All language subtitles for Dressed to Kill (1946) 720p

Dartmoor prison.

Isolated from
the outside world

by walls of granite.

They say you could
get out of here

by merely telling what you know.

You may or may not be
another Scotland Yard bloke

but I'll give you the same
answer I gave the others.

I still have two years,
eight months and six days left

in which to make musical boxes

that will be sold at auction

for the benefit of this
delightful sanctuary.

And I intend to sell them.

Move along.

And now we come to the next object
on our list, or I should say objects

because there are three of them.

Now ladies and gentlemen these can
be bought together or separately.

Now these beautiful little musical
boxes only arrived this morning

and I didn't intend to put them
on the auction block until later

but I'm going to sell them now.

So good friends, as our old
pal Mark Anthony used to say,

"lend me your ears

and what do you hear?"

♪♪Right,

the beautiful tinkle,
tinkle of a musical box.

What a lovely trinket.
What a beautiful gift,

created and made
by loving hands.

A thing of beauty and utility.

I was going to start
with five pounds.

It's a bargain for five pounds.

Do I see any hands?

Is there a connoisseur in the house
who'll go three pounds for it?

Two pounds?

One pound?

Ten shillings?

Ten? Thank you, sir.

Ladies and gentlemen,

ten shillings is offered
for a musical box

you couldn't buy anywhere in
London for less than five pounds.

It's a bit of a stealing to
let it go for ten shillings,

like taking milk from a baby.

All right, we start
with ten shillings.

Ten shillings,
ten shillings is offered.

Ten shillings is offered.
Ten shillings is offered.

Does anybody want to
give me one pound?

Anybody one pound?

Won't somebody give me a pound?

A pound, one pound
is offered, one pound.

Ladies and gentlemen one pound.

The offer is against you, sir.
Will you go to two pounds?

Will you go to two pounds, sir?

Two pounds.
Two pounds is offered.

Two pounds offered going once,

twice,

third and the last call.

Sold to the gentlemen
for two pounds.

Sorry, my dear.

Now ladies and gentlemen comes
the opportunity to purchase

an exact duplicate of the
beautiful little musical box

just bought by this gentleman
for the ridiculous low price

of two pounds.

Now, it's exactly the same.

Exactly the same.
Made by the same hands.

You hear that?
Isn't that lovely.

That tinkle, tinkle,
tinkle, tinkle.

Sounds like bow bells to me.

You know, with little angels
pulling on the ropes.

Who will give me
two pounds for it?

Who will start me
with two pounds?

Will anybody start
me with two pounds?

Oh come, come ladies
and gentlemen,

if you offer more enthusiasm we might
all be Scotland instead of London.

Please buy it for me, Daddy.

Two pounds? Certainly not.

We all might be in Scotland.

Besides I don't like his manner.

One pound, ten shillings.

One pound. One pound is asked.

One pound? One pound is offered.

One pound is offered.
Going, one pound.

In advance.
Going once, going twice,

the third and the last call.

Sold to the lady for one pound.

Smart bidding, my dear.

Thank you.

We come to the third and last

of these beautiful
little musical boxes.

Exactly the same tinkle,
tinkle. Isn't that lovely?

Ladies and gentlemen
I don't bring you here

to gull you and swindle you,

this is the exact replica of
those two I just sold before.

We're closed.

But this is extremely important.

Come in, sir. Come in.

I'm sorry to disturb you

but I was unfortunately delayed

from arriving in time to
bid on certain articles,

which I was rather
anxious to obtain.

Well, perhaps they
weren't sold, sir.

We are carrying
several things over.

What might the articles be, sir?

Three identical musical
boxes about so large.

Oh, I'm sorry, sir,
but they were sold.

Pitty you weren't here
to bid on them.

They didn't bring anything
like their real value.

I'm most anxious to obtain them.

I wonder if your records
would show

who the purchases were?

Oh, we don't usually give
out that information, sir.

For certain, shall we say,
sentimental reasons

I'm most anxious to get in
touch with the purchasers.

I'd be willing to pay,
shall we say,

five pounds.

Well for certain
sentimental reasons, sir,

we'd be very happy to oblige.

Alfred, today's sales,
the three musical boxes.

The musical boxes, oh.

Ah, here we are.

The first purchased for two pounds by
Mr. Julian Emery, 52 Portland Square.

- Write these addresses down, Alfred.
- Yes, sir.

Second, didn't leave any name.

Well, how unfortunate.

I think she's a dealer.

You see, they don't like us to
know where the things are going.

On account of the profits.

You say the second purchaser,
there was a woman,

can you give me a
description of her?

Oh, she was a young woman,
fairly tall, slender,

a light complexion
and dark hair,

- and she was wearing a...
- A gray suit, don't you remember?

- That's right.
- She probably runs a gift shop.

She paid one pound.

You say she comes here
fairly frequently?

No, I didn't say so
but she does, sir.

Likely, she'll come in
on Thursday.

We have sales on
Monday's and Thursday's.

Ah. And the third box?

The third, oh, a Mr. William
Kilgour, 143B Hampton Way.

For ten shillings.

Quite a drop from two pounds.

Mr. Kilgour was a Scotchman.

Well, thank you.
You've been most helpful.

Thank you, sir

and anytime your
passing drop in.

We always have
lovely things for sale.

- Our card, sir.
- Thank you.

I'll be back Thursday.

Her message reached us too late.

The musical boxes
have been sold.

Well, let's get out of here.

Some day you'll go too far.

Reaching for a star, you fool.

Yet a fool may touch a star,
Colonel Cavanaugh

if he reaches high enough.

But not possess it as you would.

The musical boxes
they've been sold?

What a pity for you,
my dear Colonel.

Is it my fault that the message
reached us only an hour ago?

Is it my fault that
they were sold?

She can't hold me
responsible for that.

Hope for your sake you're right.

"They will call upon you tonight
at a quarter till eight,"

a gentleman it is
asked to consult you

"upon a matter of the
very deepest moment."

Remember that letter, Holmes?

It was written
over two years ago.

Very interesting case.

Devilishly interesting.

Humph, Irene Adler,

what a striking looking woman

from the brief glance
I had of her.

