Basil Rathbone

Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, including costume dramas and swashbucklers, along with occasional appearances in horror films. Rathbone frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters in his films. His most famous role was that of Sherlock Holmes in fourteen Hollywood films between 1939 and 1946, and in a radio series. Post his stint as Sherlock Holmes, Rathbone featured in roles on Broadway, self-ironic film and television work.

Born in Johannesburg, South African Republic, to British parents, Rathbone was the great-grandson of noted Victorian philanthropist, William Rathbone V. He began his stage career in 1911 and his film career in Hollywood began in 1921. He had a successful stage career both in Britain and the United States. Besides acting, Rathbone was a two-time British Army Fencing Champion. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards and was honoured with three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Despite his film successes, Rathbone always insisted he wanted to be remembered for his stage career. Rathbone's last film was a low-budget horror film, Autopsy of a Ghost (1968), and he died suddenly of a heart attack in New York City on 21 July 1967.