Photo: 20th Century Fox, photographer not identified / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Basil Rathbone is, for me, the definitive screen Sherlock Holmes, and that's saying something given how many have tried. Born in Johannesburg and raised in England, he came up as a Shakespearean stage actor, even winning a Tony in 1948, before becoming Hollywood's go-to suave villain across more than 70 films. What I find fascinating is the range, swashbucklers, costume dramas, the occasional horror picture, all delivered with that crisp, aristocratic menace. He also earned a Military Cross in 1918, which adds real steel behind the polished voice. To me he's the template for the elegant screen antagonist that countless actors have copied since.
Overview
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an English actor. Born in South Africa and raised in Derbyshire, he rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films. Rathbone frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as Mr.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Basil Rathbone
- Name (Japanese)
- ベイジル・ラスボーン
- Reading
- べいじる・らすぼーん
- Born
- June 13, 1892 – July 21, 1967
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Dragon
- Origin
- Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 186 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- character actor / stage actor / film actor / television actor / actor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1918 Military Cross
- 1948 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Character actor — see all → · Stage actor — see all → · More people from South Africa →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.