All posts filed under: Sunday Pic

Sunday Pic #16

Published by

Marcia has suggested I post this and see if any of the fans out there has suggestions and answers. So….. Is the person above Basil?….. I mean the guy on the right, not one of the people wearing hats. The photo is being sold HERE, and has this description: “8h824 STAGE DOOR candid 8×10 still ’37 visitor Basil Rathbone talking to showgirls on set by Miehle!” The seller also adds this: “….Note that this is an incredibly perplexing still! Why do I say that? Because it has the still code “SD”, and it is identified on the back as being an RKO still from 1937. Stage Door WAS made by RKO in 1937, but the front of the still shows Basil Rathbone, who had nothing to do with this movie! Plus the showgirls on the still are no one we recognize. So what movie is this from? Rathbone didn’t make any movies for RKO during this time, and the ones he did make don’t look right for this. Our guess is that he was a …

Sunday Pic #14

Published by

Marcia has suggested this pic, partly because of its prettiness and partly on the off chance anyone can tell us anything about its origin. The dedication reads “to Sophie, thank you for your beautiful work. Basil Rathbone/Christmas 1929“. B is obviously in some kind of costume, but for what? The only movie he made that year was THE LAST OF MRS CHEYNEY, but he doesn’t wear anything like this Spanish-type deal in that. So…what is it? Any clues or suggestions welcome. Meantime, admire… (And apologies for comments having been turned off much of the time over Thanksgiving. They are back on properly now). And welcome to all the new followers who have been signing up lately!

Sunday (well ok Saturday) Pic #11

Published by

As a little light relief from the gruelling saga of Madame X, Marcia from basilrathbone.net has suggested I post this pic in case anyone can ID the various people in the photos. It was taken in BR’s house on Los Feliz some time between 1935 when they moved in and 1939 when they made the transition to Bellagio Road. The full size original (very large) can be seen and downloaded HERE, but here are some enlargements of the relevant sections to let you clearly see the various photos. The ones over the desk… And even closer… And the ones on the wall to the left… Some of these people can be identified. Ouida is conspicuous in several pics (to no one’s surprise I imagine; I mean she probably oversaw the placement and content of every object in the room, and wasn’t gonna let it seem like he could live without at least three versions of her fabulous features to gaze upon, right?) Marcia thinks the kid bottom center over the desk is Rodion and I …

Sunday Pic #8 (on Wednesday)

Published by

I get sent a lot of photos by readers, most of which I already know, some of which are new to me. Here are a couple that are new to me and/or especially charming or curious. First up – a still from that amazing weep-fest A NOTORIOUS AFFAIR. Kay Fwancis is looking vampish and intoxicated. She and B have a ton of chemistry in that film, but we are reliably informed Kay doesn’t list him as one of her lovers in her highly explicit diary. So, it was strictly an on-screen thing. Second – Baz as Robert Browning in THE BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET, one of the repertory of plays performed in the legendary 1934 national tour of the Cornell-McClintick company. Orson Welles was also in the company, played Occi in BARRETTS and Tybalt in ROMEO & JULIET. Lastly – this lovely cap from DAWN PATROL. Like a monochrome Rembrandt.

Sunday Pic #7: Baz & Livvy

Published by

This is totally new to me. It was sent in by a reader who found it on tumblr. Apparently it also recently came up for sale on Ebay. It’s yet another candid of BR looking cozy with Olivia de Havilland. Were these guys ever more than just good friends? the jury is out on that one.

Sunday Pic #6 and an enquiry from a reader

Published by

Comments are still being weird, I’m sorry, but I’m doing my best to look into it. Anyhow today being Sunday, I thought I’d upload a pic for your delectation. I’ve chosen a really high res photo from that currently lost classic THIS MAD WORLD, in which BR plays a French spy who begins a passionate affair with the wife of a German officer during WW1. It all ends badly, as you can imagine, with the Baz confessing he accidentally killed her bro (I think it’s her bro), and her thusly ratting him out as a spy to the Bosch, him subsequently getting shot at dawn and her angsting about it all. (to view this in its full glory click on the pic and then download it, it’s so high res you can even see his stubble :)) Sounds like an absolutely perfect accompaniment to chocolate and/or a nice bottle of red doesn’t. It’s not going to surprise us, or make us worry or think too much. It’s just gonna do its weepy old thing and …