Seems only yesterday.

What charm.

What poise. And what a mind.

Sharp enough and
brilliant enough

to outwit the great
Sherlock Holmes himself.

I take it that the new issue
of the Strand Magazine is out,

containing another of
your slightly lurid tales.

It is indeed.

And what do you call this one?

I call it "A Scandal in Bohemia".
Not a bad title, huh?

Hmm. If you must
record my exploits

I do wish you would put less
emphasis on the melodramatic

and more on the intellectual
issues involved.

More on the inte... what
do you mean by that?

Well, I do hope you've given
The Woman a soul,

she had one you know?

By The Woman,

I suppose you mean Irene Adler?

Yes,

I shall always remember
her as The woman.

Come in.

Stinky.

Fatso, old boy, how are you?

How are you, old boy?
I haven't seen you for years.

I want you to meet my old
friend Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes, this is Stinky.

In other words Julian Emery.

How do you do, Mr. Emery?
Watson's often spoken of you.

Oh, has he?

Yes, we were at school together.

Yes, more years ago
than I care to remember

but you didn't come in here
just to remind me of that.

No, I just happened to
be in the neighborhood

and saw your lights burning

so I took the liberty
of looking you up.

Still writing the
old mystery stuff?

Yes. There's a new
one out this week.

- Good, I never miss them.
- Oh good. Thanks.

I say that bandage makes
you look very interesting.

Still poking your nose into other
people's business as usual?

- Who hit you?
- I haven't the foggiest notion.

Somebody knocked me on the
head in my own living room

then proceeded to commit the most
idiotic burglary you ever heard of.

Fellow must have been
barney as a coot.

Barney, why?

Come sit down, old boy.

- Would you like a cup of tea?
- Huh?

Oh, all right.

I'll go and tell
Mrs. Hudson about it.

Why did you say the robbery
was idiotic, Mr. Emery?

Oh, simply from the fact that

with about five thousand
pounds worth

of musical boxes
in my living room

the thief, who
I caught in the act,

made off with one that isn't
even worth five pounds.

I gather you are a
collector of musical boxes?

Yes, I am indeed.

Some of them are very beautiful

but not the one that was stolen.

This thief evidently grabbed the
first thing that came to his hand

when he heard me
coming into the room.

Still it's rather odd, isn't it,
that having disposed of you

he didn't pick up
something more valuable.

Well, is there anything
unusual about the stolen box?

No, nothing at all.

I picked it up in
the south of France

several years ago.

You say you have many
valuable music boxes

and yet the thief made off with one
that's isn't worth five pounds.

Sounds like a rather
intriguing little problem.

Yes, well I take it that he was
just an ordinary petty thief

and didn't know the value.

That is a possible explanation,
yet I adventure to say

that the average petty thief has a
more extensive knowledge of the value

of the objet d'art than
the average collector.

Well anyway, that's
Scotland Yards theory

they didn't get very
excited about it.

That's consistent anyway.

I wonder if I might see
your collection, Mr. Emery?

Why of course you can. Yes.

Nothing that a
collector likes more

than showing off his trophies.

- When would it suit you?
- No time like the present.

Good.

My place is just around
in Pullman Square.

- Shall we?
- Yes, right.

Hello. Where you going?

- Stinky hasn't had his tea yet.
- Oh, I'm sorry.

We're going round to my place

where I'm going to give you
something better than tea.

Now this one was
made for Louis the XV

and is one of the very few still
in the existence from that period

and a particularly
fine specimen at that.

Charming isn't it?

Quite.

They all sound to me
like a lot of mice

running about on a tin roof.

I'm afraid you have no ear
for music, Watson.

Give me a good old band
playing a rousing march,

you have all your silly
little tweet tweets.

Oh, that's another one of them.

Good gracious me.

Stupid thing,
singing rabbit, huh.

What would you say offhand is the
value of a box like that, Mr. Emery?

Well, it's hard to say offhand
but I think it would bring

about five or six
hundred pounds today.

It's the gem of my collection.

Yet a thief, who steals an
oddity like a musical box,

passes up one worth
five hundred pounds

for one of almost
no value at all.

Odd, very odd.

What was the stolen box like,
Mr. Emery?

Oh, just plain wooden box
about so big.

As a matter fact, I have one over
here almost exactly like it.

I picked this up yesterday at an
auction room in Knightsbridge,

paid only two pounds for it.

Of course, I wouldn't
have ordinarily

add one like this to my collection
but the tune intrigued me.

I'd never heard it before.

You have a remarkable
ear for music, Holmes.

- Rather an unusual melody.
- Sit down, will you.

Thanks.

You say you bought that box
at an auction hall yesterday?

Yes. The Gaylord Auction
Rooms in Knightsbridge,

run by old... What's his name?

Crabtree.

That's the man.

At what time was the
robbery committed?

Oh, about three o'clock
this morning.

You know, Mr. Emery

that box and the robbery
might well be cause and effect,

especially since you say
that the stolen box

outwardly resembles
this one a great deal

and Scotland Yard was not
particularly interested, eh?

Oh yes, but I wouldn't
blame them for that,

especially as I told them I was
quite unable to describe the thief,

except, of course, for the fact
that it was definitely a man.

All you remember is
that who came in here

and someone struck
you on the head.

Yes and the next thing I knew

my man was trying to revive me.

It might be wise for you to put that
box away somewhere and lock it up.

Oh, I don't think
that's necessary.

Besides, everything's insured.

Well, at least of any further
attempts at robbery are made

I'd suggest that
you call the police

rather than running into
any personal danger.

Oh come, Holmes aren't you
being a bit of an alarmist?

Possibly.

I must agree with old Stinky.

Seems to me you are making rather
a mountain out of a mole skin.

Molehill is the word, old boy

and it's time you were in bed.

Thanks so much for letting
us see your collection.

It's been grand meeting you.

Holmes, I can't understand
why you were so mysterious.

Seems to me the petty thief explanation
was the only sensible one.

- Really?
- Yes, I can't see how you can believe

it was anything else.

I didn't say I believed
it to be anything else.

The petty thief theory is
the obvious one I grant you.

