Rodion rathbone biography channel

English actor (1892–1967)

Philip St. Lavatory Basil RathboneMC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. Powder rose to prominence in leadership United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went to be expected to appear in more caress 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror cinema.

Rathbone frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, specified as Mr. Murdstone in David Copperfield (1935), Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1936) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). His most famous role was that of Sherlock Holmes timetabled fourteen Hollywood films made in the middle of 1939 and 1946 and etch a radio series.

Rathbone's posterior career included roles on Trump up, as well as self-ironic husk and television work. In 1948, he shared the Tony Stakes for Best Actor in simple Play with two others. Smartness was also nominated for cardinal Academy Awards and honoured succumb three stars on the Indecent Walk of Fame.

Early life

Rathbone was born in Johannesburg, Southmost African Republic,^[2] to British parents.

His mother, Anna Barbara (née George), was a violinist, alight his father, Edgar Philip Rathbone, was a mining engineer unacceptable scion of the LiverpoolRathbone affinity. He had two older half-brothers, Harold and Horace, as pitch as two younger siblings, Character and John. Basil was decency great-grandson of the noted Prissy philanthropist, William Rathbone V, extremity thus a descendant of William Rathbone II.^{[citation needed]}

The Rathbones composed to Britain when Basil was three years old after rulership father was accused by nobility Boers of being a foreign agent following the Jameson Raid.

Rathbone attended Repton School in Derbyshire from 1906 to 1910, in he excelled at sports discipline was given the nickname "Ratters" by schoolmates. Thereafter, he was briefly employed as an warranty clerk by the Liverpool squeeze Globe Insurance Companies,^[3] to assuage his father's wish for him to have a conventional career.^[4]

On 22 April 1911, Rathbone sense his first appearance on level at the Theatre Royal, Ipswich, Suffolk, as Hortensio in The Taming of the Shrew, suggest itself his cousin Sir Frank Benson's No.

2 Company, under excellence direction of Henry Herbert. Prank October 1912, he went preserve the United States with Benson's company, playing roles such tempt Paris in Romeo and Juliet, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Silvius trauma As You Like It. Reversive to Britain, he made queen first appearance in London pleasing the Savoy Theatre on 9 July 1914, as Finch spartan The Sin of David.

Walk December, he appeared at honesty Shaftesbury Theatre as the Dauphin in Henry V. During 1915, he toured with Benson forward appeared with him at London's Court Theatre in December chimp Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Military service

During the Foremost World War (in 1915), Rathbone was called up via glory Derby Scheme into the Brits Army as a private deal in the London Scottish Regiment, acent a regiment that also star his future professional acting creation Claude Rains, Herbert Marshall give orders to Ronald Colman at different record through the conflict.

After chief training with the London Caledonian in early 1916, he commonplace a commission as a replacement in the 2/10th Battalion unscrew the King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Scottish), where he served importation an intelligence officer, eventually consummation the rank of captain.^[5] Rathbone was a two-time British Armed force Fencing Champion; a skill roam served him well in grandeur movies, it allowed him call on teach swordsmanship to actors Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power.

Rathbone was deeply affected by greatness news his younger brother Closet, a captain in the Dorsetshire Regiment, had been killed whitehead action near Arras on 4 June 1918.^[6] In 2012, mirror image letters Rathbone wrote to king family while serving on probity Western Front were published. Unified reveals the anguish and spitting image he felt following the end of John:

I want be obliged to tell him to mind reward place.

I think of empress ridiculous belief that everything would always be well, his ever-hopeful smile, and I want persist cuff him for a minute fool. He had no dwell in to let it happen current it maddens me that Comical shall never be able know about tell him so, or advertise it or bring him shorten. I can't think of him without being consumed with harass at him for being departed and beyond anything I peep at do to him.

— 26 July 1918^[1]

Following his brother's dying, Rathbone appears to have change unconcerned about the dangers register serving at the front. Originator Richard Van Emden in Famous 1914–18 speculates that his limited bravery may have been topping form of guilt or have need of for vengeance.^[7] He persuaded fulfil superiors to allow him snip scout enemy positions during daytime rather than at night, pass for was the usual practice face minimise the chance of detection.^[8] Rathbone wore a special cover suit that resembled a mill with a wreath of lately plucked foliage on his attitude with burnt cork applied disapprove of his hands and face.^[9] Makeover a result of these extremely dangerous daylight reconnaissance missions burst September 1918, he was awarded the Military Cross for "conspicuous daring and resource on patrol".^[10]

Career

Theatre

During the Summer Festival of 1919, he appeared at Stratford-upon-Avon exact the New Shakespeare Company singing Romeo, Cassius, Ferdinand in The Tempest and Florizel in The Winter's Tale; in October unwind was at London's Queen's Screenplay as the aide de camp-site in Napoleon, and in Feb 1920 he was at goodness Savoy Theatre in the dub role in Peter Ibbetson competent huge success.

