Trivia of Basil Rathbone

Trivia of Basil Rathbone (13 June 1892 - 21 July 1967)

*He was born in South African Republic, to British parents.He also distant cousin of Maj. Henry Rathbone, who was part of President Abraham Lincoln's theater party the night he was assassinated. Maj. Rathbone himself was stabbed by John Wilkes Booth as the latter was escaping.

*During the First World War (in 1915), Rathbone was called up into the British Army as a private with the London Scottish Regiment. After basic training with the London Scots in early 1916, he received a commission as a lieutenant in the 2/10th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Scottish), where he served as an intelligence officer and attained the rank of captain. Rathbone was twice the British Army Fencing Champion, a skill that served him well in movies and allowed him to even teach Hollywood actors swordsmanship.

*Rathbone is generally considered the greatest swordsman in Hollywood history, superior even to on-screen foes Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power. However, because he was so frequently cast as the villain, he won only two on-screen duels in his career--as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (1936), for which he earned an Oscar nomination, and as Capt. Esteban Pascuale against the friar (Eugene Pallette), in The Mark of Zorro (1940).

*Rathbone is most widely recognised for his many portrayals of Sherlock Holmes. His Holmes project including : The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) and Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942).The Sherlock Holmes-esque Basil of Baker Street in The Great Mouse Detective (1986) is named after Rathbone.

*He was the favorite choice of Gone with the Wind (1939) author Margaret Mitchell to play the role of Rhett Butler.

*His final sword fight last when Rathbone was 63, opposite Danny Kaye in The Court Jester (1955). It is considered by some the best sword fight ever filmed.Reported Kaye's sword movements were too fast for old Rathbone.So, The fight choreographer dressed up as Rathbone's character and was filmed from behind for the fast sections.

*The Comedy of Terrors (1963) was the only film to feature the "Big Four" of American International Pictures' horror films: Price, Rathbone, Karloff and Peter Lorre.The producers' original intention was for Karloff to play the part of the ceaselessly spry old landlord, Mr. Black, but, by the time production was set to begin, they realized that it would have been difficult (if not impossible) for Karloff to perform the physical requirements of the role, due to persistent back and leg problems which had worsened with age. So, Karloff traded roles with Basil Rathbone, and instead played Amaryllis' elderly father, Mr. Hinchley.

*He was due to appear in film 'Blood Beast Terror' (1968) with Peter Cushing but died before filming started.