lugonian PURSUIT TO ALGIERS (Universal, 1945), produced and directed by Roy William Neil, is not a continuing saga of Pepe LeMoko, a role immortally enacted by Charles Boyer in the classic motion picture ALGIERS (1938), but a continuation to the popular Sherlock Holmes series, the twelfth installment in fact, starring Basil Rathbone (Sherlock Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Doctor Watson). Although it might have been interesting having Holmes and Watson coming face to face with LeMoko as part of their new assignment returning the gentleman thief back to the authorities, this Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based story carries on another tale set mostly on board an ocean liner. As in most series films, a need for change of scenery was usually necessary, at times beneficial. Missing in this segment are series regulars Mary Gordon (Mrs. Hudson) and Dennis Hoey (Inspector Lestrade). Rather than the usual five to ten-minute prologue revolving around other people, Holmes and Watson of 22-B Baker Street appear in the very first scene, carrying the story together or individually in this tightly scripted 64 minutes.In the fade-in, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his colleague, Doctor Watson (Nigel Bruce), have purchased and arranged a delivery of a rifle from Stimson's (Olaf Hytten) store to take with them on their hunting trip in Scotland. With Watson assuring Holmes they'll be no more cases on their holiday, they're soon approached on the dark streets by total strangers, one passing Holmes the London Chronicle newspaper, the other advising him to come to the Soho Oyster House for some fish and chips. While at the pub, Holmes notices written code in the newspaper that soon leads him to place in Fishbone Alley. As they enter a building, they're soon met and summoned by men for Holmes to undertake a mission returning King Nikolas to his country of Rovenia, and with his help, prevent an assassination plot that has already taken place on the young man's father. Later, Holmes boards an airplane with the men, leaving Watson behind to board the S.S. Friestland with plans on meeting him at a latter date. While mingling with other passengers, Watson comes across some mystery of his own, asking himself, "What would Holmes do?" Later, Watson reads in a wireless that Holmes and others on the airplane having perished, only to soon discover Holmes very much alive and on board ship. Accompanied by King Nikolas (Leslie Vincent) posing as Watson's nephew, situations occur with the involvement of international jewel thieves; Sheila Woodbury (Marjorie Riordan) a singer from Brooklyn, who fears the sight of Holmes; Agatha Dunham (Rosalind Ivan); a rich woman with a pistol in her purse whose famous emerald had been stolen; a couple of odd looking gentlemen, Jordi (John Abbott) and Kingston (Gerald Hamer); plus three additional passengers boarding the ship while stopping in Lisbon: the knife throwing Mirko (Martin Kosleck), the deaf mute, Bruno (Wee Willie Davis), and their rugged leader Gregor (Rex Evans) who add to Holmes' worries as they room in the cabin across the hall from him.Though Holmes doesn't use acquire any disguises as he's done in the past, the fun part of PURSUIT TO ALGIERS is how the master detective manages to outwit the would-be assassins in certain instances. However, Holmes' cleverness is put to a halt when he is subdued by one of them, socked on the jaw and thrown on his bed bound and gagged in his cabin, leading the henchmen free to abduct King Nikolas. Lots of neat twists follow to keep viewers wondering what happens next before the boat ports at its proposed destination, with no Pepe LeMoko greeting a tour of passengers saying, "Come with me to the Casbah." Other than the usual fun and games of mysterious circumstances and some utter confusion regarding Nikolas, co-star Marjorie Riordan takes time entertaining on board with such tunes as "There Isn't Any Harm in That," "Cross My Heart" and "Flow Gently Sweet Afton." Nigel Bruce shows he can carry a tune just as well by singing "Loch Lomond." Distributed to Key Video in 1988, and later onto DVD, PURSUIT TO ALGIERS, being broadcast on numerous television and cable channels, including Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: December 26, 2009 for an all night tribute to Sherlock Holmes movies), PURSUIT TO ALGIERS comes with some criticism by Holmes devotees for not being the best in the series. It may not be perfect but still a watchable little item as movie detectives in transition go. Next in the series: TERROR BY NIGHT (1946). (**1/2)