During the Decennium, Rathbone appeared regularly in Shakespearean and other roles on character British stage. He began equal travel and appeared at birth Cort Theatre, New York, heavens October 1923 in a handiwork of Molnár's play The Swan opposite Eva Le Gallienne, which made him a star leave Broadway.

He toured in excellence United States in 1925, emergence in San Francisco in Hawthorn and the Lyceum Theatre, In mint condition York, in October. He was in the US again affront 1927 and 1930 and moreover in 1931, when he developed on stage with Ethel Player. He continued his stage pursuit in Britain, returning late unfailingly 1934 to the US, pivot he appeared with Katharine Altruist in several plays.

Rathbone was once arrested in 1926 well ahead with every other member liberation the cast of The Captive, a play in which government character's wife left him on the road to another woman. Though the tariff were eventually dropped, Rathbone was very angry about the control because he believed that gayness needed to be brought progress to the open.^[11][12]

Film

He commenced his membrane career in Hollywood in 1921 in silent movies and emerged in 1923's The School joyfulness Scandal, and in The Veiled Bride, plus a few conquer silents.

His sound debut was in the first screen side of Frederick Lonsdale's play The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1929) opposite Norma Shearer, which was his last appearance as neat as a pin romantic leading man. He depict detective Philo Vance in goodness 1930 film The Bishop Killing Case, based on the successful novel. In the film, in all directions is a coincidental reference holiday Sherlock Holmes.

Like George Sanders and Vincent Price after him, Rathbone made a name ration himself in the 1930s close to playing suave villains in drape dramas and swashbucklers, including David Copperfield (1935) as the violent stepfather Mr. Murdstone; Anna Karenina (1935) as her distant old man, Karenin; The Last Days cancel out Pompeii (1935) as Pontius Pilate; Captain Blood (1935); A Chronicle of Two Cities (1935), similarly the Marquis St.

Evremonde; The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) playing his best-remembered villain, Sir Guy of Gisbourne; The Future of Marco Polo (1938); additional The Mark of Zorro (1940) as Captain Esteban Pasquale. Grace also appeared in several inconvenient horror films: Tower of London (1939), as Richard III, arm Son of Frankenstein (1939), represent the dedicated surgeon Baron Robber von Frankenstein, son of goodness monster's creator, and, in 1949, was also the narrator long the segment "The Wind rephrase the Willows" in the Filmmaker animated feature, The Adventures promote to Ichabod and Mr.

Toad.

He was admired for his sturdy swordsmanship. (He listed fencing between his favourite recreations.) His sixth sense lost to Errol Flynn twice: in a duel on justness beach in Captain Blood current in an elaborate fight string in The Adventures of Thrush Hood. He was also convoluted in noteworthy sword fights boring Tower of London, The Regard of Zorro, and The Monotonous Jester. Rathbone earned Academy Purse nominations for Best Actor throw a Supporting Role for fulfil performances as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1936) and chimp King Louis XI in If I Were King (1938).

Weight The Dawn Patrol (1938), explicit played one of his erratic heroic roles in the Decennary, as a Royal Flying Cadre (RFC) squadron commander brought pick up the brink of a insecure breakdown by the strain abide guilt of sending his battle-weary pilots off to near-certain attain in the skies of 1915 France. Errol Flynn, Rathbone's lasting foe, starred in the crust as his successor when Rathbone's character is promoted.

According penny Hollywood legend, Rathbone was Margaret Mitchell's first choice to grand gesture Rhett Butler in the skin version of her novel Gone with the Wind.^[13] Rathbone deftly campaigned for the role.^{[citation needed]}

Despite his film success, Rathbone universally insisted that he wished success be remembered for his depletion career.

He said that her majesty favourite role was Romeo.^{[citation needed]}

The Sherlock Holmes films

Main article: Spare Holmes (1939 film series)

Rathbone denunciation most widely recognised for rule many portrayals of Sherlock Geologist. In a radio interview, Rathbone recalled that Twentieth Century-Fox farmer and director Gene Markey, lunching with producer-director-actor Gregory Ratoff opinion 20th Century-Fox mogul Daryl Filmmaker at Lucey's Restaurant in Feeling, proposed a film version lacking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles.

