There have been some terrifically insightful discussions on THE BAZ over the last year, and some great individual comments. I think they can tend to get lost in the crush of the comments section, which is not the best layout for following a discussion. So as part of marking our upcoming First Birthday, I’ll be featuring some of the best and most interesting contributions. They won’t be in any order, but will reflect the amazing variety of perspectives and analysis I’ve been fortunate to receive.
The first dates from January this year and is from a reader named Megan ho offeren an analysis of the photo below….
“…I’m a life enhancement coach, and one thing I have to be aware of is body language. My reading of that photo and their body language is that physicality is not a normal part of their interaction. They are awkward with each other, not just the social setting, as might be the case with people who don’t like to express affection in public for example.
It’s particularly significant that their hands are entirely disengaged from the process. They don’t touch each other. Most affectionate kisses, whether romantic or otherwise involve an instinctive touch with the hands, on the shoulders, arm or face usually. It’s very counter-intutitive to kiss someone affectionately or romantically without touching them as well. Try it yourselves.
The hands not touching suggests underlying physical coldness or even hostility. And I would say it emanates more from the female than the male partner. He at least is leaning toward her, whereas she is resolutely keeping to her own space, her hands limply in her lap. Her reluctance could not be more telegraphed…”
The Baz 
I just see them as being so much in love
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Ouida was a cow
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LOL!!!! 🙂
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YEAH, that might be true. Subconsciously, his mind MAY have caused him to choose people who weren’t all that good for him. People who are mentally damaged for WHATEVER reason, usually reflect that damage outwardly in their life-choices and relationships. Abused kids grow-up to marry abusers, kids of alcoholics marry alcoholics, etc. They re-live the abuse as a form of self-punishment, and to somehow “fix” the original pain by living through it again and again until they can “control” the eventual outcome…of course this NEVER happens, and they end-up unhappy unless the cycle is broken by MANY years of therapy. Too bad that wasn’t available for Basil’s war-trauma. (As Dr. Drew would say: “his PICKER was broken”.)
Like I mentioned above, Eva was probably the BEST person for Basil, because she loved him for all the RIGHT reasons…and was even willing to give-up sleeping with chicks to be with HIM! Now, THAT takes some BIG-TIME LOVE!! She wanted to have his children, too. She loved his SOUL, not his paycheck.
He fell in love with Ouida’s soul, but she didn’t realize she had beauty BEYOND her clothes, jewelry, and makeup— HE DID. He saw in her the PERSON he loved, not the STUFF. I believe the SADDEST and most TRAGIC thing of all about Ouida was NOT what she did to OTHERS, but the fact that she cheated HERSELF out of the happiness she COULD have known— because she never looked within HERSELF to see the wonderful person she was under the façade…the person Basil saw, the one she MIGHT have been, if things were different. When someone LOVES and is attracted to you, it’s NOT because you’re PRETTY, successful, or AMAZING in bed…it’s ’cause you’re YOU. The people she hurt still went on to have happiness, because she had NO effect on the goodness in them— even her husband’s…he died a HAPPY man, in a way; she couldn’t destroy the TRUE LOVE he was able to feel for and FROM others, and because he didn’t have her illness, he was ultimately the WINNER. But, she LOST. ALL narcissists lose. AND, when Basil died she probably MISSED this person she’d grown so accustomed to seeing and speaking to every day…she had to give up her ONLY real friend in the whole WORLD, whom most likely, she had feelings of DEEP attachment to. (Narcissists are capable of feeling a KIND of love…they love those who make them happy by SERVING their emotional and physical needs.) Then, she was forced to leave behind the lavish lifestyle she’d lived for SO many years, and sell whatever she could to survive. Her only child DIED just two years later, leaving her completely ALONE until her death, as a pauper. She NEVER loved, or WAS loved, again. She hadn’t realized that ALL that time, it wasn’t the house, the décor, the imported fashion, the parties, or the “impression” that had REALLY mattered— it was BASIL. HE was her greatest treasure…if he had been MINE, I’d have given up ALL those THINGS in trade for the chance to hold him just ONE more time, even if only for a moment. It must have been quite a SHOCK when she found him dead like that. It ended EVERYTHING she had known. So, I actually feel SORRIER for her, ’cause Basil will ALWAYS be loved, respected, and admired…but NO one likes Ouida. (Hey, SHE’S God’s kid, TOO!) I like to think that Basil and Cynthia looked after her from heaven, so she wouldn’t be homeless and starving, and stuff. In a way, Ouida WAS punished for the way she treated others; probably a WORSE punishment than SHE may have even deserved. I know God doesn’t want ANY of us to be unhappy…and she was NEVER truly happy. You can’t be happy when you love only EMPTY things. I HOPE she’s with her family now— forgiven, healed and a WHOLE person for the FIRST time, knowing and UNDERSTANDING what she did wrong when she was here. That would be COOL. 🙂
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You are such a great,insightful blogger.Everything sounds spot on for the reality that was Ouida.Married people have their fights,but they endure and move on.I really feel you’re totally right about them,the healthy and the not so healthy of the relationship.To make it sound like he “held it in” for 3 years til marriage is unreal,esp for a younger man
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What if his relationship with Ouida was not a purely sexual one, and he actually had other relationships, even while “waiting for her”?
