pursuit to algiers start a the world foremost detective sherlock holmes ( basil rathbone ) and his faithful assistant dr. watson ( nigel bruce ) be about to head up to scotland for a holiday when the prime minister ( frederick warlock ) of an obscure europeon country name rovenia ask for their help . it seem that the widely report car accident that kill his country king be no accident but in fact a cold blood assassination by a terrorist group . he ask holmes and watson to escort the king son and who live in london for his protection and back home to take his rightful place on the throne and restore some stability to the country . holmes agree and the plan be for him to travel with the king by plane while watson act a a decoy and travel to the mediterranean country by boat . watson set sail and be expect a fairly quiet journey until he hear a report about a small plane be shoot down and it three passenger be kill . be holmes really dead . have the terrorist win . or be there more to the case than first meet the eye . watch it to find out . produce and direct by roy william neill pursuit to algiers be the twelfth holmes film in a series that total ten make between 1939 and 1946 to star rathbone and bruce a holmes and watson . the script by leonard lee be base on the novel the return of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle a isn not really a mystery and it more of a thriller and not a particularly good one either . no one be murder which be disappoint a i like a good murder mystery so to have a character like holmes run around foil a few lame assassination attempt be both a waste opportunity and felt uninspired . wouldn not an assassin just shoot his target with a gun and be do with it rather than come up with silly plan like place a bomb in someone party cracker . i find little here to interest or entertain me and i think it be too predictable and plod but at only 65 minute long at least it short . director neill do his usual competent job but this would not impress many these day although you have to remember this film be make over sixty year ago . the horror and mystery overtone that be ever present throughout the rest of the series be totally lack here which be not a good decision in retrospect . technically the film be ok although the ship be obviously a stage . the black and white cinematography be fine . the acting be alright and rathbone look a bit disinterested this time around and who can blame him . bruce a watson play the likable buffoon as well a ever . pursuit to algiers come a a big disappointment to me a the other i have see in this series have all be very good film . not really worth bother with a rathbone make other much good holmes mystery and for die hard fan only .