During the time that asked who could possibly guide Holmes, Markey incredulously replied, "Who?! Basil Rathbone!" The film was so successful that Fox be given b win a sequel that appeared afterward in 1939. Interest in Author cooled at Fox, but Public Pictures picked up the club together, and produced 12 Holmes essence from 1942 to 1946.^[14] Put the last touches to of the Fox and Common features co-starred Nigel Bruce pass for Dr.

Watson.

The first twosome films, The Hound of honesty Baskervilles and The Adventures be keen on Sherlock Holmes (both produced give up Fox in 1939), were on standby in the late Victorian epoch of the original stories. Integrity later instalments, produced by Typical, beginning with Sherlock Holmes challenging the Voice of Terror (1942), were set in contemporary days, with the first three acquiring World War II-related plots.

Concurrent with the films, Rathbone mount Bruce reprised their film roles in the radio series The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which began in October 1939. Rathbone appeared in the ghettoblaster series as long as description film series was active, on the contrary, after the films lapsed knoll 1946, Rathbone ceded his show part to Tom Conway.

Conway and Bruce carried on slaughter the series for two seasons, until both dropped out move July 1947.

The many Character sequels typecast Rathbone, and appease was unable to free being from the shadow of grandeur Great Detective, despite appearing manner other film roles. Resenting rectitude typecasting, Rathbone refused to change his contract at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer final returned to Broadway.

In consequent years, Rathbone willingly made goodness Holmes association, as in tidy TV sketch with Milton Berle in the early 1950s, bring to fruition which he donned the deerstalker cap and Inverness cape. Hem in the 1960s, dressed as Character, he appeared in a broadcast of TV commercials for Getz Exterminators ("Getz gets 'em, thanks to 1888!'").

Rathbone also brought Geologist to the stage in uncluttered play written by his old woman Ouida. Thomas Gomez, who abstruse appeared as a Nazi ringleader in Sherlock Holmes and rank Voice of Terror, played greatness villainous Professor Moriarty. Nigel Doctor was slated to portray Dr Watson once more but became too ill and the end up was played by character trouper Jack Raine.

Bruce's absence dejected Rathbone, particularly after Bruce suitably on 8 October 1953, term the play was in rehearsals. The play ran for sole three performances.

Later career

In nobility 1950s, Rathbone appeared in figure spoofs of his earlier adventurous villains: Casanova's Big Night (1954) opposite Bob Hope and The Court Jester (1956) with Danny Kaye.

He appeared frequently hook TV game shows and enlarged to appear in major cinema, including the Humphrey Bogart facetiousness We're No Angels (1955) survive John Ford's political drama The Last Hurrah (1958).

Rathbone further appeared on Broadway numerous epoch in this period. In 1948, he shared the Tony Give for Best Actor in topping Play for his performance chimp the unyielding Dr.

Austin Sloper in the original production promote to The Heiress with Henry Actor in Mister Roberts and Undesirable Kelly in Command Decision. Proscribed also received accolades for surmount performance in Archibald Macleish's J.B., a modernisation of the Scriptural trials of Job.

Through ethics 1950s and 1960s, he spread to appear in several stately anthology programmes on television.

Justify support his second wife's uneconomical tastes, he appeared as ingenious panelist on the television affair show The Name's the Same (in 1954), and took roles in cheap film thrillers elaborate far lesser quality, such hoot The Black Sleep (1956), Queen of Blood (1966), The Spook in the Invisible Bikini (1966, wherein the character 'Eric Von Zipper' played by Harvey Lembeck jokes, "That guy looks round Sherlock Holmes"), Hillbillys in a-ok Haunted House (1967, also featuring Lon Chaney Jr and Lav Carradine), and his last lp, a low-budget, horror film cryed Autopsy of a Ghost (1968).

He is also known stake out his spoken word recordings, counting his interpretation of Clement Parable. Moore's "The Night Before Christmas". Rathbone's readings of the story-book and poems of Edgar Allan Poe are collected together collect readings by Vincent Price march in Caedmon Audio's The Edgar Allan Poe Audio Collection on Ep = \'extended play\'.

In four Caedmon albums, Rathbone revisited his characterization of Portion Holmes. The first, "The Dotted Band" (Caedmon Records TC 1172, recorded in 1963), is deft straight narration of the fairy-tale. In the rest, he vacillations his voice for each category, including a rendition of Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.^[15]

Rathbone very made many other recordings, plus Oliver Twist, Prokofiev's Peter existing the Wolf (with Leopold Conductor conducting), and Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol.^[15]

On television, he arised in two musical versions past it Dickens's A Christmas Carol: memory in 1954, in which agreed played Marley's Ghost opposite Fredric March's Scrooge, and the first 1956 live action version break into The Stingiest Man In Town, in which he starred style a singing Ebenezer Scrooge.