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I bet he sought comfort elsewhere thru the courtship,and after the proposal.
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Do you think Eva would have made him happy and that’s why he backed off?
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WARNING: ANOTHER SUPER-LONG GRETCH-POST UP-AHEAD!! 🙂
When I see this photo, as well as ANY of Basil and Ouida in intimate situations together (like their wedding pics), I notice they are EXTREMELY uncomfortable showing affection in public…I know I would be, too. I mean, you see them just standing stiffly beside one-another on their wedding day. I’ve NEVER seen such coldness in a wedding photo!! And, in THIS pic, it’s so forcefully posed, as if they feel somewhat awkward and embarrassed, and it was a STAGED publicity shot for a mag, or something. As I mentioned above, I would be VERY shy to be photographed with someone I was SUPER-sexually-attracted-to and in-love-with, if we had to get all MUSHY in front of everyone! I think Basil and Ouida had a VERY passionate sex-life, which they felt was PERSONAL in nature, and not to be shared…well, at least I know Basil was passionate for HER— not sure if she felt the same, but it’s possible. I think Basil was a SHY person. He may have been a Romeo in bed, but I believe that was something he didn’t like to show in photos, or on public display. I’m REALLY shy, except when I feel comfortable with someone I care about, in PRIVATE…even then, if it were Basil, I’d have trouble just saying “hello”, no-less having SEX! Maybe HE was as shy as ME. Also, on their wedding day he was probably somewhat NERVOUS around her, since they’d supposedly waited 3 YEARS to have sex together, and being near her just made him feel aroused, and uncomfortably awkward, too.
Now, as for all this “he NEVER cheated on his wives” stuff…well, that’s NOT true. By his OWN admission in his self-bio, he mentioned trying to get affectionate with that chick in France (during the war) that he was so HOT for, but her dad wouldn’t let him get CLOSE to her. Then, he had a short affair with some actress, and “fell in love” with a girl who LOOKED like the French chick and slept with her for several months, then took a lady he knew to a hotel overnight pretending they were MARRIED when they signed-in, then dated that girl “June” until meeting and “falling in love” (AGAIN) with Ouida…and was at the SAME time still seeing “Eva”, who was probably the BEST one for him, but he dumped her for Ouida. THEN to top it all off, he had a one-night-stand with a woman he got PREGNANT, while courting Ouida!! Guess he wasn’t all that proficient with the prophylactics, in those days. He may have had OTHER kids he didn’t even KNOW about. (I wonder if Ouida knew of his illegitimate daughter born in 1925, and that he’d been messin’ around while they were dating?) And, all this while STILL legally married to his first wife, Marion! In fact, she divorced him on the grounds of “infidelity”, so that pretty-much tells it all. He most likely continued having sex with these ladies while dating Ouida, ’cause she wouldn’t put-out ’til they got wed. You can’t put a man off like that for so long— they have a strong, but somewhat different sex-drive than women, and NEED that constant fulfillment as part of their emotional (and physical) attachment to their partner, and feeling of self-worth. It’s possible that after marrying her, he also found out she either wasn’t all that great in bed, or she didn’t feel it was “appropriate behavior” to engage in the “wild” things he was used to enjoying with previous lovers. (She was a Catholic, and wanted to appear as “proper” as she could, even if it was all an act, and part of her charade.) This MAY have led him to (possibly) sleep with other women while they were married…or perhaps the fact that she was such a SELFISH JERK toward him caused a shutdown of his affection for her. I know most NORMAL guys wouldn’t make LOVE to that chick! This is just MY perspective, however.
