photo from "The Hound of the Baskervilles," copyright 20th
Century Fox
This website exists to honor one of Hollywood's greatest screen and
stage actors: Basil Rathbone. Perhaps best known for his portrayal of
Sherlock Holmes in the 1930s and 1940s, Rathbone gave outstanding performances in many, many
other films as well. Rathbone also appeared in many plays, and his voice could be heard in
numerous radio broadcasts and recordings.
New this
month: A new page that
tells all about Ouida Bergere Rathbone, Basil's second wife.
The schedule of
Basil Rathbone films being shown on TV in May is on the
Schedule page.
Photo of the Month
Basil and Ouida Rathbone
The May issue of Bright Lights Film Journal is featuring a wonderful article
on Basil Rathbone, written by Eddie Selover:
The Strange Case of Basil Rathbone Enjoy!
Join more than 1100 followers on this Basil Rathbone Blog:
Michael Druxman's biography of Basil Rathbone is once
again available to buy!
Michael Druxman's book is well-researched and
well-written--a "must have" for every Basil Rathbone fan. The book traces the
fascinating life of the actor and provides detailed descriptions of all of Rathbone's
films, including cast, credits, critics' reviews and production notes. Out-of-print for
more than thirty-five years, Michael Druxman’s book is once again available
for purchase.
This new reprint edition mirrors the original 1975 biography/filmography,
including its more than 250 rare photographs, and also contains a new
Introduction by the author.
Sherlock Holmes & the Fabulous Faces: The Universal Pictures Repertory Company
is a tribute to the men and women who were part of Universal's
repertory company. Author Michael A. Hoey discusses the lives and
careers of the many character actors and actresses who supported Basil
Rathbone and Nigel Bruce in the 12 Holmes films made at Universal
between 1942 and 1946. These players graced hundreds of films with
their diversified performances.
Michael A. Hoey is a film and television writer, director
and producer. He is also the son of British actor Dennis Hoey, who
played the unforgettable Inspector Lestrade in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series.
Check out this wonderful
video montage of
Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes, made by Julie, the Ravin' Maven of
Classic Film.
Spotted on YouTube: Someone with way too much time on his or
her hands has recreated the final duel between Robin Hood and Sir Guy
of Gisbourne (from The Adventures of Robin Hood) using LEGO figures!
It's very cleverly done.
Click here to see it (opens in new window).
Rathbone fans as well as Charles Dickens fans can
finally see the long lost 1956 musical adaptation of Charles
Dickens' story "A Christmas Carol." The Stingiest Man in Town starred Basil Rathbone as
Scrooge. See Fred Guida's Charles Dickens blog (http://charlesdickensonscreen.com/?page_id=17) for more
details. Don't miss Fred Guida's tribute to Basil Rathbone:
http://charlesdickensonscreen.com/?p=224
Features of this website:
Click here for a description of the icons in the left column, which
represent the pages of this website, and LINKS to other interesting
Sherlock Holmes and Basil Rathbone sites. You can search for particular words or phrases
using the search tool below.
Links to film reviews can be found on the Films
page. Reviews without pictures are old ones to which I plan to add pictures as
soon as possible. Most recent film review: the 1935 film Kind Lady.
Visit the
Potpourri section of this site for "Ode to Basil" and other poems
written about Rathbone, as well as "Leaving
Baker Street" -- an article by Andy Demsky.
I'm happy to receive your comments or suggestions by e-mail, but
please put something in the subject line to indicate that your message
is a Rathbone-related question or comment. Like many other people, I am
inundated by junk mail. I will not open e-mails with nothing in the
subject line, or something like "Hi," "Hello," or "Hi there."
Thanks,
Marcia
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received a virus or other objectionable e-mail (porn, spam) from me?
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Acknowledgments
I am deeply appreciative of the many people who have given me
information about Basil Rathbone, shared personal stories, inspired me,
and helped me build up my Rathbone collection. Among them are David M, Greg,
Joanna, Simon, Debbie, Mary, John, Lisa, David C, and Anthony. Many THANKS for all you've done and
continue to do!