Sir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC (Military Cross), Kt (Knight Bachelor) (13 June 1892 - 21 July 1967) was a South African (South African Republic)-born British (United Kingdom) actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor, and went on to appeared in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films. He frequently portrayed suave villains or morally ambiguous characters, such as Murdstone in David Copperfield (1935) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne in The Adventures of Robin Hood (The Adventures of Robin Hood (movie)) (1938). His most famous role, however, was heroic - that of Sherlock Holmes in fourteen Hollywood films made between 1939 and 1946, and in a radio series. His later career included Broadway (Broadway theatre) and television work; he was awarded a Best Actor Tony in 1948.