LeonLouisRicci Well Known for being the Last Time Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce would Suit Up as Holmes and Watson, and for being left to the Public Domain so there are a Myriad of Inferior Releases on VHS and DVD so Buyer Beware. There are good Prints now in Circulation (Blu-Ray).The Film is in the Top Tier although not the Top of the Top. It is, as are all the Teams Fourteen Films, Entertaining. This One is more Self-Referential than Most. The First Shot at Baker Street has Watson Reading the New Issue of the Strand Magazine for Example.There is a Femme Fatale with a Cool Demeanor and by Film's End She has Earned the Respect of the World's Greatest Consulting Detective. The Supporting Cast is Excellent and the Atmosphere is Shady and Elegant. It is a Fine Final Bow for the Two Actors that gave Moviegoers so much Fun. Note: While there hasn't been a Scientific Study, one wonders just how many Youngsters, and Oldsters for that matter, that never read Arthur Conan Doyle and were off to bookstores after being enchanted by one or more of these delightful films.

BA_Harrison As much as I enjoyed this final adventure for Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as the world's greatest detective and his sidekick, I have to acknowledge the film's myriad of flaws: a champion of the truth like Holmes would want it that way.After so many fine adventures, it is a shame that the series ends with such a comparatively weak affair, the rather unexceptional story revolving around three musical boxes that hold the secret of the whereabouts of a set of stolen Bank of England printing plates. When these boxes are sold to three different customers at an auction, villainess Hilda Courtney (Patricia Morison) and her cronies turn to murder to get their hands on them. As Holmes and Watson get closer and closer to solving the mystery, the problems, plot holes and contrivances mount up: Watson is depicted as more of a fool than usual, the killers are extremely inept, and Sherlock cracks the case more by chance than by pure detection (irritatingly, his most important breakthroughs are wild assumptions based on casual remarks made by his portly pal).Of course, Rathbone and Bruce are as likable as ever as the iconic crime-fighting duo, and it's down to their marvellous chemistry and charisma that Dressed to Kill still manages to be reasonably diverting despite the movie's many imperfections.5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

Michael_Elliott Dressed to Kill (1946) *** (out of 4) Fourteenth and final film in the Rathbone/Holmes series finds he and Watson (Nigel Bruce) trying to find out why three apparently useless music boxes are being stolen from their owners with one of the owners turning up dead. The plot thickens as Holmes believes there's some sort of hidden message in the boxes, which might lead to the whereabouts of some stolen printing plates from the Bank of England. This might have been the last film in the series but that didn't keep them for going out with a bang and turning in one of the best entries. I really thought this was one of the better entries because Holmes and Watson have an actual nice mystery to solve unlike a few of the previous entries in the series. Another major plus is that we're given a terrific villain in the form of Hilda Courtney, perfectly played by the ice-cold Patricia Morison. The screenplay pretty much keeps us and Holmes in the dark as to what's going on and we learn the secrets just as our hero does, which is a nice touch. I liked the fact that Holmes wasn't spot on in coming up with all the clues as even he at times seemed to be stumped as to what was going on. The screenplay offers up quite a bit of twists and turns, all of which are believable and most importantly entertaining. Rathbone certainly shows off a lot more energy this time around as does Watson and the two of them have that banter that makes them the best at playing their characters. As great as the two men are they are equaled by Morison who is pitch-perfect as the silent killer. Edmund Breon and Frederick Worlock add nice support as well. Some could argue that the series should have gone on further but since it did have to end at least it went out on a high note.

benbrae76 This movie is rather an anomaly. Made after WWII in 1946, but when was the action set? The transport is of the 1930's, especially the "General" London omnibus. As I said in the Goofs section, one of the scenes depicts a "General" omnibus carrying passengers on a normal route, but the "London General Omnibus Company" went out of service in 1933. Yet the ladies fashions depicted in the movie are of the 1940's. As another viewer remarked (also in the "Goofs" section)..."Watson refers to the events in his story 'A Scandal in Bohemia' taking place two years earlier. In the story Bohemia was a independent kingdom, but in 1943 it was obviously part of Hitler's Third Reich." ...but of course the original story by Conan Doyle was written and set before WWI.So exactly in which period was this movie intended to be set? Although there is no mention of either WWI or WWII, I suspect it's supposed to be set in the 1930's, and before Holmes' wartime (WWII) exploits. But who knows? The movie is nowhere near as good as others in this Rathbone/Bruce series of movies. However it has its amusing moments, but the only one to come out of it with any real credit is Patricia Morison, and there's very little else to shout about.