However, it's often a mistaken
to accept something that's true

merely because it's obvious.

The truth is only arrived at

by the pain staking process
of eliminating the untrue.

We are not able to
do that in this case

without further data.

Rubbish. You're pulling my leg.

You're trying to turn a

cut on the head and a robbery
into an international plot.

No I'm not.

I just hope that
your friend Stinky

is a little more cautious
in the future,

just in case.

Hello. Yeah.

Julian Emery here.

Who?

Why of course I remember
you, Mrs. Courtney.

Yes. Yes, you are the
one bright spot

at that appallingly dull
affair of Lady Sanfords.

Huh?

Of course it isn't to late
to come around.

Yes, I shall be delighted
to give you a drink.

I tell you what come straight up

and I'll leave the door
unlatched.

All right. Fifteen minutes?

Good.

I shall be counting each moment.

No. No. No, I mean that, really.

Right. Goodbye.

Boo!

Oh, you startled me.

- Did I?
- Yes.

Must be the pixie in me.

I know I shouldn't have
called you so late

but I was at a party
just around the corner

and I remembered your invitation

to see your collection
of musical boxes.

My dear, Mrs. Courtney,

pleasure is all the greater
for being so unexpected.

- My friends call me Hilda.
- Thanks.

Mine call me Stinky.

Stinky? How quaint.

Oh, what a perfectly wonderful
collection of musical boxes.

You know, when you told
me you had a collection

- I had no idea that it was so attractive.
- Yes.

They appeal to the ear

as well as to the eye.

Oh, what a plain little one.

Why it looks just like a country
cousin Amid all this grandeur.

Now, now, now you mustn't
underestimate the country cousin.

Only last night a
burglar broke in here

and with all these to chose from

- went off with one very much like it.
- Really?

Yes, I don't mind the
loss the box so much

but I do resent this
crack on the skull.

But it makes you
look so interesting.

- Do you think so?
- Uh-huh.

- That's funny, that's what old fatso said.
- Fatso?

I mean Doctor Watson.

He was here this evening
with a friend, a Mr. Holmes.

He's interested in
my collection too.

Sherlock Holmes?

Yes. Do you know him?

I've heard of him.

Yes, he seems to think
I'm in some sort of danger.

What a haunting tune. It takes
me right back to my childhood.

Really?

You know it's odd that you should be
interested in that particular musical box.

- Odd, why?
- Cause Mr. Holmes is also interested in it.

He may have been more interested
in the tune than in the box.

My dear, yes, that's right.

I remember now.

He whistled it note for note
having heard it only once.

Really? He must be
a remarkable man.

Bit of an alarmist
if you ask me.

Don't you believe in warnings?

Of course not.

Who'd want a box like that?

I would.

You're not serious?

Oh, but I am.

Well, you put me at a
very awkward position.

I'm a collector you know

and a collector buys
but never sells.

But if the price
were high enough.

The price has
nothing to do with it.

It's the principle of the thing.

Yes, well we haven't
had our drink.

No thanks, I must be
getting along.

- Must you really?
- I'm afraid so.

You're not walking
out on me are you?

My reputation, Stinky.

I say, you know you are
an attractive woman.

Thanks.

You fool.
I told you to wait outside.

What did you have
to kill him for?

All I had to do was
walk out with this.

- He held you in his arms.
- Don't touch him.

Don't touch anything.
Now get out!

- I'm sorry.
- You're sorry?

What about me? This is murder.

What about Scotland Yard?

What about Sherlock Holmes?

Now get out!

Did you get it?

Good.

Did you have any
trouble with him?

Just a matter of murder.

- Ah, Mr. Holmes.
- Hopkins.

Thanks for coming so promptly.

Inspector Lestrade suggested
that I call through to you.

- Mr. Emery was a client of Mr. Holmes, Inspector.
- Indeed.

You didn't mention that when
I telephoned you, Mr. Holmes.

Well not exactly
a client, Inspector.

- Sergeant Thompson?
- He was killed between the hours of eleven

and two o'clock this
morning, Mr. Holmes.

Must have been someone he knew.

Someone of whom
he had no suspicion.

Poor old Stinky.

It's all my fault.
I should have prevented this.

Well, it's no time to start
talking about that now, Doctor.

Apparently, it's gone.

That's the second attempt
on the musical box

that Emery bought
at the auction sale

and this time it was successful.

But that box is only
worth two pounds.

It's worth a man's life, Watson.

I think we'd better pay a visit to Gaylord's
Auction Room and that fellow Crabtree.

Inspector may I suggest

that you make a complete
search of this flat

for a small plain musical
box about that size.

Thank you. Come on, Watson.

You say the first box
went to Mr. Julian Emery,

the second, Mr. Kilgour,
143B Hampton Way,

and the third to the
unidentified young lady

who presumably has a shop
and lives near Golders Green?

That's right Mr. Holmes.

Isn't it rather strange,
Mr. Crabtree,

that you've had three identical musical
boxes, all playing the same tune?

- Where did they come from?
- Dartmoor Prison.

- Dartmoor?
- We get a regular shipment from there every month.

The inmates manufacture them.

Well, they make all kinds
of things you know?

Pipe racks, wastepaper baskets,

- musical boxes.
- Did you happen to notice

if anyone showed any particular
interest during the auction

in the purchases
of these three boxes?

Oh, come now, Mr. Crabtree,

this is very literally a
matter of life and death.

Well, since you put it
that way, Mr. Holmes,

there was a gentleman came in here
about an hour after closing time.

And he was in an
awful state, he was,

he gave me five pounds to tell
him where the boxes had gone.

He said they had sentimental
value for him, sir.

Expensive sentiment.

Can you describe him?

Well he was tall,
distinguished looking

and he had gray hair
and a mustache.

He was quite a gentleman, sir.

And what was his reaction

when you were
unable to supply him

with the address of the young
lady who owned the shop?

I told him that the young lady
usually come back on Thursday.

He said he'd come back on
Thursday and that's tomorrow.

Thank you Mr. Crabtree, you've
been very helpful. Thank you.

Come along, Watson.

- Where we going now, Holmes?
- The home of Mr. Kilgour,

the man who bought
the third box.

