Philip St. John Basil Rathbone, MC (13 June 1892 - 21 July 1967) was a South African-born British actor. He played Gerald Lovell in the 1937 film version of Love from a Stranger.
After cutting his teeth as a Broadway star, and a matinée idol of silent cinema, Rathbone gained fame playing swashbuckling villains, playing opposite the likes of Greta Garbo, Errol Flynn, Leslie Howard, Gary Cooper and Tyrone Power. However, his best known role remains that of Sherlock Holmes, a part he played in 14 films and over 200 radio episodes from 1939 to 1946. In the 1950s, he reprised the role for a one off television play, and a short lived Broadway play written by his wife.
Rathbone's performances earned him two Academy Award nominations, and three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.