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“
Dawson: Who are you?! Basil: [in disguise] What? Oh! [Removes his mouse mask of disguise] Basil of Baker Street, my good fellow.
„
~ Basil's first introduction.
“
Ratigan, no one can have a higher opinion of you than I have. And I think you're a slimy, contemptible sewer rat!
„
~ Basil to Ratigan.
“
Sewer rat! Arrest that fiend!
„
~ Basil to Ratigan revealing his crimes.
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On the contrary! The game's NOT over yet!
„
~ Basil battling against Ratigan.
Basil of Baker Street is the titular main protagonist of Disney's 26th full-length animated feature film The Great Mouse Detective, which was based on the Basil of Baker Street book series by Eve Titus.
He was a detective based on the fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes coincidentally in the same universe of the movie. His main goal is to stop Professor Ratigan from overthrowing the Queen of England and rescue Olivia Flaversham's father Hiram. There are a few differences between Basil in the book series and in the film version, such as mercurial moods in the latter. He also plays the violin rather well in the movie, whereas the book series stated Basil's violin playing was atrocious-instead, Basil played the flute.
Basil is a take-off of the classic Sherlock Holmes character, modeling his career after the famous detective's. Basil is portrayed as a brilliant, plucky mouse who refuses to back down or end his pursuit against Prof. Ratigan, which makes him tenacious. Basil comes off as a jack-of-all-trades at several points in the movie, showing skill in areas such as science, history, and disguise (though his disguise inevitably fails), not to mention being physically capable (this is emphasized in the film's climax in the Big Ben Tower).
Despite this, Basil can also be prickly and self-centered, ignoring Olivia and Dawson at the beginning of the movie, and only offering to help them once he realizes Olivia's case might be the solution to finally capturing Ratigan. Though Basil is always calm and collected during his hunt, he can also be very emotional and operatic, becoming very moody if things do not go his way or if the situation looks dire, such as at the beginning of the movie and when he is nearly defeated by Ratigan. Despite his indifferent attitude towards Dawson and Olivia at the start of the movie, he can be quite affectionate and empathetic, as shown when he tries to cheer up the former after losing Fidget in the Toy Store, and when he chooses to save Olivia from being crushed to death in the gears of Big Ben after Ratigan kicks her off the platform he was standing on before getting her to safety to protect her from the criminal mastermind, showing that he had also come to care for her as a friend. As Olivia is bidding him goodbye near the end of the movie before she leaves, he affectionately teases her by mispronouncing her surname, causing Dawson to chuckle, with the trio silently admitting that it has become an inside joke with them. After the door closes behind Olivia, Basil clearly already misses her, admitting that she is 'not such a bad girl', his actions that he had come to value her companionship, as well as Dawson's.
Physical appearance[]
In stark contrast to the physical appearances of other rodent characters from previous and succeeding Disney films (such as Timothy Q. Mouse, Jaq and Gus, Amos, Remy, etc.), which more accurately or cartoony resemble real-life mice, Basil and the other rodent characters in the film are designed in a very unique and stylized way, with much more human-like body proportions while still having a rodent head. Basil, however, is probably the most notable.
Basil is a tall (small from a human's perspective), slender, anthropomorphic mouse with a thin rectangular frame and contrasting soft facial features; the bridge of his nose is quite large and has a slight bump reminiscent of previous Sherlock Holmes depictions such as Basil Rathbone. He has light brown fur, a sand-like color on the muzzle, and obviously his underbelly, mauve inner ears, a maroon nose, and black eyes. Unlike real-life mice, he has no whiskers, fur-covered hands, and feet, but retains the buck teeth.
Basil's common outfit he wears through-out much of the film is a basic white dress shirt with a high collar, a red-brown waist-coat, a bottle-green neck-tie, grayish-brown pants, and black shoes with white spats. When he is residing in his flat when there are not yet any crimes to solve, he wears a dark magenta bathrobe with midnight purple accents.
When he does roam around London solving crimes and what he wears for most of the film is a chocolate-brown jacket, which he wears under a dark-honey brown inverness (a type of jacket with a short cape-like garment covering the upper arms) and a matching deer-stalker cap, adding to his trademark earthy-colored outfit.
When Basil sneaks into Ratigan's lair, his sailor disguise consists of an navy, high-collar, single-breasted coat with a matching captain-hat and lighter trousers of the same hue, a magenta turtle-neck, and black boots. He also wears a fake black pencil mustache, which Ratigan later rips off. Some believe this disguise may be a reference to the film, Sherlock Holmes and The Secret Weapon.
Biography[]
Book series[]
In the Basil of Baker Street book series, which inspired the film, Basil learned his detective skills by listening at the feet of Sherlock Holmes. Throughout the series, Professor Ratigan (who is also a mouse in this canon) stalked the hero and traced his every move.
The first book, Basil of Baker Street, takes place in 1885. Basil and his partner, Dr. David Q. Dawson, investigate the kidnapping of Angela and Agatha Proudfoot by the Terrible Three (Barney the Bank Robber, Freddie the Forger and Prrcy the Pickpocket).
