Editing Basil Rathbone (section)

{{Short description|English actor (1892–1967)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Basil Rathbone
| honorific_suffix   = [[Military Cross|MC]]
| image              = Basil Rathbone headshot, 1935.jpg
| caption            = Basil Rathbone (1935)
| birth_name         = Philip St. John Basil Rathbone
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1892|6|13|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Johannesburg]], [[South African Republic]]
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1967|7|21|1892|6|13|df=y}}
| death_place        = [[New York City]], US
| resting_place      = [[Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum|Ferncliff Cemetery Shrine of Memories]], [[Hartsdale, New York]], US
| years_active       = 1911–1967
| occupation         = Actor
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Ethel Marian Foreman|1914|1926|reason=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Ouida Bergère]]|1926}}
}}
| children           = 3
| relatives          = [[Frank Benson (actor)|Sir Frank Benson]] (cousin)
| module             = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance    = {{Flagu|United Kingdom|size=23px}}
| branch        = {{Nowrap|{{Army|United Kingdom}}}}
| serviceyears  = 1915–1918
| rank          = [[File:UK Army OF2-2.png|20px]] [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|Captain]]<ref name="army"/>
| unit          = [[London Scottish (regiment)|London Scottish Regiment]]<br>[[Liverpool Scottish]]
| awards        = {{plainlist|
* [[File:Military cross BAR.svg|40px]] [[Military Cross]]
}}
}}
}}
'''Philip St. John Basil Rathbone''' [[Military Cross|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, primarily costume dramas, [[swashbuckler]]s, and, occasionally, horror films.

Rathbone frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as [[Edward Murdstone|Mr. Murdstone]] in ''[[David Copperfield (1935 film)|David Copperfield]]'' (1935), Tybalt in ''[[Romeo and Juliet (1936 film)|Romeo and Juliet]]'' (1936) and [[Sir Guy of Gisbourne]] in ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1938). His most famous role was that of [[Sherlock Holmes]] in [[Sherlock Holmes (1939 film series)|fourteen Hollywood films made between 1939 and 1946]] and in a radio series.

Rathbone's later career included roles on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], as well as self-ironic film and television work. In 1948, he shared the [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play]] with two others. He was also nominated for two [[Academy Awards]] and honoured with three stars on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].