Sherlock Holmes - E24: The Case of the Night Train Riddle
30min | Crime, Drama, Mystery | TV Series (1954–1955)
A young boy and his father are traveling on a train, and after they have a fight, the boy runs out of the compartment and seems to have vanished into thin air. Although his governess thinks he has simply run away, Holmes begins to suspect something a bit more serious, and his investigation leads him to a nearby circus.
Stars: Ronald Howard, Howard Marion-Crawford, Archie Duncan
30min | Crime, Drama, Mystery | TV Series (1954–1955)
A young boy and his father are traveling on a train, and after they have a fight, the boy runs out of the compartment and seems to have vanished into thin air. Although his governess thinks he has simply run away, Holmes begins to suspect something a bit more serious, and his investigation leads him to a nearby circus.
Stars: Ronald Howard, Howard Marion-Crawford, Archie Duncan
Category
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Short filmTranscript
00:30♪ And the home of the brave, and the home of the brave, and the home of the brave.
00:47♪
01:16I had persuaded Sherlock Holmes to take a brief holiday with me.
01:19As we rumbled through the countryside, it was a comforting thought indeed,
01:23that for a while anyway, there would be no desperate men at the door of our flat in Baker Street,
01:28no life and death cases to solve.
01:32Ahead were four whole days as suspended and happily uneventful as this train trip.
01:40DOORBELL RINGS
01:52Hello.
01:57Hearing?
01:58Not a thing.
02:00Well, I hope we haven't hearing. We must be doing 30 miles an hour.
02:03Oh, we're doing more than that, I think, Watson.
02:05I thought you were asleep, Holmes.
02:08Not really. I was thinking about that Parkinson axe murder.
02:11You know, that unfortunate business in South Africa.
02:13Holmes!
02:14I was wondering...
02:15What?
02:16You are on holiday.
02:18Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Quite right, Watson. Quite right.
02:21Mr. Holmes?
02:25Yes, I'm Mr. Holmes.
02:27I thought I recognized your name on the reserve passenger list.
02:30I thought you might be able to help us.
02:32We seem to have had a sort of an accident.
02:34An accident or an incident?
02:36You could call it an incident.
02:38But one of our passengers has disappeared.
02:40Disappeared?
02:42A boy. He was traveling with this young lady here.
02:44Paul is his name. Paul Winmaster.
02:46You must find him.
02:48I've heard you can do things like that, Mr. Holmes.
02:50Will you help me?
02:51There, there, there.
02:53I'm his governess.
02:54I should never have taken my eyes off him for a minute.
02:57But I looked in on him after he went to bed
02:59and was fool enough to imagine that everything was all right.
03:01Do you think he might have been kidnapped?
03:03Oh, no. I'm sure Paul ran away.
03:06How will I ever be able to face his father?
03:09I think you'd better sit down, Miss...
03:12Kendall. Lydia Kendall.
03:14Miss Kendall. And tell us everything from the beginning.
03:17I'm sure we can be of help.
03:19Sit down.
03:24Tell me, Miss Kendall, what happened that made the boy run away?
03:28Mr. Holmes, have you ever heard of Paul's father, Lance Winmaster?
03:32Oh, yes. Ripsaw Winmaster.
03:34The Canadian timber king.
03:36The papers call him that.
03:38As rough and strong a man as the trees he cuts down.
03:41Paul not having a mother since the age of two
03:43has grown to be like him in many ways.
03:45Independent, wild.
03:47Believe me, I've had a full-time job.
03:49I can imagine.
03:50Mr. Winmaster never disciplined him.
03:53Was actually proud of Paul's spirit.
03:55Until one day, rather suddenly,
03:57struck him that he was bringing the boy up improperly.
04:00You asked me what caused the boy to run away.
04:02It was just that.
04:04And yesterday, when I went out to fetch Paul,
04:07I began to see the first signs of what was about to happen.
04:15Paul!
04:17Paul!
04:21Paul, you'll have to come home now and get dressed.
04:23We're all packed and ready to go.
04:26Yes, Miss Kendall.
04:28Hurry now, we can't miss the train.
