Wednesday, 10 April 2024

Basil Rathbone - and the Hollywood Baskervilles - guest post by Elizabeth Crowens


Today, a guest post from Elizabeth Crowens, whose new book (above) has just been published by an excellent American firm, Level Best Books.

'Growing up as a child in the Midwestern United States, we didn’t have cable channels with over one hundred channels or a variety of streaming services. All we had were the three major network stations on an analogue television set, and when my hometown had access to PBS programming, we set up an antenna to get a fourth channel. We got very few British shows except for old Hammer horror films during Saturday afternoon television after the cartoons were over or midnight showings. In short, a very limited viewing selection compared to now, and as a kid with a limited allowance, going to a matinee at a local theater entailed a car ride and didn’t happen all that often, especially without a parent chaperone.

Back then, my only exposure to Sherlock Holmes was the Basil Rathbone films, co-starring Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t even aware of Jeremy Brett’s masterful interpretation of Holmes in the Granada Television series until years later. When I studied filmmaking and film history and lived in larger cities like New York and Los Angeles, did I realize that the fictional character of Sherlock Holmes won the Guinness Book of World Records for having more actors portray him in all media, including film, theater, television, and animation. The only other fictional character who surpassed Holmes was Dracula, but he is classified more as a supernatural creature rather than a fictional human.

When it came to developing the concept for Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles, my first book in the Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series, I needed to give my rookie private detective partners their first big celebrity client. Since I had previously written three novels in an alternate history series exploring the Spirtualist and paranormal interests of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I was familiar with the Sherlockian canon and many of Conan Doyle’s other works, including ghost stories, so it made sense that if I started my new series in 1940, I should carry over the Holmes theme and have Basil Rathbone hire my detectives.

Next, of course, I had to watch as many of Basil’s films as I could. Being as prolific as he was, he had quite a filmography, including a significant number of projects where he played the villain rather than the hero, such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Mark of Zorro, and Captain Blood. I discovered Basil had significant experience on the New York stage, preferring Shakespeare, before getting his lucky break in Hollywood.

When I made a deep dive into his biographical and autobiographical material, I soon discovered that Basil was also a serious animal lover. At any given time, he owned five dogs, several cats, and canaries. One of his dogs, a Cocker Spaniel named Leo, left an indelible imprint. Basil’s best friend, Jack Wiltern, was walking Leo along with two other Westies. While crossing a busy street in Los Angeles, a speeding car hit Jack and the dogs. Leo broke his leg. The Westies made it to the curb unharmed, but Jack later died of his injuries. Mentioning this true and tragic story in my novel, I also had Leo disappear. Basil became distraught every time he thought of his missing dog, because it also reminded him of his dear friend’s deadly incident. Thus my premise was born...'

 

6 comments:

  1. A guest post that requires many more chapters! Thank you! Have always been a Basil Rathbone fan; he went to a minor public school (Repton) and was actually older than his Watson, Nigel Bruce, who was so badly injured in WW1 it was feared he would never walk again. Rathbone was a great swordsman; his battle up and down the staircase in Robin Hood is considered the greatest sword fight in cinema. Rathbone choreographed it, and it took three weeks to film. I love his Sherlock; it has not dated in the way Brett's has. Rathbone inhabited, Brett performed. (And I know that won't be a popular opinion, but there you go)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Liz. I think there's a lot of force in what you say. Rathbone was a great Sherlock. I'd also put in a word for the under-estimated Douglas Wilmer.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree re Wilmer. It is also worth bearing in mind that Rathbone was a gallant soldier, being awarded the Military Cross. Some of the Holmes stories set in the USA were pure propaganda, but of the most delicious and patriotic sort.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Agree entirely with Liz Gilbey's observations on Rathbone and Brett. Douglas Wilmer was superb and recall, as a boy, his performances making a vivid impression on me. He was somewhat in the Rathbone mould, but have always enjoyed Arthur Wontner's more laid-back interpretation too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm not familiar with Wontner's interpretation, but I'd like to take another look at Wilmer. Agree that he's in the Rathbone mould.

    ReplyDelete