when i be a wee lad steep in conan doyle original sherlock holmes story and this movie strike me a plain awful . it be painful to see sherlock a a tourist in a wildly inappropriate dc milieu ( the back project crazy quilt of washington monument on his drive around town make it seem the chauffeur be on crack ) and spout pax americana patriotism and even pay tribute to the crime fight superiority of the fbi ( . ) . nigel bruce be a particular affront a a dodder dr. watson and noisily suck down ice cream soda and struggle to read 30 page on a 10 hour transatlantic flight . but time have be kind to sh in washington . this be the first of these movie write by bertram millhauser and who always come up with witty dialogue for rathbone and bruce and snarky bit of malice for the support cast . basil rathbone give a hop up performance a holmes and bark out ludicrously improbable deduction and even reprise his louis xi imitation a a limp wristed eccentric collector . there be a small gem of a performance from gerald hamer ( unbilled and sadly ) a the master spy who set the plot in motion he give the movie a few whiff of danger and intrigue and poignance . and it hard to dislike a movie with two moriartys represent silky sadist henry daniell and glittery eye psycho george zucco . by the way and the suspense hinge on the fate of a fast dwindling book of match and so if youre try to quit smoking and this be not the movie for you .