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     Philip St. John Basil Rathbone was born in Johannesburg, South Africa on June 13, 1892. His father, Edgar Philip Rathbone was a mining engineer of English/Scotch ancestry. His mother, Anna Barbara Rathbone was an accomplished violinist. She was born in Ireland to Anglo-Irish parents. At that time, sister Beatrice was his only other sibling. All in all, the Rathbone's were a close-knit family.

     The Boer war proved to be a trying time for the Rathbones. His father, Edgar, was suspected of spying for the British during the war and there was some danger for the family. The Rathbones were forced to flee when illness suddenly overtook them.  After a bout with typhoid fever in Durban, the Rathbones eventually left South Africa for England. There, they took up residence in London. Later, Basil's brother John was born.

     Life went on and Basil continued his education at Repton School. His studies included music and debating. There, he learned to play the violin. After graduating from Repton, Rathbone would later take an uninspiring office job in Liverpool to please his father. Although Rathbone was precocious and dreamed of a life on stage, it was felt that young Basil should not pursue such a whimsical and quixotic career as acting! Luckily, however, Rathbone met with his distinguished cousin and actor Frank Benson. Benson was the founder of the Stratford-Upon-Avon Shakespeare festival.

     Inspired, and in-tune-with-the-times, Rathbone was seriously interested in becoming a Shakespearean actor. With Benson, he gained a lot of important repertory experience. On stage, he learned the basics of diction, deportment and proper make-up techniques. In addition, he became a reputable fencer. Memorable experiences include parts in: The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, Taming of the Shrew, Henry V, Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Wives of Windsor and others too numerous to mention.

     On stage, he met actress Ethel Marion Foreman and they were soon married. In 1915, they had a son named Rodion.  Unsettled times gave way to the advent of the First World War. By his own request, Rathbone was assigned to the Liverpool Scottish regiment. For his distinguished service, Basil was awarded the Military Cross in 1918. Unfortunately, however, his brother John was killed during the war. When the war ended, Rathbone was plagued with sadness, uncertainty and a loss of sense of direction. His marriage to Marion Foreman disintegrated and they were separated for some years.

     Rathbone continued his work on stage. Finally, he attracted the attention of producer and director, Maurice Elvey. For the first time, Rathbone had "a go" at the motion pictures. A second interesting silent film, The Fruitful Vine, was produced in 1921. The plot entwined around a love triangle. By 1923, his continuous accomplishments finally lead him to New York City where he starred in Ferenc Molnar's comedy, The Swan. Critic John Corbin of the New York Times wrote him a raving review. The play was a tremendous success. Soon, thereafter, Rathbone was invited to attend a party thrown by Ouida Bergere in Great Neck, Long Island. This event was to forever change his life. Ouida, who had been following Rathbone's career, immediately took notice of him. A divorced Hollywood scriptwriter, she was the former wife of director George FitzMaurice. After an intense courtship, Basil and Ouida finally married in 1926.

     Rathbone's next eventful film success occurred when he was offered the memorable opportunity to star as Mr. Murdstone in the screen version of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield. The stellar cast included Freddie Bartholomew, Maureen O'Sullivan, W.C. Fields and Lionel Barrymore. This picture was released in 1935. Following David Copperfield, Rathbone then portrayed Karenin in Anna Karenina. This proved to be one of his best developed roles. Other film opportunities were soon to follow. After a distinguished acting career in a variety of screen roles which saw Rathbone starring in Robin Hood (1938), The Dawn Patrol (1938), and Son of Frankenstein (1939), he suddenly received an offer to play Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), a Twentieth Century-Fox Production.

     Basil Rathbone fit the literary description typecast by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Doyle Holmes was over six feet, lean with ectomorphic features and an aquiline profile. Well suited for the role of the detective from 221B Baker Street, Rathbone, who possessed an unequivocal dramatic voice and an enigmatic smile, was unmatched by any previous actor who portrayed Sherlock Holmes. Rathbone, as Holmes, instantaneously became quite famous. More than likely, Rathbone's 1939 roles in The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes saw his most authentic performances. Each of these films provides breath-taking performances with unforgettable characters in quaint roles. We, the viewer are introduced to Mary Gordon as Mrs. Hudson and Nigel Bruce as the comical Dr. Watson. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, the viewer enjoys the sincerity of Lionel Atwill and the eccentric mannerisms of E.E. Clive. But in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, we see a heroic Holmes carrying an exhausted Ida Lupino, exclaiming all the while, "Poor charge, she's fainted." Unfortunately, Twentieth Century-Fox dropped any further productions of Sherlock Holmes with Rathbone.

