Basil Rathbone - Actor Profile

Basil Rathbone

50Movies
8.7 Best Rating

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.

Top Rated Movies

Complete Filmography & Verdicts

YearMovieCharacterRatingVerdict
2005 The Adventures of Errol Flynn Self / Various Roles (archive sound) (archive footage) ★ 7.8 Super Hit
1986 The Great Mouse Detective Sherlock Holmes (voice) ★ 7.0 Hit
1985 The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes (archive footage) ★ 7.0 Hit
1983 The Horror of It All Carmichael (archive footage) ★ 8.0 Super Hit
1974 Madhouse Basil (archive footage) ★ 6.2 Average
1968 The Movie Orgy Self (archival footage) ★ 6.3 Average
1964 The Comedy of Terrors John F. Black ★ 6.5 Hit
1962 Tales of Terror Carmichael ("The Case of M. Valdemar") ★ 6.6 Hit
1962 Pontius Pilate Caiaphas ★ 6.4 Average
1959 A Christmas Carol Scrooge ★ 8.7 Super Hit
1958 The Last Hurrah Norman Cass Sr. ★ 7.2 Hit
1955 The Court Jester Sir Ravenhurst ★ 7.2 Hit
1955 We're No Angels Andre Trochard ★ 7.2 Hit
1954 A Christmas Carol Marley's Ghost ★ 6.6 Hit
1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows") ★ 6.5 Hit
1949 The Wind in the Willows Narrator (voice) ★ 6.7 Hit
1946 Dressed to Kill Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.6 Hit
1946 Terror by Night Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.5 Hit
1945 Pursuit to Algiers Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.8 Hit
1945 The Woman in Green Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.4 Average
1945 The House of Fear Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.8 Hit
1944 The Pearl of Death Sherlock Holmes ★ 7.1 Hit
1944 The Scarlet Claw Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.9 Hit
1943 The Spider Woman Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.9 Hit
1943 Sherlock Holmes Faces Death Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.9 Hit
1943 Sherlock Holmes in Washington Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.7 Hit
1942 Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.4 Average
1942 Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.5 Hit
1941 International Lady Reggie Oliver ★ 6.5 Hit
1941 The Black Cat Montague Hartley ★ 6.4 Average
1940 The Mad Doctor Dr. George Sebastian / Dr. Langamann ★ 6.2 Average
1940 The Mark of Zorro Captain Esteban Pasquale ★ 7.1 Hit
1940 Rhythm on the River Oliver Courtney ★ 6.8 Hit
1939 The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes ★ 6.9 Hit
1939 The Hound of the Baskervilles Sherlock Holmes ★ 7.1 Hit
1939 Son of Frankenstein Baron Wolf von Frankenstein ★ 6.7 Hit
1938 The Dawn Patrol Maj. Brand ★ 6.8 Hit
1938 If I Were King Louis XI ★ 6.8 Hit
1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood Sir Guy of Gisbourne ★ 7.5 Super Hit
1937 Tovarich Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko ★ 6.2 Average
1936 Romeo and Juliet Tybalt ★ 6.2 Average
1936 Private Number Thomas Wroxton ★ 6.6 Hit
1935 Captain Blood Levasseur ★ 7.2 Hit
1935 A Tale of Two Cities Marquis St. Evremonde ★ 6.8 Hit
1935 Kind Lady Henry Abbott ★ 6.6 Hit
1935 A Feather in Her Hat Captain Randolph Courtney ★ 6.8 Hit
1935 Anna Karenina Alexei Alexandrovitch Karenin ★ 6.5 Hit
1935 David Copperfield Mr. Edward Murdstone ★ 6.6 Hit
1932 A Woman Commands Capt. Alex Pastitsch ★ 8.0 Super Hit
1930 This Mad World Paul Parisot ★ 7.0 Hit