Book Description
"Basil Rathbone's book about himself...is better written than most books by or about actors and is more intellectually vigorous...Sherlock Holmes fans will be much interested in his remarks on the character with whom he has been so closely identified." -Library Journal "Quite naturally full of memories, full of names, full of glimpses of stars of stage and screen of yesterday and today." -New York Times Book Review ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Well and carefully written ...
Unlike many more modern "autobiographies" that are written "with" such and such an author that "helps" the celebrity write his or her book, it appears that this was written pretty much solo by Rathbone himself. And it is superbly written ... in fact, some readers may find the grammar and language somewhat different than books written more recently. And that is part of it's greatness; I could practically 'see' Mr. Rathbone speaking the words as I read the book. The author assumes that the reader will be familiar with some Shakespearian plays and roles as he describes when and why he took on such parts in plays ... I found that to be just a bit vague because of my unfamiliarity with Shakespeare, but that does not detract much from my enjoyment of the book. I would have liked to see more details of his friendship with some better known Hollywood stars, especially Nigel Bruce, whose work I admired. In fact, Bruce gets hardly any mention in the book, and considering that it was written in the early 60's, I'm surprised the Bruce's death (in 1953, I think) is not mentioned at all. This may be due to Rathbone's eventual disenchantment with the Holmes character in general, but still, it's a shame that there isn't a bit more about the Holmes years and the actors that made them. I was tempted to give the book 4 stars because of these omissions, but hey: It's Rathbone's story to tell, and if he wanted to say little about these events, I can respect that. Still, it's one of the best written and most enjoyable biographies I have ever read.

Nice if it were in print
I have attempted to order this book for close to a year, and the pub date continues to be moved out. I would love to review the book, but if the publisher cannot get the volume out, that is impossible. Why the long delay/???

My favorite...me
Of the many actors who have played me on screen, Basil Rathbone is unquestionably the most famous. He's also the most loved among the general public, though some of my more fanatical admirers (the ones who belong to clubs devoted to my legend) have been known to sneer at ol' Basil, perhaps because many of his films updated the stories that my agent, Arthur, wrote about my adventures, or tend to dislike Nigel Bruce's essentially comic portrayal of old Conan Doyle, I mean Watson (I assure you they are one and the same).

Well, what can I say? Rathbone is my favorite, too, even though he did tend to frown on his association with me in later years (not surprisingly, since many people insisted he WAS me). Rathbone was a better man than me in many respects, and I delighted in reading his autobiography, even the sections that did not involve his portrayal of yours truly (the bulk of the book, in fact). Basil was not only a brilliant actor, but a fine human being with an intense love of man's best friend (in fact, he seemed more devoted to his dogs than to his own family).

This is an exceptionally good read. I recommend it highly.

A very thoughtful and sensitive man of letters
I have always enjoyed Mr. Rathbone's performances as Sherlock Holmes.To relish this enjoyment, I have collected the forteen motion pictures and all of the radio plays by Mressrs. Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson.None of this familiarity, however, prepared me personally for the reading of "In and Out of Character" by Basil Rathbone.

For a number of years, I had attempted to obtain a copy of the book and only recently was successful through "Amazon.com".I'm not entirely sure what I expected in reading the autobiography by Mr. Rathbone.Perhaps seeing "movie stars" and actors interviewed on television, the terms vanity and shallowness became synonymous with the profession.

To those of you reading these frightfully inadequate words..I urge you to read this insightful and sensitive work of a truly gifted man.To quote Mr. Rathbone's reference about a fellow thespian in the book, "He had a fine, flexible, inquisitive mind and a beautiful poetic command of the English language."

A very refreshing read.

