purist fan of arthur conan doyle legendary detective sherlock holmes usually heap scorn and derision on sherlock holmes in washington a it be not base in any way on one of conan doyle story . it be clearly an inferior product and i be by no mean a holmes purist . but this be wartime and it would only be natural that world most famous detective be call on to lend his service overseas when a british agent carry a vital document disappears and but not before he pass it on to an unsuspecting marjorie lord on a train . holmes and watson go to america at the behest of british intelligence to find out just what happen . holmes and watson dress in their victorian or edwardian attire seem dreadfully out of place in wartime washington and dc . still with the keen intelligence that holmes have and basil rathbone bring to the role and those enemy of democracy have no idea what they be deal with . a a bow to current radio favorite and thurston hall play a bloviating southern senator very much along the line of senator claghorn from the fred allen radio show . might have be even more interesting if kenny delmar who originate that character have be in sherlock holmes in washington . still thurston hall be quite good and possibly the best thing from this film . after some wartime propaganda film and the basil rathbone nigel bruce sherlock holmes movie get back to some of conan doyle story a the material for the film . good thing too .