But hang it all, Holmes,

how do you know those other two
musical boxes are of any importance?

I don't, but I certainly
have no intention

of waiting till the owners
are murdered to find out.

No one at home.

I hope that's the explanation.

Well, have a look
through this window.

Doesn't seem to be anyone there.

Whole place seems deserted
as far as I can see.

- Yes?
- Mr. and Mrs. Kilgour at home?

- No.
- When do you expect them?

Oh, in an hour or so.

There's no use
you're hanging about.

They don't buy nothing
from peddlers.

Peddlers?

My good woman this is
Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes? Oh, go on.

Do you mind if we
come in and wait?

My business is rather urgent.

Well, I've got to go out
to do my shopping

and I don't know if Mrs. Kilgour

would like any strangers
nosing about.

Quite all right, I assure you.

Well, I've got to be off.

You two wait in the parlor
and no smoking either.

Mrs. Kilgour says it
smells up the house.

- Funny old girl, Holmes.
- Hmm.

- Park Lane.
- Park Lane?

And what would the likes of
you be doing in Park Lane?

Now don't worry
about the fare, ducky.

If ya knows how to get
to Park Lane, now off it.

You know, Holmes,
I've been thinking.

There must have been
something hidden

in that box of old Stinky's.

Stolen jewelry possibly.

- What's up Holmes?
- Listen.

Well, it's just the steam
in the water pipes.

Watson!

Great Scott!

Come along, Holmes,
get her on the chair here.

Shh. It's all right, my dear.

There, there, there.
Now don't worry.

It's all over.

There you are, dear.
Don't cry anymore.

She tied me up and
shut me in the cupboard.

I know, I know.

She won't come back.

Did you show her
your new musical box?

Yes. She said she
wanted to hear it play

- and as soon as I showed it to her she grabbed a hold...
- I know. I know now.

Now don't worry, we'll buy
you a new musical box.

Yes, my dear,
the best one in London.

Watson.

Oh, what a fool,
what a fool I've been.

What do you mean, Holmes?

She took the musical box
out of this house

in that market basket

right under our very noses.

Why would the Kilgour charwoman
want to take the music box?

She isn't the Kilgour charwoman

she's a consummate actress.

An extremely clever, unscrupulous
woman who will stop at nothing.

Take care of the child,
will you, old fellow,

till her parents get back.

- Explain everything to them.
- Of course I will.

But Holmes, where are you going?

Somewhere, somehow

I must get to the young lady who
bought that third musical box

before our opponents find her.

I only hope that
I won't be too late.

Now, now, now, darling
you mustn't cry anymore.

Cheer up.

Would you... would you
like to hear old uncle

make a noise like a duck?

Oh, sorry. Huh.

Now, ladies and gentlemen
how much am I offered

for this beautiful laced
Dresden china figurine?

A lady of the French court.

Now this is the genuine article.

What a beautiful ornament
for your mantelpiece

as a centerpiece on
the dining room table.

Now will somebody
start me for ten pounds?

Will somebody start me
for ten pounds?

Eight pounds?

Seven pounds?

All right five.

Five pounds is offered.
Five pounds is offered.

Five pounds is offered.

Five pounds ten.

Five pounds fifteen,
five pounds fifteen.

Six pounds is offered.
Six pounds, six pounds,

going once, going twice,

the third and the last call
we're all done.

Sold to the lady from
Trikland for six pounds.

Next we have a real museum
piece ladies and gentlemen.

A fine nineteenth century doll.

The costume, an exact replica
of the holiday clothes worn

by the Hungarian peasant women.

Now ladies and gentlemen,

an article like this would cost him fifteen
to twenty pounds in a west end shop.

I'm not going to ask
for anything like that.

Who will give me
two pounds for it?

Two pounds, anybody
offer me two pounds?

Two pounds,
for the Hungarian, two...

One pound?

Will anybody give me one pound?

Anybody offer me
one pound for the doll?

One pound is offered, ladies and gentlemen.
One pound is offered.

Now I'm not going to waste
your valuable time or mine

in trying to get one half of what
this beautiful doll is worth.

If the young lady can steal it for
one pound that's her good fortune.

So, it's going once,
it's going twice,

the third and last call,
anymore?

Sold to the young lady
for one pound.

Now, ladies and gentlemen
may I draw your attention

to something, which may be,
a great surprise to you,

worthy of any collection.

The only other one like it
is in the British museum.

It's a Ming vase of
the seventh dynasty.

This vase lay in
a large collection

somewhere outside Rome for over
two centuries I understand.

It was just discovered there

by the noted antiquarian
Sir Andrew Copperstone.

Now, some of you may remember
Sir Andrew Copperstone.

Besides being a world
traveled antiquarian

he's also a gentleman writer.

The girl with the parcel
in her hands, that's her.

Are you sure that's the girl?

She fits perfectly the
auctioneer's description.

Follow her, Hamid.

It's lovely, dear.

And only one pound.

We can get at least
three for it.

Easily. I'll go make some tea.

- I could do with a cup.
- Right.

- Good afternoon.
- Good afternoon.

I'm looking for a birthday gift

for a seven-year-old girl.
What would you suggest?

We have some lovely dolls.

- Now this Hungarian...
- I think she has enough dolls already.

Books are always welcome.

Well, I'm looking for
something a little different.

Well, that's rather cute,
what is it?

Oh, that's a musical box.

Children always love them

and this is an
exceptionally nice one.

It plays many tunes.

- Have you any others?
- Yes.

If you'll just step this way.

I have only two left.

How nice.

Are you sure
this is all you have?

I'm sorry

they're rather hard to find,
you know.

That's our entire allotment.

I did have one other but I sold
it earlier this afternoon.

But it was only a
plain wooden one.

It wouldn't have been a
very nice gift for a child.

Really?

Do you happen to know
who the purchaser was?

Why yes, he left his card

just in case anyone
should inquire for him.

How interesting.

I'm sorry but I'm afraid I'll
have to look a bit further.

Thank you anyway.

Good afternoon. Thank you.

Cabbie.

- Follow that cab.
- Here now, what?

- Scotland Yard.
- Hop in.