The second book, Basil and the Lost Colony, takes place in 1891. Basil, Dawson and dozens of other mice embark on an expedition in the Alps, in search of the legendary lost colony and the Adorable Snowmouse. Along the way, Professor Ratigan tries to kill Basil by siccing a Siamese cat, then by leaving a mousetrap in the Alps.
The third book, Basil and the Cave of Cats, takes place in 1894. Basil and Dawson travel to India, where they seek the mystical Island of Kataarh, home of the Mini Cats. Maanwhile, Ratigan seizes the throne of Bengistan from the Maharajah, holds an opera singer hostage by forcing her to sing, and disguises himself as a sailor in order to instigate a mutiny.
The fourth book, Basil in Mexico, takes place between 1894 and 1895. Basil discovers that Ratigan had invented a cheese made of concrete, which would break other mice's teeth once they bite into it. Afterwards, Basil searches for a stolen painting, the Mousa Lisa. Meanwhile, Ratigan plots to restore the deposed dictator, El Bruto, back into power.
The fifth book, Basil in the Wild West, takes place immediately afterwards. Basil and Dawson head north to New Mexico, where J.J. and his gang of smugglers plot to set up his own superstate from undeserved money. Later on, the heroes visit the Grand Canyon, while assuming that Monterey Jack, a wanted outlaw, is behind the "Thing", a monster that is terrifying the Hathaway Hotel.
The sixth book, Basil and the Big Cheese Cook-Off, takes place in 1895. Basil and Dawson travel to Paris for the International Cheese Cook-Off. Meanwhile, Ratigan considers poisoning some cheese at the convention, and bribes a street mouse named Theo and his friends with a week's supply of cheese if he wrote some letters threatening to cancel the cook-off. After Ratigan is thwarted and flees, the Cook-Off continues as planned, and Theo is hailed as a hero for exposing Ratigan's scheme.
In the seventh book, Basil and the Royal Dare, Basil and Dawson travel to Marlborough House, home of Prince Edward, where the royal family of Bohemia is visiting. There, they investigate the disappearance of the teenage noblemice from both royal families. Everyone fears that one of the royal dogs may be responsible.
In the eighth book, Basil and the Library Ghost, Basil returns to his alma mater of Ratcliffe College for a reunion. He also investigates a ghost haunting in the college library, which turns out to be a prank by some old classmates. Later on, Basil traces some phosphorus footprints to the college museum, where Basil is fighting against two other mice (Professor Ratigan and his accomplice Alfie).
The Great Mouse Detective[]
In the film, when Dr. David Q. Dawson meets a lost and terrified Olivia Flaversham, desperately searching for Basil to help her locate her kidnapped father, he helps her find Baker Street. Before long, all three are involved in a maze of mystery and intrigue, looking for clues and realizing that all clues point to one person—Basil's archenemy, the nefarious Professor Ratigan.
With no time to lose, he took Dawson and Olivia to where Sherlock’s dog, Toby, to track downs the scent of Fidget, Ratigan’s main lackey, which leads to toy shop. Once going inside to investigate the crime scene, he notice the toys’ been missing gears and uniforms. Unbeknownst to them, Fidget’s the one who stole them in order from Ratigan and activate all toys to distract them in order to kidnap Olivia. Basil and Dawson tries to rescue her, but with all bat’s trickery, he have lost them in the night.
Luckily the list been discovered, Basil is able to see through it with chemistry tools and it concludes salt water, leads to seaside bar. Disguised detective wanted the answers out of bartender and waitress over his archenemy’s location, but they pretended that they never heard him and tries to drug him and his partner to keep them from knowing what they know. Observing what they’re doing, he checked the beer have contained with drugs, but Dawson unknowingly drinks one whole which caused him to get drunk, annoys Basil.
Coincidentally, he have discovered Fidget in here so he tries to tell Dawson, but his partner accidentally caused the whole bar fight and leads Fidget escape from his sight. He eventually have found the secret entrance to Ratigan’s lair and tries to free Olivia from the bottle, but it turns out to be set-up for Ratigan and his thugs to trap Basil and Dawson.
Basil tries to make his stand to crime lord that he’ll arrest him once he’s done with him, but Ratigan happily mocks him over fall into trap he made, breaking his spirit in process. Not knowing how to get out of Ratigan’s over deadly traps as he sulk in depression, he have concluded that he’s inferior to Ratigan’s intelligence. Had enough of his self-pithiness, Dawson berates Basil for giving up and tells him that he should think their way out. Encouraged over his speech and gives him an idea, he analyzing traps’ weaponry to use them against each other and get them all free at same time. After his plan work perfectly, Basil, Dawson, and Olivia got out and heads to Buckingham Palace (with help of Toby) to rescue the Queen and Flaversham from Fidget’s clutches and expose Ratigan’s schemes just before he became tyrannical king of all Mousedom, re
After a near coup of the English royalty, he tries to after Ratigan when he captured Olivia, but quickly escapes with his blimp. Without knowing to giving up, he orders Dawson and Flaversham to gather the balloons so they can make their own flying ship to catch up to them. During the chase, he let one of balloons to blow the air to catch up on Ratigan and Fidget (who later got betrayed to “lighting the load”). After he catch up with him by holding one of blimp’s parts, they ended up crashed inside Big Ben’s gears.
