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RATHBONE, BASIL

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RATHBONE, BASIL
(1892 - 1967) English stage and film actor, remembered for his superlative performance as Sherlock Holmes opposite Nigel Bruce's Dr. Watson. Fine, late A.L.S. "Basil" 2pp. 4to., [New York], May 30, 1967, to Natalie Hammond, written just three weeks before his death. In part: "…I is now nearly 5 pm…I have been probing into the past since about 10am. So much will just be thrown away when the time comes. There will be a few who may be sentimental about this & that, but the important things I have set aside for you. They are important because they speak of the Theatre in England of about 1880 through the early years of the 19 hundreds. And they speak primarily of my cousin, Sir Frank Benson, who devoted his whole life to the presentation of Dr. Shakespeare's plays, & who founded & developed The Stratford on Avon Festival…[Here, Rathbone lists the items for his cousin]…I feel that these are not things just to be left to chance. Harvard found out I had them & tried to get me to bequeath them. I did not 'feel' this, I would be happy to have them with you at the Hammond Museum…". Boldly written and fine.