     Luckily, nearby Universal Studios decided to continue the film series. There was some period updating however, that the Studios considered refreshing. The changes were not always appropriate to the Doyle spirit. Some of the most criticized productions were cast against the backdrop of World War II. These films had their interesting moments though. The Secret Weapon (1942) sees a coldly rational Prof. Moriarty objectively attempt to "liquidate" Holmes without much success.   A touch of romance is also woven into the plot with Kaaren Verne as Charlotte Eberli and William Post, Jr., as Dr. Tobel. Another film, Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943), features a typical 1940’s American style engagement party with Marjorie Lord as Nancy Partridge and John Archer as Lt. Peter Merriam. Comedy is also offered when Thurston Hall, as Senator Babcock, demonstrates patronizing conviviality mixed with a touch of foolishness. Well, is this the way things really are in Washington? These films also unfortunately portray the retrogressive American social situation so typical during the war. Pointedly, the jaded residualism often portrayed in many Hollywood manuscripts from the silverscreen would foreshadow the resulting political repression of the 1950's, and influence change in the emerging social revolution of the 1960's! Clearly, here, one era engenders the next one! Therefore, wisdom and understanding are important required judgments when perusing and scrutinizing some of the antediluvian plotlines and antiquated characterizations presented in these films which, of course, reflect their era!

     In Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943), we rehearse the lines of the Musgrave Ritual. Basil Rathbone rescues Hillary Brooke, as Sally Musgrave, when a lightening bolt penetrates a window to strike a nearby medieval suit of armor. In the exciting scene, Holmes is revealed as dashing and gallant!  With humor abound, he literally sweeps Sally away from the path of the electrical bolt and saves her from a bizarre death! All this flurry, and we are introduced to The Scarlet Claw (1944) which takes place in a fictional village called La Morte Rouge, supposedly in Quebec Province. It is probably the best picture in the Universal series. The Scarlet Claw has an intriguing plot with well developed characterizations that makes the story interesting. We experience unforgettable scenes with a dead woman clutching a bell rope she used as an alarm. We hear Rathbone's narration of the letter he received from "the dead woman" belatedly imploring his aid. A retired and frightened jurist fears a luminous monster in the night and promises not to mistakenly shoot Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson! In Terror by Night (1946), another unforgettable situation occurs when Basil Rathbone is filmed clinging "for dear life" on the outside of a rumbling passenger car. Here, in an incredibly hapless circumstance, he actually finds himself precariously perching onto the exterior of the speeding train! How did Universal Studios shoot this particular sequence?? Some great moments in film here!

    Dressed to Kill (1946) was Basil Rathbone's last in the Universal series. Both Bruce and Rathbone seemed uninterested in the plot and ultimately in the production itself. By this time, the Sherlock Holmes series was tired and had "played itself out." Rathbone would later end his career by starring numerous horror films, some of which were bombshells! Hillbilly's in a Haunted House (1967) was his last film and a departure from his past accomplishments. Late in 1967, Rathbone died of a heart attack. His adopted daughter Cynthia, who died under undisclosed circumstances, survived him only by little more than one year. His wife Ouida, went on to live until 1974.

     Rathbone was always a philosophical observer who was in-tune with himself if not always with the times. In Pursuit to Algiers (1945), Holmes through Rathbone remarks, "Watson, let me advise you. If you ever consider taking up another profession, never even think of becoming an actor!" One suspects, Rathbone, who possessed an ironic personality tinged with considerable humor, may have uttered the comment inanely but did not seriously believe it. For inspite of Rathbone's mercurial observations concerning his career, he was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: one for radio at 6300 Hollywood Boulevard; another one for motion pictures at 6549 Hollywood Boulevard; and the third one for television at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. As the incredible Sherlock Holmes, Rathbone merely wants to suspend our disbelief!

Quote from: The Pearl of Death (1944), Dr. John H. Watson: "The Borgia pearl is inside that?" Sherlock Holmes: "If it isn't, I shall retire to Sussex and keep bees!"