I have a feeling he could have been a LOVE-ADDICT, which would explain his constantly “falling in love” with EVERY girl he met— even when he was a little KID, at that X-mas party, with his infatuated crush. They tend to “fall” for someone easily and quickly, based on that person’s looks or personality, or because they “remind” them of someone ELSE they used to love before. They are OVERLY romantic, showering with gifts, worshipping— and reading poems or singing songs to their loved-one, or sending them letters with unrealistic phrases such as: “my dearest darling”, and “my beloved” in lavish, almost sappy, tones. They feel unworthy to even be allowed the great gift of knowing this person. (Just check-out Basil’s gushy love-letters to Ouida…he used to recite her POETRY, too!) Love-addiction can cause a person not to see the obvious problems others see with their lover, and can lead to TERRIBLE relationships that are more like imprisonments. Love-addicts commonly marry people like Ouida, who are narcissistic; or, who are alcoholics, drug and gambling-addicts, and physical abusers. The love-addict REFUSES to believe there is a problem, and won’t listed to reason. They are usually NOT attracted to the best mates— but in any case, love-addiction can create a “fantasy” vision of one’s partner, rather than a realistic one. They can’t be apart from a relationship for long, before seeking-out another…or, as in Basil’s case, doing it WHILE involved in another. These are not BAD people—they just can’t distinguish a healthy way of going-about loving from an unhealthy one. Love-addiction is also a SELF-DESTRUCTIVE behavior…and being that Basil was most likely a co-dependent, this would make perfect sense. It’s very SAD that the poor decisions he made during his lifetime ended-up leading to his ultimate financial-destruction and humiliation, a lack of enjoyment of his acting career and decrease in physical health, as well as his untimely death.
Or, he MAY have been POLYAMOROUS, although I can’t be sure. This is a condition in which a person can’t commit to “just one” partner, and has numerous affairs whilst married to or dating someone, even when they are “in love” with that person. They’ll be “friends with benefits” with several partners at once, and can be “in love” with more than one person at the SAME time, unable to “choose” one over the other, claiming to love both “equally”. (I KNOW a guy like this, believe me!) They can’t stand being “tied down” to anyone, and enjoy the freedom of living like bachelors, even when they aren’t. They think it’s perfectly healthy to love many at once, and see nothing WRONG with “spreading their love around” to everyone. These behaviors show a lack of maturity and responsibility…they also show deceitfulness. The symptoms are similar to and can be a part of love-addiction.
I don’t know if these 2 conditions are true of Basil, but I HOPE not!! I’m just making an educated GUESS, based on what I’ve read of his life.
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HI, AGAIN!
I forgot to mention above how VERY flirtatious Basil was, with women in general. If you watch those vids of him on some ’50s TV game-shows, he sweetly waves “hello” to the ladies in the panels, smiling in his cute, sexy way, and flashing those gorgeous eyes at them…you don’t see him do that with the GUYS, so much! On the clip from “What’s My Secret?”, his “secret” is that he’s wearing red long-johns under his clothes— a BIT racy, don’t you think?? I’ll bet he was quite gleeful as those women tried to “guess” what it was without saying something that had to be CENSORED in those days! He even states one woman’s question was getting a tad “personal”, and he looked a little uncomfortable…as well as the girls. But then, what did he EXPECT, with a secret like THAT?!! It WAS pretty funny, though…especially when one girl asked if he was “SITTING ON IT”, and he looked like he was about to giggle.
(TOTALLY un-related to the above: ALSO check-out the clip from the “Milton Berle Show”, in which he accidentally calls Basil Rathbone “BATHROOM” while doing the “pirate” skit…OMG, Basil doesn’t notice it at first, then realizes what Milt just said, and they BOTH start cracking-up!! That was SOOO hilarious— and probably quite EMBARRASSING! I felt BAD for them, while I was LAUGHING…hey, they were laughing, too.) 🙂
Anyway, so Basil also seemed attracted to MOST of his female co-stars, and “fell in love” with, or had “crushes” on them…he even mentioned that if he and one actress he worked with weren’t both “happily married” at the time, he’d probably have “fallen in love” with her, too. Boy, this guy loved EVERYBODY!! (I wish I’D been his co-star!)
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This is a GREAT comment! I agree these are all totally plausible interpretations. I also tend to think he may have pursued Ouida simply because she was so bad for him and at some level he was using her to punish himself for being alive. Survival guilt and all that.
