The Sleeping Cardinal – 1931 | 84 mins | Mystery | B&W

Plot Synopsis

Twickenham Studios quota-quickie. Sherlock Holmes battles his old nemesis Professor Moriarty in this adaptation of two Arthur Conan Doyle stories; The Empty House and The Final Problem.

Opening with a silent sequence in silhouette within the Bank of England, we’re whisked to a London home where Foreign Office bureaucrat Ronnie Adair (Leslie Perrins) is once again losing heavily whilst gambling at bridge. Adair is called to a meeting with The Sleeping Cardinal, a picture disguising the identity of Professor Moriarty (Norman McKinnel), and blackmailed into taking counterfeit money to Paris in his diplomatic pouch. Adair’s concerned sister calls for the assistance of Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Wontner) and Dr. Watson (Ian Fleming) to investigate the reasons for her brothers gambling excesses and depressed moods. Adair commits suicide; leaving behind a trail of clues to Moriarty.