Waking up from sudden crash, he looks around to find Ratigan and Olivia, only becomes involved in a fierce battle with Ratigan at the top of the tower of Big Ben, where Ratigan attacks him from behind. Before he could be killed by ferocious crime lord, Olivia bite his hand to give Basil time use his wits by grab his cape and trap them between gears. Unfortunately, Ratigan manage to kick her out of spite and shocks Basil before he quickly manage to save her in time before being crushed by one of Big Ben’s large hears and tries to escape with her back to his allies.
After ruined his plans to conquer Mousedom and various crime plans, Ratigan (blind by intense hatred and anger), he pursues Basil with great speed and leaps into him (due to Dr. Dawson unable to get their dirigible too very close to him to have Olivia reach her father), and they both fall onto the clock's hour hand. Basil desperately tries to escape from him, but Ratigan blocks his way out from intense confrontation before extends his claws and begins slashing at Basil, causing some serious injuries to him such as smacking him in the face, a gash across his muzzle, scratched deeply by Ratigan's claws across the flesh of his back, and a bleeding arm. Because of these injuries and Ratigan's size, Basil is unable to fight back and Ratigan manages to knock him off the hand. And yet, Basil grabs onto the wreckage of the blimp saving his life, pridefully calling out to Ratigan who believe he has won that their game is not yet finish and rings Ratigan's bell having pickpocket him during their confrontation. It’s revealed that he planned to waste his archenemy’s time to let the clock ring the bell in order to defeat and outsmart him. Suddenly, the clock bell tolls, causing Ratigan to plunge off off the hand; as he falls he tries to take Basil with him but fails and falls 278 feet into the clouds below thanks to Ratigan’s blimp part, ended his biggest enemy and their longtime battle once and for all.
Basil recovers from his injuries and being thanked by Queen herself. He proudly keeps Ratigan’s handbell as memento of defeating Ratigan at last. After solemnly bidding Olivia and Flaversham farewell, Dawson’s about to head off as well since the case has ended, Basil’s about to reconsider, but his recent came to his home to ask for his help so he let Dawson become his new assistant as they began their new mysteries up ahead.
Darkwing Duck[]
In Darkwing Duck, Basil appeared as the little statue that opened the secret passage to Darkwing's hidden base.
House of Mouse[]
Basil made a few cameo appearances in House of Mouse. His most notable cameo is him keeping Dawson away from a mousetrap that Ratigan has set for them in the episode "Donald's Lamp Trade". In another episode, Basil and Dawson were some of the mice to take flight on Dumbo's Airline.
Wish[]
Basil makes a cameo during the credits.
Gallery[]
Basil holding a magnifying glass.
Basil examining Fidget's list
Basil's facepalm
"Ratigan, nobody can have a higher opinion of you than I have...and I think you're a slimy, contemptible sewer rat!
Basil fixing his deerstalker cap
Basil exposing Ratigan's plan to the whole royal council
Basil being attacked by the insane Ratigan
Basil calling Ratigan believing he already won that their game is not yet over and summoning Big Ben to ring, sending Ratigan to his doom
Olivia thanks Basil for all his help
Quotes[]
“
Basil: Do you say bat?
Olivia: Yes. Basil: Didn't he have a crippled wing? Olivia: I don't know but he had a peg leg? Basil: HA! Dawson: I say, do you know him? Basil: Know him? That bat one Fidget by name, is in the employ of the very fiend who was the target of my experiment. The horror of my every waking moment! The nefarious Professor Ratigan!
„
~ Basil when learning of Fidget from Olivia
Trivia[]
Before Barrie Ingham was cast, John Cleese was planned to voice him but he declined.
Both of Basil's English and Japanese voice actors who died unknown voiced him.
It was actually originally intended for iconic British actor John Cleese to do the voice of Basil but turned down the role since he was cast in the non-Disney live-action film, A Fish Called Wanda, which was released in 1988.
The way Basil stands up straight with his fist clenched to Ratigan is the same position Roger stood up to Cruella De Vil in One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
Basil is named after Basil Rathbone, the actor who portrayed Sherlock Holmes numerous times.
Merchandise depicts him with a plaid green coat and purple necktie, but in the actual movie, his coat is solid brown and his necktie is bottle-green.
In an unproduced pitch by Frank Angones for a Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers reboot, Basil was going to be Olivia's mentor before she founded the Rescue Aid Society.
The movie “The Great Mouse Detective” was the movie adaption of the book series “Basil Of Backer Street.”
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