List of the best Basil Rathbone movies: The Hound of the Baskervilles(1939), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(1939), The Pearl of Death(1944), Son of Frankenstein(1939), Pursuit to Algiers(1945), Dressed to Kill(1946), Terror by Night(1946), The Mad Doctor(1941), The Woman in Green(1945), Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror(1942), The Black Sleep(1956), The Black Cat(1941) ... ...
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1939
80 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Richard Greene Wendy Barrie Lionel Atwill John Carradine Beryl Mercer Mary Gordon E.E. Clive Morton Lowry Ralph Forbes
sherlock holmes wealthy man doctor watson escaped convict relative dog suspenseful witty fascinating england london devonshire mansion swamp town legends monsters superstition murder plot detective work
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson investigate the legend of a supernatural hound, a beast that may be stalking a young heir on the fog-shrouded moorland that makes up his estate.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1939
85 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Ida Lupino Alan Marshal Terry Kilburn George Zucco E.E. Clive Mary Gordon
sherlock holmes doctor watson nemesis beautiful woman brother crafty intricate thrilling suspenseful london tower of london 221b baker street death theft revenge investigation revenge rivalry mystery quest
The master sleuth hunts his archenemy, Professor Moriarty, who is planning the crime of the century.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1944
69 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Evelyn Ankers Dennis Hoey Miles Mander Ian Wolfe Charles Francis Richard Nugent Mary Gordon Rondo Hatton Leslie Denison
sherlock holmes doctor watson police detective thief thug gripping intricate suspenseful london museum house theft investigation murder impersonation pursuit quest 1940s
When a valuable pearl with a sinister reputation is stolen, Sherlock Holmes must investigate its link to a series of brutal murders.
Horror
USA
1939
99 Minutes
Baron Wolf von Frankenstein
Basil Rathbone Boris Karloff Bela Lugosi Lionel Atwill Josephine Hutchinson Donnie Dunagan Emma Dunn Edgar Norton Perry Ivins Lawrence Grant Lionel Belmore
frankenstein's monster ygor scientist inspector wife son creepy dark thrilling family home castle frankenstein village laboratory graveyard family honor father/son relationship scientific experiments monsters murder vindication
Returning to the ancestral castle long after the death of the monster, the son of Dr. Frankenstein meets a mad shepherd who is hiding the comatose creature. To clear the family name, he revives the creature and tries to rehabilitate him.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1945
65 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Marjorie Riordan Rosalind Ivan Martin Kosleck John Abbott Frederick Worlock Morton Lowry Leslie Vincent Gerald Hamer Rex Evans
sherlock holmes doctor watson prince prime minister singer thug spirited tense london ship algiers, algeria airplane lisbon, portugal alexandria, egypt jewel smuggling royalty impersonation sabotage attempted murder investigation
Holmes is recruited to escort the heir to a European throne safely back to his homeland after his father's assassination.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1946
72 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Patricia Morison Edmond Breon Frederick Worlock Carl Harbord Patricia Cameron Tom Dillon Harry Cording Topsy Glyn Mary Gordon
sherlock holmes doctor watson inspector femme fatale criminal thief crafty gripping melodramatic suspenseful london apartment auction house antique shop england street murder treasure hunting clues music
Sherlock Holmes sets out to discover why a trio of murderous villains, including a dangerously attractive female, are desperate to obtain three unassuming and inexpensive little music boxes.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1946
60 Minutes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Alan Mowbray Dennis Hoey Renee Godfrey Mary Forbes Billy Bevan Frederick Worlock Leland Hodgson Geoffrey Steele Boyd Davis
sherlock holmes doctor watson major son lady villain suspenseful crafty london train station train compartment car jewelry theft murder false accusations impersonation mother/son relationship investigation mystery