Sherlock Holmes,
I might have known.

We thought we were the hunters

instead of which
we're the hunted.

We've been fooled. We played
right into his hands.

Of course, he's had us followed.

Don't look.

The man in front of the toyshop.

Hamid, turn sharp right at the
next corner and again at the next.

No photograph of her,
commissioner,

as I expected.

She's not a known criminal.

But how are you expect to
know her if you do find her?

After all she was disguised
as a charwoman.

Don't worry, old fellow

If I ever see her again
I'll recognize her.

Well, it won't be long till
we know who they are

and from where they operate.

Who's covering them?

Sergeant Thompson
is following them, sir.

They won't get away from
him, he's a good man.

He could have arrested them at Kibbutz's
Toy Shop if we had any proof.

But we know that they
killed Emery.

Proof, my dear fellow,
we must have proof.

We have x-rayed it, sir. There's
nothing whatever concealed in the box.

We'll have a look at the plates.

There must be some clue

and it's probably so obvious
that we've all overlooked it.

Seems to me were up against
a bunch of lunatics.

Not lunatics, my dear fellow,

extremely astute,
cold-blooded murderers.

Well, what can these
little musical boxes

have in them
that's so important?

Don't forget they were
made in Dartmoor Prison.

Why you can smuggle stuff
into prison but not out.

Do you want us to break
the box apart, sir,

to see if there's anything
the x-ray hasn't caught?

No, not yet.

Do you mind if I take it?

- Certainly.
- Thanks.

The governor of Dartmoor
Prison informed us, sir,

in answer to
Mr. Holmes' question

that all three musical boxes
were made by the same convict,

John Davidson,
serving a 7-year term, sir.

- Davidson?
- The Bank of England plates.

- That will be all.
- Yes, sir.

Now were getting somewhere.

Wait a minute

how did you know about
the plates, Mr. Holmes?

I'm a student of crime,
Inspector.

I make my business to
know about such things

and when the name of
Davidson was mentioned.

Well, who is this
fellow Davidson?

As long as Mr. Holmes seems
to know all about it already

I suppose there's no
harm in telling you.

Two years ago in London

there occurred a robbery
of such tremendous importance,

although the stolen
articles themselves

have no intrinsic value
whatsoever,

but the home secretary
was instrumental

in seeing that not word of it
appeared in any newspaper.

But you never told me
anything about this, Holmes.

You were away at the time.

Articles of no intrinsic value
and yet of such importance.

I don't understand.

When Davidson was apprehended

within fifteen minutes
of committing the theft

but by that time he'd hidden
the articles in question

and they've yet to be found.

Before going further,
Doctor Watson,

I must inform you that this matter is not
to be mentioned outside of this room.

Of course not. Do I look
like a man who'd gossip?

Let's not go into that now,
old fellow, shall we?

Davidson had been
employed for years

in a position of extreme trust

by the engravings department
of the Bank of England.

The articles he stole
were nothing less

than a complete
duplicate set of plates

- for printing five-pound notes.
- What?

- The Bank of England's own plates?
- Precisely.

And with those plates a gang
of crooks could flood England

with five-pound notes,

not forged in the usual
sense of the word

but notes undetectable from
genuine Bank of England notes

- in any way whatsoever.
- Good heavens.

Any whisper at all might have
resulted in enormous damage

in shaking public confidence
in the treasury.

We tried everything after
we arrested Davidson.

Offered him a shorter sentence

if he'd tell us where
he'd hidden the plates.

Why we even put in
Scotland Yard men

with him as cell mates
but no results.

Obviously, Davidson is a
man of strong character

and infinite patience.

Yet suddenly he feels impelled
to smuggle out the secret

of the hiding place of the
plates to his confederates.

Why?

I don't understand, Mr. Holmes.

Well, for example,

has the Bank of England
made any plans

to radically change the
design of the five pound note

so that, say uh,
seven years from now

notes made from the stolen
plates would be worthless?

Confidentially, Mr. Holmes,
such a move was discussed

but replacing all the five
pound notes in circulation

would be such a herculean task

that nothing's been done
about it as yet.

I see.

Of course there is another
possible explanation.

Davidson didn't have much time

to find a hiding place
before he was captured.

He may be afraid

that the plates will be accidentally
discovered before he's released,

hence his anxiety to
communicate their whereabouts

to his confederates
as soon as possible.

I believe you hit it,
Mr. Holmes.

I'm sure that the message is
contained in this musical box,

or rather in all
three musical boxes

since possession of all
three seems to be essential.

Our opponents have two thirds of the
puzzle, only we have one third.

Well, what are you
going to do, Holmes?

Try to deduce the message from
the one third that we have.

It's the same tune as the one
played by Emery's musical box.

And yet it's different.

Sounds the same to me.

The tune.

Somehow the tune
is the key to the mystery.

It must be the tune.

Otherwise, why use three musical
boxes to convey the message?

Why not collar boxes
or shoe boxes?

Yes?

- Oh, it's for you, Inspector.
- Oh, thank you, sir.

Inspector Hopkins speaking.

What?

Where?

Goldess Green Station reports

they've just found
Sergeant Thompson's body.

From the tire marks
on his clothes

he was apparently
run over by a taxi.

What an unfortunate accident.

Not an accident, my dear fellow.

I'm afraid it's murder.

♪ You never know just who
you're going to meet

when you're walking down
that busy London street.

Mrs. Orbit
and Mrs. Brown,

any subject of the crown,

oh you never know just
who you're going to meet.

Sooo, you better hold your
topper than your hand

just in case you meet
a lady on the strand.

Girls will think
you're kind of sweet

and your day
will be complete

though you never know just
who you're going to meet.

Now a gentleman is
judged by his appearance.

Yes a gentleman is
judged by how he talks.

Now he's much better off

when he's acting
like a toff

especially if he's
taken in a walk.

What on earth is this
outlandish place?

A rendezvous for actors.

Actors?

Buskers, old boy.

You've seen them
a thousand times.

Actors who entertain with tunes,

waiting outside theaters.

♪ Oh you never know just
who you're going to meet

when you're walking down
that busy London street.

So you better wear vest,

always try to look
your best

cause you never know just
who you're going to meet.

