- Known For
- Acting
- Born
- June 13, 1892
- Place of Birth
- Johannesburg, South African Republic
- Died
- July 21, 1967
Basil Rathbone
Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967), was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films. He frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as Murdstone in David Copperfield (1935) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). His most famous role, however, was heroic—that of Sherlock Holmes in fourteen Hollywood films made between 1939 and 1946 and in a radio series. His later career included Broadway and television work; he received a Tony Award in 1948 as Best Actor in a Play.
Filmography
movieThe Adventures of Errol Flynn
2005 · Self / Various Roles (archive sound) (archive footage)
movieIn the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
1996
movieDracula in the Movies
1992 · (archive footage)
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
movieFrankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991 · Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (archive footage)
movieThe Great Mouse Detective
1986 · Sherlock Holmes (voice)
movieThe Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
1985 · Sherlock Holmes (archive footage)
movieThe Horror of It All
1983 · Carmichael (archive footage)
movieThe Horror Show
1979 · (archive footage)
movieMadhouse
1974 · Basil (archive footage)
movieAutopsy of a Ghost
1968 · Canuto Pérez
movieThe Movie Orgy
1968 · Self (archival footage)
movieHillbillys in a Haunted House
1967 · Gregor
movieSoldier in Love
1967 · Duke of York
Summer Fun
tvSummer Fun
1966
movieThe Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
1966 · Reginald Ripper
movieQueen of Blood
1966 · Dr. Farraday
movieVoyage to the Prehistoric Planet
1965 · Prof. Hartman, Lunar 7
movieThe Comedy of Terrors
1964 · John F. Black
tvBurke's Law
1963 · Milo James
movieTwo Before Zero
1962
tvThe Merv Griffin Show
1962 · Self
movieTales of Terror
1962 · Carmichael ("The Case of M. Valdemar")
movieThe Magic Sword
1962 · Lodac
moviePontius Pilate
1962 · Caiaphas
movieVictoria Regina
1961 · Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield)
tvDr. Kildare
1961 · Frederick Foray
Mystic Prophecies and Nostradamus
movieMystic Prophecies and Nostradamus
1961 · Narrator
The Black Cat
movieThe Black Cat
1960
movieA Christmas Carol
1959 · Scrooge
Tales from Dickens
tvTales from Dickens
1959 · Scrooge
movieThe Last Hurrah
1958 · Norman Cass Sr.
movieAladdin
1958 · Emperor
movieHans Brinker or the Silver Skates
1958 · Dr. Boekman
tvDuPont Show of the Month
1957 · Emperor
movieThe Lark
1957 · Chief Inquisitor
movieThe Stingiest Man in Town
1956 · Ebenezer Scrooge
movieThe Black Sleep
1956 · Sir Joel Cadman
movieAffair in Sumatra
1956 · Paul Charters
movieThe Court Jester
1955 · Sir Ravenhurst
tvScreen Director's Playhouse
1955 · Paul Charters
movieWe're No Angels
1955 · Andre Trochard
movieA Christmas Carol
1954 · Marley's Ghost
The General's Boots
movieThe General's Boots
1954 · General Lee
movieCasanova's Big Night
1954 · Lucio / Narrator
tvHallmark Hall of Fame
1951 · Inquisitor, Dr. Boekman, Lord Beaconsfield, The Duke of York
tvSchlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951 · Self - Host / General Lee, The Jewel Thief
tvThe Jack Benny Program
1950 · Basil Rathbone
Lux Video Theatre
tvLux Video Theatre
1950 · Frampton, Sir Paul Maxim, Ambrose Wallington
tvYour Show of Shows
1950
tvWhat's My Line?
