🕵️♂️🔍 Ronald Howard stars as Sherlock Holmes, with H. Marion Crawford as Dr. Watson, in a chilling tale where childhood rhymes mask dark deeds. A strange series of nursery-rhyme–inspired crimes lead Holmes and Watson into one of their most unsettling investigations.
📽️ Plot Summary:
London is shaken when crimes appear to follow the pattern of the old nursery rhyme “Old Mother Hubbard.” Each incident seems random—until Holmes detects the sinister thread that ties them together. With more lives at risk, Holmes must race against time to stop a cunning murderer who hides behind innocence and rhyme.
🕰️ Year Released: 1954
🎭 Genre: Mystery, Detective, Classic TV
🎬 Directed by: Sheldon Reynolds
🎞️ Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford, Archie Duncan
🎯 Why Watch It?
✔️ Unique case inspired by a nursery rhyme
✔️ Holmes’s sharp logic vs. childlike clues
✔️ Classic mid-century television mystery
✔️ Suspenseful blend of innocence and menace
🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE 👍 | COMMENT 💬 | SUBSCRIBE 🔔 for more classic Sherlock Holmes adventures & public domain treasures!
👇 Watch More Sherlock Holmes Episodes Here:
📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYSxyPafGbnTKAJ16ovG0sQTB5iqXP1ra
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🎞️ #SherlockHolmes #RonaldHoward #ClassicTV #MotherHubbardCase #1950sMystery #DetectiveSeries #PublicDomainSeries #ArthurConanDoyle
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📖 Behind the rhyme lies the riddle—and Holmes seeks the answer.
________________________________________
📽️ Plot Summary:
London is shaken when crimes appear to follow the pattern of the old nursery rhyme “Old Mother Hubbard.” Each incident seems random—until Holmes detects the sinister thread that ties them together. With more lives at risk, Holmes must race against time to stop a cunning murderer who hides behind innocence and rhyme.
🕰️ Year Released: 1954
🎭 Genre: Mystery, Detective, Classic TV
🎬 Directed by: Sheldon Reynolds
🎞️ Starring: Ronald Howard, H. Marion Crawford, Archie Duncan
🎯 Why Watch It?
✔️ Unique case inspired by a nursery rhyme
✔️ Holmes’s sharp logic vs. childlike clues
✔️ Classic mid-century television mystery
✔️ Suspenseful blend of innocence and menace
🔔 Don’t forget to LIKE 👍 | COMMENT 💬 | SUBSCRIBE 🔔 for more classic Sherlock Holmes adventures & public domain treasures!
👇 Watch More Sherlock Holmes Episodes Here:
📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYSxyPafGbnTKAJ16ovG0sQTB5iqXP1ra
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🎞️ #SherlockHolmes #RonaldHoward #ClassicTV #MotherHubbardCase #1950sMystery #DetectiveSeries #PublicDomainSeries #ArthurConanDoyle
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📖 Behind the rhyme lies the riddle—and Holmes seeks the answer.
________________________________________
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The End
00:30Mr. Mr.
00:58Mr. Well, isn't it rather late for a young lady to be out alone?
01:04Do you live here?
01:06No.
01:07Then you must be visiting here, are you?
01:09My name is Frances Elizabeth Wright.
01:13I live at 67 Tifley Road. I'm lost.
01:18Oh, you're lost.
01:20Could you take me home, please? I'm afraid.
01:24I should say I will.
01:26That's the way it began.
01:29Nothing extraordinary.
01:31For in a large city like London, a lost child is such a common occurrence
01:35that many a far-seeing Bobby arms himself with a bag of chocolates in addition to his nightstick.
01:41No one suspected that this was the beginning of a case that was to rock all England.
01:56All right. If you insist.
02:11I know this man isn't going to do us any good, but what's the use of talking to you?
02:21Just as stubborn as your mother.
02:24I suspect we're having visitors.
02:27Oh, really?
02:28Oh.
