Basil Rathbone

The English actor who played Holmes in fourteen Hollywood films.

Basil Rathbone (1892 to 1967) was an English actor whose most famous role was Sherlock Holmes in fourteen Hollywood films made between 1939 and 1946 and in a radio series.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Philip St. John Basil Rathbone
Born: 13 June 1892
Birthplace: Johannesburg, South African Republic (present-day South Africa)
Died: 21 July 1967
Place of death: New York City, US
Resting place: Ferncliff Cemetery Shrine of Memories, Hartsdale, New York, US
Citizenship: United Kingdom
Years active: 1911–1967

Facts from the source article.

Background

He was born in Johannesburg in the South African Republic and raised in Derbyshire, where he went to Repton School. His family fled to Britain when he was three, after the Boers accused his father of being a spy.

Rathbone first made his name as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films. He often played suave villains, such as Mr. Murdstone in David Copperfield and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood.

In 1948 he shared the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.