The Basil Rathbone Gallery: Candid Photos

Most of the candid photos on these pages are ones that have been offered for sale on EBAY. In many cases I do not know where or when the photo was taken, or who else is in the picture. Where I do have information, I have written it below the photo. Please feel free to e-mail me to add or correct any information here.

Since there are several pages of candid photos, I have attempted to organize them in the following manner:

Ann Harding and Basil Rathbone taking a lunch break during filming of Love From a Stranger (1937)

Director Kurt Neumann and cinematographer John J. Mescall with Basil Rathbone and Leon Errol in a behind-the-scenes shot from Make a Wish (1937)

The cast of Tovarich (1937):
Charles Boyer, Isabel Jeans, unknown man, Heather Thatcher, and Basil Rathbone

Three candids from Anna Karenina (1935):

Basil Rathbone on the set of Anna Karenina

Behind the scenes photo with cameraman Bill Daniels and director Clarence Brown on the left,
and Greta Garbo and Basil Rathbone in the sleigh

As "husband" and "wife" in Anna Karenina Garbo and Basil Rathbone are caught off guard by the roving lens, as they indulge in an informal chat on the set while awaiting their next scene.
Photo by Grimes, MGM, 22 June 1935

Eight photos from the set of Romeo and Juliet (1936):

rehearsing with Fred Cavens	with fencing instructor Fred Cavens, rehearsing the duel with Mercutio for Romeo and Juliet
rehearsing with Fred Cavens	Rathbone takes a break during the filming of Romeo and Juliet
The cast at a reading of the script. From left: Edna May Oliver, George Cukor, Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, John Barrymore, Basil Rathbone, Violet Kemble-Cooper, William Henry, and Henry Kolker	left to right: John Masefield, George Cukor, Frances Marion, Hugh Walpole, Mrs. Masefield, John Barrymore, Leslie Howard, Irving Thalberg, Mrs. James Hilton, BR, James Hilton, and Reginald Denny
Reginald Denny, Ralph Forbes, and Basil Rathbone	Director George Cukor (extreme left) directs a scene with Reginald Denny, Leslie Howard and Basil Rathbone.

Fifteen candid pics from Confession (1937)

Rathbone rehearsing on the set of Confession
(photo by Madison Lacy)

a candid shot of Rathbone and Veda Ann Borg on the set of Confession

Rathbone making home movies of Jane Bryan on the set of Confession

Rathbone and Jane Bryan on the set of Confession

Rathbone lunches with Mary Maguire and Jane Bryan.

Laura Hope Crews, Helen Valkis, and Rathbone talk things over between scenes.

Rathbone tells Jane Bryan a story at the lunch table.

Joe May (in sweater) directing a rehearsal scene.

Rathbone and Jane Bryan in box with Director Joe May.

Jane Bryan laughing at one of Basil Rathbone's stories

Rathbone standing and pecking at a piano.

a behind-the-scenes shot of Basil playing the piano

Mary Maguire, Rathbone and Jane Bryan

Rathbone and Kay Francis

Rathbone and Jane Bryan rehearsing a scene.

*Seven candid photos from The Garden of Allah* (1936):**	David O. Selznick conferring on the set of The Garden of Allah. Around him are Willis Goldbeck (production assistant), Earl Wolcott (sound man), and Basil Rathbone.
Marlene Dietrich and Rathbone getting hair fixed for next scene in Garden of Allah	Basil Rathbone smiles as Marlene Dietrich combs his hair, but wait until he finds out that Director Boleslawski has cropped it meantime.
Marlene Dietrich, Richard Boleslawski, and Basil Rathbone	Basil Rathbone and Marlene Dietrich filming one another
Basil Rathbone and Marlene Dietrich	Basil Rathbone, Charles Boyer, Director Richard Boleslawski, Marlene Dietrich and Joseph Schildkraut enjoy dinner on the desert.

Fifteen images from the set of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938):

Basil and archery expert Howard Hill

Rathbone with Errol Flynn, who is wearing a costume for a jousting scene that was later cut from the film.

Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone looking over costume designs.