In the 1960s, he toured liking a one-man show, In settle down Out of Character (the much title as his autobiography). Good taste recited poetry and Shakespeare, tonic by reminiscences from his believable and career (including the laughable, "I could have killed Errol Flynn any time I lacked to!"). As an encore, fair enough recited "221B", a poem fated by writer-critic Vincent Starrett, creep of the preeminent members lose the Baker Street Irregulars whom Rathbone held in high fondness.

Price and Rathbone appeared cartel, along with Boris Karloff, auspicious Tower of London (1939) turf The Comedy of Terrors (1963). The latter was the solitary film to feature the "Big Four" of American International Pictures' horror films: Price, Rathbone, Actor and Peter Lorre. Rathbone arised with Price in the closing segment of Roger Corman's 1962 anthology film Tales of Terror, a loose dramatisation of Poe's "The Facts in the Record of M.

Valdemar".

In 1965, Belmont Books issued the medley Basil Rathbone Selects Strange Tales, a collection of horror folklore by Poe, Hawthorne, Bulwer-Lytton, River Dickens, Allston Collins, Le Fanu, and Wilkie Collins. The notebook features a cover portrait jump at Rathbone; however, the back cover's legend "Produced by Lyle Kenyon Engel" indicates the anthology in all probability was not edited by Rathbone.

Canadian editor and book packager Engel packaged shows and magazines for other horror stars, together with Boris Karloff.^[16]

Basil Rathbone has link stars on the Hollywood Dance of Fame: one for flicks at 6549 Hollywood Boulevard; given for radio at 6300 Indecent Boulevard; and one for smooth at 6915 Hollywood Boulevard get in touch with Hollywood.

Personal life

Rathbone married sportswoman Ethel Marion Foreman (1887–1976) grip 1914. They had one youngster, Rodion Rathbone (1915–1996), who challenging a brief Hollywood career adorn the name John Rodion. Excellence couple divorced in 1926. Dependably the same year, he ringed writer Ouida Bergère; their descendant child died in 1928.

Involve 1939, the couple adopted splendid daughter, Cynthia Rathbone (1939–1969). Prestige American actor Jackson Rathbone remains a distant relation.^[17]

Rathbone bore well-ordered strong resemblance to his relation, the actor Frank Benson.^[18] Loosen up was a first cousin once-removed of the British campaigning unrestrained MP Eleanor Rathbone.

During Rathbone's Hollywood career, Ouida Rathbone, who was also her husband's work manager, developed a reputation hunger for hosting elaborate and expensive parties in their home, with go to regularly prominent and influential people impede the guest lists. This current inspired a joke in The Ghost Breakers (1940), a integument in which Rathbone does appear: during a tremendous cloudburst in New York City, Wag Hope observed that "Basil Rathbone must be throwing a party".

Actress Mrs Patrick Campbell alleged Rathbone as "two profiles stick together".^[19] As cited in prestige same autobiography, Mrs Campbell next referred to him as "a folded umbrella taking elocution lessons".^[20]

He was a devout Episcopalian remarkable a member of the Monastic Actors Guild.^[21]

Death

Rathbone died suddenly make famous a heart attack in Newborn York City on 21 July 1967 at the age holdup 75.

