Sherlock Holmes - E18: The Case of the Thistle Killer  (Crime,Drama,Mystery,TV Series) - video Dailymotion

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Sherlock Holmes - E18: The Case of the Thistle Killer  30min | Crime, Drama, Mystery | TV Series (1954–1955)  Sherlock Holmes helps Scotland Yard to track down a killer who has been leaving three thistles next to each of the women he has murdered.  Stars: Ronald Howard, Howard Marion-Crawford, Archie Duncan

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01:29Good evening.

01:30Oh, you gave me a proper scare, you did.

01:33Rather light for a young lady to be out by herself, isn't it?

01:36Oh, you mean the Thistle Killer?

01:38One killing a knight in the last five nights.

01:41He may be out again tonight.

01:43Oh, makes you shiver.

01:44I wouldn't talk to any strange gentleman, I wouldn't.

01:47And if one spoke to me, I'd run.

01:49Or scream.

01:50You're a sensible girl.

01:52Would you like a sweet?

01:53Oh, thank you.

01:57Your caramels are very good.

01:59♪♪

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02:32He's done it again.

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02:44♪♪

03:15Pass the jam, would you, Watson?

03:19Oh, thank you.

03:22Any interesting news in the Times?

03:25Um, it says here that some American claims to have found a cure for the common cold.

03:31That's nonsense, I don't believe it.

03:35Thunderbolt won the Aspinall Stakes.

03:37Hmm, Flixter won.

03:39Perhaps there could have been a killing on that.

03:41Oh, was there another one last night?

03:43Eh?

03:44The Thistle Killer.

03:46Oh, yes, yes.

03:50Yes, he strangled a girl last night at Ingram Square.

03:55Left the usual sign, Thistles.

03:57Ah, man's a maniac.

04:00Perhaps he is, Watson.

04:01But there may be a definite pattern behind all these killings, you know.

04:05Oh, do you think so?

04:07Oh, do you think so?

04:19Look at that map, Wilkins.

04:21From one end of London to the other.

04:25He's got something on his mind, sir.

04:28Oh, you really think so, Wilkins?

04:30Of course he's got something on his mind, you idiot!

04:33He's got killing on his mind!

04:36When's it going to finish?

04:38Where's it all going to end?

04:41I've looked up the statistics, sir.

04:43There are approximately 459,000 young women in London between the ages of 16 and 25, sir.

04:50That's a comforting thought, Wilkins.

05:05For you, doctor.

05:09I thought so.

05:10From the superintendent.

05:12Perhaps he'll be interested in your optimistic statistics, Wilkins.

05:36Come in.

05:43You sent for me, sir?

05:45Ah, Inspector Lestrange. Yes, I sent for you.

05:48Sit down, Inspector.

05:49Thank you, sir.

05:55Not working too hard these days, I hope?

05:58Well, sir, I'm used to hard work.

06:01Then give me a sample of it.

06:03Stop these wholesale murders.

06:05Six women, Lestrange, in six successive nights.

06:09A man's making a charnel house out of London.

06:12What's the yard doing about it?

06:14Well, sir, we have men in duty all over London, you know.

06:17Well, how does he slip by them? How does he get away?

06:20Sir, it's almost impossible to cover a city the size of London.

06:24He'll strike again tonight.

06:26Sir, there are 459,000 young women in London between the ages of 16 and 25.

06:33I don't care if there are 459 million.

06:36Stop him.

06:40Portland Lane.

06:42Harris Street.

06:44Ovington Court.

06:46Napier Street. Evans Lane.

06:49And Ingram Square last night.

06:51Where will it be tonight?

06:53Where will it be tonight?

06:55Sir, he has the whole of London to pick from.

06:57It's almost impossible to anticipate him.

07:00He doesn't choose his places.

07:02The haphazard.

07:07You know, there's nothing haphazard about this man, Watson.

07:10He's choosing each locality with a plan.

07:13What plan?

07:14Well, that's our problem.

