Basil Rathbone
Born
June 13, 1892 (age 75)
Died
July 21, 1967
Birthplace
Johannesburg, South African Republic

Basil Rathbone

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.

Movies

In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
1996
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991 ★ 5.7
Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (archive footage)
The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective
1986 ★ 7.0
Sherlock Holmes (voice)
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
1985 ★ 7.0
Sherlock Holmes (archive footage)
The Horror of It All
The Horror of It All
1983 ★ 8.0
Carmichael (archive footage)
The Horror Show
The Horror Show
1979 ★ 3.8
(archive footage)
Madhouse
Madhouse
1974 ★ 6.2
Basil (archive footage)
Autopsy of a Ghost
Autopsy of a Ghost
1968 ★ 4.8
Canuto Pérez
Hillbillys in a Haunted House
Hillbillys in a Haunted House
1967 ★ 2.6
Gregor
Soldier in Love
Soldier in Love
1967
Duke of York
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
1966 ★ 5.0
Reginald Ripper
Queen of Blood
Queen of Blood
1966 ★ 5.2
Dr. Farraday
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet
1965 ★ 4.0
Prof. Hartman, Lunar 7
The Comedy of Terrors
The Comedy of Terrors
1964 ★ 6.5
John F. Black
Two Before Zero
Two Before Zero
1962 ★ 5.0
Tales of Terror
Tales of Terror
1962 ★ 6.6
Carmichael ("The Case of M. Valdemar")
The Magic Sword
The Magic Sword
1962 ★ 4.2
Lodac
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate
1962 ★ 6.4
Caiaphas
Victoria Regina
Victoria Regina
1961
Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield)
Mystic Prophecies and Nostradamus
Mystic Prophecies and Nostradamus
1961
Narrator
The Black Cat
The Black Cat
1960
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
1959 ★ 8.7
Scrooge
The Last Hurrah
The Last Hurrah
1958 ★ 7.2
Norman Cass Sr.
Aladdin
Aladdin
1958
Emperor
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates
1958
Dr. Boekman
The Lark
The Lark
1957
Chief Inquisitor
The Stingiest Man in Town
The Stingiest Man in Town
1956 ★ 3.5
Ebenezer Scrooge
The Black Sleep
The Black Sleep
1956 ★ 6.1
Sir Joel Cadman
Affair in Sumatra
Affair in Sumatra
1956
Paul Charters
The Court Jester
The Court Jester
1955 ★ 7.3
Sir Ravenhurst
We're No Angels
We're No Angels
1955 ★ 7.2
Andre Trochard
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
1954 ★ 6.6
Marley's Ghost
The General's Boots
The General's Boots
1954
General Lee
Casanova's Big Night
Casanova's Big Night
1954 ★ 5.8
Lucio / Narrator
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
1949 ★ 6.5
Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")
The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows
1949 ★ 6.7
Narrator (voice)
Dressed to Kill
Dressed to Kill
1946 ★ 6.6
Sherlock Holmes
Heartbeat
Heartbeat
1946 ★ 4.6
Professor Aristide
Terror by Night
Terror by Night
1946 ★ 6.5
Sherlock Holmes
Pursuit to Algiers
Pursuit to Algiers
1945 ★ 6.8
Sherlock Holmes
The Woman in Green
The Woman in Green
1945 ★ 6.4
Sherlock Holmes
The House of Fear
The House of Fear
1945 ★ 6.9
Sherlock Holmes
Frenchman's Creek
Frenchman's Creek
1944 ★ 5.3
Lord Rockingham
The Pearl of Death
The Pearl of Death
1944 ★ 7.1
Sherlock Holmes
Bathing Beauty
Bathing Beauty
1944 ★ 5.7
George Adams
The Scarlet Claw
The Scarlet Claw
1944 ★ 6.9
Sherlock Holmes
The Spider Woman
The Spider Woman
1943 ★ 6.9
Sherlock Holmes
Crazy House
Crazy House
1943 ★ 5.0
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
1943 ★ 6.8
Sherlock Holmes
Above Suspicion
Above Suspicion
1943 ★ 6.1
Sig von Aschenhausen
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
Sherlock Holmes in Washington