Soooo,

you better keep your
manners right in view

just in case a lady
gives a 'how'd you do.'

Keep your trousers
in a pleat,

shine your shoes
and keep them neat

cause you never know just
who you're going to meet.

Blimey.

Mr. Holmes.

How are you, Joe?

Never better. And yourself?

Fine, thank you.

I want you to meet a friend of
mine, Doctor Watson. Joe Cisto.

- Oh well, any friend of Mr. Holmes is a friend of mine.
- How are you, Joe?

He did me a good turn once
that I'll never forget.

Yes, I cleared Joe of a
most unpleasant charge.

- Murder no less.
- Oh really?

By proving to the
satisfaction of the police

that he was busy at the time

blowing open someone's safe.

- That's right, governor.
- Good gracious me.

Now Joe, now you can help me.

Come on, buzz off, buzz off.

Come on off it. off it!

Can't a gentleman have some
peace and quiet around here?

And you too.

There you are, Mr. Holmes,

now we can have some peace
and quiet around here.

Thank you, Joe.

There's five pounds
in this for you.

Well, I wouldn't want to
take it on myself, sir,

but I'd get somebody to
do it for you far for that.

You don't know what
the job is yet.

For five pounds?
Murder ain't it?

What?

No Joe, not murder just music.

I want you to identify
a song for me.

Oh, there ain't a song that's
been written that I don't know.

That's why I came to you.

Of course, the violin is
more my instrument but,

oh well, here we go.
Now listen to this Joe.

Wait a minute,
you're playing that wrong.

That should be 'E'
natural not 'E' flat.

- You know the song?
- Oh yes, it's an old Australian song called...

'The Swag Man' but you're
playing it all wrong.

That's what I'd hoped you say.

Now listen again, Joe.

That's the same tune all right

but you're making different mistakes
than you did the first time.

No, not mistakes, Joe.
Call them variations.

Here, play the song for me,
will you, the way it's written.

- There you are.
- Thank you, Joe.

What's it mean, Holmes?

You on to something?

Perhaps.

I don't know yet.

It's probably a
code of some sort.

Joe?

Could you write the
song down for me

the way it was
originally written?

Oh sure, Mr. Holmes
but it'll take a few minutes.

Here, Mabel.

Pale ale. Come on,
hop to it, on with it.

Well, obviously
it isn't the lyrics.

No combination of those words

made any sense at all.

The variations in the way

Emery's musical
box played the tune

are different from the
variations of the one we have.

- You sure?
- Quite.

You see, I took the
trouble to memorize

the tune as played by
Emery's box

that night we were
with him in his flat.

Holmes, you amaze me.

Elementary, my dear fellow,

one of the first principles
in solving crime

is never to disregard anything
no matter how trivial.

But why the three boxes?
Why not one?

Because the message
was obviously too long

to be conveyed by
any one variation.

Then there's the third box,

the one that woman took
from the Kilgours,

that contains yet
another set of variations.

Yes, though it's all beyond me.

Well, all we have to do now

is to find the secret
of the variations,

not a very easy problem
to solve, my dear fellow.

Hello.

What's up?

We've had company.

I say this is outrageous.

Ask Mrs. Hudson to
come in here will you?

Right.

Mrs. Hudson?

Yes.

Oh, there you are. Will you
come up here at once please?

Oh, coming, sir.

Mercy me, Mr. Holmes,
what has happened?

Who called while we
were out, Mrs. Hudson?

Just a young lady,

the one who said you wanted
her to wait for you.

And a nice little old
gentlemen with her.

- Our friends again, Watson.
- Friends?

What did the young
lady look like?

Oh, I couldn't see her face

she had a heavy black veil on

but she had such a
nice way with her.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Holmes
if I've done anything wrong

but you did say I should always let
clients come in and wait for you.

Don't worry, Mrs. Hudson,
don't worry.

You had no way of knowing.

It's quite all right.
Quite all right.

Now don't worry, Mrs. Hudson.

Don't worry?

Well where on earth
is the musical box?

They didn't get it.

Didn't get it?

Where is it?

- It's in your hand.
- Huh?

In that biscuit jar.

Take the biscuits off the top.

Now put your hand inside
and you'll find the music box.

Well done, Holmes.
Well done. Amazing.

Nice fresh smell.

Like a pub after closing time.

I say, Holmes?

What?

It's morning.

Allow me to congratulate you on
a brilliant bit of deduction.

It's not a transposition,

not a polygraph
transposition, not a trigraph,

nor any known form of decoding.

How about the Morse code
have you tried that?

Yes, at about three
o'clock this morning.

I'm sorry, old man.
I was only trying to help.

Oh, do me a favor, not again.

I must have heard that
thing a thousand times.

Kept me awake all night.

Not a very distinguished
composition I grant you.

You know perfectly well I don't
know one tune from the other.

When I was a kid my people tried
to have me taught the piano.

I always felt sorry for
that old teacher of mine.

The poor old girl
finally reached the point

of numbering the keys for me.

One-two-three-four.

Even then I never
progressed beyond...

Numbering the keys, Watson!

The nineteenth key
of the keyboard

is the nineteenth
letter of the alphabet.

'S'. Here.

Mark this down while I give it
to you, old fellow, will you?

The first altered note,
write 'S' first.

Now the eighth key is 'H',

the fifth key 'E',

the twelfth key 'L',

the sixth key 'F'.

S-H-E-L-F, shelf.

Your piano lessons were
not in vain, old fellow.

You've solved it. Thank you.

Thanks, old bean.

We now have two
thirds of a message.

Behind books,

third shelf, secretary,

Doctor 'S'.

Presumably,

these are the first and second
portions of the message.

And this gang has the first
and third parts of it.

- Precisely.
- Then it's a stalemate?

Yes commissioner but we
can't leave it like that.

There's no doubt in my mind
that they'll try to secure

our third of the
message that's missing.

Well, I assume you've taken every
precaution to guard the Clifford music box.

Oh yes, it's carefully
hidden at Baker Street

with Doctor Watson on guard.

However, I'm reasonably
certain that,

difficult as it may be,
we can find the plates

even without the missing
part of the message.