04:40Now, when you arrive at the school,
04:42you'll take the boy directly to the headmaster.
04:44He's received a full letter of instructions from me.
04:46And...
04:47Oh, there you are, Paul.
04:49Your Uncle Cecil's just arrived to say goodbye to you.
04:54Here's wishing you success, Paul.
04:56Thank you, sir.
04:57You'll be taught to be a gentleman.
04:59Something which, your mother forgive me,
05:01I failed to do.
05:03Yes, Father.
05:05What have you got there?
05:07White mice.
05:08White?
05:09Now, look here, Paul.
05:11You certainly don't intend to take them to school with you.
05:14I can't leave them here.
05:15Nobody would look after them.
05:17Now, that's foolish.
05:19Nobody really cares about white mice here.
05:21Except me.
05:22Well, you can give them back to whoever gave you them.
05:24You mean Coco.
05:25Who?
05:26Coco the Clown.
05:27I'm afraid I introduced him to Coco
05:29the day I took him to the circus.
05:31They've become rather good friends.
05:33Well, I couldn't give them back.
05:35He gave them to me as a gift.
05:36Paul, I don't care what you do with them,
05:38but you can take them with you, and that's final.
05:40All right.
05:42Leave them here, then.
05:47Good boy.
05:48Well, you and Miss Kendler better be off.
05:53Well, what's the matter?
05:55I don't want to go to school.
05:57What?
05:58You didn't go to school.
05:59Why should I?
06:00Times were different when I was young.
06:02You don't know what you're saying.
06:04I have my horse and my white mice,
06:06and Coco and I are supposed to meet next week.
06:08You can't run wild all your life.
06:10You'll grow up to be a savage.
06:12But Lydia could teach me everything I need to know right here.
06:15Miss Kendler isn't a teacher.
06:17She's a governess.
06:18She knows as much as anyone.
06:21Now listen to me, Paul.
06:23One day, you'll come into possession of everything I own.
06:26This estate, my lumber mills, everything.
06:29When that day comes, I want you to be equipped to take over.
06:32Well, I don't have to go to school for that,
06:34and I don't have to wear a tie and jacket, either.
06:37You'll wear a tie and jacket, and you'll like it.
06:39And you're starting the school right now.
06:42Put me down!
06:43I don't want to go to school!
06:45I'll run away!
06:46Put me down!
06:47I don't want to go to school!
06:48I'll run away!
06:49Put me down!
06:50I'll run away!
06:51Put me down!
06:52Put me down!
06:53Put me down!
06:56He boarded the train without further protest.
06:59The truth is, his attitude seemed to have undergone quite a change.
07:02By the time we started out,
07:04he behaved almost as if he were looking forward to going to school.
07:07But of course, the whole thing was a ruse to put me off my guard.
07:11You said before you saw the boy after he went to bed.
07:14Now, what time was that?
07:16About eight.
07:18And what time did you find that he was missing?
07:20About an hour later.
07:22I heard a thud coming from his compartment,
07:24and went to investigate.
07:26His door was locked from the inside,
07:27and I had to get the conductor here to open it for me.
07:30How he got out, I don't know, but he was gone.
07:32And of course, you searched the whole train after that.
07:34Every inch of it, with the conductor here.
07:37I decided to stop the train when we couldn't find him.
07:40Oh, conductor, I believe there's a steep gradient just a few miles beyond Darcy.
07:44Yes, there is.
07:46Now, how slowly would the train be going at that time, do you think?
07:49Oh, about five miles an hour, very slowly, sir.
07:53Well, in that case, I suggest that we borrow a cart from a farmer in the vicinity of Darcy,
07:57and go back and search that area.
07:59Yes, sir, I'll take care of it immediately, sir.
08:02What was the number of the boy's compartment?
08:04Thirty-seven.
08:06Well, Dr. Watson and I will take a look at it.
08:08No, no, no, there's no need for you to come with us.
08:10I think you'd better stay here and rest.
08:14Now, you mustn't worry.
08:15Small boys make a habit of disappearing and reappearing.
08:24I hope so, I hope so.
08:28Ah.