1950 · Self
movieThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
1949 · Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")
tvLights Out
1949
movieThe Wind in the Willows
1949 · Narrator (voice)
tvSuspense
1949 · Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, Sherlock Holmes
tvStudio One
1948 · Hazelton Crome
movieDressed to Kill
1946 · Sherlock Holmes
movieHeartbeat
1946 · Professor Aristide
movieTerror by Night
1946 · Sherlock Holmes
moviePursuit to Algiers
1945 · Sherlock Holmes
movieThe Woman in Green
1945 · Sherlock Holmes
movieThe House of Fear
1945 · Sherlock Holmes
movieFrenchman's Creek
1944 · Lord Rockingham
movieThe Pearl of Death
1944 · Sherlock Holmes
movieBathing Beauty
1944 · George Adams
movieThe Scarlet Claw
1944 · Sherlock Holmes
movieThe Spider Woman
1943 · Sherlock Holmes
movieCrazy House
1943 · Sherlock Holmes
movieSherlock Holmes Faces Death
1943 · Sherlock Holmes
movieAbove Suspicion
1943 · Sig von Aschenhausen
movieSherlock Holmes in Washington
1943 · Sherlock Holmes
movieSherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
1942 · Sherlock Holmes
movieHedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
1942 · Himself
movieSherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
1942 · Sherlock Holmes
movieCrossroads
1942 · Henri Sarrou
movieFingers at the Window
1942 · Cesar Ferrari / Dr. H. Santelle
movieParis Calling
1941 · Andre Benoit
movieInternational Lady
1941 · Reggie Oliver
movieThe Black Cat
1941 · Montague Hartley
movieThe Mad Doctor
1940 · Dr. George Sebastian / Dr. Langamann
movieThe Mark of Zorro
1940 · Captain Esteban Pasquale
movieRhythm on the River
1940 · Oliver Courtney
movieTower of London
1939 · Richard - Duke of Gloucester
movieRio
1939 · Paul Reynard
movieThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1939 · Sherlock Holmes
movieThe Sun Never Sets
1939 · Clive Randolph
movieThe Hound of the Baskervilles
1939 · Sherlock Holmes
movieSon of Frankenstein
1939 · Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
movieBreakdowns of 1938
1938 · Basil (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieThe Dawn Patrol
1938 · Maj. Brand
movieIf I Were King
1938 · Louis XI
movieThe Adventures of Robin Hood
1938 · Sir Guy of Gisbourne
movieThe Adventures of Marco Polo
1938 · Ahmed
movieTovarich
1937 · Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko
movieMake a Wish
1937 · Johnny Selden
movieConfession
1937 · Michael Michailow
movieLove from a Stranger
1937 · Gerald Lovell
movieThe Garden of Allah
1936 · Count Ferdinand Anteoni
movieRomeo and Juliet
1936 · Tybalt
moviePrivate Number
1936 · Thomas Wroxton
movieCaptain Blood
1935 · Levasseur
movieA Tale of Two Cities
1935 · Marquis St. Evremonde
movieKind Lady
1935 · Henry Abbott
movieA Feather in Her Hat
1935 · Captain Randolph Courtney
movieThe Last Days of Pompeii
1935 · Pontius Pilate
movieAnna Karenina
1935 · Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin
movieDavid Copperfield
1935 · Mr. Edward Murdstone
movieLoyalties
1933 · Ferdinand de Levis
movieOne Precious Year
1933 · Derek Nagel
movieAfter the Ball
1932 · Jack Harrowby
movieA Woman Commands
1932 · Capt. Alex Pastitsch
movieSin Takes a Holiday
1930 · Reginald 'Reggie' Durant
movieA Lady Surrenders
1930 · Carl Vandry
movieThe Lady of Scandal
1930 · Edward
movieThe Flirting Widow
1930 · Col. Smith
movieA Notorious Affair
1930 · Paul Gherardi
movieThis Mad World
1930 · Paul Parisot
movieThe Bishop Murder Case
1929 · Philo Vance
movieThe Last of Mrs. Cheyney
1929 · Lord Arthur Dilling
movieThe Great Deception
1926 · Rizzio
movieThe Masked Bride
1925 · Antoine
movieTrouping with Ellen
1924 · Tony Winterslip
movieThe Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
1924 · Undetermined Subordinate Role
movieThe School for Scandal
1923 · Joseph Surface
The Fruitful Vine
movieThe Fruitful Vine
1921 · Don Cesare Carelli
movieInnocent
1921 · Amadis de Jocelyn