Biography/Filmography of Basil Rathbone

The perfect gift for Xmas or a treat for your self if you've not already read more about Basil. In his auto-biography, read his thoughts on his role as Sherlock Holmes, about his feelings for his friend Nigel Bruce and how sad he felt at the news of his death. Available now, just click here

cover

Main | Pictures

Click here to buy available Sherlock Holmes DVD/Video/Books/Radio Mysteries !!!


Real name
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone

Date of birth (location)
1892,Johannesburg, South Africa

Date of death (details)
21 July1967, New York, New York, USA. (heart attack)

Mini biography

Originally one of the screen's ablest of swordsmen and most wretched of villains, he later "broke the mold" in stylizing and defining for all time the screen character of Conan Doyle's immortal detective, Sherlock Holmes.


Spouse
Marion Foreman (Oct. - 1926) (divorced), one son, Rodion
Ouida Bergere (1926) one adopted daughter, Cynthia (1939-1969)

Trivia

Ouida died 29, November 1974 at the age of 88


Other works
"Svengali and the Blonde" (30 July 1955), as Svengali

"Baffling World of ESP, The" (16 June 1966), as Narrator

"Suspense" (1949), as Sherlock Holmes (ep. Adventure of the Black Baronet, The (26/5/53)

Biography (print)

"In and Out of Character" - autobiography, Doubleday, 1962 "Basil Rathbone: His Life and His Films" - Michael B. Druxman, A.S. Barnes & Co., 1975

Basil Rathbone Filmography

  1. Autopsia de un fantasma (1967) .... Canuto Perez
    ... aka Autopsy of a Ghost (1967)
  2. Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967) .... Gregor
  3. Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, The (1966) .... Reginald Ripper
  4. Queen of Blood (1966) .... Dr. Farraday
    ... aka Planet of Blood (1966)
  5. Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965) .... Prof. Hartman
    ... aka Prehistoric Planet (1965)
    ... aka Voyage to a Prehistoric Planet (1965)
  6. Comedy of Terrors, The (1963) .... John F. Black
    ... aka Graveside Story, The (1963)
  7. Magic Sword, The (1962) .... Lodac
  8. Ponzio Pilato (1962) .... Caiaphas
    ... aka Ponce Pilate (1962) (French title)
    ... aka Pontius Pilate (1962)
  9. Tales of Terror (1962) .... Carmichael
    ... aka Poe's Tales of Terror (1962)
  10. Two Before Zero (1962) .... Narrator
    ... aka Russian Roulette (1962)
  11. Victoria Regina (1961) (TV) .... Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli


  12. Last Hurrah, The (1958) .... Norman Cass
  13. Court Jester, The (1956) .... Sir Ravenhurst
  14. Black Sleep, The (1956) .... Sir Joel Cadman
    ... aka Dr. Cadman's Secret (1962) (US reissue title)
  15. We're No Angels (1955) .... Andre Trochard
  16. Casanova's Big Night (1954) .... Lucio
  17. "Your Lucky Clue" (1952) TV Series .... Emcee


  18. Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, The (1949) (voice) .... Narrator
    ... aka Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
    ... aka Madcap Adventures of Mr. Toad, The (1949)
  19. Terror by Night (1946) .... Sherlock Holmes
  20. Dressed to Kill (1946) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Code (1946)
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes in Dressed to Kill (1946)
  21. Heartbeat (1946) .... Professor Aristide
  22. House of Fear, The (1945) .... Sherlock Holmes
  23. Pursuit to Algiers (1945) .... Sherlock Holmes
  24. Woman in Green, The (1945) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes and the Woman in Green (1945)
  25. Frenchman's Creek (1944) .... Lord Rockingham
  26. Bathing Beauty (1944) .... George Adams
  27. Pearl of Death, The (1944) .... Sherlock Holmes
  28. Scarlet Claw, The (1944) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes and the Scarlet Claw (1944)
  29. Spider Woman (1944) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman (1944)
  30. Above Suspicion (1943) .... Sig von Aschenhausen
  31. Crazy House (1943) .... Guest
  32. Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943) .... Sherlock Holmes
  33. Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943) .... Sherlock Holmes
  34. Crossroads (1942) .... Henri Sarrou
  35. Fingers at the Window (1942) .... Cesar Ferrari, alias Dr. Santelle
  36. Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 6 (1942) .... Himself
  37. Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1942) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Secret Weapon (1942)
  38. Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes Saves London (1942) (working title)
    ... aka Voice of Terror (1942)
  39. Black Cat, The (1941) .... Hartley
  40. International Lady (1941) .... Reggie Oliver
  41. Mad Doctor, The (1941) .... Dr. George Sebastian
    ... aka Date with Destiny, A (1941)
  42. Paris Calling (1941) .... Benoit
  43. Mark of Zorro, The (1940) .... Captain Esteban Pasquale
  44. Rhythm on the River (1940) .... Oliver Courtney