02:29Twenty-three and twenty-seven.
02:31Hmm.
02:36Come along, Neville Goodnesa.
02:37I don't think you're quite dressed to receive attractive young ladies.
02:42Now, in you go.
02:44Won't you come in?
02:48Mr. Holmes.
02:49Sherlock Holmes.
02:50At your service, sir.
02:51Uh, Martini.
02:52George Martini is my name.
02:53This is my daughter, Margaret, who is of the stubborn opinion that you can help her.
02:56It will be a privilege, sir.
02:57Oh, may I introduce my very good friend, Dr. Watson?
02:59How do you do?
03:00How do you do, sir?
03:01Oh, yes.
03:02Won't you sit down?
03:03Oh, yes.
03:04I'm so sorry.
03:05How can I be of any assistance to you?
03:08Oh, yes.
03:09I'm so sorry.
03:13Yes, sir.
03:15How can I be of any assistance to you?
03:29This is rather a confidential matter.
03:33Oh yes, yes.
03:35Dr. Watson is both his sole of discretion and my invaluable colleague in all my cases.
03:41Especially the more delicate ones.
03:44I see.
03:46Well, there's this fellow, Richard Trevor is his name, who's been courting Margaret here.
03:53A sly one if I ever saw one.
03:55I could tell by the shape of his ears.
03:58And the fact that he belonged to that upstart shield and castle club.
04:02There was nothing wrong with his ears.
04:05They were beautiful, both of them.
04:08Nevertheless, he gave her the impression that he was going to see me last night
04:12and asked for her hand in marriage.
04:14Instead, the scoundrel sent me some fantastic note about being detained and then never appeared at all.
04:21I want you to find out what happened to him.
04:24What did Mr. Trevor say in his note?
04:27That he would be detained because he had run into a little girl who was lost and was taking her home.
04:34Have you made any inquiries at his home?
04:37Yes.
04:38With father, of course.
04:40I don't think it's gentile to go to a man's rooms, even if he is your fiancé.
04:45Quite right.
04:46Quite right.
04:47There was no sign of him.
04:49But his clothes were all there.
04:51He wouldn't run off without his clothes, would he?
04:53No.
04:54No.
04:55Hardly.
04:56Pure a guess.
04:57A deduction.
04:58Just as I deduced that you have a scar on the left side of your head which you received in a naval battle.
05:04I'll be bound.
05:05How did you know that?
05:07Well, a right-handed man normally parts his hair on the left.
05:10Your parting is on the right.
05:12Thereby indicating that you've changed it at some time or another to hide a mark.
05:16As to how you got it, that's obvious to me by the fact that you carry on your watch chain the insignia of His Majesty's Ship Assault,
05:24which everyone remembers distinguished herself heroically off the coast of Africa.
05:29Well done, Holmes.
05:30I declare well done.
05:36Will you investigate Mr. Holmes?
05:38We'll look into the case immediately, Miss Martini.
05:40And as soon as we have any information for you, we'll let you know.
05:43I shall be forever in your debt.
05:45Or I will be after I see his bill.
05:48Here's our address.
05:49That won't be necessary, sir.
05:51I saw it marked on your hat band when you came in.
05:53If you'll forgive me, sir.
05:55A rather extraordinary precaution against the loss of a bowler only worth two guineas.
06:00Come, dear.
06:15Not long after moving in with Sherlock Holmes, I had come to the conclusion that his mind was as organized as his housekeeping was not.
06:25He was without a doubt the most perfect reasoning observing machine I had ever encountered.
06:30And just watching him think had become sheer fascination.
06:34I tried to put myself into his brain now and deduce what had happened to the missing Mr. Trevor.
06:40Did it occur to you he might have had an accident and even now be lying in a hospital at this very moment?
06:45You being a doctor would think of that.
06:48But if that were the case, surely the hospital would have informed someone by now.
06:53Maybe he skipped off an after then.
