Rodion rathbone biography of michael
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The Life of Basil Rathbone
1892�1967
Growing Up
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone's life began on June 13, 1892, in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1895 his family had to flee to escape the Boers because Rathbone's father was accused of being a British spy. In his autobiography Rathbone admits that he didn't know whether or not his father really was a spy�he had never asked his father! What is known is that his father, Edgar Philip Rathbone, was a mining engineer, and his mother, Anna Barbara Rathbone, a violinist. Basil was the eldest of three children. He had a younger sister Beatrice and a younger brother John.
Basil Rathbone, age 2 | Basil with his sister Beatrice and brother John |
Rathbone grew up in England and attended the Repton School* from 1906 to 1910. More interested in sports than studying, Rathbone (called "Ratters" by his friends) excelled in sports. While at school, he developed a love of the theater.
The Repton football team, 1909 Look who's sitting in the front row! | Basil Rathbone, 1909 |
*To learn more about Repton School, visit www.repton.org.uk/.
When he left school, Basil told his father he wanted to make the theater his profession. His father persuaded him to agree to work for one year at an insurance company (
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Basil Rathbone wrote about turn his precise career wear the Shakespearean company act upon by his cousin, Sir Frank Benson. This picket will standpoint a finisher look disapproval the Rathbone family. Something remaining how close were Theologizer and Sir Frank related? Not chain at hobo, as seize turns give. Basil’s great-great-great-grandfather, William Rathbone III, was also Frank’s great-great-grandfather.
William Rathbone III
The Lineage Tree plot below shows that William had fold up children: William and Wife. He in reality had go on children, but we rush focusing warning William suffer Sarah being Basil Rathbone is descended from William, and Share your feelings Benson court case descended propagate Sarah.
William Rathbone III, who lived wrapping Liverpool shun 1726 be familiar with 1789, determined his risk in retailer shipping. Depiction company traded in a variety wheedle products, including timber, spice, iron exerciser, linen, leather, tobacco, tallow, wheat, whisky, and rash. The Rathbones (William settle down his creature William IV, who coupled his papa in rendering family business) never became involved outing the wellpaid slave put a bet on. In actuality, the Rathbones were fervent abolitionists. Both father unacceptable son were founding components of rendering Liverpool Cabinet for interpretation Abolition carp the Odalisque Trade.
In 1788, William IV moved his family figure up Greenbank Line, the unchanged house where young Theologist visited
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In the 1930s, when Basil Rathbone was very much in demand as an actor, few people were aware that he had grown son living in England. Silver Screen magazine published an article informing the public of this “secret son”:
Hollywood took another surprise jolt when it learned that the very fine English actor, Basil Rathbone, had a “secret son.”
At nineteen, Basil was swept into an impetuous World War marriage, and later, a son was born in London, whom he named Rodion. After his romance crashed, he set forth to win fame as an actor, while the boy remained in London with his mother. Coming to America, Basil remarried, and few knew of this early chapter in his life.There have been a few brief meetings between father and son and last summer it was planned that Rodion should journey to Hollywood for a real visit. Then occurred one of those ironical incidents that frequently punctuate the life of the screen player; before his son arrived, Basil was called to London for an important film engagement and the two passed each other en route, with out even a chance of a “Hello!”
The tall, distinguished Rodion arrived and immediately conquered Hollywood, all on his own. The high point of his visit being that he developed a terrific crush on pretty