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 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.
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.
Captain BloodCaptain Blood · 1935
Captain Blood
★ 7.31935
MovieAdventure
Dr. Peter Blood, unjustly convicted of treason and exiled from England, becomes a notorious pirate.
The Court JesterThe Court Jester · 1955
The Court Jester
★ 7.31955
MovieMusicAdventure
A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against a usurper who has overthrown the rightful king of England.
The Mark of ZorroThe Mark of Zorro · 1940
The Mark of Zorro
★ 7.21940
MovieAdventureRomance
Returning from 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.
We're No AngelsWe're No Angels · 1955
We're No Angels
★ 7.21955
MovieComedyCrime
Three convicts escape from prison on Devil's Island just before Christmas and arrive at a nearby French colonial town. They go to the store of the Ducotels, the only store that gives supplies on credit. They initially intend to take advantage of them but have a change of heart after they find the family is in financial troubles.
Son of FrankensteinSon of Frankenstein · 1939
Son of Frankenstein
★ 6.71939
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
One of the sons of late Dr. Henry Frankenstein finds his father's ghoulish creation in a coma and revives him, only to find out the monster is controlled by Ygor who is bent on revenge.

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.