Basil loved to film home movies

Basil Rathbone, Una O'Connor and Olivia de Havilland

a photo of the cast

Basil Rathbone and Olivia de Havilland

Rathbone in costume

Patric Knowles, unknown crew member, Rathbone, and Melville Cooper

Olivia de Havilland and Basil Rathbone

Tony Gaudio (photographer wearing a pith helmet) watches as Basil Rathbone takes a photo of Patric Knowles and Errol Flynn.

Wounded by a spear during a mob scene, Basil Rathbone gets his foot bandaged by the studio surgeon (Ardon Faught).

Basil Rathbone and Olivia de Havilland

Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn

*Seven candid photos from If I Were King* (1938):**	A young man with a new twist in the art of autograph-seeking rolled into Hollywood in a car worth little more than a few dollars, but when he left town the car was worth more than a thousand. Jack Pinney, the enterprising youth, parked by day in front of Paramount studio, collecting autographs from many famous stars in Hollywood. Here Jack is shown getting the signature of Basil Rathbone dressed as King Louis XI for his role in If I Were King.
In rehearsal, producer-director Frank Lloyd, beside camera, prepares Frances Dee, Basil Rathbone , and Walter Kingsford for a scene in Paramount's If I Were King.	Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone, Estelle Farnum, William Farnum. Estelle, the 13-year-old niece of William Farnum, was visiting the studio.
Basil Rathbone takes home movies of Ronald Colman	left to right: Director Frank Lloyd, Lester Matthews, William Farnum, Ronald Colman, Basil Rathbone, and Walter Kingsford photo by Eugene Robert Richie
Basil Rathbone takes home movies of Ralph Forbes and Jean Fenwick on the set of the film If I Were King.	William Farnum, Montague Love, Frank Lloyd, Frances Dee, Lester Matthews, Walter Kingsford and Basil Rathbone

The cast of Son of Frankenstein celebrate Boris Karloff's birthday (November 1938), plus other candid photos from the set of Son of Frankenstein (1939):

Basil, director Rowland Lee, and Karloff

Basil, Karloff and Bela Lugosi

Basil and Boris

Boris and Basil eating birthday cake

Basil, director Rowland Lee, Bela Lugosi and Karloff

Basil and Boris

Boris Karloff, director Rowland Lee, Bela Lugosi and Rathbone

Basil, director Rowland Lee, Bela Lugosi and Karloff

Basil and director Rowland Lee

Bela Lugosi, Basil and director Rowland Lee

Part of Basil's face can be seen on the right.

Bela Lugosi, Rathbone and Boris Karloff having a conference with director Rowland Lee

Lionel Atwill, Josephine Hutchinson and Basil Rathbone

Rathbone and Donnie Dunagan

Rathbone, Karloff and Donnie Dunagan

*Thirteen photos from The Sun Never Sets* (1939)**	Rathbone and Douglas Fairbanks reading a newspaper between scenes
BR (seated), Virginia Field and John Burton go over the script of Universal's The Sun Never Sets.	On the set of The Sun Never Sets
The cast of The Sun Never Sets: Melville Cooper, Doug Fairbanks Jr., Barbara O'Neill, and Basil Rathbone	Rathbone, Barbara O'Neill, Melville Cooper, and Doug Fairbanks, Jr.
Whatever it is they are talking about, BR, Barbara O'Neil and Doug Fairbanks seem to be highly amused as they chat between scenes.	Producer-director Rowland V. Lee goes over some new scenes with the cast of Universal's The Sun Never Sets, while working on the African Gold Coast location about 20 miles from Hollywood. Left to right in the picture are BR, Lee, Ramsay Hill (technical adviser), script girl, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Barbara O'Neill and Melville Cooper.
BR horsing around with makeup man.	Basil Rathbone with a dog. Is it Moritza?
Basil Rathbone and Barbara O'Neill caught in an unguarded moment by the cameraman making pets of a goat and its two babies while on location for The Sun Never Sets.	A goat and her two babies proved the center of attraction for Basil Rathbone and Barbara O'Neil during the time they were on location for exterior scenes of The Sun Never Sets.
Film stars make pets of baby goats! Basil Rathbone and Barbara O'Neil "adopted" two baby goats as their pets during the time they spent on location filming exterior scenes for The Sun Never Sets. However, whenever the stars were playing with the "youngsters," old mama goat was right on hand to see that the kids were handled gently.	Barbara O'Neill and Basil Rathbone relax between scenes while filming on location, which is about 20 miles from Hollywood.