A Study in Terror

John Neville - Sherlock Holmes
Donald Houston - Dr. Watson
John Fraser - Lord Carfax
Anthony Quayle - Dr. Murray
Robert Morley - Mycroft Holmes
Barbara Windsor - Annie Chapman
Adrienne Corri - Angela
Frank Finlay - Insp. Lestrade
Judi Dench - Sally
Cecil Parker - Prime Minister
Georgia Brown - Singer
Barry Jones - Duke of Shires
Kay Walsh - Cathy Eddowes

Elegant and taut mystery boasting some gruesome moments of bloodshed based on the novel by Ellery Queen. In this neatly plotted and at times lurid picture stylishly directed by James Hill, Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional Sherlock Holmes and his companion Dr. Watson search for the Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper. Neville seems to lack the commanding presence usually ascribed to Holmes but Donald Houston and Frank Finlay perfectly capture the essence of their characters. The film was co-produced by Sir Nigel Films, a company formed by the Conan Doyle estate.

Set in London's foggy East End of the 1880s, Sherlock Holmes (John Neville) aided by Dr. Watson (Donald Houston) and his brother Mycroft (Robert Morley) are called in to help apprehend the crazed Whitechapel killer of three prostitutes. Holmes is set on the trail of the killer when he receives a parcel of surgical instruments in a wooden case - with a scalpel missing. Holmes ascertains the crest on the case to be that of the Osbornes, and suspecting the killer to be well educated and having s a degree of medical knowledge is intrigued to discover the case once belonged to Michael Osborne, the estranged son of The Duke of Shires. Whilst at the Duke’s home Holmes encounters Michael’s brother Lord Carfax, who coincidentally helps out at the Whitechapel soup kitchen of humanitarian Dr. Murray (Anthony Quayle). Can aristocracy be involved in the grisly murders?