He was a top class fencer, regards as the best in Hollywood, and is remembered particularly for his epic jousts with Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power.
Biography
He was born Philip St. John Basil Rathbone on June 13, 1892, in Johannesburg, South Africa. His father was a mining engineer, and his mother, a violinist. . He had a younger brother John, who was killed in action during the First World War and a younger sister, Beatrice.Early Years
When Basil was three years old, the family were forced to return to England when his father was accused of spying for the British against the Boers.He attended the prestigious Repton School in Derbyshire, where he first developed an interest in the theater. His main interest at school was sport, particularly fencing, at which he was exceptionally talented.
His ambition was to become a professional actor but, on leaving school, he worked for one year in an insurance company, to appease his father who disapproved of his son's acting ambitions.
After one year treading water in the insurance company, Basil contacted his cousin, Frank Benson, who was an actor and manager of his own Shakespearean theatrical company. Basil was given work as a jobbing actor, making his first appearance on stage in April, 1911, as Hortensio in The Taming of the Shrew. He worked hard and displayed an obvious talent and within a few years was playing all the leading juvenile roles.
In October 1912, he went to the United States with Benson's company, playing various roles such as Paris in Romeo and Juliet, Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Silvius in As You Like It. Returning to Britain, he made his first appearance in London at the Savoy Theatre on 9 July 1914, as Finch in The Sin of David. That December, he appeared at the Shaftesbury Theatre as the Dauphin in Henry V. During 1915, he toured with Benson and appeared with him at London's Court Theatre in December as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
WWI
In 1915, Basil had to give up acting when he was called up to join the British Army. After basic training with the London Scottish Regiment in early 1916, he received a commission as a lieutenant in the 2/10th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment. He served with distinction as an intelligence officer, eventually attaining the rank of Second Lieutenant and receiving the Military Cross for bravery.On leaving the army in 1919 he returned to his Shakespearean company and began to appear regularly on the British stage. He also returned to America and became a Broadway star after appearing in New York in 'The Swan' opposite Eva Le Gallienne. Growing in confidence and skill, he alternated between London and New York, appearing with such notables as Katharine Cornell and Ethel Barrymore.
Early Film Career
Basil appeared in several early Silent movies such as 'Innocent' in 1921 'Trouping with Ellen' in 1924 and 'The Great Deception' in 1926, but it was not until the advent of sound that he began to concentrate on a screen career. He played in mystery movies and romantic comedies during the early 1930s until 1935 when he played the villainous Captain Levasseur in 'Captain Blood' opposite Errol Flynn. It was a great success and led to numerous costume adventure movies such as 'A Tale of Two Cities', 'Anna Karenina' and 'The Last Days of Pompeii', all in the same year and 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' in 1938, again opposite Errol Flynn.He earned two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor as Tybalt in 'Romeo and Juliet' in 1936 and as King Louis XI in 'If I Were King' in 1938. Basil was now a top Hollywood star but his most famous role was yet to come.
WWII
Basil was turned down for active military service in 1939 due to his age (47). So, he spent the war years serving as President of the Los Angeles chapter of British War Relief and also the War Chest Executive Committee. He was also an active member of the RAF Benevolent Fund and helped organize the United Nations War Relief. In addition he entertained troops in California, visited army hospitals, and volunteered his help in the Hollywood Canteen.Sherlock Holmes 1939
Conan Doyle's great detective, Sherlock Holmes, has been portrayed many times on screen. However it is the opinion of many people that Basil Rathbone really caught the essence of the character. He first played Holmes in 1939 in 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', with Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson. Later that year came ' The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' and over the next seven years 12 more Holmes films followed as well as numerous radio broadcasts.Later Career
IN 1946, Basil cut his ties with the Holmes character, feeling, correctly, that he was becoming typecast after 7 years in the role. He moved back to New York and appeared in 'The Heiress' on Broadway. It proved a great success and he received a Tony award for his performance. He was extremely disappointed not to be chosen to reprise his role when the play was made into a film in 1949.'The Heiress' proved to be Basil's last major success and his career slid into mediocrity thereafter. He was still in demand and continued to appear on stage and in television plays through the 1950s. He also continued to make films without ever getting a really good role, mainly playing villains in his later years in such disappointing films as 'The Magic Sword' in 1962, 'The Comedy of Terrors' in 1964 and 'The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini' in 1966.
As his movie career faded, Basil toured the country doing a one-man show called "An Evening With Basil Rathbone" when he would give dramatic readings and talk about his acting life.
Personal
Basil was married twice, firstly to a fellow performer, Marion Foreman in October, 1914, the marriage producing one son. They divorced in 1926 and in the same year he married actress Ouida Bergère. The couple adopted one child, Cynthia, who died in 1969. Basil Rathbone died from a heart attack on July 21, 1967, in New York. He is buried in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.Basil Rathbone Academy Awards
Two Wins:Best Supporting Actor ... Romeo and Juliet (1936)
Best Supporting Actor ... If I Were King (1938)