). For some reason I think her little pearl necklace is a bit heartbreaking. Poor Cynthia, things did not go good for her.
Second up is a candid of the Baz doing a stint at the Hollywood Canteen, ten years earlier – 1944. Sent in by the same “serious collector” who gave us the lovely glowing print of young Basil in 1923. I like the glimpse we get of him handling a live audience. Fascinated to know what he’s gesturing at. Something AMAZING has just come in the room by the looks of things 
And third up, another candid, this time suggested by cinegeek, of Basil and Errol on the set of DAWN PATROL. I really like this for the same reason I like the other candid of them doing costume fittings for ROBIN HOOD – it defies expectation. Once again, Flynn is so not the dominant force of the two; he comes over as almost shy and insecure, and Rathbone’s arm about his shoulder is almost controlling; once again the older guy seems much more at ease of the two. Funny isn’t it, the way that vibe keeps coming up in candids. Maybe the photos are just accidents of composition. But then Flynn and Rathbone were both such complicated people, and there’s so much we don’t know about their professional and personal interaction, I guess anything is possible.
Basil is still a good looking guy at sixty-two
There nice pics.Basil was good looking at any age! I think i like seeing him in that apron.By the by.What is Errol holding?A ball or an apple ?
Robert Osbourne from TCM said he would be washing dishes at the Hollywood Canteen
Thanks for the great photos. You have said all there is to be said about them.
I was just wondering about the origin of the “Ouida” name and found this interesting thing on the Internet–Ouida (Maria Louise Rame, or de la Ramee), 1/1/1839-1/25/08; Englishwoman famous for writing extravagant melodramatic romances of fashionable life, and about animals, including “A Dog of Flanders” (1872). Her father taught French and called her Ouida for Louisa. Died in Italy, think it said.
“famous for writing extravagant melodramatic romances” – pretty appropriate then
Ok well here I am, rising to the challenge so you can all deplore me
I just invite the straight men here (if there are any??) to – honestly – tell us when they were last comfortable breaking into another straight guy’s space as completely as these two men have? I don’t just mean the arm across the shoulder, I mean the fact that the entire length of Flynn’s upper arm is pressed against Rathbone’s chest and belly.
Crucially the contact continues below waist level, and is initiated as much, if not more, by Flynn (see how his arm is lifted away from his side, actively, if subtly, pressing against Rathbone’s body?).
I ask any gay man here to honestly tell us how they would read that body language in a social situation?
Ok – I’m gay and I think you are talking through your a**. Basil is just putting his arm round Errol like straight guys do all the freakin time. Sorry but no. The gaydar has spoken. Basil was IMO 95-100% straight. Flynn, different story, maybe 50-60%.
Errol’s arm was pressed against him only to the elbow. I don’t think a poke in the navel is very suggestive. Nuts to that theory, and sorry for the pun. Whatever their situation, I’d take this as a straight photo.
I have to say I agree. I get no gay vibe from Basil. Not to say he didn’t experiment. Public schools can do that. But IMO if he had a choice of men or women, it’d be be women every time. And yes, I am a gay man by the way.
just my take on it, it looks like someone to our right asked them to take there pic.You know like”hey can i get your pic togather?” because there def.looking at something or someone off camera. And someone off to this side snaped there pic at the sametime. Wonder what that is in the foreground in front of Errols hands? Looks like a flash bulb, from a camera.As if the photographer was standing behind and slightly above someone with a camera with a flash bulb on it..could be wrong..just my take on it..
I always thought I was a straight man, and my wife of 13 years certainly does, but since I just put my arm across a bloke’s shoulder in the pub, I think I must be gay after all.
Classic comment, David.
What utter nonsense. This is the kind of thing that gets genuine gay liberation a bad name.
I have a photograph of myself and my boss in which we are striking an almost identical pose. Does this mean we are gay lovers? Because if we are I’m pretty sure I’d remember.
Many British men prefer the company of their “mates”,but that seems to do with the culture,and as someone pointed out something to do with Brit Public School Education and lack of sex education save for some dumb movie featuring animals (some book I read by an American married to a British man).So no unless someone is unmistakeably so,no one can be automatically judged to be gay
About Errol and Baz,they definitely look like good friends,reminds me of the story of his last seeing brother John,he kissed him and kept watch over him.Whatever rivalry on screen ,there was genuine affection.Rather like Baz and Jack Miltern,still see nothing but close friendship in either relationship.Nice to see Cynthia about the time of the “doggie doo” incident with Baz strategically placing the pile for Bogie in We’re No Angels.