When the fabled Star of Rhodesia diamond is stolen on a London to Edinburgh train and the son of its owner is murdered, Sherlock Holmes must discover which of his suspicious fellow passengers is responsible.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1941
90 Minutes
Dr. George Sebastian, Dr. Frederick Langamann
A crazed physician marries a wealthy women and, with the help of his demented assistant, murders them for their money.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1945
68 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Hillary Brooke Henry Daniell Paul Cavanagh Matthew Boulton Eve Amber Frederick Worlock Tom Bryson
sherlock holmes doctor watson professor moriarty beautiful woman police detective amateur sleuth suspenseful intricate london household scotland yard 221b baker street investigation murder mutilation deception hypnosis mystery rivalry discovery
Sherlock Holmes investigates when young women around London turn up murdered, each with a finger severed. Scotland Yard suspects a madman, but Holmes believes the killings to be part of a diabolical plot.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1942
65 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Evelyn Ankers Reginald Denny Thomas Gomez Henry Daniell Montagu Love
sherlock holmes doctor watson widow impostor spy british intelligence agent crafty intricate suspenseful engaging england estate briefing room coast church ghetto espionage terrorism radio nazis
When a Nazi saboteur jeeringly predicts to the nation new depredations via the radio 'Voice of Terror', the Homeland Security Inner Council summons Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) to help ... See full summary »
Horror
UK
1956
82 Minutes
Sir Joel Cadman
Basil Rathbone Akim Tamiroff Bela Lugosi Lon Chaney John Carradine Herbert Rudley Patricia Blake Phyllis Stanley Tor Johnson Sally Yarnell George Sawaya
Escaping British prisoners of war hide out in German occupied France.
Horror
USA
1941
70 Minutes
Montague Hartley
Basil Rathbone Hugh Herbert Bela Lugosi Broderick Crawford Gale Sondergaard Anne Gwynne Gladys Cooper Claire Dodd Alan Ladd Cecilia Loftus
elderly woman real estate agent housekeeper nephew niece guardian dark tense amusing estate garden bedroom attic town inheritance family murder false accusations infidelity superstition
Elderly Henrietta Winslow lives in an isolated mansion with her housekeeper and beloved cats. As her health fails, her greedy relatives gather in anticipation of her death.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1930
91 Minutes
Philo Vance
Basil Rathbone Leila Hyams Roland Young George F. Marion Alec B. Francis Zelda Sears Bodil Rosing Carroll Nye Delmer Daves
detective suspect ward doctor maid killer suspenseful intricate fascinating new york state house closet murder investigation serial murders clues father/daughter relationship kidnapping mystery pursuit 1920s
When the body of a man nicknamed "Cock Robin" is found with an arrow in the heart on an archery range along with a chess bishop as a clue, Philo Vance investigates.
Kids & Family, Fantasy
USA
1962
80 Minutes
Basil Rathbone Estelle Winwood Gary Lockwood Anne Helm Liam Sullivan John Mauldin Jacques Gallo Leroy Johnson David Cross Angus Duncan Vampira
young man witch princess wizard knight dragon rousing spectacular suspenseful castle lair dungeon countryside kidnapping magic curse enchantment underdog rescue quest
The son of a sorceress, armed with weapons, armour and six magically summoned knights, embarks on a quest to save a princess from a vengeful wizard.
Mystery & Thriller
1944
63 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Gale Sondergaard Dennis Hoey Mary Gordon Arthur Hohl Alec Craig Vernon Downing Lydia Bilbrook John Burton Harry Cording
sherlock holmes doctor watson villain inspector detective assistant crafty intricate suspenseful engaging london gambling house fair house murder suicide insurance poison detective work seduction
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) poses as a foreigner to bait the woman (Gale Sondergaard) behind so-called "pajama suicides."
Mystery & Thriller
1943
68 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Hillary Brooke Milburn Stone Arthur Margetson Halliwell Hobbes Dennis Hoey Minna Phillips Gavin Muir Gerald Hamer Vernon Downing
sherlock holmes doctor watson inspector sister brother doctor engaging crafty intricate suspenseful estate london england hospital family feud ritual murder detective work land claim world war ii greed
Watson (Nigel Bruce) brings in Holmes (Basil Rathbone) on a case of ritual murder at the old Musgrave estate.
