PHOTOS
Published on September 18, 2012
Comments 45

Two Candids

written by

Taking a break from weighty subjects to post a couple of charming candids that have come to my attention lately.

The first is the Baz at home, brought to my attention by my Facebook friend Isobel:

I like his casual attire and ever so slightly ruffled hair. And I’m intrigued by whatever that is on his lap. it looks like a little box topped with tinsel. Is it a gift? And is that actually a sculpture of him on the desk? If so, I want it.

The second one is from the wonderfully Baz-centric Tumblr account A Folded Umbrella

Is that Ellen Drew? (if it is, presumably he’s in the middle of making The Mad Doctor) Does she know he’s about to pour the contents of that cup all over her head? Any suggestions as to why?

45 Comments

  3. Tina says

    I’m a lurker here. I just had to break radio silence to say – thank you. I love this blog, it’s my first port of call every morning with my coffee. Basil is masculine perfection. I want to jump on him when I see him on screen. Someone ought to write a poem to his lustrous eyes and his lithe and lovely body. Now back to lurking 🙂

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  4. Barb Edwards says

    I just saw on your coming soon panel that Basil had a relationship with Eva Le Gallienne! That is amazing, why is it not in his biography by Michael Druxman? Can’t wait to read more!

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    • NeveR says

      Michael’s book was primarily a filmography, Barb, and not intended as an exhaustive biography. And I’m not even sure if anything was known at the time about their sexual relationship. Though I admit it is a shame no Rathbone biographer got to talk to Eva about the man she called “my Basil.”

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      • Barb Edwards says

        What a wasted opportunity! I have been reading about her and she didn’t die until 1991. If only this blog had been going then, or miss Jessen’s website!

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  7. Basil's Girl says

    I want to be in that room with him in the top pic! He looks so modern and reachable, you could really imagine being there with him.

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  11. Anna says

    Oh, thanks again! I admit being a feverish fan of Mr. Sanders but it was Basil who made me discover the classic Hollywood some years ago. He was my first old Hollywood affection — I used to call him “The Unsurpassed” 😀

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    • Anita Vaudricourt says

      ‘Unsurpased’ is what he was in so many ways. His versatility was the most remarkable thing. What other actor could compete in ALL the categories he excelled in? He was a screen athlete, a classical actor, a romantic leading man, a great villain. Of whom else can that be said?

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  12. Anna says

    Thanks for your kind words about my humble Tumblr spot. I, too, find both pics charming, and his eyes are so unlikely innocent in the 2nd one.

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    • NeveR says

      Anna, “A Folded Umbrella” is classy as hell and a Basil-paradise. Not to mention your equally wonderful George Sanders blog http://g-h-s.tumblr.com/. I’m a huge fan of the magnificent Mr Sanders.

      And yes – that sweet little-boy-lost expression on the B’s face in pic 2 is just wonderful. 😀

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  14. June Bromley says

    He was verging on beautiful rather than just handsome, with hose incredible eyes and that bone structure. I always was a fan of his and wondered why he didn’t play more romantic leads. thank you for this website

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  15. Peg says

    I love the glimpses we get of his sense of humour. Was it George Sanders said he was a “pushover for a laugh”? And Vincent Price talked about what fun he was. What a sweet man. I’m glad he found happiness as he did.

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  18. AnnaPindurka says

    Not really related to this subject, but the book has just arrived from Amazon and I can’t keep this to myself, Laurence Olivier writing in 1986 about re-watching George Cukor’s Romeo and Juliet: “Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard are fine, Barrymore is Mercutio, overplaying his mannerisms but not the part, Basil Rathbone is marvelous as Tybalt and on the screen his pale blue eyes make him look deadly dangerous.”
    (The book is “On Acting”.)

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    • Helen Granger says

      I think Larry might have admired Basil, I saw another quote (on here?) about seeing Basil play Henry iV that was very complimentary.

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      • AnnaPindurka says

        Yes, that’s right, and there was also the letter in which he calls Basil “you dear generous chap” (http://www.murphsplace.com/olivier/thisthat.html). I wish I’d been there, pouring the coffee, when they were discussing his Hamlet film. (I know that they did from an interview with Basil in the book “Counterpoint”, published in 1964.)

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  19. Helen Granger says

    Lovely photos. I think that is Ellen Drew, yes. I think they had amazing chemistry in The Mad Doctor.

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  20. Winnie the Pooh says

    yes, that’s a tobacco tin. I didn’t know he smoked a pipe in real life. Errol did too. There’s a lovely photo of him in the Hollywood Criket Club, smoking a pipe. he looks so English, even though he was Australian

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  21. Granny Gingrich says

    How gooooorgeous he is in the first pic and how cute in the second. He must have been such fun to know. What a lovely person in all ways.

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  23. Katoodlel Lolly says

    I agree with MJ and embechtel, it is totally a tobacco tin, and wow-E, is he hand-SOME! Thanks for posting-thanks for reading. BTW, anyone gonna get ready for some edgar allan poe read by the BAZ for halloween? I am. *_*

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