← Home
Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone

Acting

Born: June 13, 1892Johannesburg, South African Republic

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.

Known For
Filmography
The Adventures of Errol Flynn

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

Self / Various Roles (archive sound) (archive footage)

2005
In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes

In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes

1996

Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook

Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (archive footage)

1991
The Great Mouse Detective

The Great Mouse Detective

Sherlock Holmes (voice)

1986
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes

The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes (archive footage)

1985
The Horror of It All

The Horror of It All

Carmichael (archive footage)

1983
The Horror Show

The Horror Show

(archive footage)

1979
Madhouse

Madhouse

Basil (archive footage)

1974
Autopsy of a Ghost

Autopsy of a Ghost

Canuto Pérez

1968
The Movie Orgy

The Movie Orgy

Self (archival footage)

1968
Hillbillys in a Haunted House

Hillbillys in a Haunted House

Gregor

1967
Soldier in Love

Soldier in Love

Duke of York

1967
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini

Reginald Ripper

1966
Queen of Blood

Queen of Blood

Dr. Farraday

1966
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet

Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet

Prof. Hartman, Lunar 7

1965
The Comedy of Terrors

The Comedy of Terrors

John F. Black

1964
Two Before Zero

Two Before Zero

1962
Tales of Terror

Tales of Terror

Carmichael ("The Case of M. Valdemar")

1962
The Magic Sword

The Magic Sword

Lodac

1962
Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate

Caiaphas

1962
Victoria Regina

Victoria Regina

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield)

1961

Mystic Prophecies and Nostradamus

Narrator

1961

The Black Cat

1960
A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Scrooge

1959
The Last Hurrah

The Last Hurrah

Norman Cass Sr.

1958
Aladdin

Aladdin

Emperor

1958
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates

Dr. Boekman

1958
The Lark

The Lark

Chief Inquisitor

1957
The Stingiest Man in Town

The Stingiest Man in Town

Ebenezer Scrooge

1956
The Black Sleep

The Black Sleep

Sir Joel Cadman

1956
Affair in Sumatra

Affair in Sumatra

Paul Charters

1956
The Court Jester

The Court Jester

Sir Ravenhurst

1955
We're No Angels

We're No Angels

Andre Trochard

1955
A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol

Marley's Ghost

1954

The General's Boots

General Lee

1954
Casanova's Big Night

Casanova's Big Night

Lucio / Narrator

1954
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")

1949
The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows

Narrator (voice)

1949
Dressed to Kill

Dressed to Kill

Sherlock Holmes

1946
Heartbeat

Heartbeat

Professor Aristide

1946
Terror by Night

Terror by Night

Sherlock Holmes

1946
Pursuit to Algiers

Pursuit to Algiers

Sherlock Holmes

1945
The Woman in Green

The Woman in Green

Sherlock Holmes

1945
The House of Fear

The House of Fear

Sherlock Holmes

1945
Frenchman's Creek

Frenchman's Creek

Lord Rockingham

1944
The Pearl of Death

The Pearl of Death

Sherlock Holmes

1944
Bathing Beauty

Bathing Beauty

George Adams

1944
The Scarlet Claw

The Scarlet Claw

Sherlock Holmes

1944
The Spider Woman

The Spider Woman

Sherlock Holmes

1943
Crazy House

Crazy House

Sherlock Holmes

1943
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death

Sherlock Holmes

1943
Above Suspicion

Above Suspicion

Sig von Aschenhausen

1943
Sherlock Holmes in Washington

Sherlock Holmes in Washington

Sherlock Holmes

1943
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon

Sherlock Holmes

1942
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6

Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6

Himself

1942
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror

Sherlock Holmes

1942
Crossroads

Crossroads

Henri Sarrou

1942
Fingers at the Window

Fingers at the Window

Cesar Ferrari / Dr. H. Santelle

1942
Paris Calling

Paris Calling

Andre Benoit

1941
International Lady

International Lady

Reggie Oliver

1941
The Black Cat

The Black Cat

Montague Hartley

1941
The Mad Doctor

The Mad Doctor

Dr. George Sebastian / Dr. Langamann

1940
The Mark of Zorro

The Mark of Zorro

Captain Esteban Pasquale

1940
Rhythm on the River

Rhythm on the River

Oliver Courtney

1940
Tower of London

Tower of London

Richard - Duke of Gloucester

1939
Rio

Rio

Paul Reynard

1939
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

1939
The Sun Never Sets

The Sun Never Sets

Clive Randolph

1939
The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sherlock Holmes

1939
Son of Frankenstein

Son of Frankenstein

Baron Wolf von Frankenstein

1939
Breakdowns of 1938

Breakdowns of 1938

Basil (archive footage) (uncredited)

1938
The Dawn Patrol

The Dawn Patrol

Maj. Brand

1938
If I Were King

If I Were King

Louis XI

1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood

Sir Guy of Gisbourne

1938
The Adventures of Marco Polo

The Adventures of Marco Polo

Ahmed

1938
Tovarich

Tovarich

Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko

1937
Make a Wish

Make a Wish

Johnny Selden

1937
Confession

Confession

Michael Michailow

1937
Love from a Stranger

Love from a Stranger

Gerald Lovell

1937
The Garden of Allah

The Garden of Allah

Count Ferdinand Anteoni

1936
Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

Tybalt

1936
Private Number

Private Number

Thomas Wroxton

1936
Captain Blood

Captain Blood

Levasseur

1935
A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities

Marquis St. Evremonde

1935
Kind Lady

Kind Lady

Henry Abbott

1935
A Feather in Her Hat

A Feather in Her Hat

Captain Randolph Courtney

1935
The Last Days of Pompeii

The Last Days of Pompeii

Pontius Pilate

1935
Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin

1935
David Copperfield

David Copperfield

Mr. Edward Murdstone

1935
Loyalties

Loyalties

Ferdinand de Levis

1933
One Precious Year

One Precious Year

Derek Nagel

1933
After the Ball

After the Ball

Jack Harrowby

1932
A Woman Commands

A Woman Commands

Capt. Alex Pastitsch

1932
Sin Takes a Holiday

Sin Takes a Holiday

Reginald 'Reggie' Durant

1930
A Lady Surrenders

A Lady Surrenders

Carl Vandry

1930
The Lady of Scandal

The Lady of Scandal

Edward

1930
The Flirting Widow

The Flirting Widow

Col. Smith

1930
A Notorious Affair

A Notorious Affair

Paul Gherardi

1930
This Mad World

This Mad World

Paul Parisot

1930
The Bishop Murder Case

The Bishop Murder Case

Philo Vance

1929
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney

Lord Arthur Dilling

1929
The Great Deception

The Great Deception

Rizzio

1926
The Masked Bride

The Masked Bride

Antoine

1925
Trouping with Ellen

Trouping with Ellen

Tony Winterslip

1924
The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots

The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots

Undetermined Subordinate Role

1924
The School for Scandal

The School for Scandal

Joseph Surface

1923

The Fruitful Vine

Don Cesare Carelli

1921
Innocent

Innocent

Amadis de Jocelyn

1921