Dear Old Bazz
Though Basil Rathbone's autobiography is enjoyable and well-written, it may disappoint you since he talks very little about specific films and plays he performed in. The Sherlock Holmes section is brief, and mainlycaptures the horror of a classically trained British actor being reduced toa caricature. Rathbone was a wonderful, theatrical actor capable ofreaching greatness, but who instead frequently sold out -- and this dreamymemoir suggests some of the reasons. He was known in Hollywood mainly forthe lavish parties he and his wife gave, and in fact he writes like awell-bred dinner guest amusing a stranger with anecdotes about co-workers,half-forgotten friends and lovers, and odd experiences. And while sonRodion and daughter Cynthia get almost no mention, there is a vivid andmoving portrait of Basil's dog Moritz. That seems to sum up the charm andthe limitations of this sweet little book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Ultimate Guide to Basil Rathbone
Mr Druxman's book on the actor Basil Rathbone has everything you could ever need to know about this great man, who although best known for his stunning portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, had a long career of many wonderful, varied roles. This book has an excellent first part on the biography of Rathbone and his family-showing a side of Rathbone that the cinema goer, who found themselves terrified of his villanous roles would be surprised to see-with his love of his wife and children, followed by a brilliantly detailed section on all of his films-from silent to sound.
The book is written carefully and handles the life of the star brilliantly, without being star-struck. The book is packed with all sorts of photographs (black and white) from the star's childhood onwards. A must-have for any fan of the great actor.
Also contains quote from many actors who worked alongside Rathbone, through his long and distinguished career.
The only fault one could find with this book is that it has not been re-printed/re-published more recently! It deserves to be. ... Read more

Product Description
No. 3 ... Read more

Book Description

From 1939-1946 Americans gathered around their radio to listen to The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes featuring Basil Rathbone as the high-strung crime-solver and Nigel Bruce as his phlegmatic assistant, Dr. Watson.

Witty, fast-paced and always surprising, these great radio plays, written by the prolific writing team of Anthony Boucher and Denis Green, are as fresh today as they were then, and feature perfect sound along with nostalgic war-time announcements, original narrations and radio commercials. This special CD collector's edition includes:

• The Case of the Out of Date Murder and The Waltz of Death

• Colonel Warburton's Madness and The Iron Box

• A Scandal in Bohemia and The Second Generation

• In Flanders Fields and The Eyes of Mr. Leyton

• The Tell Tale Pigeon Feathers and The Indiscretion of Mr. Edwards

• The Problem of Thor Bridge and The Double Zero

... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

"Books are like birds and bonfires"
"Colonel Warburton's Madness" is the second of the four available CD collections of Sherlock Holmes radio episodes from 1945/46 starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.Unlike its predecessor, "The Unfortunate Tobacconist", this collection contains two adaptations of actual Conan Doyle stories.

"The Case of the Out of Date Murder" is a fun if predictable story which gets the collection off to a good start."The Waltz of Death", set in Vienna, is another good story, although somewhat depressing due to the number of victims.At the story's climax Holmes arguably goes much too far in using a young American woman as bait to trap the killer.

"Colonel Warburton's Madness" is based on one of the "unrecorded adventures" mentioned by Watson in the Conan Doyle stories.It starts out well but ultimately becomes rather silly, with Holmes having to bribe a little girl into letting him borrow her dog -- a scene which demonstrates how much more innocent than ours was the time in which these programs were made."The Iron Box" makes clever use of a calendrical conundrum also exploited by W.S. Gilbert in the plot of "The Pirates of Penzance".

"A Scandal in Bohemia" is an adaptation of Conan Doyle's first short story concerning Holmes, the story which also features **the** woman, Irene Adler.Rathbone's interpretation of Holmes' attitude toward Adler is interesting:rather than sounding infatuated with her or irritated that she outwits him, Rathbone's Holmes seems to become far more cheerful and jolly than usual at the thought that a woman like Irene exists."The Second Generation", which aired the week after "A Scandal in Bohemia", is an excellent sequel to that story set twenty years later and featuring Irene Adler's daughter.

