Basil Rathbone

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BIRTHDAY

June 13, 1892

Johannesburg, South Africa

DIED

July 21, 1967

RECENT CREDITS

The Great Mouse Detective (FILM) Jul. 2, 1986

Queen of Blood (FILM) Jan. 1, 1966

Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (FILM) Aug. 1, 1965

The Comedy of Terrors (FILM) Jan. 22, 1964

The Magic Sword (FILM) Apr. 1, 1962

View all Basil Rathbone Credits

BIOGRAPHY

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Rathbone was an established stage star on both sides of the Atlantic before making his US film debut in 1924. With the emergence of sound his precise, clipped diction, combined with his suave, somewhat pointed features, confirmed him as Hollywood's debonair villain of choice, at home in both swashbucklers and drawing room fare. He played elegant, sardonic and thoroughly worthless characters in films such as 1935's "David Copperfield" (as Mr. Murdstone), 1938's "The Adventures of Robin Hood", opposite Errol Flynn, and 1940's "The Mark of Zorro", opposite Tyrone Power. Rathbone also won supporting Oscar nominations for his villainous Tybalt in George Cukor's version of "Romeo and Juliet" (1936) and as the scheming Louis XI in the Ronald Colman vehicle, "If I Were King" (1938). Capable of being stiff-upper-lip heroic as well, Rathbone is best remembered as Sherlock Holmes in two fine 1939 films--"The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"--which were followed by 12 popular but generally inferior variations on the same theme.

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