A portrait of Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone

Acting

Born

June 13, 1892

Place of Birth

Johannesburg, South African Republic

Deceased

July 21, 1967

Biography

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.

The Filmography

We respect your privacy

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, customize content to match your preferences, and analyze how you interact with our platform. Essential cookies ensure the site functions correctly, while others help us improve performance and security.

By clicking "Accept", you agree to the use of all cookies. You can select "Manage" to control your cookie preferences and decide which ones to enable. For complete information, visit our Cookies Policy.