08:40Well, you've certainly simplified the search, and you've narrowed down the area to Darcy.
08:44Here, Watson, give me a hand with this window, will you?
08:46Yes, sir.
08:48All the same, this train window.
08:52Well, that was the sound Miss Kendall heard,
08:54the sound of the window being opened before the boy jumped out.
08:56By Jove, you're right.
08:58The question is, who helped the boy open the window?
09:00Well, it took two of us to do it.
09:02Exactly.
09:04Good heavens, Holmes, do you mean that he must have had an accomplice?
09:07Of course he must have.
09:09Yes, but who on earth would want to help a little boy to run away?
09:12Well, when we know that, Watson,
09:14we will have the answer to the problem of the boy who didn't want to go to school.
09:22And now, we return to the case of the night train riddle.
09:28Taking Holmes' suggestion, we borrowed a cart
09:31and traced the rail line back to the upgrade near Darcy.
09:35We combed the area several times without uncovering a single clue.
09:40All of us were soon discouraged and ready to abandon the train.
09:44All of us, that is, except Holmes.
09:47We've been over this stretch three times already, Holmes.
09:50Yes, I know, but this is the only place where the boy could have jumped off.
09:53But we haven't got a shred of evidence, not a sight of anything, nothing at all.
09:56Look.
09:58What is it?
10:00A boy's cap.
10:02Miss Kendall, would you mind coming over here for a moment?
10:05Yes, of course.
10:07It's a boy's cap.
10:09It's a boy's cap.
10:11Miss Kendall, would you mind coming over here for a moment?
10:15Is that the boy's cap?
10:17Yes, yes, that's his.
10:19Then it has to be here.
10:21Look, over here.
10:25Here we are, Watson.
10:27The footprints of a small boy.
10:33Holmes, look, another set.
10:35Must be the boy's accomplice.
10:37Ah, good work, Watson.
10:41They end here.
10:47Then it's quite clear what happened.
10:49Not to me.
10:50Well, they obviously boarded another train, a local, I imagine.
10:53Travelling in the same direction as we were.
10:55We do pull alongside a local here, Mr. Holmes.
10:58The up train from Royal Minster.
11:00Well, how did they do that, change trains in its stream, so to speak?
11:03Well, obviously, Watson, if both trains were travelling slowly enough.
11:07They do. It's possible, entirely possible, Mr. Holmes.
11:10Doctor, I think you'd better telegraph ahead and have them stop that train.
11:13Yes, sir.
11:14Do you think they'll find him, Mr. Holmes?
11:16Well, we are near enough to the truth, Miss Kendall, not to have to speculate any more.
11:19We will soon know.
11:24We began a hasty return to the night express,
11:27aboard which we hoped to catch the local.
11:30Holmes insisted that time was of the utmost importance.
11:41Paul!
11:43Pardon?
11:45I'm sorry. I thought to another boy.
11:49Perhaps in the next compartment.
11:51Oh, this is the last one, Miss.
11:53But you held out so much hope, Mr. Holmes.
11:57How many stops does the train make before Darcy?
12:00Three, same as usual.
12:02Did you notice a boy get out of one of them?
12:04Not that I remember.
12:06There was a boy. I talked with him.
12:08He got off with his father at Manborough.
12:10Are you sure?
12:12Yes, there was that pair.
12:15Blimey, I'd clean forgotten.
12:17What did the father look like?
12:19Mmm, medium-sized, grey hair, ordinary face.
12:23Wait.
12:25I noticed when I inspected his ticket there was something about his fingertips.
12:29They were red.
12:31Red?
12:32Yeah.
12:33I thought it was strange at the time.
12:35That's most observant of you, Conductor.
12:37That proves it, Watson.
12:39Holmes, do you know who he is?
12:41Of course. Coco the Clown.
12:43Coco the Clown?
12:45He was the boy's friend.
12:47But more than that, there's the red fingertips.
12:49The significance of which completely escapes me.
12:52Rouge Watson, the same kind a clown uses.
12:54He was evidently in a great hurry to catch the train.
12:56He didn't have time to remove it all.
12:58Well, if you're only right, Mr. Holmes.