06:55There's no guarantee he won't come back for his clothes or have them sent on to him.
06:58I'd grant that if he hadn't sent that note.
07:01A man deserting a girl isn't likely to send a note at all.
07:05And if he did, he couldn't conceive, as Mr. Martini put it, of such a fantastic one.
07:11The case is more than complex, Watson.
07:14And when we solve it, we shall also know what became of the others.
07:18What others?
07:20Watson, would you pass me my tobacco pouch?
07:25Hmm?
07:26Well, where is it?
07:28It's in the toe of the Persian slipper, under your chair.
07:32Oh, right.
07:37Here you are.
07:38Oh.
07:39Thank you, Watson.
07:41Now, what others?
07:44Well, it's come to my attention during the past two weeks that seven men have disappeared.
07:48Totally evaporated from the face of London.
07:51They had no reason to run away.
07:53Every reason to stay.
07:55Trevor fits perfectly into this fabric.
07:58You mean, then, that there's more in this than just the disappearance of that young lady's fiancé?
08:03Unless you accept eight consecutive coincidences.
08:08Could you accompany me this afternoon?
08:10Hmm. Where?
08:12To the last place where Trevor must have been before he met the little girl.
08:17But you don't even know where that was.
08:19I'd say it was the upstart Shieldon Castle Club.
08:22Why there?
08:24Well, if you were about to confront a man like Mr. Martini to ask for the hand of his daughter in marriage, what would you do first?
08:31I'd probably have a couple of stiff drinks first.
08:34And if you were a member, at the Shieldon Castle Club, eh?
08:39By Jove, Holmes, of course. That's just what I would do.
08:42You see, Watson, you've been of invaluable assistance to me already.
08:46Hmm.
08:47But you must tell us if he was here last night. He's missing. We're trying to find him.
08:53It's no use, sir. You'll have to do without my help. This is a gentleman's club.
08:59What has that got to do with it?
09:01He may not want to be found, if you know what I mean, sir.
09:05Now look here.
09:06That's the way to do it, shall we?
09:07But you must tell us if he was here last night. He's missing. We're trying to find him.
09:09It's no use, sir. You'll have to do without my help.
09:12This is a gentleman's club.
09:14What has that got to do with it?
09:16He may not want to be found, if you know what I mean, sir.
09:19if you know what I mean sir.
09:21Now look here, that's the way it is sir.
09:24I'm sworn to preserve the privacy of our members
09:27and having two little tops to feed
09:29I'm not one to invite getting the sack.
09:46I say where have you been?
09:48This is meant to be your case you know and I've been doing all the investigating.
09:51Do you know that Trevor was here last night?
09:53How do you know?
09:54Well to my utter amazement one of my keys fitted the door to the office.
09:57I went through all the chits and found one signed by him.
09:59It's just as you thought.
10:00He boasted his courage with the aid of stimulants from the bar.
10:03Do you mean you've broken into the office?
10:05Do you want to have us arrested?
10:07Us?
10:08Yes, by keeping the barman occupied you served as my accomplice.
10:12Now really Holmes, you've gone too far.
10:15Now the thing to do is to find the carriage that both Trevor and the little girl took.
10:18How do you know they didn't walk?
10:19Well if she lived near enough to walk home,
10:21is it likely that Trevor would have sent a message saying he was going to be detained?
10:24What extraordinary reasoning.
10:26Not extraordinary at all my dear fellow.
10:28Really quite ordinary.
10:29Oh!
10:30What on earth do you think you're doing?
10:32Finding the cabbie who picked up Trevor and the little girl was a matter of stationing ourselves at the hackstand outside the shield and castle club and doggedly questioning every driver who stopped there.
10:47One finally remembered the pair but owing to brisk business that night could not be at all sure where he set them down.
10:54The address he brought us to was a guess and from the looks of it a very bad one.
11:00Well I think we're on a wild goose chase.
11:03Doesn't look as if anyone lived here for a long time.