I see nothing gay in kissing your lil brother. espicly in such a horrific sitution. Errol always said he liked “old Bazz”.[not that way, Claud 8>]
That story about his brother makes me cry like a baby. What wonderful writing there is in parts of that book. It’s partly the honesty and simplicity, but also the understated poetry. he was obviously an instinctive writer.
I really believe our Baz was a hero in everyday life in having the courage to go on,tho’ his mother’s and John’s deaths obviously caused him great pain,and his marriage broke up due to amongst other things being part of The Lost Generation Post-WWI,having second thoughts while fighting for your life everyday for at least 2 years,like has been said having PTSD,probably getting love when you could when you were off-the-front-lines,risking his life and others trying to do your duty to God and Country-one very sensitive man who felt guilty putting himself before his marriage,but I think he was being kind to Marion to be fair to Baz Rodion,too.He had a lot to recover from and maybe he felt Marion would find another husband.
I totally agree. When you think about the horror of being in that war and losing his brother and mother, and then his sister being so strange, it would probably crush most people to go through so much. He was unbelievably brave to keep going and get his career back on track. Maybe his marriage was already on the fritz before he went to war. He was young to be a father, only 23. Most men are still boys at that age.
I have never heard this story, please tell more!
I really want to know who this girl is with Basil?
Hhhmmm…Not sure he’s totally happy with being photographed
He looks like hes in mid word.
Awww his bow tie is a little bit awry…don’t you want to just sweep in there and straighten it for him.
Her name is Heather Engel. She and Basil and others were guests at a party hosted by Clifton Webb. Compare to this pic and you’ll see even the curtains are the same:
Seated: Heather Engel, Merle Oberon, Ouida, Mabel Webb (Clifton Webb’s mother)
Standing: Basil, David Niven, Gregory Ratoff (director)
I’m not sure Ouida’s wearing enough jewellery.
I’m not sure Mabels wearing enough jewerly[snicker snort]
Why does no one have their hand resting on Heathers shoulder?Maybe its just me.
Excellent tec work!!!!
THANK YOU MARCIA!!!!! For pointing out what every fan of Clifton knows and says every time we see this photo on the net! THAT IS NOT CLIFTON YOU MORONS! Still I see it on ebay with Basil David and Clifton listed as being in the back row.
I assume that Clifton is the one who took the photo.
I think this is a misspelling and it’s actually Heather Angel who was on a rather hot streak at RKO when this picture was taken, somewhere around…1936? And yes she was a very delicate little five-footer. As was Oberon.
Ah! You’re quite right! Thanks for the correction.
Definitely don’t think Cynthia was his biological child!
Did someone suggest she was? I never heard that!
Oddly enough untill a few years ago..Who did say it first? Was it 1st in the Druxman book? I never heard Cyn WASNT there biological dau. Of course that was when Ouida was giving her birth date as 1896.The truth being it’s 1886 But even so, now takeing her true age into acount, she was at the upper end of the age range but she could still have been Cyn’s mom.Sence Cyn was born in 1939. Ouida would have beeen 53Not comon but not imposible.One of those chane of life babies.Nor have I been able to find info to the contray that she is Ther Bilogical dau The Cal birth record says Rathbone for her mom. ..
Haveing said that Most addoptions are kept secrect.Altho some clebs seem to have trumpeted it from the rooftops, sorta of how nice am I sorta thing.Joan Crawford,for 1.Even today they do that. Without nameing names 1 modren hollyood couple with a brood of adopted,kids comes to mind.I’m not a lawyer,and have no clue how to go about searching for Cyn’s real parents,from 1000′s of miles and so many years away One of the reasons I wondered If anyone had seen Cyn’s death cert? Was if MIGHT[thats a BIG might} say the names of her Bilogical parents She realy dosent look at all like Basil does she….
I can help on the issue of adoption records. (Oh, and besides Crawford, don’t forget Loretta Young’s trip back from Europe with an “adopted” child.) Adoption records traditionally were kept extremely confidential, in state offices. Even if birth parent and birth child were looking for each other, it was usually impossible to penetrate the legal barriers, not even for serious medical issues. Things began to open up in the 1980-90s, when a few kind souls who had been through all this began to form networks for finding those who wanted to find each other. They also pressed for more humane adoption/search laws, and there are now also open adoptions (and maybe there always were?).