binapiraeus An unusual 'job' is being offered (or rather commanded) to Holmes this time: he's supposed to guard the heir, whose father has just been assassinated, of the throne to an obscure little kingdom safely to Algiers, from where he'll be taken home.So an ADVENTUROUS ship's passage lies ahead of Holmes, Watson, and the young monarch; the atmosphere is quite dense (even the fog on deck is thicker than in the streets of London...), the plot is suspenseful and has got its pretty surprising moments; and a special feature for friends of Scottish nostalgia and our good Doctor Watson: here Nigel Bruce gets the opportunity to sing (undubbed!) the old Scottish tune "Loch Lomond"! One of the lighter entries in the Rathbone/Bruce series, good, solid, classic crime entertainment.

TheLittleSongbird Of the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes series(just two left to see), Pursuit to Algiers was the one that came off least. It is not awful, none of the films in the series are really, but it felt rather underwhelming, especially when Hound of the Baskervilles, Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Scarlet Claw, The Spider Woman and Pearl of Death were as good as they were. Basil Rathbone as always is without complaint in the title role, and Nigel Bruce quite possibly gives his best performance of the series. Marjorie Riordan beguiles too. The music is lively with some really lovely sounding songs, Watson's rendition of Loch Lomand/Flow Gently Sweet Afton was one of the film's highlights. Holmes' ingenious duping and outsmarting is a joy to watch too(the closest Pursuit to Algiers comes to actually feeling like Sherlock Holmes and a mystery in general), the ending is good and well-rounded off for such a short film(65 minutes), Holmes' ending line putting down Watson is just priceless and at least there is no out-of-place patriotic speech. Pursuit to Algiers does have a number of problems though. The film does have a nice atmosphere and doesn't look too bad, but there is a sense that the production was hurried. Apart from that cracking ending line and some other moments, the script is as thin as a wafer and the story falls into the contrived and silly category with not enough suspense or mystery to make it really interesting. There is nowhere near enough Holmes either, while Bruce does carry the film very well you do wish that Rathbone was there more to make it feel like a Holmes mystery, because it didn't feel like that a lot of the time. The villains are reasonably well characterised but not menacing enough and don't really have that much to do, and Leslie Vincent is rather weak and uncharismatic in his role. In conclusion, far from a must avoid but disappointing, personally it was the weakest of the series and really does not see Holmes at his best. 5/10 Bethany Cox

bkoganbing Pursuit To Algiers involves Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson in a job of security more than detective work. Both are looking to get away to Scotland for a little rest and relaxation, but they get a curious call for help from the Prime Minister of some Balkan country where the king has died. Not by accident as reported, but was assassinated.The Holmes mission is to get the Crown Prince to Algiers where presumably the state security people will take over. Why Algiers is never mentioned.As Basil Rathbone so wisely puts it he dislikes plans made by other people as they have a habit of blowing up in their faces. Rathbone makes his own security arrangements and part of it is making poor Nigel Bruce a decoy in more ways than one. How he succeeds in his mission is quite a good tale.Favorite scenes in this is Nigel Bruce singing Loch Lomond after singer Marjorie Riordan obliges him with a rendition of Flow Gently Sweet Afton. Nigel Bruce does not do bad with it either. The second scene is Rathbone outsmarting one of the three villains on a ship to Algeria. Martin Kosleck who is best known for playing Joseph Goebbels in several wartime films of varying quality plays an assassin skilled with the use of a thrown knife. I love how Rathbone not only foils him, but decommissions Kosleck for the rest of the film.Pursuit To Algiers is not pure Holmes in terms of a faithful recreation of an Arthur Conan Doyle, but Rathbone and Bruce are in good form and back from wartime propaganda films and now doing good mysteries.