Basil Rathbone

Acting

Basil Rathbone

Born June 13, 1892 · Johannesburg, South African Republic

Died July 21, 1967 · aged 75

Basil Rathbone, MC, Kt (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967), was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films. He frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as Murdstone in David Copperfield (1935) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in …

Known For

The Great Mouse DetectiveThe Great Mouse Detective · 1986
The Great Mouse Detective
7.01986
MovieAnimationFamily
When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps London's master toymaker, the brilliant master of disguise Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson try to elude the ultimate trap and foil the perfect crime.
The Adventures of Robin HoodThe Adventures of Robin Hood · 1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood
7.51938
MovieAdventureRomance
Robin Hood fights nobly for justice against the evil Sir Guy of Gisbourne while striving to win the hand of the beautiful Maid Marian.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. ToadThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad · 1949
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
6.51949
MovieHorrorFantasy
The Wind in the Willows: Concise version of Kenneth Grahame's story of the same name. J. Thaddeus Toad, owner of Toad Hall, is prone to fads, such as the newfangled motor car. This desire for the very latest lands him in much trouble with the wrong crowd, and it is up to his friends, Mole, Rat and Badger to save him from himself. - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Retelling of Washington Irving's story set in a tiny New England town. Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster, falls for the town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel, and the town Bully Brom Bones decides that he is a little too successful and needs "convincing" that Katrina is not for him.
Bathing BeautyBathing Beauty · 1944
Bathing Beauty
5.91944
MovieMusicComedy
After breaking up with her fiancé, a gym teacher returns to work at a women's college, but a legal loophole allows him to enroll as one of her students.
The Mark of ZorroThe Mark of Zorro · 1940
The Mark of Zorro
7.11940
MovieAdventureRomance
In 1820 Spain, the son of a California nobleman comes home to find his native land under a villainous dictatorship. On one hand, he plays the useless fop, while on the other, he is the masked avenger Zorro.
Tales of TerrorTales of Terror · 1962
Tales of Terror
6.71962
MovieHorrorComedy
Three stories adapted from the work of Edgar Allen Poe: 1) A man and his daughter are reunited, but the blame for the death of his wife hangs over them, unresolved. 2) A derelict challenges the local wine-tasting champion to a competition, but finds the man's attention to his wife worthy of more dramatic action. 3) A man dying and in great pain agrees to be hypnotized at the moment of death, with unexpected consequences.
The Comedy of TerrorsThe Comedy of Terrors · 1964
The Comedy of Terrors
6.51964
MovieComedyHorror
An undertaker who hasn't had any 'customers' in a long time is forced to pay one year's back-rent. To get money he starts to kill people, which brings absurd results.
Captain BloodCaptain Blood · 1935
Captain Blood
7.21935
MovieAdventureHistory
Dr. Peter Blood, unjustly convicted of treason and exiled from England, becomes a notorious pirate.

Filmography

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The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. ToadThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad · 1949
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
6.51949
MovieHorrorFantasy
The Wind in the Willows: Concise version of Kenneth Grahame's story of the same name. J. Thaddeus Toad, owner of Toad Hall, is prone to fads, such as the newfangled motor car. This desire for the very latest lands him in much trouble with the wrong crowd, and it is up to his friends, Mole, Rat and Badger to save him from himself. - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Retelling of Washington Irving's story set in a tiny New England town. Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster, falls for the town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel, and the town Bully Brom Bones decides that he is a little too successful and needs "convincing" that Katrina is not for him.

Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")

Lights OutLights Out · 1949
Lights Out
6.01949
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyCrime
Lights Out was an extremely popular American old-time radio program, an early example of a network series devoted mostly to horror and the supernatural, predating Suspense and Inner Sanctum. Versions of Lights Out aired on different networks, at various times, from January 1934 to the summer of 1947 and the series eventually made the transition to television. In 1946, NBC Television brought Lights Out to TV in a series of four specials, broadcast live and produced by Fred Coe, who also contributed three of the scripts. NBC asked Cooper to write the script for the premiere, "First Person Singular", which is told entirely from the point of view of an unseen murderer who kills his obnoxious wife and winds up being executed. Variety gave this first episode a rave review ("undoubtedly one of the best dramatic shows yet seen on a television screen"), but Lights Out did not become a regular NBC-TV series until 1949.