If Cynthia’s records can be found, they would most likely be amended records, with BR/OR as parents. The original, original birth record would probably show only a mother’s name, unless she had named a father or had been married at the time. If she/he were someone famous, anything could have happened, including false (or pre-fame) names. Also, the original birth certificate would have the name, if any, the mother gave the child; looks as if BR/OR renamed her, as probably most adopting parents do.
Are people searching for her under BOTH Cynthia and Barbara Cynthia?
She must have had a SS number. I once accidentally got into a website that showed the SS numbers for everyone in NY who had died before 1982!! (How legal can THAT be!) If you noodle around you might find a similar site…but it would help to know what state she was living in at the time.
Really really helpful suggestions. The birth certificate we have gives her actual date of birth (as Basil presents it in his autobio anyhow). Is that usual? It would be good to compare it to other Californian birth/adoption certificates from the same period wouldn’t it.
I think any sort of legal birth certificate would have the actual date of birth, if known. One must be born, but one can protect the unfortunate parties involved.
If there was access to Cal birth records.Might not be a problem to get the “offical” record that is the one I had the link to through the morman chrurch site. but the adopption record might never be found..or might be “hidden”as Judy said. Also we dont realy KNOW for true if she was born in Cal. or for that matter if thats realy her actuial birthdate. only that, that is the offical record.as far as S.S. number I think i can get it from ancestory. but not sure what good it would do? I dont think the gove will give out those records to just anyone i think you have to be able to prove next of kinship or such dont you?.. Lorretta Young…Look at that daughter.. then look at Dear Mr. Gable..just saying.[wink]
Today if a hospital lists as a Safe Haven anybody can drop the baby off .No questions asked and walk out.This happened to us once.
Lisa and Michael Michailow?? Before someone shoots the piano player?? The studio(s) used to set him out for photo shoots that would look like dates, giving their new starlets a little publicity. Anyway, I love that movie,”Confession.”
Pretty sure that’s not Jane Bryan. She looks more delicately built.
Would love to hear how Jane Bryan liked working with Baz in Confession.A few photos of them from rehearsals/backstage,Baz sitting on floor near her was cute.
Ooh, a thought just hit me, could it be Ouida’s “niece”, the “other Ouida”?
Yes please Neve could you fill me in as to ‘the other Ouida’? I dont know anything about her.Nor have i been able to locate anything on another Ouida,or another Eula. Even Holmes needs some clue?
Hmm…someone found some info about her – but can’t remember what or were. I’ll have a look and get back to you
Baz said Ouida’s niece lived with them until her marriage to David Huxley,Aldose(?) brother.Niece’s name Ouida Branch.Any photos from after he injured his right wrist before Broadway debut of The Heiress?Always wondered what the extent of the resulting surgery to repair the near evisceration of his hand.The tale he told of recreating the entire play while in surgery was cute,the old ham.Every single line of dialogue,no wonder he won a Tony for The Heiress,even if it was a three way tie.Baz entertains the troops.
Are you sure it was the right wrist? He describes falling off a stone wall in Central Park while walking the dog in his autobio, but don’t remember him describing it as a serious injury; on the back cover photo there is a straggly line running along his left hand in the general direction of the first finger, unless it’s a defect in the photo. The picture could of course be accidentally reversed, but he does seem to have a wedding ring on that hand. Love the bit of him rehearsing the whole play wile in surgery!
Baz said he was walking the dogs one day,stopped to pick up a piece of glass,then can’t remember from there.An ensuing trip by ambulance with his right arm in a sling and bandage,the medics wanting him to sign papers,his response,”With what?”as he was right-handed and unable to sign.Then the tale of the recreating the play for the surgical team while repairing the wrist.
There’s a press story somewhere about how he was chasing his dog and leaped a wall that had a 10ft drop on the other side, was knocked out and broke his arm. I’m guessing concussion wiped his memory.
As a recent wrist-breakee I’m wondering if he had actual surgery or was just anesthetized while they did an external reduction – viz pushed the arm back in shape without cutting anything open. I had the latter and trust me – they give you stuff that makes you very high and happy and possibly inclined to recite entire plays to bemused onlookers.
Oh, I can outdo you: I broke both wrists, what they call Colley’s fractures, involving just as many bones as possible, when a frisky horse and I decided to part company. I was awake at the hospital and called the poor doctors a lot of things while they pulled things back into place; not sure they gave me anything except for pain, but I had a strong feeling, which I kept telling them, that I felt as if I was going through every minute of this twice, as if in an additional dimension. Guess that was shock. I was quite alarmed to think that someone could recite a whole play while under anesthesia, because I’ve had a few cute surgeons and anesthetists and would hate to think what I might have said to them!! So it sounds as if Bazz was either in shock or flying on some painkilling meds.