11:05Do you realize these papers are at least a week old?
11:08Well then the cabbie made a mistake.
11:10He's brought us to the wrong address.
11:11You know without very much difficulty I think I might be able to...
11:14Holmes!
11:15Holmes please not again.
11:16Good fellow.
11:17Keep a good look out will you?
11:18Look Holmes this is house breaking.
11:19We can go to prison for years for this.
11:20You can't just go opening doors all over London just because...
11:23Holmes!
11:24You know there's something coming.
11:25You'll just stand in front of me and behave quite normally.
11:38What's the normal behavior for house breaking?
11:42You coming?
11:43Look here Holmes the doctor doesn't do this sort of thing.
11:45I'm sure it's unethical.
11:47You can't expect me to...
11:48Holmes!
12:01What are we looking for?
12:03I'm not quite sure yet.
12:05You won't find anything here.
12:06You said yourself the house has been unoccupied for the last week.
12:11Thieves in the night.
12:12That's what we are.
12:13A child's been here recently.
12:15Oh what makes you think that?
12:16Do you remember as a youngster Watson?
12:18Penciling in moustaches on the faces of the advertisements?
12:21I suppose so.
12:24But what's that got to do with it?
12:26When I looked at those newspapers outside I noticed that someone had...
12:32penciled in a handlebar moustache.
12:35On a woman advertising headache powder.
12:38I'd assume that a child did it.
12:41More than that since the papers were only a day old.
12:45I'd also assume that a child has been here very recently.
12:49Why should the child bring Trevor here to an unoccupied house?
12:54That Watson is the core of our problem.
12:57Excuse me a minute.
12:58Huh?
12:59Oh.
13:09Good heavens!
13:16Trevor?
13:17That's a fairly safe assumption Watson.
13:19Yes.
13:20And from the pallor of his skin I'd say he'd recently been given an overdose of strychnine.
13:25I'd also deduce that he's the eighth victim of a very strange murderer.
13:37Dash the tea Holmes.
13:38I'm waiting for some word from you.
13:40About what?
13:41Well about the murder.
13:42Ever since we got back here you've behaved as if nothing had occurred.
13:44And yet I'd wager anything that you've...
13:46You're hot with some theory as to who's done it and why.
13:49I'm afraid we've run out of Indian.
13:51I think we've got some china if I can find it.
13:55My guess is it's a cream pass Chanel.
13:58Are you ruling out the robbery motive?
14:00Trevor was left without a shilling.
14:02Oh that's just some sort of a smokescreen.
14:04After all she...
14:05Good heavens Holmes!
14:06What else do you think you're doing?
14:07Look!
14:08Snake poison!
14:09Oh don't be silly Watson.
14:10It's china tea.
14:11Disregard the labels.
14:12I ran out of tin.
14:13Are you sure?
14:14I'll take my reputation on it.
14:15I'll go see who that is.
14:16It's rather late for a caller.
14:22Good evening Dr Watson.
14:23Hello sir.
14:24Ah, hello Wilkins.
14:26Good evening Mr Holmes sir.
14:30I've got a message for you sir from Inspector Lestrade.
14:33A welcome addition to the day.
14:35A message from the good inspector.
14:37We've found another corpse sir.
14:39It was in an empty house in Hammersmith this time.
14:43The facts are still the same.
14:44Robbery and strychnine poisoning.
14:46Oh is he one of the seven who disappeared lately?
14:49Yes sir.
14:50How did you know?
14:51Well I suspect that the other six will end up in unoccupied houses before very long.
14:55I think you'd better carry out a search in every unoccupied house in London.
15:00But this is July sir.
15:02And everybody's away on holiday.
15:04The number of empty houses must be onwards.
15:07Well it's that or wait until September when everyone comes back and finds his own corpse.
15:13It'll be a very unfortunate situation for the good inspector.
15:17To say the least sir.
15:19I'd better give the inspector your advice sir.
15:22Yes, you must let us know what he says.