Mystery & Thriller
1943
71 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Marjorie Lord Henry Daniell George Zucco John Archer Gavin Muir
sherlock holmes doctor watson secret agent socialite spy fiancé engaging suspenseful london airplane washington, d.c. party antique shop office world war ii espionage secret documents investigation abduction attempted murder
Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Watson (Nigel Bruce) follow a popular matchbook full of microfilm sought by Nazi spies.
Mystery & Thriller
1945
69 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Dennis Hoey Aubrey Mather Paul Cavanagh Holmes Herbert Gavin Muir
detective sidekick wealthy man butler sherlock holmes crafty thrilling confident castle office dinner party murder mystery insurance dining investigation mystery temptation 1890s
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) go to Scotland to check on mortality at a heavily insured club.
Mystery & Thriller
1944
74 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Gerald Hamer Arthur Hohl Miles Mander Ian Wolfe Paul Cavanagh Kay Harding
detective doctor watson actor postal worker innkeeper lord thrilling suspenseful rousing canada inn quebec city investigation serial murders detective work sherlock holmes mystery pursuit revenge 19th century
Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) solve village murders blamed on a monster in Canada.
Mystery & Thriller
1942
68 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes
Basil Rathbone Nigel Bruce Lionel Atwill Kaaren Verne William Post Jr. Dennis Hoey Mary Gordon Holmes Herbert Henry Victor Paul Fix Rudolph Anders
sherlock holmes doctor watson scientist wife government official professor moriarty intense crafty zurich london flat whitehall apartment operating room world war ii inventions kidnapping disguise secret codes torture
An Englishman (Basil Rathbone) sneaks a bombsight inventor out of Zurich, then loses him to Nazi agent Moriarty (Lionel Atwill).
Sci-Fi
1965
80 Minutes
Prof. Hartman
Basil Rathbone Faith Domergue John Bix Gennadi Vernov Georgy Zhzhenov Vladimir Yemelyanov
astronaut scientist leader robot alien professor intense thrilling melodramatic space station spaceship venus outer space space travel teamwork escape exploration asteroid attack discovery pursuit
Space travelers encounter hostile aliens, robots and dinosaurs during a perilous mission to the planet Venus.
Adventure
USA
1938
100 Minutes
Ronald Colman Basil Rathbone Frances Dee Ellen Drew C.V. France Henry Wilcoxon Heather Thatcher Stanley Ridges Bruce Lester Walter Kingsford Alma Lloyd
poet constable traitor lady king rousing thrilling moving confident paris palace tavern treason françois villon royalty political coup unlikely allies king louis xi escape love
Vagabond poet François Villon rises to high office in 1463 Paris.
Crime, Drama
USA
1935
78 Minutes
Aline MacMahon Basil Rathbone Mary Carlisle Frank Albertson Dudley Digges Doris Lloyd Nola Luxford Murray Kinnell Eily Malyon Justine Chase Barbara Shields
elderly woman con artist doctor artist nephew maid creepy suspenseful disturbing london mansion con game kindness abduction family escape 1930s
Mary Herries is a rich woman with a habit of contributing to those less fortunate than her. On her way home from a concert on Christmas Eve she discovers a poor, would-be artist outside her... See full summary »
Drama
USA
1930
81 Minutes
A plain secretary works for a womanizing divorce lawyer who only dates married women. To avoid having to deal with the matrimonial pursuits of any of his potential romances, he offers her financial support if she marries him in name only.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1937
80 Minutes
Johnny Selden
Bobby Breen Basil Rathbone Marion Claire Henry Armetta Leon Errol Donald Meek Billy Lee
While at summer camp in the Maine woods, little Bobby Breen befriends composer Basil Rathbone, who left the city to try and break his creative block, and is soon playing matchmaker for his ... See full summary »
Romance
USA
1930
70 Minutes
Paul Gherardi
Billie Dove Basil Rathbone Kay Francis Montagu Love Kenneth Thomson Philip Strange Gino Corrado Elinor Vanderveer
aristocrat violinist countess doctor husband old flame melodramatic emotional england party family home seaside resort marriage high society class distinctions fame mental breakdown infidelity love
A scheming musician seduces a wealthy woman for love and money.