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Something that I know prob won’t be blogged,but always found slanderous was whomever commented on how he “trolled” Central Park for pick-ups?Doesn’t seem in character for him,gay-friendly or not.Martin Kosleck seemed to find him the most delightful to work with.
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In the words of a Tom Petty song “seems so useless to work so hard and nothing ever really seems to come from it”,referring to extra hard work in swashbucklers,and some of what he considered dreck (Son Of Frankenstein) to have somebody throw away money like little kids running wild with toilet paper.No one doubts his being dedicated hubby but an anniversary party,IMO,isn’t much different than a wedding party,the couple has just been together and become used to each other,and the theme of that party,if I’m not mistaken was famous couples thru history.Time to relax and show the world you’re still together for a reason,namely,LOVE!Not like affairs on-set today which barely last long enough to buy a toothbrush.He shouldn’t have had to sacrifice anything to remarry,esp family relationship.Not to lose closeness with his son a 2nd time around for someone he loved.No wonder he looked so strained in those lesser Holmes movies of 1940s.I loved them,too,but really he looked pained at times,as thrilling as he always was to watch.Well,my typing is going astray,as is my proofreading.
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I love the discussions here! One of my favorite places to drop in and catch up! Love you all fellow Baz fans!!! 😀
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heee – luvs you too girl! :hugs:
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According to http://www.basilrathbone.net, there’s a lot of evidence for him having numerous affairs while married to and separated from his first wife,but there seems to be no evidence he ever even looked at another woman once married to Ouida. I think that speaks volumes.
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You’re forgetting the Rose Hobart memoir that implies Basil may have been intimate with Dietrich, and also the mysterious Dark Lady
https://thegreatbaz.wordpress.com/2012/10/27/more-about-ouida/
I can’t prove she was Basil’s lover but there’s some implication she was, definitely.
edited by NeveR to correct link at Roberta’s request
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I don’t see any implication that the Dark Lady as you call her was Basil’s lover. She comes over as a good platonic friend to me. She is too objective to be a lover IMO.
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I think its Ida Lupino and I have a theory she was his lover. There was a person here who said there was a rumor in Hollywood that Baz had an afair with a gay man and later became lovers with the gay man’s wife and when I read that I was like ‘oh wow, this has to be Ida!’ because her husband was Louis Hayward who had been Noel Coward’s boyfriend, and he and Basil were in A Feather In Her Hat together in 1934 so they could have gotten involved then. And later Ida was in The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes. I know it’s not proof but I just have a feeling about it. Does anyone else agree? 😳
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Absolutely,she was so fond of Baz,and they’re who I thought of when Syd Greenstreet was quoted as remarking on this.Baz knew Ida’s family from London stage,I’d say and wouldn’t blame her for wanting to be with him!I also agree about Dietrich,can’t say he shouldn’t of,maybe she filled in for an actress who’d left for the day on The Black Cat,tho’ she was seeing Brod Crawford then.I couldn’t blame anyone for being with him,he’s the ideal of kind/sensitive/romantic in my book.
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It’s good that you brought that former post to light.Interesting points made more clear.If she couldn’t be herself,I’m sure there were methods of learning relaxation then.Actors were working on set at least 9-5,a lot longer I believe and unless she accompanied him on all his films,there was adequate opportunity to socialize,learn new skills.She was a scenarist/screenwriter,so could’ve had input on things,at least for him,but w/his stage experience,I doubt he needed advice from non-practicing professional actor.He seemed to think a lot of Dietrich,how she kinda “mothered” or looked after everyone during Garden Of Allah.Love that old pic of him filling pipe from tobacco tin in his study,looks like one of most natural pics ever.Can’t imagine how trying it must be learning scripts for a movie or play.I’d rather be in a movie than a play,esp Shakespeare.I still say,no one really seems to be saying there was no love between OR & BR.In America,we say what we feel,maybe to other’s disgust,but haters can be offensive,and I don’t sense any haters on this blog.As me granny would say,someone’d come back and pull their toes.
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Love your granny’s saying!
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EXACTLY! I know there is (possible) evidence of his having had affairs before Ouida, but like you said, it totally speaks volumes that there is non after Ouida!! Thanks for bringing that up!
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No problem! 🙂
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So, so interesting! The funny thing is, I always saw the exact opposite when I looked at this picture.