07:17Tell me, Holmes, why does he drop pistols onto his victims?

07:21And why three?

07:25I think they're symbols, Watson.

07:27Just as his killings are symbolic.

07:31Do you think he knew his victims?

07:33I doubt it.

07:35No, there's another motive, a deeper plan behind it all.

07:40I think we know all the facts.

07:42We only have to read them properly.

07:47Well, sir, he knew each of these girls.

07:50That's the link, that's what I'm working on.

07:52How do you know that, Lestrange?

07:54We issued a warning to young girls not to speak to strangers.

07:57To scream or to run as soon as they were accosted.

08:00Yet not one of them has done either.

08:02In fact, in three of the killings,

08:04footsteps showed that they walked beside him,

08:06that they knew him, that they trusted him.

08:09And the girl last night had accepted the caramel from him.

08:12Yes, sir, and of course a young lady will never accept a sweet from a stranger.

08:15Then find the man they all know in common.

08:19Yes, sir.

08:22Oh, by the way, Lestrange.

08:24Yes, sir?

08:25There's a chap named Sherlock Holmes.

08:28Ever run into him?

08:29Holmes, sir?

08:31Sherlock Holmes?

08:34Yes, yes, the name is familiar, sir.

08:37Yes, I have run into him on occasion.

08:40Deduces things, they tell me.

08:42Clever.

08:44Hmm, you might call him in.

08:47Unofficially, of course.

08:49He's an amateur, sir.

08:52An amateur can't do worse than we're doing.

08:56Yes, sir.

09:41I simply can't understand it, Holmes.

09:44Hmm?

09:45Don't understand what?

09:46Why Inspector Lestrange hasn't called?

09:48I've been expecting him all the morning.

09:50Oh, well, he probably feels he can tackle it himself.

09:53And perhaps he can.

09:57Come in.

10:03Good evening, Dr. Watson.

10:05Holmes.

10:06Ah, good afternoon, Lestrange.

10:08Dr. Watson's been expecting you.

10:12Oh, he has, has he?

10:14Well, you're here, aren't you?

10:16Well, as a matter of fact, someone at the yard did suggest that I might, uh...

10:21Well, as a matter of fact, uh...

10:23Who?

10:25The superintendent.

10:27Holmes, this man's a ghost.

10:30I've met everywhere, I've warned everybody, still he kills and no one sees him.

10:35Uh, map of London, Lestrange?

10:37Yes, I've marked out all the places where he's killed.

10:42Oh, yes, that's interesting, most interesting.

10:46Ah, starting here with Portland Lane.

10:51Harris Street.

10:53Ovington Square.

10:55Evans Lane.

10:57Napier Street.

10:58Ingram Square.

11:00I take it this is the sequence of the killings, Lestrange?

11:03Yes, I've tackled it from every angle.

11:05Concentric circles, triangles, squares, north, south, east and west.

11:09There's just no pattern to these killing zones.

11:11Oh, but there is, Lestrange, there is.

11:13But he's challenging Scotland Yard to catch him.

11:16Challenging us?

11:18Yes, he's playing a game with you.

11:20What do you mean, playing a game?

11:22Acrostics.

11:23Look, now take the names in sequence.

11:26Beginning with the first letter of each neighborhood.

11:30P for Portland Lane, H for Harris Street.

11:33P? H?

11:36And so on.

11:37O, E, N, I.

11:42And what's the last letter?

11:44Why, the only one that fits, of course, X.

11:48And so you have Phoenix.

11:50Phoenix?

11:51The legendary bird that rose from its own ashes, symbol of immortality.

11:56Now I know he's a maniac.

11:58Him and his thistles, all three of them.

12:00Well, the thistle's the national flower of Scotland, Estrade.

12:03You should know that.

12:04And there are three feet in a yard.

12:07Scotland Yard!

12:09Well, it shouldn't be hard to deduce where he plans to strike tonight.

12:13The last letter is X.

12:16Xenia Lane leading into Xerces Park, here.

