This spiffy little entry in the Sherlock Holmes franchise starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, who will forever be Holmes and Watson to moviegoers the world over, has a good cast and story, and loads of atmosphere that make it one of the best in the series and a personal favorite for a Sunday afternoon.

London is being terrorized by a Jack the Ripper type killer preying upon young women; murdering then mutilating them by severing the right forefinger from each victim. Scotland Yard is at a loss to find the killer or prevent the murders from continuing. It is time to call in the one man who may be able to put an end to the terror — Sherlock Holmes.

A chance encounter at Pembroke House where Holmes sees an attractive woman named Lydia (Hillary Brooke) will be the key to what’s really behind the slayings, which as Holmes explains to his old pal Watson, may involve something far more sinister than ‘plain’ old murder. Every Holmes devotee knows only one mind could devise something more sinister than murder, but wasn't Moriarity hanged in Montevideo?

Henry Daniel and Hillary Brooke add just the right flavor, Paul Cavanagh is good as Sir George Fenwick, who awakes one morning after a date with Lydia with no memory of where he’s been. His only clue is a bloody finger in his pocket and the newsboy’s chant outside his window, about the latest victim. Eve Amber also has a small but nice role as Sir George’s daughter Maude.

This fast paced and exciting entry is a lot of fun for Rathbone and Bruce fans as the two have some fine moments together. The story is full of dark alleys and London fog. The morgue, hypnotism, and a deadly confrontation between Holmes and a long-time “acquaintance” on a dangerously narrow ledge overlooking London make this one a fine entry in the franchise. ( )