The Basil Rathbone Gallery: Candid Photos

Six photos from the set of Tower of London (1939):

Basil Rathbone and hairdresser Helen Stoeffler

Vincent Price, Ian Hunter and Basil Rathbone chat in between scenes

Boris Karloff chats with Rathbone and his son Rodion

Rathbone, dressed as Richard III (Tower of London) visits Marlene Dietrich on the set of Destry Rides Again

A photo of the cast and crew of Tower of London. Rathbone is kissing somebody's hand.

Basil with his two young costars Donny Dunagan and Joan Carroll

*Seven photos from the set of The Dawn Patrol* (1939):**	Rathbone the photographer
Rathbone and Errol Flynn	Rathbone and son Rodian
Basil and Rodion Rathbone	Basil and Rodion Rathbone
On the set of The Dawn Patrol (with Errol Flynn)	Donald Crisp, Rathbone, Errol Flynn, David Niven

A candid from The Mark of Zorro (1940):

Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone, Rouben Mamoulian, J. Edward Bromberg

A candid from Bathing Beauty (1944):

Basil Rathbone and Red Skelton chatting with some of the female cast members.

A candid from Paris Calling (1941):

Basil Rathbone and Elizabeth Bergner

Four candids from the make-up department on the set of International Lady (1941):

First, a putty nose ...	then a wig ...
then a moustache ...	and behold! Make-up artist Don Cash has transformed Basil Rathbone.

Six candids taken on the set of The Mad Doctor (1940):

Rathbone, Ellen Drew, and director Tim Whelan on the set of The Mad Doctor

When Sabu, the "Elephant Boy" of Korda films, visited Hollywood recently, he was invited to the set of Paramount's The Mad Doctor by Director Tim Whelan, an old friend of the actor. Coconuts were on stage for a bazaar scene, so Sabu introduced Basil Rathbone, Ellen Drew and Whelan to his favorite delicacy, fresh coconut. Paramount photo by C. Kenneth Lobben, 1941.

When Basil Rathbone and Director Tim Whelan sought to exercise a little hypnotism on Ellen Drew on the set, it backfired. To insure her concentration the two experimenters bite her hands. Paramount photo by Talmage Morrison

Sunshine Girls--Virginia Field, at right, current holder of the title of the "Sunshine Girl," from El Paso, Texas, visits Basil Rathbone on the set of Paramount's "A Date with Destiny." She was brought to the studio by Bessie Patterson, her predecessor as the "Sunshine Girl."

Samuel Whitting Lewis, from Farrel, PA, met Basil Rathbone at his dressing room on the set of The Mad Doctor, Paramount Studio, 1940.

Ellen Drew won't be so peaceful, or so pretty, if Basil Rathbone really lets go with that cupful of water.

Two candids on the set of Rhythm on the River (1940): Allan Jones, Basil Rathbone, Mary Martin, Irene Hervey (?)	Two candids on the set of Fingers at the Window (1942): Basil Rathbone with Lew Ayres and director Charles Lederer on the set of Fingers at the Window
Oscar Levant, Basil Rathbone, and Bing Crosby on the set of Rhythm on the River	Rathbone with Lorraine Day, cameraman Harry Stradling and director Charles Lederer of Fingers at the Window

Three candid photos from the set of The Black Cat (1941):

Basil Rathbone and Anne Gwynne

The cast of The Black Cat with Gloria Jean, a young actress who was under contract to Universal. She was apparently visiting the set of The Black Cat.

Anne Gwynne, Erville Alderson and Basil Rathbone

Two candids on the set of Frenchman's Creek (1944):

Basil Rathbone and Joan Fontaine rehearsing a scene. Director Mitchell Leisen stands on the left.

