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 Award — Best Actor in a Play · 1948
- Military Cross · 1918
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 1939 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 1937 · nominated
Filmography50+ titles
The Horror of It All
The Jack Benny Program
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Court Jester
The Last Hurrah
We're No Angels
Captain Blood
The Great Mouse Detective
The Pearl of Death
The Mark of Zorro
The Hound of the Baskervilles
What's My Line?
The Spider Woman
The House of Fear
The Scarlet Claw
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A Tale of Two Cities
Pursuit to Algiers
The Dawn Patrol
Tales of Terror
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
Son of Frankenstein
David Copperfield
Lux Video Theatre
Terror by Night
Dressed to Kill
The Comedy of Terrors
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Woman in Green
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
The Black Cat
Anna Karenina
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Love from a Stranger
Madhouse
The Black Sleep
Above Suspicion
The Adventures of Marco Polo
Romeo and Juliet
Casanova's Big Night
Lights Out
Make a Wish
The Last Days of Pompeii
Sin Takes a Holiday
The Bishop Murder Case
Autopsy of a Ghost
Queen of Blood
Heartbeat
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini