← Back to explore

Basil Rathbone

Acting

Born June 13, 1892 · Johannesburg, South African Republic

Died July 21, 1967

Also known as Sir Basil Rathbone · Philip St. John Basil Rathbone · Бэзил Рэтбоун

Biography

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.

Awards & recognition

  • Tony AwardBest Actor in a Play · 1948
  • Military Cross · 1918
  • star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 1939 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 1937 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The Horror of It All

1983as Carmichael (archive footage)

The Jack Benny Program

1950as Basil Rathbone

The Adventures of Robin Hood

1938as Sir Guy of Gisbourne

The Court Jester

1955as Sir Ravenhurst

The Last Hurrah

1958as Norman Cass Sr.

We're No Angels

1955as Andre Trochard

Captain Blood

1935as Levasseur

The Great Mouse Detective

1986as Sherlock Holmes (voice)

The Pearl of Death

1944as Sherlock Holmes

The Mark of Zorro

1940as Captain Esteban Pasquale

The Hound of the Baskervilles

1939as Sherlock Holmes

What's My Line?

1950as Self

The Spider Woman

1943as Sherlock Holmes

The House of Fear

1945as Sherlock Holmes

The Scarlet Claw

1944as Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

1943as Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

1939as Sherlock Holmes

A Tale of Two Cities

1935as Marquis St. Evremonde

Pursuit to Algiers

1945as Sherlock Holmes

The Dawn Patrol

1938as Maj. Brand

Tales of Terror

1962as Carmichael ("The Case of M. Valdemar")

Sherlock Holmes in Washington

1942as Sherlock Holmes

Son of Frankenstein

1939as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein

David Copperfield

1935as Mr. Edward Murdstone

Lux Video Theatre

as Frampton

Terror by Night

1946as Sherlock Holmes

Dressed to Kill

1946as Sherlock Holmes

The Comedy of Terrors

1963as John F. Black

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

1949as Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")

The Woman in Green

1945as Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror

1942as Sherlock Holmes

The Black Cat

1941as Montague Hartley

Anna Karenina

1935as Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

1942as Sherlock Holmes

Love from a Stranger

1937as Gerald Lovell

Madhouse

1974as Basil (archive footage)

The Black Sleep

1956as Sir Joel Cadman

Above Suspicion

1943as Sig von Aschenhausen

The Adventures of Marco Polo

1938as Ahmed

Romeo and Juliet

1936as Tybalt

Casanova's Big Night

1954as Lucio / Narrator

Lights Out

Make a Wish

1937as Johnny Selden

The Last Days of Pompeii

1935as Pontius Pilate

Sin Takes a Holiday

1930as Reginald 'Reggie' Durant

The Bishop Murder Case

1929as Philo Vance

Autopsy of a Ghost

1968as Canuto Pérez

Queen of Blood

1966as Dr. Farraday

Heartbeat

1946as Professor Aristide

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini

1966as Reginald Ripper