Basil Durban

**Basil Durban** is a fictional character in the ABC daytime drama *General Hospital*.

He was played by Warwick Sims in 1982.

## Storylines

In July 1982, Basil, Holly’s cousin, comes to town for an oil scam. He and Holly’s father, Charles Sutton hire a geologist named Harper to further support the oil story on the property to Luke.

Basil and Charles move into Robert’s penthouse. Under the names Basil and Charles Corso, who are a renowned group of financiers, Charles and Basil trick Edward into investing in oil for ELQ. The Corsos and Edward offer to pay Holly and Luke for a little piece of land. Luke says they aren’t ready for investors yet.

Ian Shelton, Jackie’s editor, wants to interview the Corsos.

Lab tech and part-time geologist Al Barker says there is no oil on the land. Luke wants Al to prove it but Basil kills him and wrecks the lab so it looks like a robbery. Lila makes a deal with the Corsos to surprise Edward. Charles notices that Basil is nervous when he gets home. Holly accuses Basil of killing Al and he denies it.

Geologist Frank Van Gelder is replaced by Basil with a fake Van Gelder who assures Luke and Robert that the shale sample found on the land is real even though a telegram said it wasn’t.

Holly tells Basil she wants to end the operation. He threatens her father if she does. Holly goes to the mountains for a few days. Basil is furious when she comes back.

In September, cousins Oliver and Reginald Durban came to Port Charles to help Basil and Charles in the oil scam.

Robert and Luke question and chase after Basil and Charles. Basil lies to Holly that Charles is dying. Basil gets Monica to show him around GH. He wants to kill Dan Rooney who knew the Corsos were fake. Basil pulls out Dan’s lifeline but it is the wrong line. Later he goes back into Dan’s room but Monica catches him and makes him leave.

Charles has a health attack and Basil briefly denies him his pills. Basil and Reginald go to a nightclub and see Robert going through mugshots. Basil trips a waiter who spills chocolate sauce on the pictures and Basil grabs the picture of Charles.

Dan needs another surgery so Basil goes to kill him again. He causes a distraction but Robert rescues Dan and Basil runs off. Luke Holly run into Basil and Oliver and chase the Durbans.

Basil catches up to Luke and Holly at the amphitheater and Robert joins the fight. He is knocked out and Luke falls off a scaffold. Holly is dragged away. At the bank, Holly writes a two million dollar check and Oliver, Reginald and Nigel leave town. Basil arranges for lookalikes of them to be seen at the airport.

Later Holly, Charles, and Basil comes out of hiding and head for Vancouver. Basil intercepts a note Holly was leaving for Luke

In October, Basil is yelled at by his father Percy for using violence in the oil scam. Later at the men's club, Robert punches Basil in the face. Percy tells Basil to get rid of Luke even if he has to kill him. Basil enlists the help of his girlfriend Angela.

Basil tells Percy about his failure to kill Luke. Percy goes on the run. Basil is in charge of loading money into the trunk of a Bentley. He plans to switch Bentleys and take the money for himself. Angela paints one of the Bentleys and drives away in the one with the money but Robert is in the backseat. Percy asks Basil to open the trunk and when Percy sees that it is empty, he cuts Basil off from the family fortune and Angela dumps him.

Luke, Robert, Holly, and Burt leave the Canadian airport for Port Charles as Basil watches them.

## Crimes Committed

* Involved in an oil scam [1982]
* Killed lab tech Al Barker; trashed the lab to look like a break-in [Aug 6, 1982]
* Threatened Charles Sutton’s life to Holly Sutton [Aug 18, 1982]
* Attempted to kill Dan Rooney [Sep 16, 1982]

## Health and Vitals

* Punched in the face by Robert Scorpio [Oct 29, 1982]