1943 ★ 6.7
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
1942 ★ 6.4
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
1942 ★ 6.5
Sherlock Holmes
Crossroads
Crossroads
1942 ★ 5.8
Henri Sarrou
Fingers at the Window
Fingers at the Window
1942 ★ 5.5
Cesar Ferrari / Dr. H. Santelle
Paris Calling
Paris Calling
1941 ★ 5.4
Andre Benoit
International Lady
International Lady
1941 ★ 6.5
Reggie Oliver
The Black Cat
The Black Cat
1941 ★ 6.5
Montague Hartley
The Mad Doctor
The Mad Doctor
1940 ★ 6.2
Dr. George Sebastian / Dr. Langamann
The Mark of Zorro
The Mark of Zorro
1940 ★ 7.1
Captain Esteban Pasquale
Rhythm on the River
Rhythm on the River
1940 ★ 6.8
Oliver Courtney
Tower of London
Tower of London
1939 ★ 6.0
Richard - Duke of Gloucester
Rio
Rio
1939 ★ 4.9
Paul Reynard
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1939 ★ 6.9
Sherlock Holmes
The Sun Never Sets
The Sun Never Sets
1939 ★ 4.8
Clive Randolph
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
1939 ★ 7.1
Sherlock Holmes
Son of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein
1939 ★ 6.7
Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
Breakdowns of 1938
Breakdowns of 1938
1938 ★ 4.7
Basil (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Dawn Patrol
The Dawn Patrol
1938 ★ 6.8
Maj. Brand
If I Were King
If I Were King
1938 ★ 6.8
Louis XI
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood
1938 ★ 7.5
Sir Guy of Gisbourne
The Adventures of Marco Polo
The Adventures of Marco Polo
1938 ★ 6.0
Ahmed
Tovarich
Tovarich
1937 ★ 6.2
Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko
Make a Wish
Make a Wish
1937 ★ 5.5
Johnny Selden
Confession
Confession
1937 ★ 6.1
Michael Michailow
Love from a Stranger
Love from a Stranger
1937 ★ 6.0
Gerald Lovell
The Garden of Allah
The Garden of Allah
1936 ★ 5.8
Count Ferdinand Anteoni
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
1936 ★ 6.2
Tybalt
Private Number
Private Number
1936 ★ 6.6
Thomas Wroxton
Captain Blood
Captain Blood
1935 ★ 7.2
Levasseur
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
1935 ★ 6.8
Marquis St. Evremonde
Kind Lady
Kind Lady
1935 ★ 6.6
Henry Abbott
A Feather in Her Hat
A Feather in Her Hat
1935 ★ 6.8
Captain Randolph Courtney
The Last Days of Pompeii
The Last Days of Pompeii
1935 ★ 5.6
Pontius Pilate
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
1935 ★ 6.5
Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin
David Copperfield
David Copperfield
1935 ★ 6.6
Mr. Edward Murdstone
Loyalties
Loyalties
1933 ★ 6.0
Ferdinand de Levis
One Precious Year
One Precious Year
1933
Derek Nagel
After the Ball
After the Ball
1932
Jack Harrowby
A Woman Commands
A Woman Commands
1932 ★ 8.0
Capt. Alex Pastitsch
Sin Takes a Holiday
Sin Takes a Holiday
1930 ★ 5.4
Reginald 'Reggie' Durant
A Lady Surrenders
A Lady Surrenders
1930 ★ 2.7
Carl Vandry
The Lady of Scandal
The Lady of Scandal
1930 ★ 5.1
Edward
The Flirting Widow
The Flirting Widow
1930 ★ 4.0
Col. Smith
A Notorious Affair
A Notorious Affair
1930 ★ 4.0
Paul Gherardi
This Mad World
This Mad World
1930 ★ 7.0
Paul Parisot
The Bishop Murder Case
The Bishop Murder Case
1929 ★ 5.2
Philo Vance
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
1929 ★ 5.6
Lord Arthur Dilling
The Great Deception
The Great Deception
1926
Rizzio
The Masked Bride
The Masked Bride
1925
Antoine
Trouping with Ellen
Trouping with Ellen
1924
Tony Winterslip
The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
1924
Undetermined Subordinate Role
The School for Scandal
The School for Scandal
1923
Joseph Surface
The Fruitful Vine
The Fruitful Vine
1921
Don Cesare Carelli
Innocent
Innocent
1921
Amadis de Jocelyn

TV Series