Drama
1937
86 Minutes
Michael Michailow
Kay Francis Basil Rathbone Ian Hunter Jane Bryan Donald Crisp Mary Maguire Dorothy Peterson Laura Hope Crews Robert Barrat Ben Welden Veda Ann Borg
cabaret performer composer husband girl judge mother intense passionate dark striking warsaw, poland courtroom nightclub house concert hall scandal adultery secret past mother/daughter relationship murder
A cabaret singer (Kay Francis) stands trial in Warsaw for killing a concert pianist (Basil Rathbone) to save her daughter's honor.
Mystery & Thriller
1937
87 Minutes
Ann Harding Basil Rathbone Binnie Hale Bruce Seton Jean Cadell Bryan Powley Joan Hickson Donald Calthrop Eugene Leahy
stenographer fiancé serial killer aunt maid doctor dark suspenseful uneasy england apartment ship france country house country fair deception elopement lottery marriage isolation
An English lottery winner (Ann Harding) slowly realizes her suave new husband (Basil Rathbone) plans to kill her.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1955
101 Minutes
Sir Ravenhurst
Danny Kaye Norman Panama Glynis Johns Basil Rathbone Angela Lansbury Cecil Parker Mildred Natwick Robert Middleton Michael Pate Herbert Rudley Noel Drayton
carnival worker maid king princess jester witch lighthearted hilarious cheeky england forest castle woods hut courtyard royalty impersonation schemes magic father/daughter relationship
A hapless carnival performer masquerades as the court jester as part of a plot against an evil ruler who has overthrown the rightful King.
Adventure, Action
USA
1938
102 Minutes
Sir Guy of Gisbourne
Michael Curtiz Errol Flynn Olivia de Havilland Basil Rathbone Claude Rains Patric Knowles Eugene Pallette Alan Hale Herbert Mundin Una O'Connor Melville Cooper
robin hood prince king sheriff of nottingham pretty woman outlaw thrilling cheery rousing forest england castle rebellion corruption royalty wealth quest adventure rescue middle ages
When Prince John and the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence, a Saxon lord fights back as the outlaw leader of a rebel guerrilla army.
Adventure
USA
1935
119 Minutes
Levasseur
Errol Flynn Olivia de Havilland Basil Rathbone Lionel Atwill Ross Alexander Guy Kibbee Henry Stephenson George Hassell Forrester Harvey Frank McGlynn Robert Barrat
doctor pirate lady governor government official sailor brash confident thrilling england port royal, jamaica ship pirates treason slavery rebellion adventure transformation 17th century
A young Irish doctor is exiled as a slave to Jamaica where he captures a Spanish galleon and becomes the most feared pirate of the Caribbean.
War, Drama
USA
1938
103 Minutes
Major Brand
Errol Flynn David Niven Basil Rathbone Donald Crisp Melville Cooper Barry Fitzgerald Carl Esmond Peter Willes Morton Lowater Michael Brooke James Burke
commander military officer pilot brutal rousing france military base horrors of war dangerous job air force friendship death world war i sacrifice transformation rivalry 1910s
British flying aces in World War I contend with the harsh realities of war.
Adventure
USA
1940
93 Minutes
Captain Esteban Pasquale
Tyrone Power Linda Darnell Basil Rathbone Gale Sondergaard Eugene Pallette J. Edward Bromberg Montagu Love Janet Beecher Robert Lowery Chris-Pin Martin George Regas
zorro governor captain niece wife thrilling spirited uplifting frenetic california mansion corruption heroism justice defending the helpless rescue quest sacrifice 19th century
A young Spanish aristocrat must masquerade as a fop in order to maintain his secret identity of Zorro as he restores justice to early California.