13:00And unless I miss my guess, we'll find them both in Manborough now.
13:04Watson.
13:06Miss Kennedy is sending a wire to the headmaster of the school,
13:09telling him they've been delayed.
13:11As soon as she's finished, we can be off.
13:13Hmm?
13:14What's the matter with you?
13:16You don't look like someone who wants to be taken to the circus.
13:18Holmes, do you realise it has taken me the last solid week of my life
13:23to get to the headmaster's office?
13:25Well, I don't want to be late.
13:27I don't want to be late.
13:30Holmes, do you realise it has taken me the last solid three weeks
13:34of pleading and cajoling to persuade you to take this trip?
13:37And now look where we end up, Indian...
13:39Manborough.
13:40And don't you underestimate it.
13:41We can have a very exciting holiday here.
13:43Oh, holiday?
13:44We might as well have pitched a tent at Miss Drade's office.
13:46I know, but we couldn't very well refuse to help them.
13:49No, we couldn't have refused to help them.
13:51Ah, but when we eventually find whoever it is who's at the bottom of this thing,
13:55please remember one thing.
13:57He's my pigeon.
13:58Don't upset yourself, Watson.
14:00As soon as we can find the boy, we can continue on our journey.
14:03Oh, I'm glad you've still considered that.
14:06Well, shall we be getting along?
14:07Hmm.
14:09Oh, by the way, Watson.
14:10I didn't mention it to Miss Kennedy,
14:12but I believe there's some possibility the boy may be in danger.
14:14So I don't think we ought to lose too much time.
14:21Not a very convenient place to leave luggage.
14:25Holmes!
14:26You've got to wait a minute.
14:28We've left all our bags in the train.
14:30There's no time to worry about that now, Watson.
14:32Come along.
14:33But look, Holmes.
14:34We've got everything in them for our four days.
14:36All right, I'll find Miss Kendall and get a carriage,
14:39and we'll meet you in the street.
14:40Now, hurry up.
14:41Right.
14:47Could you tell me if the night express has gone yet?
14:49It had to switch back to the main line.
14:51I wondered if it was still in the yard somewhere.
14:53I'm awfully sorry, sir.
14:54You must have the wrong town.
14:55No, I know where I am.
14:56I'm in Manborough.
14:57Right you are, sir.
14:58But the night express doesn't stop in Manborough.
15:00Never has.
15:02Except once.
15:03But, confounded man, I know it stops here.
15:05Oh, no, sir.
15:06The only time the night express ever stopped in Manborough
15:09was in the summer of 88.
15:11A wheel fell off the locomotive.
15:13Right out front here it happened.
15:15It stopped all right that night.
15:17Now, look here.
15:18This is urgent.
15:19I happen to know the night express stops here
15:21because I got off the thing at this station.
15:24Now, will you kindly go and find out if it's still here?
15:27Well, I have to go down to the yard area in about five minutes.
15:31I'll ask the signal box.
15:32Five minutes?
15:33Oh, never mind.
15:35Watson, come along.
15:37The carriage is waiting.
15:38But...
15:45The luggage.
15:54The luggage.
16:06Who is it?
16:07Cecil.
16:08Open up.
16:19Did it work?
16:21We jumped off, switched trains.
16:23Ta-da!
16:24Like a couple of acrobats.
16:26Where's the boy now?
16:37Exactly where I want him.
16:54Whoo-hoo!
16:55Whoo-hoo!
17:21Off there and get it over with.
17:24I was waiting for a down payment.
17:27How much?
17:31A hundred pounds should do it.
17:38That's cheap enough to show you good faith.
17:48I'll expect the rest when I've finished.
17:53Whoo-hoo!
18:23Get in quick.
18:53Here, Watson, take this gun and fire it up into the air.
18:55Into the air?
18:56Yes, just to pin him down.
18:57And what are you going to do?
18:58I'm going to find out who he is and why he's trying to keep us from the boy.
19:01Well, go on, Watson, fire it.
19:03I'm sorry, Holmes.
19:04This one's mine.
19:05What?
19:06Watson, Watson, here.
