Pursuit to Algiers

Released in 1945, this is the twelfth entry in the fourteen film Sherlock Holmes series starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. When the King of Rovenia is assassinated, Holmes and Watson are assigned to escort the young heir back to Europe by ship. A plane mishap separates the pair early on, leaving Watson to fend off assassins aboard the liner alone, while the real prince spends the whole voyage disguised as a cabin steward, a ruse Holmes only reveals in the final scene. Series devotees and critics generally rank this the weakest of the twelve films with Rathbone and Bruce, criticizing a plot that feels more like shipboard intrigue than a proper Holmes mystery. Still, the lead pairing holds up, and one scene even has Bruce's Watson breaking into a Scottish folk song in his own voice, a rare self aware wink that breaks from the series usual straight faced tone. Who it's for: Completionists working through the Rathbone Holmes filmography. Who it's not for: Anyone expecting genuine detective work, since the film runs on pace and shipboard incident rather than clue solving.