Sherlock Holmes and the Pearl of Death

A stand-in for Moriarity takes advantage of Holmes' grandstanding and makes off with a pearl the size of a jaw-breaker. The resulting mayhem results in several incidental deaths as well as the completely unnecessary but pretty thrilling presence of The Creeper, aka Rondo Hatton.

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

Especially gothic tale with hidden passages, man-size chess game and ghosts. Dr. Watson is not reduced to mere buffoonery as he is actually shown in his professional capacity. He treats a neck wound even as the victim explains how he got it, he's in charge of a ward of injured vets with his own staff and he has the foresight to go about armed.
The patriotic epilogue (these are war-time movies, after all) is more humanistic than usual. I think Holmes has been getting into the snuff.

HOLMES:

There's a new spirit abroad in the land. The old days of grab and greed are on their way out. We're beginning to think what we owe the other fellow, not just what we are compelled to give him. The time's coming, Watson, when we shan't be able to fill our bellies in comfort while other folk go hungry or sleep in warm beds while others shiver in the cold. When we shan't be able to kneel and thank God for blessings before our shining altars while men anywhere are kneeling in either physical or spiritual subjection.

WATSON:

Mm, mm, you may be right. I hope you are.

HOLMES:

And God willing, we'll live to see that day, Watson.

Sherlock Holmes and the Woman in Green

Better photography than most of the series. More or less plausible plot. Watson is still the clown but a hypnotist had to go out of his way to make him ridiculous. Bonus points that someone actually stuck up for him, even though it was the villainess. DVD had colorized and original tone versions. For a lark, I glimpsed at the colorized version but it is no more successful than any other colorizing effort.

Sherlock Holmes in Terror by Night

Particularly anemic adventure set on a train to Edinburgh. Watson disables the foe without getting his butt out of the chair.

Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman

Holmes almost outwitted by Gale Sondergaard. Her scheme is undone through the usual expedient of a rococo execution method.

Sherlock Holmes In Pursuit to Algiers

Odd outing for Holmes aboard an ocean liner. Watson sings.

Sherlock Holmes: Dressed to Kill

Better than the usual McGuffin. One of Watson's old friends turns out to be his equal in stupidity.

Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear

Watson is in an especially doltish mettle this go around. Sheesh, just put him in a home already. Also mystery solved - sort of. Worth renting for the performance by Sally Shepherd of Mrs Monteith.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Red Claw

The confused milieu of the Universal Holmes series is a curiosity. This one is set in francophone Canada (no actual French is in evidence, natch) but it's some district in Quebec that can stand in for Transylvania, or Dartmoor for that matter. The body count is rather high and the murders are grisly for the genre. According to the commentary track, this production was escaping from its serial nature and edging into 'A' territory. Hmm.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Everyone knows that Basil Rathbone IS Sherlock Holmes. I was unaware that Geoge Zucco IS Moriarity. Masterfully urbane and depraved. The actual mystery is of no consequence.