Job Actor
Years active 1911-67
Known for Suave cold-hearted villains, morally ambiguous characters; Sherlock Holmes
Top Roles Count Sigurd 'Sig' von Aschenhausen, Sir Guy of Gisbourne, Mr. Murdstone, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes
Top GenresDrama, Comedy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller/Suspense, Film Adaptation
Top TopicsBook-Based, Detectives, England
Top Collaborators (Director), (Producer), (Director), (Producer)
Shares birthday with Ben Johnson, Lois Weber, Jean Adair  see more..

Basil Rathbone Overview:

Legendary character actor, Basil Rathbone, was born Philip St. John Basil Rathbone on Jun 13, 1892 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Rathbone appeared in over 120 film and TV roles. His best known films include David Copperfield, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, Tower of London, The Mark of Zorro, Anna Karenina and The Hound of the Baskervilles (the first of 14 film appearances as master detective, Sherlock Holmes). Rathbone died at the age of 75 on Jul 21, 1967 in New York City, NY and was laid to rest in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, Westchester County, NY.

MINI BIO:

Already a veteran stage actor in both London and on Broadway, Basil Rathbone made his film debut in 1921 in the silent film The Fruitful Vine. He went on to appear in over 120 film and TV roles, frequently portraying suave, cold-hearted villains. Some of his most memorable roles were as Murdstone in David Copperfield, Levasseur in Captain Blood, Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood, and as Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles and 13 other films.

(Source: article by Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Although Rathbone was nominated for two Oscars, he never won a competitive Academy Award.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1936Best Supporting ActorRomeo and Juliet (1936)TybaltNominated
1938Best Supporting ActorIf I Were King (1938)Louis XINominated
.

He was honored with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the categories of Radio, Motion Pictures and Television.

BlogHub Articles:

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Ronald Colman, , and Frances Dee star in “If I Were King” If I Were King (1938) is a historical biographical drama directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Ronald Colman, , and Frances Dee. The supporting cast includes Ellen Drew, Ralph Forbes, Henry Wilcoxon... Read full article


A Year in the Life of : 1950

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in Summer Stock

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Basil Rathbone Quotes:

Sherlock Holmes: Poor, innocent little child. I should have prevented this!


Robin Hood: Come now, Sir Guy. You would not kill a man for telling the truth, would you?
Sir Guy of Gisbourne: If it amused me, yes!


Don Luis B. Quintero: My dear Esteban is forever thrusting at this and at that. He used to be a fencing instructor in Barcelona.
Don Diego Vega: How exhausting.
Captain Esteban Pasquale: I didn't find it so.
Don Diego Vega: Then why did you give it up?
Captain Esteban Pasquale: I had the misfortune to kill a man of influence.
Don Luis B. Quintero: A lady was involved, I believe.
Don Diego Vega: The gentleman's wife, no doubt?
Captain Esteban Pasquale: Just how did you mean that, Señor?
Don Diego Vega: I had hoped to be amusing... Have I failed?
Captain Esteban Pasquale: Somewhat. With me.


read more quotes from Basil Rathbone...



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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1936






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Basil Rathbone on the
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Basil Rathbone Facts
Fought in the British army during World War I, and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery under fire.

In his sound films, with the exception of his Sherlock Holmes character and a few others, his roles were usually that of the nasty, though sophisticated, villain.

Distant relative of Julian Rathbone.

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