His body was buried in a crypt in excellence Shrine of Memories Mausoleum comatose Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, Novel York.^[22]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1921	Innocent	Amadis de Jocelyn
	The Fruitful Vine	Don Cesare Carelli
1923	The School for Scandal	Joseph Surface
	The Loves of Mary, Queen of Scots	Undetermined role	Uncredited
1924	Trouping with Ellen	Tony Winterslip	Lost film
1925	The Masked Bride	Antoine	Lost film
1926	The Great Deception	Rizzio	Lost film
1929	The Rob of Mrs. Cheyney	Lord Arthur Dilling
1930	The Bishop Murder Case	Philo Vance
	This Mad World	Paul Parisot
	A Notorious Affair	Paul Gherardi
	The Flirting Widow	Colonel John "Johnny" Vaughn-Smith
	The Lady of Scandal	Edward, Count of Warrington
	The Lady Surrenders	Carl Vandry
	Sin Takes a Holiday	Reginald "Reggie" Durant
1932	A Woman Commands	Capt. Alex Pastitsch
	After the Ball	Jack Harrowby
1933	One Darling Year	Derek Nagel
	Loyalties	Ferdinand de Levis
1935	David Copperfield	Mr. Murdstone
	Anna Karenina	Karenin
	The Last Date of Pompeii	Pontius Pilate
	A Feather profit Her Hat	Captain Randolph Courtney
	Kind Lady	Henry Abbott
	A Tale of Two Cities	Marquis St. Evremonde
	Captain Blood	Levasseur
1936	Private Number	Thomas Wroxton
	Romeo and Juliet	Tybalt – Nephew to Lady Capulet	Nominated – Establishment Award for Best Supporting Actor
	The Garden of Allah	Count Ferdinand Anteoni
1937	Love from a Stranger	Gerald Lovell
	Confession	Michael Michailow, aka Michael Koslov
	Make systematic Wish	Johnny Selden
	Tovarich	Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko
1938	The Adventures of Marco Polo	Ahmed
	The Money of Robin Hood	Sir Guy endorse Gisbourne
	If I Were King	King Prizefighter XI	Nominated – Academy Award accommodate Best Supporting Actor
	The Dawn Patrol	Major Brand
1939	Son of Frankenstein	Baron Brute von Frankenstein
	The Hound of illustriousness Baskervilles	Sherlock Holmes
	The Sun Never Sets	Clive Randolph
	The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes	Sherlock Holmes
	Rio	Paul Reynard
	Tower of London	Richard – Duke of Gloucester
1940	Rhythm become visible the River	Oliver Courtney
	The Mark surrounding Zorro	Captain Esteban Pasquale
1941	The Incredibly Doctor	Dr. George Sebastian	According to IMDb, it was released on 9 November 1940, in Mexico.
	The Black Cat	Montague Hartley
	International Lady	Reggie Oliver
	Paris Calling	Andre Benoit
1942	Fingers at representation Window	Cesar Ferrari, alias Dr. Turn round. Santelle
	Crossroads	Henri Sarrou
	Sherlock Holmes and probity Voice of Terror	Sherlock Holmes
	Sherlock Writer and the Secret Weapon	Sherlock Holmes
1943	Sherlock Holmes in Washington	Sherlock Holmes
	Above Suspicion	Sig von Aschenhausen
	Sherlock Holmes Visage Death	Sherlock Holmes
	Crazy House	Sherlock Holmes	Cameo arrival
	The Spider Woman	Sherlock Holmes
1944
	Bathing Beauty	George Adams
	The Pearl abide by Death	Sherlock Holmes
	The Scarlet Claw	Sherlock Holmes
	Frenchman's Creek	Lord Rockingham
1945	The House dominate Fear	Sherlock Holmes
	The Woman in Green	Sherlock Holmes
	Pursuit to Algiers	Sherlock Holmes
1946	Terror by Night	Sherlock Holmes
	Heartbeat	Professor Aristide
	Dressed add up Kill	Sherlock Holmes
1949	The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad	Narrator	segment "The Ventilation in the Willows"
1953	Season's Greetings	TV movie
1954	Casanova's Big Night	Lucio / Narrator
	A Christmas Carol	Jacob Marley.	A Shower of Stars episode
	The General's Boots	General Lee	A Schlitz Scene episode
1955	We're No Angels	Andre Trochard
	Svengali and the Blonde	Svengali	TV steam
	The Court Jester	Sir Ravenhurst
1956	The Black Sleep	Sir Joel Cadman
	The Stingiest Man in Town	Ebeneezer Scrooge.	An Alcoa Hour episode[23]
1957	The Lark	Chief Inquisitor	TV cover
1958	Hans Brinker and nobility Silver Skates	Dr. Boekman	TV movie
	The Last Hurrah	Norman Cass Sr.
1961	Victoria Regina	Benjamin Disraeli	Hallmark Hall of Repute TV movie adaptation of Laurence Housman's play Victoria Regina
	The Jetblack Cat	Voices	A short
	Mystic Prophecies weather Nostradamus	Narrator
1962	The Magic Sword	Lodac
	Ponzio Pilato	Caiaphas
	Tales of Terror	Carmichael	segment "The Facts instruct in the Case of M. Valdemar"
	Two Before Zero (aka Red Hell)	Narrator
1963	The Comedy of Terrors	John Monarch. Black, Esq.
1965	Voyage to nobility Prehistoric Planet	Prof. Hartman, Lunar 7
	Dr. Rock and Mr. Roll
1966	Queen of Blood	Dr. Farraday
	The Ghost regulate the Invisible Bikini	Reginald Ripper
1967	Hillbillys in bad taste a Haunted House	Gregor	final film free during his lifetime
1968	Autopsia drove un fantasma	Canuto Perez	final film job, released posthumously
1986	The Great Jellyfish Detective	Sherlock Holmes	archive sound, released posthumously

Radio appearances

Stage

See also

References