“We’ve had a spot of trouble here Inspector.”
Vivian Vedder (Renee Godfrey) is making final preparations to have a coffin completed. She is taking her mother from London to Scotland to be buried.
The Star of Rhodesia is a large diamond with a reputation of ill fortune. Everyone who owns it meets with an untimely demise, yet its value has not stopped many wishing to possess it and profit from it. The diamond is currently owned by Lady Margaret Carstairs (Mary Forbes). Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) are hired by Roland Carstairs (Geoffrey Steele), Lady Margaret’s son, to guard the Star of Rhodesia diamond as they travel on the train from London to Scotland. Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey) is also on the train to ensure that the diamond is kept safe. Another passenger on the train turns out to be an old friend of Watson's Major Duncan-Bleek (Alan Mowbray). Also on the train is Professor William Kilbane (Frederick Worlock) and Mr. and Mrs. Shallcross. Vivian is also on the train and so is the body of her mother.
Holmes is introduced to Lady Margaret by her son. Holmes and Watson briefly examine the diamond. Then Watson and Holmes go to their own compartment on the train before dinner. Watson and Duncan go to dinner together. Holmes joins them. Lady Margaret also enters the dinning car. Lastrade stays in his compartment to watch the hallway.
Shortly afterward, Roland is murdered and the diamond is gone. Lestrade, Holmes, and Watson begin the task of questioning everyone in the train car. The questioning provides little information but many suspects. Holmes is of the belief that the mastermind of this crime is Colonel Sebastian Moran. Moran was an ally of Holmes’ old nemesis Moriarty.
“Terror by Night” was released in 1946 and was directed by Roy William Neill. It is the 13th of 14 Sherlock Holmes movies with Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce. It is also the 6th and final movie with Inspector Lestrade and the 4th movie without Mrs. Hudson’s character. The movie is the third of the series that is now in the public domain. There is also a color version.
“Terror by Night” is fast paced and short. The movie is only an hour long but there is a lot packed into it. Beside the diamond being stolen there are at least three murders and an attempt to ‘Throw Sherlock from the Train’, so to speak. Inspector Lestrade has a juicer part then he is normally awarded.
Inspector G. Lestrade: Not much is known about him. Doyle’s descriptions are short. He is a little sallow rat-faced, dark eyed fellow. And a lean, ferret-like man, furtive and sly-looking. He was a well-known detective. He was the best of the professionals. He and Gregson are the pick of a bad lot. They are both quick and energetic, but conventional - shockingly so. They have their knives into one another, too. They are as jealous as a pair of professional beauties. Lestrade didn't add imagination to his other great qualities. He was absolutely devoid of reason, but he was as tenacious as a bull-dog when he once understood what he had to do, and indeed it was just this tenacity which has brought him to the top at Scotland Yard. Lestrade was already a 20 year veteran before meeting Holmes.