Directed by: Roy William Neill
Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and his assistant Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) travel to Scotland to investigate a series of murders, each preceded by the victim receiving an envelope filled with orange pips.
Kitty Cameo: In one scene Watson is alone in the large, dark mansion on a stormy night and his imagination, as usual, runs away with him. He imagines villains on every side and starts shooting at anything that moves. At one point he sees a statue moving on a piano and fires. A tabby cat runs away screeching as a vase shatters to pieces. “Sorry, all in the line of duty!” Watson explains.
It’s clear there is a string leading to the cat which appears to be attached to the animal somehow. One would think the string would have been used to pull the vase apart, and this may very well be the case, although since the top of the vase falls backwards it was likely pulled from behind. It’s possible the visible string was used to incite the cat to run.
Final Mewsings: Cats don’t appreciate trigger-happy sidekicks.
Many thanks to Ted Davis for letting us know about the cat in this movie!
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