Director Mitchell Leisen, Basil Rathbone and Joan Fontaine on the set of Frenchman's Creek

Candids from various Sherlock Holmes films:

On the set of The Hound of the Baskervilles, director Sidney Lanfield enjoying a laugh with stars Nigel Bruce and Basil Rathbone

On the set of The Hound of the Baskervilles. Left to right: Lionel Atwill (Dr. Mortimer), Richard Greene (Sir Henry); Nigel Bruce (Watson), unknown, unknown, Basil Rathbone (Holmes)

A behind-the-scenes shot on the set of The Hound of the Baskervilles.

On the set of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

On the set of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Nigel Bruce, George Zucco and Basil Rathbone with an unknown man and woman.

Basil Rathbone and Ida Lupino study their lines between takes on The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce taking a tea break during filming of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Basil Rathbone, unidentified woman, Nigel Bruce

Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce and technical director Tom McKnight
(Sherlock Holmes scholar Tom McKnight was married to Edith Meiser, author of many of the Sherlock Holmes stories presented on radio in the 1930s and 1940s. McKnight also produced the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1940-1941)

Nigel Bruce, Basil Rathbone and Evelyn Ankers on the set of The Voice of Terror, 1942

Rathbone and unidentified woman on the set of one of the 1945 Sherlock Holmes films at Universal.

Basil Rathbone with Director Roy William Neill (on right) and a sound technician on the set of one of the 1945 Sherlock Holmes films at Universal.

Rathbone and unidentified man on the set of one of the 1945 Sherlock Holmes films at Universal.

Rathbone and Bruce with Patricia Morison, on the set of Dressed to Kill

Rathbone and Bruce with Patricia Morison, Dressed to Kill

Rathbone and Bruce with Patricia Morison, on the set of Dressed to Kill

Rathbone and Bruce with Patricia Morison, Dressed to Kill

Rathbone learning to play the violin from David Miller, studio coach
Universal Studios, 1946

Rathbone and Bruce

Rathbone with Kay Harding, on the set of The Scarlet Claw, 1944

Candid photos from other films

Four candids on the set of Heartbeat (1946):

Director Sam Wood and cameraman Joe Valentine watch Ginger Rogers and Basil Rathbone rehearse a scene.
Director Sam Wood and cameraman Joe Valentine watch Ginger Rogers and Basil Rathbone rehearse a scene.

Director Sam Wood, Ginger Rogers, Basil Rathbone, and Mikhail Rasumny
Director Sam Wood with Ginger Rogers and Basil Rathbone

Three candids on the set of The Black Sleep (1956):

On the set of The Black Sleep, make-up artists George and Gordon Bau check the face of Cadman's surgery victim while Rathbone (right) and director Reginald LeBorg (left) look on.

Rathbone with costars and director of The Black Sleep. Also in photo are make-up artists George and Gordon Bau.

Bela Lugosi (center) is welcomed back to Hollywood by co-actors Basil Rathbone (left) and Lon Chaney Jr. (right) to appear in The Black Sleep. Lugosi, who just prior to returning to Hollywood had recovered from an addiction to narcotics, was given a black, leather-bound script book bearing his long list of screen credits by the producers, cast and crew of the horror film.

Five pics from Court Jester (1956):

Rathbone having lunch with Angela Lansbury and Glynis Johns	Basil Rathbone and Angela Lansbury take a lunch break during filming of The Court Jester.
Basil Rathbone rehearses with one of the little people.	Rathbone flirts with his co-star Angela Lansbury.
Basil Rathbone and Danny Kaye rehearsing a sword fight. According to expert swordsman, Rathbone, Danny was one of his most talented opponents.

Three candid photos from Tales of Terror (1962):

Vincent Price and Rathbone on the set of Tales of Terror

Rathbone gets hypnotism lessons to help him prepare for his role in Tales of Terror.

Rathbone watches as Vincent Price is made up for scene in Tales of Terror

Peter Lorre sits on Rathbone's lap on the set of The Comedy of Terrors (1963).	Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Vincent Price on the set of The Comedy of Terrors (1963)
Rathbone shows a prop to Estelle Winwood and producer Bert I. Gordon on the set of The Magic Sword (1962)	Rathbone with Boris Karloff, and Francis X. Bushman on the set of The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)