But all this still makes two or more versions out there of exactly what BR was up to. And look at the left hand on that photo on the back of BR’s book: looks very much like a jagged scar.
He could have had a Colles fracture as you suggest.Depending on the degree of displacement would determine open or closed reduction.You usually see this with a fall onto an outstretched hand.We sometimes fixed it in ER depending on the Doc.and such.Did not always have Ortho on staff.Used conscious sedation.
Yes, i think he was sedated for external reduction. I’ll try and dig out the press report about his accident.
Not a nurse. Could the broken bones have gone through the skin? Would’nt he have needed stiches then? Ditto on the loopyness of good drugs. I had over a 100 stiches in my head and they gave me that kinda stuff too.I was fully awake but def not feeling any pain.
If he leaped a 10-foot wall the broken bone(s) could easily have penetrated the surface. He may also have suffered later from carpal tunnel (if doing any repetitive handwork) (surgically repairable if bad) or arthritis at the site.
Compound or open fractures do not always mean the bones out.But because of open wound at sight might need surgery to just clean the wound.Also iv antibiotics.Tho if the bone did penetyrate out it looks fugly! I never looked forward to seeing a patient with one.I pity them too.What happened that you needed that many stitches?Did you have a Surgeon or Plastic Surgeon,hopefully?The ER Docs i worked with handled quite a bit but with face or head they would have called in a plastic surgeon.
According to his autobiography, Basil said when he came to after his fall, he saw his wrist completely separated from his arm, attached only by the skin. So, I gather the bones didn’t poke through the skin. Then, when he saw it, he passed out again. He describes being “high as a kite” during and after surgery and even during his first performance after the injury! Quite a trooper.
If that is literally true then he was lucky to keep his hand let alone get back full use of it. Wrist fractures are tricky things even when simple Colles fractures, because there are so many structures, blood vessels and nerves running through and across the bones in this area that they can get stuck together or stuck to the bone through inflammation and the healing process and residual longterm stiffness or loss of function is very common. With an injury of this magnitude, as described, not only is the bone broken but many of the blood vessels and nerves have been torn apart too. I’ve seen closed fractures this bad end in amputation.
This is exactly story in my softcover copy,too.Makes more sense what’s written on today’s blog of the surgery,his reenactment of entire play in OR,and what did wife do to help his recovery,read about his dresser,doctors,but did she help him with anything or just run out for a new hat or dress
I would opt for Versed and amnesia.
No just our family doc. I was mauled by a St. Bernard,ripped my left ear loose which he sewed back to my head and a big c shaped cut on the back of my head. Actuly the dog never touched my face I threw my arm up between the dog and my face. Shades of Hound Of the Baskervills.I had a deniem jacket on over a tee shirt the dog couldnt bite through. I did have brusing on my right cheek bone where the dog hit my head aginst the cement.They put this ridiculusly huge bandage over my head and ear.when I waked out to the desk the recptionest,who hadnt been there when I went in earlier wanted to know if I was bucked of of a horse? [I had a tee shirt on with a rodeo rider on it and My dad had on his cowboy hat as usual.]my Dad said nope a dog.Her look was pure amazement.
Amazing1
Well, I still wanna know what that jagged scar is on his left hand (see back photo on In & Out of Character), assumin’ it isn’t a photo defect. Probably a fencing accident, is all.
[note from Neve - Judy, that pic isn't on my copy of his book, don't suppose you can scan it?]
I have the 1st edtion. printed in 62.If Judy means the pic on the back of the dust jacket this is it or its the same photo shoot.This on the the back of my copy. That I cant find.
http://www.basilrathbone.net/gallery/brathbone42.jpg
Oh i love the Hollywood Canteen one! You get an impression of how good he was at handling an audience.
Is that Ida Lupino on the right, looking the way Basil is pointing?
I did what Neve did and made a photo compare strip! I think it could be Ida. I like to think she was there to support Basil as they are two of my favorite old time acotrs and I want them to have been friends in real life!
Hannah, that is so Ida Lupino.
Yes, I think it is Ida Lupino!
I totally think that is her.
yeah i think it’s Ida Lupino
Cynthia wasn’t much of a looker was she
She’s at that “awkward age”. I actually think she does have some of Basil’s features, the long face and the same smile, but it might just be coincidence.