"Behind books, third shelf,

secretary, Doctor 'S'."

Well, outside of the fact that Davidson
hid the Bank of England plates

somewhere in London, Mr. Holmes,

I don't see that we've
progressed at all.

Allow me to point out to you,
sir, the key words Doctor 'S'.

It looks as if the plates were
hidden in the house of a doctor.

Whether the 'S' stands for
his first or last initial

remains to be determined by
a process of elimination.

Well, there must be ten
thousand doctors in London

with 'S' for a first
or last initial.

Precisely and every one of them

will have to be
questioned in person.

That's why I say this is
a task for Scotland Yard.

It's a task all right

but Scotland Yard has searched worse
haystacks and found a needle.

Well, for the time being

I'll leave the matter in
your hands, gentlemen.

We'll call you if and when we get a
lead on our mysterious Doctor S.

Thank you.

In the meantime,
I intend to follow up

a little clue concerning
a cigarette.

You are certain of the
identification of the tobacco?

Absolutely.

I have made up
this special blend

for only three customers.

It is almost pure Egyptian

with a mixture of
Latakia for added body

and a pinch of Perique,

merely a whisper
as one might say

- for elusive fragrance.
- Yes Yes,

and the three customers?

Major Wilson in Bombay, India.

Mrs. Catherine Lemington
Smith in Ireland.

Yes and the third?

Mrs. Hilda Courtney of Park
Mansions, Briarstone Square.

Thank you. Thank you very much.
You've been most helpful.

It is a pleasure to of
been service, Mr. Holmes.

Yes?

Mrs. Courtney?

Yes.

My name is Sherlock Holmes.

- Do come in.
- Thank you.

I've heard of you,
of course, Mr. Holmes.

I believe we have a mutual
friend in Sir Edward Brookdale.

He's spoken to me
of you quite often.

Indeed.

And to what good fortune
am I indebted for this visit?

I think you know, Mrs. Courtney.

Well, I did get a summons
for speeding last week

but outside of that I don't think
I'm of any interest to the police.

Oh, come now, Mrs. Courtney,

you seemed to forget that
you and I have met before.

I'm sorry,

I'm sure I would have remembered
meeting the great Sherlock Holmes.

- Please sit down.
- Thank you.

You say we met before?

Yes.

At the home of Mr. & Mrs.
Kilgour, 143 B Hampton Road.

Kilgour?

I don't think I know
anyone of that name.

Well, I didn't say
you knew them,

as a matter of fact, you called
on them when they were out.

Why I don't understand,
Mr. Holmes.

Really?

You were dressed
rather differently.

Indeed.

Cigarette?

Thank you.

You know Mrs. Courtney,
people generally forget,

you know assuming your disguise,

that the shape of the ear

is almost an infallible
means of recognition

and identification
to the trained eye.

Evidently you've mistaken
me for someone else.

Oh no, not at all,

though naturally
I expected your denial

but when you paid your visit
to my rooms at Baker Street

you carelessly left behind

an another identification.

They're identical aren't they?

Yes, I must admit they are.

You see Mr. Holmes to
catch one as clever as you

I had to use a
very special lure.

I knew you'd be unable to
resist the bait of my cigarette

having read with great interest
your monograph on the ashes

of a hundred and forty
different varieties of tobacco.

I should advise you
not to move, Mr. Holmes.

I must congratulate you on
your ingenuity, Mrs. Courtney.

It was indeed a
brilliantly designed trap.

Thank you, Mr. Holmes.

Praise from a master
is indeed gratifying.

I shall always cherish the memory
of your flatter and words.

Memory?

Precisely.

I'm afraid these gentlemen have a
most regrettable task to perform.

Unless, of course, you care to
turn over the missing musical box

with your pledge to take no
action against us in the future.

I'm afraid that
will be impossible.

I thought that would
be your answer. Hamid!

Careful!

Careful, there's no need
to be unnecessarily rough

with our distinguished guest.

You realize, Mr. Holmes,

that your demise will
not take place here,

the Corpus Delicti you know?

Well, naturally.

Shall we go?

So fearfully awkward having
a dead body lying about.

Don't you agree, Mr. Holmes?

Another dead body shouldn't
weigh too heavily

on your conscious,
Mrs. Courtney.

Do you mind if
I have a cigarette?

Why I don't see why not.

Be careful, Hamid.

It's the brakes, they bind.

Thank you Colonel Cavanaugh,

it's very considerate of you.

You'll be happy to know,
Mr. Holmes,

that your death will
be a painless one.

Hamid,

attach this to the
motor of the taxi.

That little attachment,
my dear Mr. Holmes,

contains the deadly fluid
known as, monosulfide,

the Germans use it with
gratifying results

in removing their undesirables.

Start the motor.

Tape his mouth.

Now, up with him, Hamid.

You find yourself like
Muhammad's coffin, Mr. Holmes,

suspended between
heaven and Earth.

Plenty of fuel in the tank?

Good.

It would be too bad to
have anything go wrong

through so simple an oversight.

Good afternoon.

Mr. Sherlock Holmes?

No, I'm Doctor Watson.

Oh, of course, Doctor Watson.

How stupid of me.

Not at all, it's stupid of me.

Won't you come in?

Well, I really came
to see Mr. Holmes.

Oh I'm afraid he's out. I don't
know when he'll be back.

Perhaps there's something
I can do.

Won't you sit down?

Thank you.

You know Sherlock Holmes
and I have been engaged

on a great many cases.

- Oh, really?
- Yes indeed.

As a matter of fact,

at this very moment we're involved
in one of the most baffling...

Well, won't you tell
me your trouble.

I may be able to help you.

That's very kind of you,
Doctor Watson,

perhaps if I wouldn't
be imposing too much...

Imposing?

Oh, it's no imposition,
no imposition at all.

A pleasure I assure you now.

- Tell me all about it Miss...
- Miss Williams.

Mrs. Williams.

I live in Surrey, Doctor Watson,

and I've come to London
on sheer desperation.

My only sister has disappeared

and the local police seem
utterly unable to find her.

Well, Holmes and I solved a
case exactly like that once.

Very interesting as
far as I remember.