Drama
USA
1935
130 Minutes
Mr. Murdstone
W.C. Fields Freddie Bartholomew Basil Rathbone Lionel Barrymore Maureen O'Sullivan Madge Evans Edna May Oliver Lewis Stone Elizabeth Allan Roland Young Elsa Lanchester
young boy stepfather father ingénue blackmailer aunt melodramatic london family home office wealth family child abuse blackmail love triangle growing up rescue love 19th century
A gentle orphan discovers life and love in an indifferent adult world.
Romance
USA
1937
98 Minutes
Commissar Dimitri Gorotchenko
Claudette Colbert Charles Boyer Basil Rathbone Anita Louise Melville Cooper Isabel Jeans Maurice Murphy Morris Carnovsky Gregory Gaye Montagu Love Renie Riano
duchess prince banker wife daughter government official charming hilarious paris household assumed identity russian revolution domestic work aristocracy money exile sacrifice discovery transformation 1930s
After the Russian revolution, a married Russian couple of nobility must take up jobs in Paris in order to survive.
Horror
USA
1962
90 Minutes
Carmichael
Vincent Price Peter Lorre Basil Rathbone Debra Paget Maggie Pierce Leona Gage Joyce Jameson David Frankham
father daughter drunk hypnotist cat rival disturbing suspenseful intense tavern house basement laboratory death infidelity hallucinations family dysfunction revenge rivalry discovery
Three tales of terror involve a grieving widower and the daughter he abandoned; a drunkard and his wife's black cat; and a hypnotist who prolongs the moment of a man's death.
Musical, Comedy
USA
1940
92 Minutes
Oliver Courtney
songwriter musician composer friend airy charming inn party pawn shop stage ghost writing secret chance meeting unusual romance music industry deception love quest rivalry 1940s
Popular songwriter Oliver Courtney has been getting by for years using one ghost writer for his music and another for his lyrics. When both writers meet at an inn, they fall in love and ... See full summary »
Musical, Comedy
USA
1954
86 Minutes
Lucio, Narrator
Bob Hope Joan Fontaine Basil Rathbone Audrey Dalton Hugh Marlowe Vincent Price Arnold Moss John Carradine John Hoyt Hope Emerson Robert Hutton
A meek tailor thinks his wooing will be helped if he assumes the identity of the famous Casanova...who's deeply in debt.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1941
102 Minutes
Reggie Oliver
The film opens with a German air-raid over the skies of London, and moves to the attempts of the F.B.I. and Scotland Yard investigators trying to circumvent the attempts of a sabotage ring ... See full summary »
Drama, History
USA
1935
96 Minutes
Pontius Pilate
Preston Foster Alan Hale Basil Rathbone John Wood Louis Calhern David Holt Dorothy Wilson Wyrley Birch Gloria Shea Frank Conroy William V. Mong
slave trader blacksmith son fortuneteller gladiator pontius pilate touching intense inspiring spectacular volcano jerusalem africa italy redemption city regret corruption painful memories crucifixion
In the doomed Roman city, a gentle blacksmith becomes a corrupt gladiator, while his son leans toward Christianity.
Mystery & Thriller
USA
1942
80 Minutes
Cesar Ferrari, alias Dr. H. Santelle
Lew Ayres Laraine Day Basil Rathbone Walter Kingsford Miles Mander Charles D. Brown Cliff Clark James Flavin Russell Gleason William Tannen Mark Daniels
In Chicago, an unemployed actor aims to solve the mystery concerning a string of ax murders, apparently committed by a lunatic.
Romance
USA
1936
80 Minutes
Count Ferdinand Anteoni
Marlene Dietrich Charles Boyer Basil Rathbone C. Aubrey Smith Tilly Losch Joseph Schildkraut John Carradine Alan Marshall Lucile Watson Henry Brandon Helen Jerome Eddy
monk heiress soldier guide emotional melodramatic passionate desert monastery north africa unlikely romance uncertainty regret running away forbidden love quest sacrifice 1930s
The star-crossed desert romance of a cloistered woman and a renegade monk.
