Rathbone, Basil

Rathbone, (Philip St. John) Basil

(born June 13, 1892, Johannesburg, S.Af.—died July 21, 1967, New York, N.Y., U.S.) British actor. He made his stage debut in 1911 and later played classical roles in London and New York City. From 1924 he appeared in Hollywood movies, often in romantic roles. With his distinctive voice and gaunt appearance, he was cast as a villain in several swashbuckling movies starring Tyrone Power and Errol Flynn. He won praise for his roles in Romeo and Juliet (1936) and If I Were King (1938), but he became best known for portraying Sherlock Holmes in a series of films that began with The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939).