So you think Basil might have fathered her out of wedlock? If you read his biography it looks as if they were waiting for Cynthia to be born, as if they knew the mother was pregnant. Was that a common way of doing things in those days, adopting a baby before birth?
There are today private adoptions where the parents-to-be pay the expenses of the unfortunate girl. I assume in old Hollywood there were many knocked-up starlets, extras, etc. and many customers who could afford to be generous. Whether they would actually know each other is probably unlikely, due of the danger of later publicity or difficulties. If it were Baz’s child, which I don’t think likely, her life with Ouida would probably have been somewhat less than cuddly. But they certainly could have made some sort of deal to take on the child of someone they knew or whom a lawyer or doctor knew, and could have followed the pregnancy at a distance and helped out financially. Somewhere it’s written that they considered adopting a second child soon after. Hopefully people here will stop criticizing the poor girl’s looks…..
Yes it is common to “contract for pre adoption” espicly through privet or religus groups. I had a co-worker looked into it.They were trying to adopt from,I think it was Russia. Not to say that Cyn is Russian just thats where they were trying to adopt from. But as i said i’m not ruling out Ouida as the real mom yet.Not till I can find any better proof,that she isnt.Can anyone even show me 1 contempory sourse that says she’s not Ouidas bilogiacl dau. The birth record that i found says Rathbone for the mom.
Ouida would have been 53 in 1939, so I doubt Cynthia was her child. And if it was her biological child why would she pretend it wasn’t? I also doubt it was Basil’s child as that would have meant he had been betraying her, and I can’t see Ouida adopting his love child, even if he did have an affair, which I doubt.
ditto Cyn couldnt help what she looked like no more than any of us can. But I dont think shes looks at all like Basil. But Jr. sure as heck does. Honstly I swear theres a “Rathbone” look,it also passed down on the female side of the family to the Bensons And some of Basils other cousins as well.
I agree, she doesn’t look like Basil and I don’t believe she was his natural daughter.
Wow, I think his arm round Flynn speaks volumes!
I like that photo of Basil and Errol
I agree with whoever said there might be a resemblance between Basil and Cynthia. Don’t look at superficials like coloring or the fact Cynthia was not as pretty, genetics can do that if the mix is not favorable, but look please at the relative shape of the chin, the shape the mouth makes while smiling, and the naso-labial crease. They are very similar in both individuals, though the upper face is quite different. This could easy be a genetic family resemblance.
Maybe she was Bea’s daughter,Basil’s sister.Read in his memoir that Cynthia was Irish,like Jack Miltern, would focus on what’s perceived as weakness in another and badgr that person.Something about her ot getting on w/Ouida.She was a fortunate girl for having BR for adoptive father,IMHO.He was too protective of OR,someone who needed no male to defend her.Wonder when her anemia started to affect her health.? Pernicious Anemia or Hemachromatosis,both severe conditions.
I can only see veins in Baz pic from memoir.Not in my copy of book.Then mine is softcover.And wrist injury I read is wrist almost completely separated and how he passed out,no tale of leaping wall and being knocked out,maybe by OR?(I told you to bring me flowers,not play with the dog!).He had a heavy-looking glove on left hand in some photos from TAORH taken on staircase with heavy padding for thumb,wonder why?He seemed to be limping in his 1st scene in Robin,and wonder of home photos w/OR and Rodion,he has a cane,if it was after the crowd scene where an extra gashed his foot with a lance and he needed several stitches.I see that scar in photo w/Dietrich taken during rain storm in Sept ’39 with him in his “boxers” and looking quite hunky.Nice looking in photo from IAOOC,whatever year it’s from.So sad as pointed out how he looked unwell in some SH films.He was not old,but if he was sensitive,like I know he must’ve been,living in H’wood and in a different relationship,platonic,hence his “monk-like cell” as OR supposedly said,can’t blame him for having bromances on set,no I’m not saying he’s gay,but the Brit colony getting together to gossip,have tea,play cricket,go to pubs to unwind,while the spouse spends every nickel cuz she can.Think OR should’ve worked on SOAPS once they came to TV to offset her extravagance,Cyn’s medicals and just to be of help and support to Baz.When someone posed question of his mum and Bea possibly setting the course of his relationships with wives,think they must’ve been diva-like.Can’t get much of a feel from the pic of Baz,Bea and Johnny in pic from his memoir if she was a manipulator.Def can see the man he was in that pic.