Milton Berle and Basil Rathbone comedy skit

Actor Basil Rathbone, famous playing Sherlock Holmes in the 30s & 40s, hams it up with Uncle Miltie in a comedy skit set on the high seas in this Texaco Star Theater from 1952. Milton Frome and Arnold Stang also appear.

[@EPilz]

Oh, I love Basil. He was a brilliant actor♥️ Rest in peace🕊🙏🏻

[@tmrezzek5728]

The best thing about this skit is that you can see the classically-trained Rathbone holding his own in a fast-paced vaudeville sketch; that, and you can also see he's genuinely enjoying himself!

[@wojciechtrojanowski7178]

To prawda. Basil Rathbone to był prawdziwy, wykształcony, teatralny aktor.

[@Αγλαία-π5η]

Awesome. I love Rathbone. He must have had an awesome sense of humor. Wish I had met him in person just to shake his hand.

[@EPilz]

🥺🤝🏼

[@markbotta8567]

When one thinks of Basil Rathbone, humor/comedy isn't the first (or twentieth) thing that comes to mind. A classic bit. Nice to see him in this format.

[@garymattscheck9066]

Funny sketch!And Basil Rathbone and Arnold Stang were GREAT!

[@markspencer8800]

Basil Rathbone co-stared with Errol Flynn in several swashbucklers. He was an expert swordsman. He said that, in their swordplay, he could have killed Errol Flynn several times over.

[@gwenking7700]

I think in their dueling Flynn actually cut Rathbone and left a scar once

[@BryantFinlay]

He was also a much better person than Flynn

[@santafejack]

Without fail, my family watched Berle every Tuesday night.; as did most of the people who owned a television set. Arnold Stang remains one of my favorite second bananas. A truly endearing man who, I believe lived to be 91 years old and married to the same woman for 70 years!

[@georgelustrea2912]

My dad bought a TV in 1948, every Tuesday evening at 8:00 pm our living room was packed, with people who did not have a TV yet just to watch Milton Berle

[@johnferguson4089]

How awesome to see Basil Rathbone hamming it up, I'm so glad I found this video. Many thanks for putting it up.

[@tashayovanin3698]

American humor with Basil Rathbone!!!😂😉 "I've got one more line. Will you let me finish?!"😂😂😂😂 "Now, Bathroom ah Rathbone!"😂😂😂😂

[@thanurisamarasinhe7722]

I love basil rathbone 😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️

[@Lampshade51]

The great Basil Rathbone hamming it up with Berle. I love it.

[@latoya7029]

Everyone watch Comedy of Terrors with Basil Rathbone and Vincent Price.Amazing film.

[@lendrury2771]

Basil rathbone and milton Hugebone Great combination

[@garymattscheck9066]

Those live comedy variety shows were FUN!😂If you blew a line,so what?It made it all the more funny!😂

[@kristenkropf2646]

This was beautiful! And Basil Rathbone was amazing!

[@andagoodtimewashadbyall6560]

Have you seen , The Comedy of Terrors? Basel Rathbone was brilliant in that film

[@kristenkropf2646]

Indeed I have, and I loved it! Yes Rathbone was beautiful in it, along with Vincent Price.

[@josemiguelmarquescampo4902]

Such class acting. Such great actors from a different time, alas...

[@Siyestrietza]

8:05 Does he actually call Rathbone "Bathroom"? Looks like it wasn't planned--they both absolutely cracked up over it.

[@EPilz]

Yeah, he called him "Bathroom"😅😅😅

[@latoya7029]

@@EPilz hahahahahahahaha.Watch Comedy of terrors film from 1963 with Basil Rathbone.He is splendid in this film.

[@garymattscheck9066]

That was the fun of live TV.

[@Nick-ty9us]

To be fair Rathbone does sound a lot like bathroom

[@yakiclone45]

one take,live,brilliant,and perfect

[@keithhelton3178]

Basil Rathbone from Zorro movie with Tyrone Powers...& Hound of the Baskervilles...1952...before me by 8 years

[@davidlona7553]

2 Legends Berle And Rathbornr

[@acdb-4145]

Goodnight, Irene! Brilliant

[@waldolydecker8118]

Leadbelly reference...though, most likely via The Weavers.

[@specterman2000]

I wonder if Basil Rathbone would have liked to have been on "The Muppet Show" like Milton Berle?

[@isitfunthere1]

Classic Movie Lover oh I bet he would have had the time of his life.

