Basil Rathbone's distinctive voice and clear diction made him a
popular narrator of stories, poems, and other "spoken word" recordings. I am
attempting to list here all the records which Basil Rathbone made during his lifetime.
Records have been made of some of the radio programs, especially many of the Sherlock
Holmes radio broadcasts,* but I do not include them here
because they were radio programs and are listed on the page of Rathbone's appearances on
radio. Some readers may
remember that I had the record "Aladdin" listed here. I decided to remove it
after having listened to the soundtrack of the Cole Porter musical, which aired on CBS
Television in 1958. Basil Rathbone played the part of the Emperor in the musical and the
Emperor has one song on the soundtrack, but George Hall sings the song instead of Basil
Rathbone. So, although Basil Rathbone's name is on the cover of the record, his voice is
not to be heard anywhere on it. Therefore I removed "Aladdin" from this list of
Basil Rathbone's recordings.
Look
for the sound button to find sound clips from some of Rathbone's
recordings. More will be added in the future. |
* Audiocassette tapes of many of the Sherlock Holmes
radio broadcasts starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce can be ordered online at
Amazon.com.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -
Five (5) record set, 16 rpm, Audio Books GL-611, 1958. Basil Rathbone reads "A Scandal
in Bohemia," "The Red-Headed League," "The Adventure of the Speckled
Band," and "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle." Complete
and unabridged readings. (More Sherlock Holmes
records are listed on page 3 under "Stories of Sherlock Holmes.")
To the right is a two-minute clip from "The Adventure of the Blue
Carbuncle." |
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Basil Rathbone Presenting, in conjunction with the
consort Players, a program of Elizabethan poetry and music in the Coolidge Auditorium,
Nov. 29-30, 1962 (sound recording), LWO 3891, recorded in 1962. Basil Rathbone, reader;
Helen Boatwright, soprano; Robert White, tenor; the Consort Players (6 musicians
performing on period instruments); Sydney Beck, director and musical arranger. Program
includes the spoken and sung texts.
Basil Rathbone Reading in the Coolidge Auditorium, March
23, 1952 (sound recording), LWO 1961, recorded in 1952. Basil Rathbone reads selections
from the works of Aubrey Beardsely, Francis Thompson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Rupert
Brooke, John Keats, Oscar Wilde, Percy Bysshe Shelley, A.E. Housman, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert Browning, William Shakespeare, and Stephen Vincent Benét, as well as
from the Bible.
A Christmas Carol, a dramatic version
starring Basil Rathbone as Scrooge. - 3 record
set, 78-rpm, Columbia Records M-521
Cast includes: Harlow Wilcox (Narrator),
Elliot Lewis (Fred), Jay Novello (Bob Cratchet), Arthur O. Bryan (Portly
Man/First Man), Raymond Lawrence (Marley's Ghost/Undertaker's Man),
Francis X. Bushman (Ghost of Christmas Past), Stuart Robertson
(Ghost of Christmas Present/2nd Man), Paula Winslowe (Mrs. Cratchet/
Charwoman), Dix Davis (Peter Cratchet), Lurene Tuttle (Martha Cratchet),
Tommy Cook (Tiny Tim), Walter Tetley (Boy).
A Christmas Carol, narrated by Basil Rathbone,
with carols by the Lyn Murray singers - 33-rpm
record, Harmony Columbia HL9523. Click on the links below to hear sound
clips from this album. |
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A Christmas Carol |
The Christmas Story in Carols |
The Christmas Story in Carols, with
Scripture read by Basil Rathbone. 33 rpm record, Westminster Hi-Fi
Records WP-6034, 1956. Below are a few selected tracks of Basil Rathbone
reading Scripture.
Co-Star: The Brothers Karamazov - The Record Acting
Game: You Act Scenes Opposite Basil Rathbone in scenes from The Brothers Karamazov,
Co-Star Records, Inc. CS-107. (Script is included with record so that the listener can
read along. Rathbone acts out one part, and then pauses for the listener to read his or
her part.)
Co-Star |
Dinosaurs! |
Dinosaurs! - A dramatic version of Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle's "The Lost World," featuring Basil Rathbone as Professor Challenger,
MGM's Leo the Lion Records CH-1016
Edgar Allan Poe, Poems and Tales, Vol. 1 - Caedmon TC
1028 (Basil Rathbone reads The Raven, Annabel Lee, Eldorado, To -- --, The Masque of the
Red Death, Alone, The City in the Sea, The Black Cat.)
Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. 2 - Caedmon TC 1115 (Basil
Rathbone reads The Cask of Amontillado, The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, The Pit and
the Pendulum.)
Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. 3 - Caedmon TC 1195 (Basil Rathbone
reads The Telltale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Bells, The Haunted Palace.)
Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. 1 |
Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. 2 |
Edgar Allan Poe, Vol. 3 |
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Edgar Allan Poe Soundbook - Caedmon Soundbook
SBC 106. Rathbone reads The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death,
The Pit and the Pendulum, The Telltale Heart, and The Fall of the House of Usher. Also
included is a reading by Vincent Price of The Gold Bug.
The Final Problem (Sherlock Holmes story read by Basil
Rathbone): recorded in 1958 by Audio Book Company Records (USA), and again in 1963 by
Caedmon Records (TC 1172).
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Great Themes in Poetry -
Poetry Album II (6 records, 78 rpm, Columbia 36481-36486, Set E11). Volume III of the Masterpieces
of Literature series, recorded under the auspices of the Committee for the
National Council of the Teachers of English. Themes explored are Romance, Escape, Death, Faith, Indignation,
Friendship, Love, Joy of Life, and more.
Hear Basil Rathbone read the poem "Invictus" by
William Ernest Henley: |
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Guided Tours of the World: Hong Kong. Book with
slides, and record narrated by Basil Rathbone. Part of the "Panorama Colorslide
Travel Program" produced by Columbia Record Club, 1962.
Guided Tours of the World: India. Book with slides, and
record narrated by Basil Rathbone. Part of the "Panorama Colorslide Travel
Program" produced by Columbia Record Club, 1962.
Hansel & Gretel - Basil Rathbone & Jane Powell,
adapted by Ralph Rose (4 record set, 78 rpm, Columbia Masterworks ML2055,
recorded in 1946). Single record, 33.3 rpm, recorded in 1949. Cast: Basil
Rathbone - Narrator, Witch; Jane Powell - Gretel; Ted Donaldson - Hansel;
Lurene Tuttle - Mother, Sandman; Frank Graham - Father; Rece Saxon - singing
voice of Hansel. Orchestra conducted by Carmen Dragon.
More Recordings by Basil Rathbone on Pages Two and Three!
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