15:25That might be rather embarrassing.
15:29Good night Mr Holmes.
15:31Good night doctor.
15:32Good night.
15:33You know Holmes you were right.
15:37Trevor's disappearance was linked with the other seven.
15:40But what kind of fiend can be at the bottom of it?
15:43Well we'll know more about it when we return from Brighton.
15:46Brighton?
15:47Yes unless you'd rather not pursue this any further.
15:49There's a 610 train leaving in the morning.
15:526-8.
15:53Why Brighton?
15:55Because that's where R.J. Cookson lives.
15:58The place is R.J. Cookson.
15:59He's the man who owns the house in which Trevor was killed.
16:03How on earth did you find that on?
16:06Oh no no no never mind.
16:08It is tea isn't it?
16:12Yes.
16:14Oh I thought it was.
16:16I thought it was.
16:36Have you ever heard anything so incredible?
16:39A corpse in my fireplace.
16:40And a stranger at that?
16:42Hmm.
16:43Rather inconsiderate of someone I must say.
16:45Why.
16:47Why when the police brought the news last night I thought someone was pulling my leg.
16:50My fireplace.
16:52Really I ask you.
16:54I'd say because the murderer knew you'd be away.
16:56Knew that the house would be unoccupied.
16:57And that you wouldn't come back at an embarrassing moment.
17:00You're right Mr Holmes.
17:01Absolutely right.
17:03The culprit was acquainted with all the police.
17:04And that you wouldn't come back at an embarrassing moment.
17:06You're right Mr Holmes.
17:07Absolutely right.
17:08The culprit was acquainted with all my plans.
17:11And not wanting the corpse to be found in his own fireplace chose mine.
17:15Precisely.
17:17But who could that be?
17:19I vouched that a full regiment of people knew of my plans to leave London.
17:22Then our task is to narrow down that regiment.
17:26But how.
17:27You have me breathless.
17:29First of all.
17:30Has anyone else the key to your house?
17:33No.
17:34Not that I know of.
17:36Yes.
17:38I once gave my key to the greengrocer to deliver a parcel.
17:41Aha.
17:43But he gave it back.
17:44Oh.
17:46But bosh and bother supposing a key wasn't used at all.
17:50Whoever did it could have used a tool or something and jimmied his way into my house.
17:54I've heard of those things being done.
17:56Mm-hmm.
17:57Oh really?
17:59We found all the windows and doors locked.
18:01I'm afraid you've escaped me.
18:02Now again Mr. Cookson.
18:03Are you quite sure that no one else has a key to your house?
18:06Well now really after all.
18:08I don't hand them out my calling cards to every...
18:12Wait.
18:13There's this charwoman who comes to my house once a week to clean up.
18:17But...
18:18Oh no.
18:19She couldn't hurt a fly.
18:20Well what's her name?
18:22Mrs. Ainard.
18:23But...
18:24But really she couldn't be less harmless.
18:27She's sixty years old if she's a day.
18:29You'd take her for your own grandmother.
18:31Yes, yes.
18:32But do you know if she has a daughter?
18:34A daughter?
18:35Well now really a woman of sixty isn't bound to have a little girl.
18:38Well what about a niece or a granddaughter?
18:41Granddaughter.
18:43Now that I think of it, she does have one.
18:46About seven years old.
18:48She recently came to live with her.
18:49Where does Mrs. Ainard live?
18:52I have her address for...
18:56If you please.
18:57Right here in my trousers.
19:02Do you really think it could be the old woman?
19:05Well a charwoman has the ability to go anywhere in London.
19:08Ah yes, yes, yes.
19:09Wait, wait, wait.
19:11322 Radcliffe Way.
19:16322 Radcliffe Way.
19:19To look at her, you'd never think she could hurt a fly.
19:22You'd take her for your own grandmother.
19:24Poison murders?
19:26No.
19:27Impossible, Mr. Holmes.
19:28Impossible.