"In Flanders Fields", set during World War I, caters to the somewhat warped attitudes of wartime audiences.It is rather disturbing to hear Holmes refer to Germany as "a nation of barbarians"."The Eyes of Mr. Leyton" begins with a sequence cribbed directly from the opening of Conan Doyle's "The Man With the Twisted Lip", and can scarcely be regarded as co-existing with that story in the same fictional continuity.It does, however, boast a highly suspenseful sequence in which Holmes seemingly vanishes in London's East End and Watson is unable to find him.

A story featuring Mycroft Holmes, Inspector Lestrade and a former member of the Moriarty gang, and in which Mrs. Hudson plays a far more proactive role than usual, might be expected to be an exercise in pandering to the desires of the Holmesian fan audience.In fact "The Tell Tale Pigeon Feathers" is one of the most ingenious and satisfying Holmes pastiches I have encountered.As with some other episodes, the second half is less strong than the first half, but this is still an excellent story."The Indiscretion of Mr. Edwards" is a bizarre tale that plays much more strongly than usual on Watson's reputation as a ladies' man, even though it reminds us that Watson is married -- at a point in time when he is possibly not married in the Canon!Holmes' blind faith in Mr. Edwards' innocence, although ultimately justified, seems somewhat out of character, and Watson's willingness to take a fall for "Edwards" to avoid scandal is rather repellent to modern sensibilities.

"The Problem of Thor Bridge" is an excellent adaptation of one of Conan Doyle's best stories.Some of the changes from the original are quite interesting:the 1940's American radio audience was apparently felt to have a stronger sense of sexual morality than the 1920's readership of "The Strand", and thus the passage in which Conan Doyle makes clear, in restrained, tasteful language, that Gibson asked his children's governess to become his mistress is replaced with the statement that he asked her to marry him while knowing his wife would not grant him a divorce.The denouement also demonstrates a greater concern with gun safety on the part of the writers than Conan Doyle apparently had."The Double Zero" is a forgettable, predictable story set in the boringly cliched setting of a gambling casino.

As with the other installments in this series, the sound is far better than might be expected given the age of the recordings."Colonel Warburton's Madness" is not artistically perfect Holmes, but it is fun listening.

The best of Sherlock Holmes by Rathbone/Bruce
Finally it comes to CD, I wore the audiocassettes out, if you like using your imagination, turn down the lights and enjoy the two truest performers who ever graced a radio or soundstage. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce the only Holmes and Watson, like George Reeves was Superman and Clayton Moore was the Lone Ranger.
Excellent sound, stories are interesting, clever and can be heard again and again!!!!Highly recommend!!

Pleased and Still Looking...
I am so happy I found these old Sherlock Holmes Radio shows on CD atBorders / Amazon...

I have enjoyed them for years on cassette...but they are so worn now...

Still, however I search for more...

I have to believe there must be more of these Shelock Holmes Radio Shows out there...

I am under the impression they were aired weekly in the 40's with what I was told ...very few reruns...

So...If you or anyone can clue me in???

And again...The "Splendid Service" I received from Borders / Amazon was greatly appreciated...


James J. Liden

More Sherlock Holmes adventures from Radio's Golden Age.
More unedited Radio Broadcasts from the late 30's and 40's with Rathbone and Bruce at their best. Originally released on Cassette many years ago but now for the first time on CD. Highly recommended.

Excellent stories!
I wouldn't listen to the previous post if I were you. This series was extremely popular to arm chair dective fans through World War II. You feel yourself thrown back in time as Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) brings the listeners back as he accounts his adventures with Sherlock Holmes.The actors and characters are brilliant!! I have been listening to the audio tape version of these for years before bed.I have heard these stories over and over for years and still enjoy them.

Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce are famous if not THE MOST famous duo to portray Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.Luckily, fans are able to not only enjoy them in the movies, but in audio stories as well.