  45. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) .... Sherlock Holmes
    ... aka Sherlock Holmes (1939)
  46. Son of Frankenstein (1939) .... Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
  47. Hound of the Baskervilles, The (1939) .... Sherlock Holmes
  48. Rio (1939) .... Paul Reynard
  49. Sun Never Sets, The (1939) .... Clive Randolph
  50. Tower of London (1939) .... Duke of Gloucester (King Richard III)
  51. Adventures of Marco Polo, The (1938) .... Ahmed
  52. Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938) ....
  53. Dawn Patrol, The (1938) .... Major Brand
  54. If I Were King (1938) (S:AAN) .... King Louis XI
  55. Confession (1937) .... Michael Michailow
  56. Love from a Stranger (1937) .... Gerald Lovell
  57. Make a Wish (1937) .... Selden
  58. Tovarich (1937) .... Gorotchenko
  59. Garden of Allah, The (1936) .... Count Anteoni
  60. Kind Lady (1936) .... Henry Abbott
    ... aka House of Menace (1936)
  61. Private Number (1936) .... Wroxton
    ... aka Secret Interlude (1936)
  62. Romeo and Juliet (1936) .... Tybalt
  63. Tale of Two Cities, A (1935) .... Marquis St. Evremonde
  64. Last Days of Pompeii, The (1935) .... Pontius Pilate
  65. Anna Karenina (1935) .... Alexei Karenin
  66. Captain Blood (1935) .... Captain Levasseur
  67. David Copperfield (1935) .... Mr. Murdstone
  68. Feather in Her Hat, A (1935) .... Captain Courtney
  69. After the Ball (1933) .... Jack Harrowby
  70. Loyalties (1933) .... Ferdinand de Levis
  71. One Precious Year (1933) .... Derek Nagel
  72. Woman Commands, A (1932) .... Captain Alex Pasitsch
  73. Lady Surrenders, A (1930) .... Carl Vandry
  74. Flirting Widow, The (1930) .... Colonel Smith
  75. Bishop Murder Case, The (1930) .... Philo Vance
  76. Lady of Scandal, The (1930) .... Edward
    ... aka High Road, The (1930)
  77. Notorious Affair, A (1930) .... Paul Gherardi
  78. Sin Takes a Holiday (1930) .... Reginald Durant
  79. This Mad World (1930) .... Paul


  80. Last of Mrs. Cheyney, The (1929) .... Lord Arthur Dilling
  81. Great Deception, The (1926) .... Rizzio
  82. Masked Bride, The (1925) .... Antoine
  83. Trouping with Ellen (1924) .... Tony Winterslip
  84. Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots, The (1923) .... Bit Part
  85. School for Scandal, The (1923/II) .... Joseph Surface
  86. Fruitful Vine, The (1921) .... Don Cesare Carelli
  87. Innocent (1921) .... Amadis de Jocelyn

Notable TV guest appearances

  1. "Hallmark Hall of Fame" (1952) in episode: "Hans Brinker" 9/2/1958
  2. "U.S. Steel Hour, The" (1953) in episode: "Huck Finn" 20/11/1957
  3. "Suspense" (1949) playing "Sherlock Holmes" in episode: "Adventure of the Black Baronet, The" 26/5/1953
  4. "Jack Benny Program, The" (1950) playing "Himself" 1/4/1951
  5. "Suspense" (1949) playing "Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde" in episode: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 1951

Main | Pictures

Click here to buy available Sherlock Holmes DVD/Video/Books/Radio Mysteries !!!

Gregory Goldsmith
Bringing you Basil as Sherlock since 25th September 1997
Preston, England

Pleaseme g_goldsmith@yahoo.com 1