12:23Then we have him.

12:24It would appear so, wouldn't it?

12:31XERCES PARK

12:36Xerces Park, Superintendent.

12:38It must be Xerces Park.

12:40But there are other places that begin with the letter X, Mr. Holmes.

12:44Very few, and they're too frequented.

12:46Xerces Park is small, quiet, and practically deserted at night.

12:50That's just what he wants.

12:52All right, Xerces Park, then.

12:56Estrade?

12:57Yes, sir?

12:58Plant men all around the park.

13:01We'll cut off the entire area.

13:04But keep the park entrances open, Superintendent.

13:07Invite him in, you mean?

13:09Well, if you keep him out, you won't catch him.

13:11Good thought, Mr. Holmes.

13:13There are only two entrances to Xerces Park.

13:16A gate here and here.

13:18We'll cover them both.

13:19Get him coming or going, eh?

13:22Either way.

13:23No, coming, not going.

13:25Oh, I see what you mean.

13:27But supposing there is no young woman in Xerces Park?

13:31Oh, there will be.

13:32How do you know?

13:33We'll put one there for him.

13:35Decoy, huh?

13:37But who?

13:39It'll be risky.

13:41Ever done any amateur theatricals, Estrade?

13:45Hmm?

13:48What?

13:49Oh, I think we'll need Inspector Estrade at one end of the park, Superintendent.

13:55Hmm.

13:57Now, as for the woman...

14:00Hmm.

14:09No.

14:11One of our police matrons might volunteer.

14:16But explain the risk fully to her, Estrade.

14:20We'll arm her too, sir, just in case.

14:22I'm not sure a gun will be enough, Estrade.

14:25We could arrange a signal with her so she could let us know the moment she's accosted.

14:29Excellent, Watson.

14:30As soon as we get the signal, we can close in on him.

14:32Mm-hmm.

14:34All right, Estrade.

14:35Pick the best men we have.

14:38Yes, sir.

14:46You want Estrade at one end of Xerces Park, but who'll be at the other end?

14:52Why, Dr. Watson and I, of course.

14:54That's a very good idea.

14:55Thank you very much.

14:57I wish there wasn't this fog.

14:59Hmm.

15:08I'm covered with this, Miss Colley.

15:10But don't take any chances.

15:12I'll be at that end of the park, and Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson will be at that end.

15:16Ah, Holmes, Dr. Watson.

15:18This is our decoy, Miss Colley.

15:21How do you do?

15:22Good evening, Miss Colley.

15:24Oh.

15:25Well, what have we got here?

15:30A sending key, eh, Estrade?

15:32Yes, it's a telegraph set going to both entrances.

15:35Hmm.

15:36Quite ingenious, my dear fellow.

15:37Tell me, what are your signals?

15:39One short click if a man approaches, Miss Colley.

15:42If he speaks to her, she keeps her finger pressed on the key.

15:45If he just passes on his way without speaking, then two short clicks.

15:49Show Mr. Holmes how it's done, Miss Colley.

15:59Hmm.

16:00I see, Estrade, yes.

16:02Quite ingenious, really.

16:04Now, if a young lady passes along and wishes to go through the park,

16:07then we'll have a policeman escort her.

16:09Congratulations, Estrade. You've thought of everything.

16:12Thank you, Dr. Watson.

16:14Well, good luck, Miss Colley.

16:17Good luck, Miss Colley.

16:18And the same to you, Inspector.

16:28Eerie place, this park.

16:30Yes, Watson. I must confess to a certain uneasiness myself.

16:33Look!

16:34What?

16:35The official killer!

16:40Oh, no, you don't!

16:41Now, what's this? Let go of me!

16:43Leave poor Herbert alone!

16:44Poor Herbert, madam! This man's about to strangle you!

16:46My own husband strangle me? You're crazy!

16:49Your... your husband?

16:52Of course he's my husband!

16:55The Thistle Killer.

16:57That's what he probably is.

16:59Oh, my... my apologies, madam.