19:08Fire it, Holmes, fire it.
19:09Oh, very well.
19:24Come along, Miss Kendal.
19:29Watson, you're a fool to have taken such a risk.
19:31No, with you covering me, I couldn't miss.
19:34Get up.
19:41That's Mr. Windmaster's brother.
19:43Oh, Uncle Cecil.
19:47Yes, and the first of his sons.
19:49Oh, Uncle Cecil.
19:52Yes, and the first in line to inherit the Windmaster fortune,
19:54if anything had happened to the boy.
19:57That's right, you would be the heir.
19:59You may not think so at the moment, Mr. Windmaster, but you're very fortunate.
20:02If the boy had been killed, you would most certainly have been hanged.
20:06Hanged?
20:07Yes, hanged.
20:10Stop him.
20:12Stop who?
20:13Coco, he's about to kill the boy.
20:15Push him off the catwalk backstage.
20:19Come on.
20:30Up there.
20:45Coco.
20:50Don't come any closer.
20:51I'm coming down.
20:58You'll never get out of here.
21:00One move to stop me and I'll kill this boy.
21:49Ah!
22:20Perfect timing, Watson.
22:22Yes, it wasn't bad, even though I do say so myself.
22:25He wanted to kill me and I thought he was a friend.
22:28Well, that should teach you a lesson, Paul.
22:30No one's a friend who encourages a boy to run away from school.
22:33Why, what would have become of Dr. Watson here if he hadn't gone to school?
22:37Well, it's very simple.
22:38He'd never have been able to accomplish that trick.
22:40But all he did was to...
22:42In dropping that counterweight, young man,
22:44I had to know the speed of falling objects,
22:46the theory of weight and counterweight,
22:48and of stress and resistance.
22:50Now, if I hadn't studied physics,
22:52there's no telling what might have happened to you.
22:54I never thought of that.
22:56No, of course not.
22:57Well, just you think of it from now on.
23:05Watson, did you really have all that in mind when you pulled that rope?
23:09Oh, I would believe it, of course.
23:11Oh, did you?
23:12Uh-huh.
23:13Uh-huh.
23:17Come on, you.
23:21And you.
23:35If you're looking for the time of the next London train,
23:38it will be along in ten minutes.
23:41Huh? Oh, no, no.
23:42I was just wondering where our bags would be by this time.
23:46This train seems to be somewhat off schedule.
23:49I'd estimate that our clean shirts
23:51are about 30 miles north of Edinburgh at this moment.
23:54Oh, confound it, Holmes. Why dwell on that?
23:56Oh, don't take it so hard, old chap.
23:59We'll give it another try one of these days.
24:03Well, sir, it certainly was a shock to me.
24:05How? It's you again.
24:08You were right, sir.
24:09The express did stop in Marlborough tonight.
24:12Can't understand it.
24:14The first time since the summer of 88.
24:17Fact is, it was running wild through here tonight, they tell me.
24:20Came roaring through in the local line first
24:22and back through here to switch over to the main line again.
24:25Can't for the life of me figure what they were up to.
24:28Left a couple of bags on our platform.
24:30No hint of a reason. Just found them there.
24:33A couple of bags, did you say?
24:35Oh, why, yes, sir.
24:37Suitcase-like.
24:39Don't know anything about them.
24:41One marked J.W. and the other S.H.
24:44Suppose we'll have to keep them in the office
24:46for the 30 days required.
24:48My dear sir, if you'll just lead me to your office,
24:51I think I can relieve you of those suitcases within 30 seconds.
24:55My name is John Watson.
24:57Mine will be the one marked J.W.
25:00You mean, I say, and this here gentleman is S.H.?
25:04Yes, yes, yes. This is my friend, um...
25:07well, Samuel Higgins.
25:09Ah, well, in that case, sir,
25:11if you'll come along to the office and identify the contents,
25:14I'll be glad to get them off my hands.
25:20Samuel Higgins?
25:22Yes. You see, we have three whole days left.
25:27And I'm quite sure that nobody will want to interfere
25:29with the holiday of Samuel Higgins.
25:31Ha, ha, ha, ha.
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