Basil Ruysdael

Basil Spaulding Millspaugh (July 24, 1878 – October 10, 1960), known as Basil Ruysdael, was an American actor and opera singer. Early life Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, as Basil Spaulding Millspaugh, Ruysdael was the son of Dr and Mrs Charles Millspaugh. He graduated from Waverly High School and attended Cornell University from 1898 to 1899 as a special student in mechanical engineering and sang with the Cornell University Glee Club. He sang secondary roles in the German repertoire at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as a bass-baritone from 1910 to 1918, appearing with such popular opera stars as Leo Slezak and Geraldine Farrar. Stage career Early in his career, Ruysdael appeared on the New York stage. His Broadway credits include Enchanted Isle (1927), The Cocoanuts (1925), Topsy and Eva (1924), and Robin Hood (1912). Film career