When I looked at this I always got an overwhelming sense that Basil and Ouida seemed to be incredibly in love, just kind of shy of affection in public. I thought “look at that posture, how he’s leaning in to her, just grazing her arm with his hand, and she looks so enchanted – like she’s just so softly happy – and haha, they both look kinda awkward, like my mum and dad when they kiss in public. I wonder if they didn’t really like to show affection in public? This is so sweet!” And I always imagined that his right arm was around her waist or around her shoulder.
I don’t know, just from everything I’ve seen and heard, I refuse to fall into the trap that seems to have formed of not appreciating the love that they had for each other (or at least the love I feel like I can see) – I obviously don’t speak for others, but to me, this photo is simply lovely, showing the slightly reserved while intensely deep affection they had for one another,
I could be wrong, but I just feel like from everything I’ve read and seen, how can someone think they didn’t love each other? I may be wrong, but I like to stay positive.
No nasty responses please, I’m just stating my opinion, and I respect the person who made the initial comment. It was thought out and well written; it was just the exact opposite of what I saw. 🙂
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Rebekah, hi. I agree. You are right though no one seems to want to believe it. Happy marriages are not trendy People would rather ignore everything Basil said and wrote and make up theories of their own based on nothing. There’s not a tittle of evidence that Basil ever even thought about betraying his marriage vows with either of his wives, but this isn’t fashionable so people don’t want to believe it.
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I thought only barristers of a certain vintage used the word ‘tittle’. Actually heard a senior partner in my chambers use it in court a few years back. 🙂 What exactly is a tittle? 😕
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What is a Tittle? tit·tle [ títt’l ] tiny bit: a tiny bit of something
mark used in printing: a small mark used in printing and writing, e.g. an accent, punctuation mark, or diacritical mark
Synonyms: iota, atom, whit, bit, speck, tittle, dot, mite, smidgen. There you go my Dear Rumpole. Please note! This is NOT a mean answer.This is a simple answer to a simple question.
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And just like Mrs Rumpole,Mrs R “She who must be obeyed”,yeah,I’m finally wearing the white wedding dress again,but I just washed my hair,so I can’t kiss ya!At a big H’wood party for anniv,why would it not be expected that the guests would like to see the lucky couple share a kiss or two?Even if I didn’t pay for admission,any pics of such events are there for posterity,so loosen up a little and really kiss your “next husband” after all he gave up to be the “next husband”.He paid for 41 years of extravagance when all he prob wanted was a stable home life,not a castle,and like Alan Napier said of Baz that he tried so hard for people to like him,and how lonely giving in constantly to someone who was so demanding of money,time,giving up significant relations to keep spouse happy.No wonder the actors sometimes took things too much in character and walloped the other guy.Still think in his scene from Frenchman’s Creek with the shorter,less extreme wig,him in trou and open-necked shirt,fighting Joan in dining room and on stairs were incred sexy,he was smokin’.And her remarks about his “gossiping” and ORs billing her for things she supposedly broke/stole in their NYC apt while she sublet,are all ORs fault and the obedient hubby said nothing when Joan called to talk to him for Ouida’s bill for breakage just got the phone handed to the queen,bill paid and hard feelings toward Baz because of something he should have reined wife in for to keep peace all around.Who knows how many other incidents she caused him because of being unreasonable with other people,but what was caused within his own family makes it 2 marriages that seem regretable.At least the 1st he was too young to be hubby or father,but stuck it out til WWI made life too difficult to make the readjustment,and 3 years is awful long to wait for the “act” of being so “CAtholic” to not sleep together,or prob anything else together.How hypocritical to set your cap for someone and try to act so moral when she’s married,but at least he WAS Separated.I’d like to hear more about his proposal.Did she beat a path to the papers to announce the time they started “dating”?Not too high morals with a hubby,and what bs about would she consider divorce.That’s when the manipulation started.And he fell for it!
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I’m glad to find somebody who agrees, thanks for that. *hug* 🙂
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To be fair, Alyssia, you should say that you haven’t *seen* any evidence that Basil ever thought about betraying his marriage vows, or that no such evidence has been made public. You don’t know for a fact that such evidence doesn’t exist.
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Until I see any I don’t believe it exists. I have his diary right in front of me that declares his love for his wife every day.
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oh. MY. God. he kept a diary? How do I get to read it?
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I have the original. I have posted extracts here but people ignore them. I will post photocopies today if the moderator lets me.