17:04Come on, Herbert.

17:06Some people don't know what privacy is.

17:11Blank's got a right to kiss a girl, hasn't he?

17:13Even if it is his own wife.

17:15Now, what do you mean by that remark, Herbert Brown?

17:18Well, you ain't exactly what you were five years ago, Maggie.

17:21Well, I never!

17:29I say, old man, that was, uh... it's hard to think he's only the wife.

17:32Put me bigfootin' again, I did.

17:34I'm Maggie.

17:36I'm Maggie.

17:39Well, I mean, Holmes, the park.

17:42After all, haven't they got a home to go to?

17:45I must say, I can't blame you in the least, Watson.

17:47Shall we get on to our entrance?

17:49Yes, sir.

18:12Chilly night, sir.

18:14It'll warm up quite soon, Wilkins.

18:17It doesn't get too warm for comfort.

18:28Just taking the young lady through the park, sir?

18:30Go ahead, Connors.

18:47Come on.

19:17It is nerve-wracking, Holmes.

19:19Well, it may not be long now, Watson.

19:44Good evening, sir.

19:46Thank you, Constable.

20:09Miss Colly's a brave girl, sir.

20:11She wouldn't like my sister taking on the risk that she is.

20:14Excuse your sister, Wilkins.

20:16This is a job for professionals like us, not amateurs.

20:20Are you worried about Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson, sir?

20:23I'm worried about Mr.

20:44Holmes.

21:11Eleven o'clock, Watson.

21:13With all these bobbies hanging about,

21:15he's probably got the wind up and gone home.

21:18But if they're well hidden, as they should be...

21:27Someone's approaching Miss Colly.

21:29Shh! Wait for the next signal.

21:35Good evening, sir.

21:37Oh, it's brilliant, Constable.

21:40Force alarm.

21:46I'm glad you're taking me through the park, Constable.

21:49I'm only a visitor here, you know.

21:51It's so scary.

21:53Very sensible, miss, especially these nights.

21:56With that horrible thistle killer loose.

22:10I don't like it, Watson.

22:12Something's wrong.

22:14Miss Colly gave the all-clear signal.

22:16Whoever it was must have gone past it.

22:18Yes, unless the...

22:40Any strange men talk to me,

22:42I'd run or scream,

22:44just like the papers tell you to.

22:46That's a sensible girl.

22:48It's very foggy tonight.

22:50Would you like a sweet?

22:52Oh, thank you, Constable.

22:54Try one of the cannibals.

22:56They're good.

23:01He slipped through a cordon of police before, you know, Watson.

23:04And without anybody's notice.

23:06No, but they did see him.

23:08Everyone saw him.

23:10But surely...

23:12Watson?

23:14Who's the only stranger a woman would trust in London these nights?

23:18Why, uh...

23:20Why, nobody.

23:22Wrong, Watson.

23:24A policeman.

23:26A policeman.

23:28Come along, Watson.

23:31Come along, Watson.

23:41Where is he, Constable? Which way is he...

23:48Look out, Watson! Get down!

24:01You all right, sir?

24:03I'm all right. See to the girl.

24:14She's all right, sir.

24:16Here, look after her, will you?

24:21He's dead.

24:24I know him, sir.

24:26He's John Phoenix.

24:28He's a cabbie. He drives Ansem.

24:30Oh, yes, I remember him now.

24:32He tried out for the force.

24:34We dropped him. Inefficiency.

24:36Well, there's your motive, Lestrade.

24:38He simply wanted to prove that he could outwit Scotland Yard.

24:42He must have carried his policeman's helmet and his coat around with him in his cab.

24:47Yes, and when he spotted a girl, he put them on and became just another policeman.

24:51How did you guess, Holmes?

24:53Well, Lestrade, it was the only answer.

24:56The only answer.

25:26THE END

26:26Subs by www.zeoranger.co.uk

Sherlock Holmes - E18: The Case of the Thistle Killer (Crime,Drama,Mystery,TV Series)

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