressed to Kill

Okay supporting film fare. It follows the accepted Sherlock Holmes series pattern for the bread-and-butter bookings. Like most of the Universal series it is expertly put together and excellently played by a cast familiar with technique necessary to keep the Holmes fans satisfied. film gets good production and direction from Roy William Neill and plot is neatly contrived to hold interest.

Holmes and Dr. Watson are called upon to uncover whereabouts of some stolen Bank of England bank-note plates. Chase interest centers on three prison-made music boxes, in which brook has hidden clue to hiding place of the plates so his confederates can recover them. Music boxes are sold at auction before gang can grab them, resulting in a two-way race between Holmes and the crooks to be first to recover boxes and obtain the loot. Several killings, the near-death of Holmes and other whodunit stunts are pulled off before the fictional detective beats the crooks at their own game.

Basil Rathbone is up to his usual competence in delivery of the Holmes characterization. Same goes for Nigel Bruce as the bumbling Dr. Watson. Patricia Morison, Frederic Worlock and Harry Cording are an expert trio of antagonists matching wits with Homes. Edmond Breon and others hold up their end. There's one tune used, a novelty beerhall number titled "Ya Never Know Just 'oo Yer Gonna Meet," capably sung by Delos Jewkes.

Lensing, editing and other technical functions help in the production dress.

Brog.

—Variety, May 22, 1946

Dressed to Kill

LATEST OF THE SHERLOCK HOLMES PRODUCTIONS CALCULATED TO STIR THE MELLER FANS

"Dressed to Kill" has gone to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for another Sherlock Holmes adventure certain to bring joy to those who have a soft spot in their hearts for the famous character of fiction. The picture manages to work up a good amount of suspense as it goes about the business of solving a crime in which three music boxes figure. Again our star sleuth is thrown into tight spots and taken out of them in a fashion that will excite the melodrama lovers to a high degree. Produced by Roy William Neill no better and no worse than the others in the series, the picture has direction by Neill that never permits a lag in the action at any time.

Holmes, with the bumbling help of Dr. Watson, occupies himself with the task of locating the hiding place of a stolen set of Bank of England plates sought by a gang for counterfeiting purposes. The sleuth solves the secret by decoding a message contained in the music-box tunes.

The acting is par for the series. Rathbone is as assured as ever as Holmes, while Bruce is humorous as the extremely warm and human Dr. Watson. Heading the villains is Patricia Morison, who proves as mean as any person with whom Homes has had to contend. Edmond Breon and Frederic Worlock stand out among the other performers.

DIRECTION, Good.  PHOTOGRAPHY, Good.

—The Film Daily, May 20, 1946