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I don’t recall seeing any extracts from the diary. Can you please link to them?
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When and where?
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When has anyone ignored a posting,esp about what we’re all dying to hear about?This is a well-thought out and managed blog,and no one’s discriminated against,everyone’s been heard and treated very kindly
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Planning to share that with us? On your new blog,That you promised to give us all a link to. The one that debuets on Basil’s birthday.You will show us the orignal wont you please? Not just quote from it.I love to read Basils handwrighting It rather resembels my Dads.
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@ Countess, I will post photocopies later today. Basil’s real fans will only be happy to know he was with a woman he truly loved.
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Of COURSE he was with a woman HE truly loved…the PROBLEM was, she didn’t know how to love HIM. And, most likely, anything he wrote about her would be positive, since he was SO infatuated with her and refused to see her faults— or didn’t want to ADMIT to them. I’m sure he was careful to guard-against ANY negative comments about Ouida, even in his OWN diary, so she would never be looked badly upon, including after his and her deaths. At any rate, he definitely LOVED her very much, I do agree with that. It was HIS choice to be with, love and marry her, no matter WHAT the outcome, and if somehow this made him HAPPY, that’s all that’s important.
I’m curious to know how you came upon Basil’s diary, and why it’s in YOUR possession…shouldn’t such a personal item have been handed-down to his GRANDCHILDREN? It does belong rightly to THEM as his closest living heirs, you know. It should also be AUTHENTICATED by an authority on Hollywood memorabilia, as well. I’ll be able to tell by his handwriting if it is real, since he had an UNMISTAKABLE style all his own…the way he connected his words together like that, with such elegance! I’m quite interested in seeing your photocopies, soon.
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God save us she’s talking about the “diary” again 🙄
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From next post diary looks more like another word starting with “dia”
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By the way I belive in happy marriages. My parent had one of over 30 years with as far as I know, no infidelety from either of them.
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I didn’t think it had been suggested they didn’t love each other, only Ouida may have been less than good for him in some ways. She clearly had some problems with what seems to have been compulsive lying, but the fact Basil stuck with her throughout all her difficult behavior is testimony to a very great love between them I would think
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Yes, what you say is very true (although, I have seen people suggest they did not love each other) – Ouida surely did have some problems (but for that matter, so did our dear Basil) sometimes I do wonder if it was a little more of a one-sided love on Basil’s part, but I tend to doubt it – but we can’t know for sure (not unless we see them in heaven, that is 🙂 )
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C’mon,With all the hijinks on the sets,in the bars and affairs in movie colony(and I’m not incl Baz,cuz we don’t know if he cheated during 2nd marriage),and her experiences with H’wood and her own previous career,no one said it wasn’t love,but you kinda wonder with actions speaking louder than words.My parents were reserved,too,but they had no prob showing they cared for each other.If someone doesn’t feel appreciated,they can stray.And given the history of denying open lines of communication with his family and wasting money on extravagances,there was a war on,whether or not parties were for charity,and they had a sick daughter.Money didn’t grow on trees then or now!
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I just don’t want to jump to conclusions without real, conclusive evidence, that’s all. 🙂 (but I do get your point, there were certainly some reasons he could have not loved her, it just seems to me, by all he said and by certain actions, that he did)
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I agree we should not be nasty and I totally respect your POV but from everything I have heard about Ouida since visiting this blog I don’t like Ouida and if Basil did love her then I don’t get why and I wish he hadn’t in a way bcoz she made his life so hard!
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Im not being nasty here but this is still the 1st thing that went through my mind when I saw that pic. http://i48.tinypic.com/11m5hcg.jpg
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You are most kind!
I can’t say I’m really head of heals for Ouida either (though, haha, I’m totally going to name a pet Ouida one day 🙂 ) And honestly, I can see many reasons why he oughtn’t to have loved her – it just seems to me that he did love her – even if we don’t know why.
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I think the comment is speculative, we can’t truly know what their marriage was like and I remain sceptical about the claims he was unfaithful. It doesn’t seem in his nature imo.
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Did she think she was getting kissed by her child?He was several years younger,and more man of the world,and H’wood studly,but why look so offended?After all,he waited at least 3 years to be intimate at start of relationship,had to wait to get sued for divorce,goodness knows what scandal his son heard about.And I wouldn’t blame Baz for not knowing what to do differently given the damage WWI did to him.He was still maturing when they met,she wanted him and did whatever she wanted to get him,so treaat him right.HE WAS FAMOUS,HE WORKED AT IT,while she ? handled publicity and mis-oops-managed his career.
