|
Basil Rathbone
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 "Basil
Rathbone probes the Gentleman's martini: Booth's House
of Lords Gin"In this ad from 1958 we see Sherlock Holmes himself examining a martini. He says, "It's elementary that crime does not pay -- This is true whether the crime is murder, robbery, arson, blackmail or making an inferior martini. While the last offense rarely results in a man losing his life, it almost certainly carries the penalty of losing his friends. It should be well-known--for ignorance excuses no man--that the Martini of highest social acceptance is the gentleman's Martini. And the key to making it is Booth's House of Lords Gin. Just why Booths House of Lords Gin has the uncanny faculty of producing the gentleman's Martini--or a gentleman's drink even if served straight, on the rocks--has baffled even me. I suggest you simply look upon it as a fascinating mystery. All we need know is that the Booth's people are willing to part with their delectable product for mere money, and it is available at every bar or liquor store which any self-respecting person would patronize." |
| "Yes!
It's Elementary . . . Always Buy Chesterfield." This cigarette ad appeared in magazines in 1946. |
 |
 |
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
examine a bottle of Petri Wine,
the sponsor of the Sherlock Holmes radio broadcasts of the 1940s.  "Petri took time to bring you good wine." |
| This ad features Rathbone hawking Fatima Turkish cigarettes. Fatima
cigarettes sponsored the radio show "Tales of Fatima," which aired
in 1949 and starred Basil Rathbone. On the ad: "Basil Rathbone says:
May I tell you why you'll like smoking the NEW Fatima? The name Fatima has
stood for the Best in Cigarette Quality for 30 years. And now, I
say the new Fatima is the best of long cigarettes. It's the
long cigarette that I know you'll enjoy as much as I do. It's MY
cigarette. Basil Rathbone". See below for some other Fatima ads that are only slightly different than the one pictured to the right.
|
 |
 |
Apparently Rathbone also likes beer. Here he is enjoying a glass of Schaefer beer, calling it the "Finest beer I ever tasted!" This ad appeared in the late 1940s. |
| In this Skippy Peanut Butter ad from 1957 Rathbone is unhappy about being asked to try Skippy. "Peanut butter!" he exclaimed. "Surely you jest! . . . Peanut butter is only for little kids! . . . Fah!" But the makers of Skippy gave Rathbone a fistful of money and he agreed to taste Skippy. "Heavens to Betsy!" he cried. "Can this be peanut butter?" (I think he likes it.) |
 |
 |
In this ad from 1956 Rathbone is again hawking liquor. This time it's Walker's Deluxe bourbon. Rathbone said his drink was "Marvelous!" |
| Here's a Van Heusen shirt ad from 1954. "Van Heusen Century
shirts won't wrinkle . . . ever!" The shirt that Basil is wearing cost $4.95, and the tie he's wearing cost $1.50!
|
 |
|
|
 |
In this 1945 ad Sherlock Holmes finds Stratford pens to be dependable performers. The photo caption reads "Basil Rathbone ... always a dependable performer ... famous for his modern interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. Soon to be seen in Universal's "The House of Fear." |
 |
Personnally speaking by Basil Rathbone, star of The Heiress 1. As
Sherlock Holmes I can solve every mystery except that of smooth shaving.
As Rathbone... |
| Here's Basil Rathbone, looking very comfortable in a Swing King reclining chair. This ad appeared in 1953 and identifies Rathbone as the star of the Broadway play "Sherlock Holmes." (That play closed after only three performances on Broadway.) |
|
 |
"What a boon is Shredded Wheat for these quick breakfasts snatched before leaving for the studios. I am invariably in a hurry on these occasions, and it fulfils two valuable needs: it is quickly prepared and served, and at the same time it is nourishing and stimulating to an astonishing degree. Because I wanted something that would fulfil these requirements, I found Shredded Wheat. Now it is an essential part of my breakfast, whether I am playing or not. Do by all means use this letter of mine if you wish--I am only too glad to put other people on to a good thing." |
 |
Basil uses Calgonite dishwasher soap to get his glasses clean and sparkly. Here are two similar ads for Calgonite. |
 |
 |
 |
| Together with Marion McCarroll, Mrs. Ferd Pettinella and chef John Manuat, Basil recommends Alcoa aluminum utensils. The text under Basil's picture reads: Basil Rathbone, distinguished star of stage and screen. A gourmet who delights Hollywood friends with his cooking artistry, Mr. Rathbone offers lobster thermidor on grill broiler accompanied by a tossed green salad (with his special dressing) and grated cheese. He recommends aluminum utensils when preparing meals to be savored by discriminating palates. | |
| This 1939 ad for the Wines of California features Basil Rathbone's wife Ouida (seated at head of table) commenting on serving wine to her guests. The Rathbones entertained often while they lived in California. Also pictured in the ad are composer Alex Steinert and stage actress Heather Thatcher. |
|
 |
This Colman's Mustard ad featuring Ouida Rathbone is also from the same era as the above wine ad. It reads: A tip from Mrs. Basil Rathbone, Famous Hollywood Hostess: "We cook with Colman's at our house -- It gives the extra flavor we all like!" |
| Even Rathbone's dog Moritza got into advertising! This is an ad for Calvert Reserve (blended whiskey). The photo caption reads "Moritza, Black Belgian Shepherd, shown in the New York city house of her famous owner, star of stage and screen, Basil Rathbone." Below the caption, the ad reads: "Another Basil Rathbone hit . . . he's switched to Calvert!" |
 |
Here is a completely frivolous product, which Basil Rathbone had nothing to do with. The folks at Mystery Science Theatre 3000 put his image on a box of dog biscuits to use as a joke prop during the episode which featured "The Magic Sword." The "commercial" went like this: "You know, you get out of your dog what you put into it. And I
only put in the best: Basil Rathbones. . . . We all need affection,
occasional grooming and lots of snacks. Dogs just go nuts for the
taste of Basil Rathbones. One Rathbone a day will clean Doggie's teeth
and freshen doggie's breath. . . . Hey, these are too good to be good
for you. |
Variations on the Fatima cigarettes ad:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
If you have or find any ads featuring Basil Rathbone, which I don't have listed here, please send me a scan and whatever information you have about the ad. If you don't have a scanner, please e-mail me, and we'll work out something!
