
Basil Rathbone
Known for Acting · 125 credits
- Born
- 1892-06-13
- Died
- 1967-07-21
- Place of birth
- Johannesburg, South African Republic
- Also known as
- Sir Basil Rathbone · Philip St. John Basil Rathbone · Бэзил Рэтбоун
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.
Known For
TV Shows (16)

The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self

Dr. Kildare
1961
as Frederick Foray

What's My Line?
1950
as Self

Studio One
1948
as Hazelton Crome

Burke's Law
1963
as Milo James

Lights Out
1949

The Jack Benny Program
1950
as Basil Rathbone

Suspense
1949
as Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / Sherlock Holmes
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Frampton / Sir Paul Maxim / Ambrose Wallington

Screen Director's Playhouse
1955
as Paul Charters

Your Show of Shows
1950

DuPont Show of the Month
1957
as Emperor

Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951
as Inquisitor / Dr. Boekman / Lord Beaconsfield / The Duke of York

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Self - Host / General Lee / The Jewel Thief
Summer Fun
1966
Tales from Dickens
1959
as Scrooge
Movies (109)

The Great Mouse Detective
1986
as Sherlock Holmes (voice)

The Adventures of Robin Hood
1938
as Sir Guy of Gisbourne
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991
as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (archive footage)

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
1949
as Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")

Bathing Beauty
1944
as George Adams

A Tale of Two Cities
1935
as Marquis St. Evremonde

Confession
1937
as Michael Michailow

Private Number
1936
as Thomas Wroxton

Dressed to Kill
1946
as Sherlock Holmes

Captain Blood
1935
as Levasseur

The Court Jester
1955
as Sir Ravenhurst

Crazy House
1943
as Sherlock Holmes

The Movie Orgy
1968
as Self (archival footage)

Son of Frankenstein
1939
as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein

Anna Karenina
1935
as Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin

We're No Angels
1955
as Andre Trochard

The Mark of Zorro
1940
as Captain Esteban Pasquale

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1939
as Sherlock Holmes

The Woman in Green
1945
as Sherlock Holmes

The Hound of the Baskervilles
1939
as Sherlock Holmes

David Copperfield
1935
as Mr. Edward Murdstone

Tovarich
1937
as Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko

The Last Days of Pompeii
1935
as Pontius Pilate

A Lady Surrenders
1930
as Carl Vandry

Love from a Stranger
1937
as Gerald Lovell

Above Suspicion
1943
as Sig von Aschenhausen

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon
1942
as Sherlock Holmes

Crossroads
1942
as Henri Sarrou

Heartbeat
1946
as Professor Aristide

Madhouse
1974
as Basil (archive footage)

Rhythm on the River
1940
as Oliver Courtney

Romeo and Juliet
1936
as Tybalt

The Adventures of Errol Flynn
2005
as Self / Various Roles (archive sound) (archive footage)

Sherlock Holmes Faces Death
1943
as Sherlock Holmes

The Magic Sword
1962
as Lodac

The House of Fear
1945
as Sherlock Holmes

Terror by Night
1946
as Sherlock Holmes

Casanova's Big Night
1954
as Lucio / Narrator

Rio
1939
as Paul Reynard

The Scarlet Claw
1944
as Sherlock Holmes

Pontius Pilate
1962
as Caiaphas

Pursuit to Algiers
1945
as Sherlock Holmes

If I Were King
1938
as Louis XI

The Horror Show
1979
as (archive footage)

Paris Calling
1941
as Andre Benoit

Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet
1965
as Prof. Hartman, Lunar 7

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror
1942
as Sherlock Holmes

Sin Takes a Holiday
1930
as Reginald 'Reggie' Durant

The Spider Woman
1943
as Sherlock Holmes

Fingers at the Window
1942
as Cesar Ferrari / Dr. H. Santelle

Tales of Terror
1962
as Carmichael ("The Case of M. Valdemar")

The Pearl of Death
1944
as Sherlock Holmes

The Last Hurrah
1958
as Norman Cass Sr.