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Taking pseudoscience to a whole new level 😀
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Life Enhancement isn’t claiming to be a science
http://lifeenhancementcs.com/our-services/coaching/
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Basil was hot
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Clearly Ouida was nuts
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What’s a life enhancement coach?
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It’s something that came out of Hollywood in the 1980s.
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This is one of the best movie star blogs I’ve found. I’ve been reading your entries for Sherlock Holmes week. Good stuff!
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Ouida must of been inane not to want to kiss Basil.
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Ouida must have been a lesbian!!!
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But he COULD’VE “changed” her anytime over 40+years if she was
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“What are you doing, Basil?”
“I’m kissing you dear.”
“Well don’t…”
(apologies to Fawlty Towers)
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I luv it!
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Was Basil Rathbone a good husband? Faithful to his wife? I have the impression he was. counter to so many Hollywood husbands but then I read on his official website that he may have had serial affairs. Does anyone know more about that?
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Megan, thank you for the insight and I do tend to agree. She looks as stony and unresponsive as possible. How she could manage to be so is beyond me
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Always wondered about her comments about not going for he-man types what the significance was.He was def a looker and popular with ladies,ut prob didn’t really think of himself as such,maybe shy in that way cuz of public school ed.Agree she prob saw it as pub relations gig,where he took marriage of theirs more seriously,or even versa vice.Wonderful observation,can hardly wait for more.
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Love the series of articles on Ouida, there should be a movie made about his life, so dramatic you would not need to be a Basil fan to appreciate it. Like The Great Gatsby – only good 😛
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OWWW movies we wish had been made The Great Gatsby staring Basil as Jay Gatsby, Vincent Price As Tom Buchanan,Clifton Webb as Nick Carraway[mabey a bit old thought for it,mabey switch Vincent and Clifton] and I’ll play Daisy I look like her. It’s my movie I’ll cast it how I want.Weedy can play Myrtle
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Maybe she didn’t realize how she was coming across.Believe the pic was from anniversary party with them dressed as Franz Josef and wife.He also was shown kissing Dietrich,on cheek,in welcome (Have LIFE magazine issue somewhere in my possession).Shoulda thought about the photo proof when planning said party as evidence that would outlive them.Relationship counselors know far more than someone like me on how to interpret signs.Wonder if George or her other husbands met with similar icy cold reception,and is that why didn’t “go for he-man type”,per her own words.Gable was attractive,but I like the Baz better than he-man or pretty boys.A romantic dreamer.
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Sorry,trying to hold the napkin in my lap,so can’t ravaged you right now,Baz dear.Oh,add that to the shopping list!Alpo,arsenic,hat pins,a new car.Bird seed,kitty litter.Sorry,got a silly idea and had to put in my additional two cents.
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I can see the headline “FAMOUS ACTOR FOUND DEAD OF ARSENIC POISENING CAT AND DOG MAIN SUSPECTS<WIFE SAYS IT MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE ALPO";}Officer dont count the grapes.
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LOL!Love your reply,made my day.Did the bird maybe eat the leftovers?A new case for Sherlock,er,Watson since Sherlock killed by his Queen.
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Ther must be a chess move for that Queen usuly takes out Kt.
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Did the bird eat the leftovers? Now we have to find out.. smirk:} I hate to even say it ;> “Who Killed Cock Robin?”
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The Bishop Murder Case,Baz as Philo,hope they play it again,soon.Doubt if much cake or champers left from the party.Wonder if Caroline & Rodion were there?Hope so,I don’t see why they didn’t take the gift of the house,say thanks then do what they wanted with it.Did he get in tax trouble over that house?Seems to throw it in his face even more.I hope they had occ contact in NYC,father and son,but it sounds otherwise.These “Best Comments” seem to tie up lots of loose ends and Q&A.Hope they didn’t serve squab at party.Somebody maybe hit w/flying buckshot.Hope Festus Hagen’s clan stopped in w/moonshine to serenade the crew.Love the little clip of Pepe and his lady love,keesing de skuunk.Oh,wait,it was oleander from the garden.
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Bieber,Justin Bieber,he’s my next hubby,now stop kissing me
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I might have known you would start off with a a comment such as that. This person is just speculating and inventing
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@Alyssia — Whereas you have all the facts?
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