From the beginning to the end, this is an absolutely enjoyable film. Not only thrilling and offering more than one good mystery to solve, and full of surprises from the first sequences to the very end, but also played by both Albers and Rühman with a good-humored touch that suits them perfectly and adds to this new look upon Holmes and Watson. Albers had been a comedian before his detective role in Der Greifer (1930) brought him movie fame, and was also a good singer with an easy style; and Rühman was known for these kind of roles and was an established comedian. Yet this is not strictly a comedy, but a merry detective mystery story.The story begins at night, when two men with a strange resemblance to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson stop a train and board it in a hurry. Word quickly spreads amongst the staff and passengers, to a couple of crook´s despair. Their two compartment neighbours, orphaned sisters in their way to receive an inheritance, are to be met again by our not so disinterested heroes, adding a romantinc touch. And if Marieluise Claudius and Hansi Knoteck appear at first as simple charming young girls, their importance in the development of the events to come is more than it seems. When our heroes reach Brussels they soon get involved in trying to solve the robbery of the valuable Mauritius stamps at the World Exhibition. So don´t miss a detail and enjoy what´s coming.Only a couple of weak points : even if the Sidney Paget drawings decorating the opening credits become amazingly tuned into Albers´ image in the train magazine, Holmes is lean and angled, by no means that rugby-built type of man; and Watson is not at all a secondary reticent man but a true companion that has his own mind and intelligence, something that at least can be occasionally noticed in this film (so Rühman was luckier than Nigel Bruce). But that, of course, is part of the originality of this story. Conan Doyle, on his side, had nothing to do with the gaudy tipsy innkeeper type, being a serious-looking Scottish who instilled his characters with intelligence and subtle irony. Lacking this introverted sharpness both Arthur Wontner and Jeremy Brett amply displayed, Albers has his own strong personality that brings the character into his own without loosing his principles, nor the ones of his role for that matter. This is a film made in pre-war Germany, when things were getting difficult for a man (Albers) líving with the daughter of a Jewish actor and playwright and Rühman about to divorce his Jewish wife. It is a goal of the entire film crew that this is not noticed at all, offering us a highly entertaining, witty and impeccably timed story that has retained its qualities through the years.

This would actually be a more fitting title for "Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war" or "The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes" or just "Sherlock Holmes" as this is the man that this 105-minute German black-and-white film from 1937 is about. It will have its 80th anniversary next year and if you know a bit about German political history, you will know immediately that this film was made during the Nazi reign by writer and director Karl Hartl with co-writer Robert Stemmle, an experienced filmmaker himself. I am not familiar with any of the supporting players, but the two lead actors are among the most famous Germany had to offer in the 1930s and also decades after that, namely Hans Albers as Holmes and Heinz Rühmann as Watson. Or I should better say as the men pretending to be this famous detective duo. While they had pretty solid chemistry and I was buying their portrayal of good friendship, I must say that I was not too convinced by this film overall. The script just wasn't good or interesting enough. Then again, it may have hurt my perception a but that I am generally not the biggest Sherlock Holmes fan (especially not of the bad portrayal by Cumberbatch and Freeman) and if these two here (Albers, Rühmann) cannot get me interested in the subject, then maybe nobody can. I also felt that the writers wanted to be too smart at times as the plot twists seemed forced and uninteresting and the film is at its worst when it tries to be dramatically relevant, which is especially at the very end. There is no doubt that Albers and Rühmann have the talent, but in this case the writers did not or at least they did not deliver accordingly. I do not recommend this German take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary character. Thumbs down.

Yes there was propaganda but it was light. It was anti British,although subtle.In spite of that it was very funny and Entertaining. What was the propaganda?Two crooks were playing Sherlock and Watson disguised as humor. The idea was to portray the British as a bunch of crooks. I saw that in my naked eyes.Now there was another Nazi made Sherlock Holmes .There might have been different type of propaganda very lightly too. Hans Alber was a very good as the crook,Morris Flint, more American than British, who takes on the role of Sherlock just to get a free ride on the train.Heinz Ruhmann , who plays,Macky McPherson, what a name, as the assistant crook. This character is more worried about being caught as Morris goes deeper in risk.Because of the clothe that Morris steals, every one in the train believes he and Macky are Sherlock and Watson.They both check on passengers pass port , so they can stay on the train. Two women they check Mary Berry, played by Marie Luise Claudius, and Jane Berry , played by Hansi Knotic. They had entertaining a bunch of crooks who ran out of the train when they discover Sherlock and Watson was on the train.Morris and Macky take advantage of this faking when they use it to get a room in the expensive hotel.There are other crooks at the hotel.A vamp,Madam Ganymar played by Hilde Weissner and partner Fred, played by Angelo Fararri. They are waiting on some stuff. That stuff end up at the hotel room of Morris and Mackpherson. They both take advantage of it but they get suspicious of the money. But the police call on them ,thinking they had caught them, but as the two detectives. Somebody has stolen a valuable stamp. A young stamp collector has walked all the way from a Heimat village to see the stamps. Fred and Ganymar discovered that the two aren't Sherlock or Watson and took their stuff. When both crooks go back to the Hotel, they are confront by Fred and Ganymar. If they don't give the other crooks the money , they will reveal the other persons secret to the police. The two Berry Sisters are at their Uncles castle, He died and they inherited it but the Butler and the lawyer does not know where the money island are afraid to let the two sisters know. This leads to Morris and Mcpherson to the castle to find the stamp. They discover that the girls uncle was a counterfeiter . They both have trouble telling these women that their uncle was crooked. The head of the police are mad because they had duped the police that two crooks had played Holmes and Watson. So they go to the castle to have them arrested, They by pass them. The two sisters go back to the city. Both Morris and McPherson defeat the crooks and are found not guilty.They get together with the sisters. Now the propaganda was light. That is Goebbels took advantage of the plot to demote British. Available at amazon.com an German war films

Hans Albers & Heinz Rühmann are at their very best in this hugely entertaining film. Albers & Rühmann pretend to be the famous duo Holmes & Dr. Watson and the police, the gangsters and the girls believe them beyond any doubt. The direction is so smooth and has the best of comic timing as any Lubitsch film might have. Even today, the film has not lost it's tempo, witt and adventures style. Whoever thinks, German film makers only made propaganda pictures during the dictatorship, are dead wrong. Try to get a VHS copy, sit back and be drawn into the hillarious adventures of THE MAN WHO WAS SHERLOCK HOLMES.