19:33Grandma, why can't we play the game tonight?
19:36Of course.
19:38Don't you like playing it?
19:40I don't like staying on the street alone.
19:43It'll only be for a little while.
19:45You'll find someone to bring you back.
19:47And grandma'll have company again.
19:49What happened to the last company we had?
19:52Oh, we went home after a while.
19:55But come on, let's say it.
19:57Where do you live?
19:59At 67 Tivoli Road.
20:02No.
20:03That was the last place.
20:04Your address is now 120 Claridge Street.
20:09I forgot.
20:11All right.
20:12Now, come on.
20:13Let's say it again.
20:15Where do you live?
20:17120 Claridge Street.
20:19And again?
20:21120.
20:24What do you think, Holmes?
20:25Well, we'll know definitely in an hour's time.
20:28Come on.
20:34Mr. Mr.
20:36Oh, hello.
20:38Well, it's very late for a little girl like you to be out on alone.
20:41What's your name?
20:43My name is Franz Elizabeth Wright.
20:46I see. Where do you live?
20:48I live at 120 Claridge Street.
20:51I'm lost.
20:52Oh, dear, dear, dear.
20:53That would mistake you home.
20:54Come along, then.
20:56You must come in and try some of my divinity fudge.
21:00It's the least I can offer you for your kindness in bringing Francis home.
21:04Well, that's very kind of you.
21:05But really, I ought to be getting along.
21:06It's just been made.
21:08Delicious.
21:10You'll make an old woman very happy if you'll try the first slice.
21:14Oh, very well, then. I am rather partial to divinity fudge.
21:16I am, Francis.
21:26Now, come and sit right here at the table.
21:31Now, say good night to the kind gentleman, then off to bed.
21:37Grandma, you never let me stay up with the company.
21:41That's because little girls must have their sleep.
21:43But now we've met the gentleman, perhaps he'll come again in the daytime.
21:48Will you?
21:50I should love to.
21:52Good night.
21:53Good night.
21:55Good night, birdies.
21:56Isn't she a lovely girl?
21:58And she'll grow up into a beautiful woman and have a life of ease.
22:06Yes, that's the important thing.
22:09A life of ease.
22:11Time to enjoy the world and...
22:14Here.
22:16You're waiting for some fudge.
22:18And I'm pressing away.
22:26Here it is.
22:30And a glass of cold milk to go with it.
22:33Won't you join me?
22:38Oh, no.
22:39My doctor would never permit it.
22:41I only prepare this sort of thing for people who drop in, like you.
22:47I see.
22:53Smells very good.
22:55If I have one speciality, it's divinity fudge.
22:58You'll find it heavenly.
23:15What's the matter?
23:20Nothing.
23:21I just wanted to give the birds a bit first.
23:23Don't.
23:24Birds don't eat fudge.
23:26Oh, yes they do.
23:27They love it.
23:28Come on, old cat.
23:29Have a little.
23:30No, you can't.
23:33Who are you?
23:53I'll take that, Mrs. Enid.
24:12I needed money for the child.
24:14That's why I did it.
24:16I didn't want her to grow up into a tired rag of a child woman.
24:19I wanted her to have a life of ease.
24:22And the things I've seen other people have.
24:25You understand?
24:26Yes.
24:28Will she be taken care of?
24:29You need her, Mrs. Enid.
24:30You need her, Mrs. Enid.
24:35I wish, Nell, I hadn't tried to poison you.
24:37You might have visited us again, as you promised.
24:39And we'd have been such good friends.
24:42I wish, Nell, I hadn't tried to poison you.
24:43You might have visited us again, as you promised.
24:44And we'd have been such good friends.
24:45I wish, Nell, I hadn't tried to poison you.
24:49You might have visited us again, as you promised.
24:50And we'd have been such good friends.
24:51You might have visited us again, as you promised.
24:54And we'd have been such good friends.
25:21You might have...
25:51THE END
26:21THE END
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