Drama, History
USA
1938
100 Minutes
Ahmed
Gary Cooper Sigrid Gurie Basil Rathbone George Barbier Binnie Barnes Ernest Truex Alan Hale
explorer princess emperor adviser assistant spirited melodramatic peking palace china marco polo expedition travel romance shipwreck discovery love adventure 13th century
Adventurer Marco Polo travels to China, where he finds the Emperor Kublai Khan, court intrigue, danger, and unexpected love.
Musical
1944
101 Minutes
George Adams
Red Skelton Esther Williams Basil Rathbone Bill Goodwin Ethel Smith Jean Porter Donald Meek Nana Bryant Ann Codee Francis Pierlot Margaret Dumont
songwriter producer instructor college student professor wife lighthearted amusing witty endearing los angeles new jersey college wedding swimming pool classroom marriage schemes love triangle career vs. love
A goofy songwriter (Red Skelton) enrolls at a women's college to be near his aquatic sweetheart (Esther Williams).
Drama
USA
1936
80 Minutes
Wroxton
Robert Taylor Loretta Young Patsy Kelly Basil Rathbone Joe E. Lewis Marjorie Gateson Paul Harvey Jane Darwell Paul Stanton John Miljan Monroe Owsley
A maid secretly marries the son of her wealthy boss.
Mystery & Thriller
1943
90 Minutes
Sig von Aschenhausen
Joan Crawford Fred MacMurray Conrad Veidt Basil Rathbone Reginald Owen Richard Ainley
professor bride classmate scientist count secret service agent suspenseful melodramatic charming thrilling germany paris castle prison camp swiss alps honeymoon espionage world war ii nazis secret weapon
Honeymooners (Joan Crawford, Fred MacMurray) spy for the British in 1939 Germany to learn more about the Nazis' new magnetic mine.
Drama, History
USA
1935
128 Minutes
Marquis St. Evremonde
Ronald Colman Elizabeth Allan Edna May Oliver Blanche Yurka Reginald Owen Basil Rathbone Henry B. Walthall Donald Woods Walter Catlett Fritz Leiber H.B. Warner
lawyer wealthy man pretty woman emotional melodramatic passionate england london france paris social change love triangle french revolution friendship injustice love forbidden love quest rescue 1780s
A pair of lookalikes, one a former French aristocrat and the other an alcoholic English lawyer, fall in love with the same woman amongst the turmoil of the French Revolution.
Drama
USA
1958
121 Minutes
Norman Cass, Sr., Banker
Spencer Tracy Jeffrey Hunter James Gleason Dianne Foster Pat O'Brien Basil Rathbone Donald Crisp Edward Brophy John Carradine Willis Bouchey Basil Ruysdael
mayor political consultant politician nephew passionate spirited united states city city hall political campaign political corruption politics showdown aging competition underdog 1950s
Marshal Jake Wade aids outlaw Clint Hollister escape jail but Clint wants to know where Wade hid an old hold-up loot taken while both men were outlaws in the same gang.
Horror
USA
1964
88 Minutes
Mr. John F. Black
Vincent Price Peter Lorre Boris Karloff Joyce Jameson Joe E. Brown Miss Beverly Hills Basil Rathbone Alan DeWitt Buddy Mason Douglas Williams
undertaker killer widow landlord assistant dark campy thrilling frightful funeral home new england crypt murder debt alcoholism schemes greed buried alive transformation mystery
Dishonest undertaker Waldo Trumbull and his sidekick Felix Gillie are creating their own customers when they cannot find willing ones.
Comedy
1967
88 Minutes
Gregor
Ferlin Husky Joi Lansing John Carradine Don Bowman Lon Chaney Linda Ho Basil Rathbone Molly Bee
Country singers (Ferlin Husky, Joi Lansing) stranded on the way to Nashville spend the night with spies in a mansion.