A Woman Commands
1932
as Capt. Alex Pastitsch

The Dawn Patrol
1938
as Maj. Brand

The Wind in the Willows
1949
as Narrator (voice)

The Garden of Allah
1936
as Count Ferdinand Anteoni

The Black Cat
1941
as Montague Hartley

International Lady
1941
as Reggie Oliver

The Black Sleep
1956
as Sir Joel Cadman

The Comedy of Terrors
1964
as John F. Black

Kind Lady
1935
as Henry Abbott

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
1966
as Reginald Ripper

Tower of London
1939
as Richard - Duke of Gloucester

Dracula in the Movies
1992

A Feather in Her Hat
1935
as Captain Randolph Courtney

A Notorious Affair
1930
as Paul Gherardi

Queen of Blood
1966
as Dr. Farraday

The Horror of It All
1983
as Carmichael (archive footage)

A Christmas Carol
1954
as Marley's Ghost

Frenchman's Creek
1944
as Lord Rockingham

Breakdowns of 1938
1938
as Basil (archive footage) (uncredited)

The Lark
1957
as Chief Inquisitor

The Sun Never Sets
1939
as Clive Randolph

Sherlock Holmes in Washington
1943
as Sherlock Holmes

Hillbillys in a Haunted House
1967
as Gregor

This Mad World
1930
as Paul Parisot

Aladdin
1958
as Emperor

Make a Wish
1937
as Johnny Selden

Trouping with Ellen
1924
as Tony Winterslip

The Mad Doctor
1940
as Dr. George Sebastian / Dr. Langamann

A Christmas Carol
1959
as Scrooge

The Adventures of Marco Polo
1938
as Ahmed

Affair in Sumatra
1956
as Paul Charters

The Masked Bride
1925
as Antoine

The Bishop Murder Case
1929
as Philo Vance

Loyalties
1933
as Ferdinand de Levis

The School for Scandal
1923
as Joseph Surface

Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
1942
as Himself

The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes
1985
as Sherlock Holmes (archive footage)

Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates
1958
as Dr. Boekman

Autopsy of a Ghost
1968
as Canuto Pérez

In the Footsteps of Sherlock Holmes
1996

The Stingiest Man in Town
1956
as Ebenezer Scrooge

The Lady of Scandal
1930
as Edward
The General's Boots
1954
as General Lee

After the Ball
1932
as Jack Harrowby

Innocent
1921
as Amadis de Jocelyn

The Last of Mrs. Cheyney
1929
as Lord Arthur Dilling

The Great Deception
1926
as Rizzio

Two Before Zero
1962

Victoria Regina
1961
as Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli (Lord Beaconsfield)

The Flirting Widow
1930
as Col. Smith

Soldier in Love
1967
as Duke of York
The Fruitful Vine
1921
as Don Cesare Carelli

The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots
1924
as Undetermined Subordinate Role

One Precious Year
1933
as Derek Nagel
The Black Cat
1960
Mystic Prophecies and Nostradamus
1961
as Narrator
About 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 betw… With 125 credits spanning from 1921 to 2005, Basil Rathbone has appeared in 109 films and 16 TV shows.
Fans searching for Basil Rathbone movies, Basil Rathbone filmography, or the latest projects starring Basil Rathbone can stream many of these titles on HinFlix, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Basil Rathbone Movies
- The Great Mouse Detective (1986) — as Sherlock Holmes (voice)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) — as Sir Guy of Gisbourne
- Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook (1991) — as Baron Wolf von Frankenstein (archive footage)
- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) — as Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")
- Bathing Beauty (1944) — as George Adams
Where to Watch Basil Rathbone Films
Most Basil Rathbone movies and series are available to stream on HinFlix in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Basil Rathbone, check our movies catalogue and browse page.