I called it

"The Adventure Of The
Solitary Cyclist."

Oh, sorry. Now I
come to think of it,

it wasn't so very similar,
entirely different now.

I can't figure
what I was saying.

Where were we?

She's only seventeen,
Doctor Watson

and until she
disappeared last Thursday

she seemed to be in
the best of spirits.

Well, possibly a
romantic entanglement.

Oh no, no, nothing of the sort.

She left no note,
didn't even pack a bag,

no explanation,

she just started to
walk to the village

from our house in broad daylight

and simply vanished from
the face of the Earth.

Oh there, there, there, there.

Might I have a glass of water?

Glass of water,
yes of course. Glass of...

I'll have one in one minute.

There you are, my dear.

Thank you, Doctor Watson.

Now, now you're
not to cry anymore.

You must pull yourself together.

I feel much better already knowing
that you're going to help me.

Oh, Doctor Watson, look!

Good heavens!

Get through, get through
the fire brigade, quickly.

Haven't you a fire extinguisher?

By Jove, we have one,
in the kitchen.

Don't you worry, Miss Williams

we'll have this thing out
in no time.

Now, that's got it.

Let's get some air.

Well, you see there was no need
for the fire brigade after all.

I hope you weren't too
frightened, Miss Williams.

Oh, gone.

That's the trouble with women,

they always lose their
heads in an emergency.

Hello.

The musical box.

Great Scott!

Miss Williams!

Well?

Good.

And Holmes?

By now Mr. Holmes has no doubt

exchanged his violin for a harp.

Oh, well assuming that
heaven is his destination.

And now that we have
the missing musical box.

- Nineteenth note,
- Nineteenth note,

- nineteenth letter.
- Nineteenth letter.

"S".

He hasn't been there you say?

Holmes, where on earth
where have you been?

I've been trying to
get you at the club,

at Scotland Yard,
all over London.

You were looking for
me in the wrong places.

Holmes, a terrible
thing's happened.

I've been duped.

That woman,

- she made a complete fool of me.
- Well, what do you mean?

Well, she came here and
let off a smoke bomb.

I thought the whole
place was on fire

and my first thought was
to save the musical box.

No need to say anymore.

She has the box.

Yes.

Don't blame yourself
too much, old fellow.

She is an extremely
clever antagonist.

Smoke bomb you said?

Well, you can console
yourself with the thought

that your charming friend
is at least a reader of yours.

What do you mean?

If I remember correctly,

you wrote about my little experiment
with the smoke and the cry of fire

in the story you entitled
"A Scandal in Bohemia",

which has just appeared
in the Strand Magazine.

All right, all right, old boy,
don't rub it in.

It may cheer you up to know
that she made a fool of me too.

With that cigarette stub.

It was planted here for
one express purpose.

Do we have any bandaging
around this place?

Bandaging? What's the matter, Holmes?
You hurt?

Explanations will have
to wait until later,

at the moment we're
faced with a problem,

which I fear, is insurmountable.

- Come over here, old boy, will ya?
- Right.

Now the opponents
are in possession

of all three parts of the code

and here are we while the
Bank of England plates

pass into their possession.

Cheer up, old fellow, cheer up.

As Doctor Samuel
Johnson once said

"There's no problem the
mind of man can set

that the mind of
man cannot solve."

- What's that, old fellow?
- I was quoting Doctor Samuel Johnson,

- he said there is no...
- Thank you, Watson, thank you.

Leaving the front reception room

we come into the main hall

where Doctor Johnson was in
the habit of passing through

to have his meager meals in
the dining room opposite.

In company with his
friend and biographer,

James Bosvo.

We will now pass
up the stairway,

which remains in it's
natural wood finish.

Just as it was when the
good doctor was here.

The framed etching on the wall

is believed to have been
presented to Doctor Johnson

by the distinguished painter,
Sir Joshua Reynolds.

I've been told here
that that picture

was given to him by Mrs. Tarrel

and its definitely
not a Reynolds.

Is that important, my dear?

Oh, I'm sorry.

This way ladies and
gentlemen please, this way.

Move along children, move along.

The secretary's
not on this floor.

Patience, Hamid.

- I have a feeling...
- My dear Colonel

with Sherlock Holmes out of
the way what could go wrong?

And here we have
the gallant library

in which Doctor Johnson
wrote his famous dictionary

and in which you will see also

many of the great man's books

and other items of interest.

Step forward ladies and
gentlemen, please step forward.

Standing in the corner
is the secretary,

which contains many
of the original works

by the literary genius.

On this table Doctor
Johnson's cat Hodge

used to sleep while
his master worked.

But the strange thing about this cat, ladies
and gentlemen, was its love of oysters.

They do say that the dear
Doctor often went hungry

to find the cat that delicacy.

What a pity.

Now we will visit the bedroom,

which is immediately below us

in which you will
see the very bed

in which Doctor Johnson died.

What did he die of?

Gout.

Just gout.

This way ladies and gentlemen,

mind the steps please.

The keys.

Third shelf up.

The knife.

Gentlemen, the Bank
of England plates.

Well, Mrs. Courtney,

so we meet again.

Now, I shouldn't do that if I
were you, Colonel Cavanaugh.

I must congratulate you,
Mr. Holmes.

You're far more clever
than I thought.

Thank you, Mrs. Courtney.

Praise from you
is indeed gratifying.

I shall always
cherish the memory

of your flattering words.

Memory?

Oh, thank you.

And now I have a most
regrettable task to perform.

Holmes!

Coming Holmes!

Holmes!

You all right?

Perfectly, thank you, old fellow but
I think this gentleman on the floor

requires some medical attention.

We must see that he looks his
best, you know, when he's hanged.

Take them in charge.

A brilliant antagonist.

It's a pity her talents
were so misdirected.

Will you see that these plates

are returned to the Bank
of England, Inspector?

I still don't understand how
you solved it, Mr. Holmes.

It's entirely due to
Doctor Watson.

He gave me the clue when he
mentioned Doctor Samuel Johnson.

Well, congratulations, Doctor.

Oh, thank you, Inspector.

I don't think I could have done it
entirely without Mr. Holmes' help you know?