Basil Rathbone
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.
Also Known As
Movie Appearances
Son of Frankenstein
as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
1939
The Spider Woman
as Sherlock Holmes
1943
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archival footage)
1968
The Adventures of Robin Hood
as Sir Guy of Gisbourne
1938
Terror by Night
as Sherlock Holmes
1946
Dressed to Kill
as Sherlock Holmes
1946
We're No Angels
as Andre Trochard
1955
The Court Jester
as Sir Ravenhurst
1955
The Mark of Zorro
as Captain Esteban Pasquale
1940
Above Suspicion
as Sig von Aschenhausen
1943
The Hound of the Baskervilles
as Sherlock Holmes
1939
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
as Sherlock Holmes
1942
Autopsy of a Ghost
as Canuto Pérez
1968
The Magic Sword
as Lodac
1962
The House of Fear
as Sherlock Holmes
1945
The Pearl of Death
as Sherlock Holmes
1944
The Scarlet Claw
as Sherlock Holmes
1944
The Great Mouse Detective
as Sherlock Holmes (voice)
1986
Queen of Blood
as Dr. Farraday
1966
Rio
as Paul Reynard
1939
TV Appearances
Burke's Law
as Milo James
1963
The Merv Griffin Show
as Self
1962
Studio One
as Hazelton Crome
1948
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Inquisitor
1951
Lux Video Theatre
as Frampton
1950
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Self - Host / General Lee
1951
Your Show of Shows
1950
Suspense
as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
1949
Summer Fun
1966
Lights Out
1949
The Jack Benny Program
as Basil Rathbone
1950
Dr. Kildare
as Frederick Foray
1961