[@jbailor13]

"Farewell Liverpool."

[@tashayovanin3698]

jbailor13 Bang!! Hilarious!!!😂😂

[@lendrury2771]

Berle was packing the beef in the slacks

[@tessiemae4038]

I love this! Thanks so much for posting!

[@pgh45rpms]

At the end of the sketch, that's Sammy Petrillo in the drag outfit. His brief career started out by imitating Jerry Lewis, until Lewis got wind of it.

[@ChaoticNarrative]

Farewell Liverpool! :D HAHAHAHA! I love it.

[@educatethemax9714]

they don't make 'em funny like this anymore. No foul language necessary.

[@stephietheodora]

Lower the boom, lower the boom!

[@gkprivate433]

Milton was 5' 10". Basil was 6' 2". An imposing figure

[@jesssands5349]

Hilarious! 😂

[@ThePeterWilliam]

This is fab...

[@annprince5298]

As it happens he was from .Liverpool, his family were bakers, Ever heard of Rathbone Bread , his sister Ethel was an early Social worker, she helped many people in Liverpool's Merseyside Englane UK.

[@maxbacon4828]

I have lived nearby in St Helens for 70 years and never knew this . Thanks!.

[@pgh45rpms]

Basil's grandfather, William Rathbone VI, was a prominent Liverpool merchant, philanthropist and member of Parliament

[@PonderosaAl]

No, he was fron South Africa.

[@gastonforde5191]

ARNOLD STANG AKA THE VOICE OF TOP CAT.

[@waldolydecker8118]

"Stang" of course being the past tense of "Sting" - unless you are from Texas (Doctor to patient: "that's gonna stang, boy.")

[@petersurdo4984]

When gold meets ham.

[@ssimmons0602]

Utterly corny and totally hilarious.

[@frizzlefrap]

Nobody -------- i say again "NOBODY" today could do what the comics back then could do !!!

[@Songvbm]

9:35 is that jerry lewis with Milton Berle?

[@pgh45rpms]

Sammy Petrillo.

[@kristenkropf2646]

I can't understand what Basil says at 6:51, if someone could tell me.

[@kristenkropf2646]

Thank you.

[@tashayovanin3698]

Seo hyeon I laugh every time they mess up!!!😂😂

[@jennifermcclain4478]

🤣 West Undies 🤣

[@landodez7068]

does anyone know who's the actor at 2:11. was this the milton berle show or texaco star theatre?

[@luciendodge]

Arnold Stang.

[@menonjaya3784]

You cant make me the ship's cook. I dont know to cook a ship. Hahaha What a superelegant Aryan man

[@anitafruh1984]

🤣🤣😂😂

[@klarizklenracaza6205]

man how many shots dose this guy have to dai

[@LASTDAYSWATCHMAN777]

You forgot Jerry Lewis at the end dressed as the woman.

[@andagoodtimewashadbyall6560]

SHOFAR MINISTRIES Milton Berle was friends with Jerry Lewis' parents- Vaudvillians- Milton baby sat Jerry while his parents toured!

[@ponekingpetch3595]

SHOFAR MINISTRIES That wasn't Jerry that was imitator Sammy Petrillo of "Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla".

[@jamescastillo2405]

Hilarious skit, was that Jerry Lewis in drag?

[@Songvbm]

9:33 Is that Jerry Lewis?

[@pgh45rpms]

A Jerry Lewis copy-cat named Sammy Petrillo.

[@waldolydecker8118]

cleary too tall to be Lewis

[@ArchieThomas3seesea]

John Denver[ I Want to Live.

[@ArchieThomas3seesea]

Will Smith[ Bllm, Boom, shake the room.

[@1luiszepol]

Load tve boom haha

[@Queengrisel]

What a shame to see actors in the fall as B. Rathbone for example.

[@ronniegeorge10]

sorry, but this is as funny as piles. I'm surprised rathbone agreed to do it.

[@shawnmulligan2894]

It just proves that Basil Rathbone had a good sense of humor. also, he was in a comedy movie "Comedy of Terrors" in 1963

[@davids8449]

Unfortunately Mr Rathbone needed money great shame

[@davids8449]

American comedy is certainly poor I feel sorry for Basil Rathbone that he was in such rubbish

[@waldolydecker8118]

and British comedy is better? lol Get real, this was a comedic upgrade from what Rathbone could get in England - and his locale beats any in the Commonweath to boot.