I have just purchased the two DVD collections of these, even though I have the audio cassette versions because I love them so much.These stories put you back to victorian London and you feel as though you are actually IN the story!

I will continue to listen to these over and over again and I suggest everyone purchase these.I am hoping they put out every episode on DVD (my tapes are getting a bit old!) PURCHASE THESE!!! You won't be sorry! ... Read more

Product Description
Includes full color slides and 33rpm record narrated by Basil Rathbone ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Go back in time and listen to an original radio broadcast
I love to listen to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and how they figure out "who done it".This audiobook was especially good since it allowed you to "go back in time" to when you parents and grandparents listened to his stores on the old RCA Radio.

I learned several things by listening to this.
1. Sherlock Homes had a brother.I had never heard about any family of his in any of the stories I had listened to or read.
2. Two different actors portrayed Sherlock Holmes.I never knew there was any other actor than Basil Rathbone.
3. Radio is no different from TV today when it comes to commercials.They are all LOUD!I had to turn the CD player down when the story broke for commercials.
4. I learned about Petrie Wine and Kreml Hair Cream until I felt I could sell for these companies.This, of course, was because I was listening to one program right after the other rather than as the original broadcasts which were one a week.

The music and sound effects were very well done.The actors were exceptional because they only had their voices to portray the story.As we all know, radio is an audio media without video to lend to the acting.I could picture them as if I was watching them on stage.

This CD contains 12 of the Sherlock Holmes stories.I may just acquire another CD of these remastered, original broadcasts because this one held my attention to the very end.

THE FINAL EPISODES OF RATHBONE AS SHERLOCK HOLMES
This is the was the last of the set of radio programs where Rathbone and Bruce team up one last time.Rathbone was concerned about being typecasted and left radio for the newer medium TV. Bruce remained with another actor on radio, but it wasn't the same; ever again. Bruce died sudddenly in 1953 of a heart attack. Rathbone was in an almost constant state of mourning formore than 2 years after Bruce passed. The two had become the best of friends, playing pranks on the radio show, often during the live performances. One of the best was in character during a scene, Bruce/Watson) speaks after a "gunshot" "Look Holmes, there!" By mistake was heard the breaking of glass, Bruce/Watson adlibed to his line, "Holmes, the poor fellow, someone shot him and broke his glass of Perti wine."Rathbone/Holmes) chuckled his line trying regain composure. These are some great radio shows as timeless as the actors who portrayed them.Get the final set, you'll be glad you did.

Better than TV before bedtime
I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes and enjoy the original stories and the many that have been written since the days of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These radio shows from the 1940's are great, they even have the commercials from the original broadcasts.

I like to turn on a cd when I am going to bed, turn out the light and drift of into 19th century London for my last few waking moments.It does sometimes take me a week or so before I have actually heard an entire cd.

The only down side is that my wife doesn't share my enthusiasm for Sherlock Holmes and can occasionally let her dislike of going to sleep to it be known. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Enjoyable Fare
These two radio shows expose us not only to the great Sherlock Holmes but to English culture.

Masterful, timeless work by Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce
This radio series, which aired in the 1940's, is still as fresh as the day Boucher and Green borrowed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's pen and decided to write some "further" adventures of the great man.Their storiesare based on incidents suggested in the original Doyle tales and arebrought to life in splendid fashion by the consumate radio and screen duetof Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce.The sound effects are superior, themood is at times dark, often humourous and always mysterious andentertaining. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Pleasant Pastiche
Although Edith Meiser was the most prolific author of Holmes radio pastiches, the team of Dennis Green and Anthony Boucher was the best. This collection contains two excellent stories from the pens of Green and Boucher.In "Murder in the Cashbah", Holmes and Watson travel to Africa to ferret out a man falsely accused of murder."The Tankerville Club"is based upon a case which Conan Doyle briefly mentions in one of the "Conanical" stories.Holmes saves a young man's reputation by exposing a cardshark. ... Read more