Claude Rains
in the Mr. Skeffington trailer (1944)
Birth name	William Claude Rains
Born	November 10, 1889 London, England, UK
Died	May 30, 1967 (aged 77) Laconia, New Hampshire, USA (intestinal hemorrhage)
Years active	1920-1965
Spouse(s)	Isabel Jeans (1913-1915) Marie Hemingway (1920-1920) Beatriz Thomas (1924-1935) Frances Propper (1935-1956) Agi Jambor (1959-1960) Rosemary Clark Schrode (1960-1964)
Notable roles	Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood Senator Joseph Harrison Paine in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Captain Renault in Casablanca Job Skeffington in Mr. Skeffington Alexander Sebastian in Notorious Mr. Dryden in Lawrence of Arabia
Tony Awards
Best Leading Actor in a Play 1951 Darkness at Noon

Claude Rains (November 10, 1889 – May 30, 1967) was a British-born theatre and film actor, who later held American citizenship, best known for his many roles in Hollywood films. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mr. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Motto: City on the Lakes Location in Belknap County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Belknap County Incorporated 1855 City Council Matthew J. Lahey, Mayor Area    - City 68. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... The Adventures of Robin Hood is an American film released in 1938 and directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. ... Mr. ... Casablanca is an Oscar-winning 1942 romance film set during World War II in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. ... Mr. ... Notorious was a 1946 thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. ... Lawrence of Arabia is an award-winning 1962 film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. ... What is popularly called the Tony Award (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award celebrating achievements in live American theater, including musical theater, primarily honoring productions on Broadway in New York. ... The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a play, whether a new production or a revival. ... Darkness at Noon is the most famous novel by Hungarian-born British novelist Arthur Koestler. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... ...

[edit] Biography

Rains was born William Claude Rains (known as 'Willie') in Camberwell, London on November 10, 1889. He grew up with, according to his daughter, "a very serious cockney accent and a speech impediment".^[1] Camberwell is a district of London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

His acting talents were recognized by Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, founder of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Tree paid for the elocution lessons that Rains would need to succeed as an actor. Later, Rains taught at the institution, working with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, among others. Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (December 17, 1853 - July 2, 1917) was an English actor-manager. ... RADAs theatre in London The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in Bloomsbury, London, is generally regarded as the most prestigious drama school in the world. ... Elocution is proper speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone. ... Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH (14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000), known as Sir John Gielgud, was an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award-winning theatre and film actor. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM (22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ...

Rains served in the First World War with the London Scottish Regiment,^[2] alongside fellow actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman and Herbert Marshall; he was involved in a gas attack that left him almost blind in one eye for the rest of his life. However, the war did aid his social advancement, and by its end, he had risen from the rank of private to captain. Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Basil Rathbone (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an English actor most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and swashbuckler film villain roles. ... Ronald Colman (February 9, 1891 – May 19, 1958) was an English actor. ... Herbert Marshall (1890-1966) was a popular English cinema and theatre actor who overcame the loss of a leg during World War I, to enjoy a long career, initially as a romantic lead and then in character roles. ...

Having made his name in the theatre, Rains came late to film acting. His first screen test was a failure, but his voice won him the title role in James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933) when someone accidentally overheard his screen test being played in the next room.^[3] Rains later credited director Michael Curtiz with teaching him the more understated requirements of film acting, or, "what not to do in front of a camera".^[4] Screen Test was a British childrens quiz show produced by the BBC which ran from 1969 to 1984. ... James Whale (1889-1957) For the British radio presenter, see James Whale (radio). ... The Invisible Man is a movie produced by Universal Pictures in 1933 and directed by James Whale. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Michael Curtiz (December 24, 1886 - April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, whose best known films include The Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and White Christmas. ...

Claude Rains in Notorious.

Following The Invisible Man, Universal Studios tried to typecast him in horror films, but he broke free, starting with the role of Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), then with his Academy Award-nominated role as the conflicted corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and followed with probably his most famous role, the suave French police Captain Renault in Casablanca (1942). In 1945, Rains became the first actor to receive a million dollar salary for his role as Julius Caesar in Caesar and Cleopatra. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Notorious was a 1946 thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. ... Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios), a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the major American film studios that has production studios and offices located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County between Los Angeles... 1922s Nosferatu Films from the horror genre are designed to elicit fright, fear, terror, disgust or horror from viewers. ... The Adventures of Robin Hood is the title of: a 1938 movie, starring Errol Flynn: see The Adventures of Robin Hood (movie) a television series of the 1950s, starring Richard Greene: see The Adventures of Robin Hood (series) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Mr. ... Casablanca is an Oscar-winning 1942 romance film set during World War II in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. ... Gaius Julius Caesar [1] (Latin pronunciation ; English pronunciation ; July 12 or July 13, 100 BC or 102 BC – March 15, 44 BC), was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men of World history. ... Caesar and Cleopatra is a 1945 film starring Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh, produced by Gabriel Pascal from the 1901 play by George Bernard Shaw. ...

For television, he appeared in his only singing and dancing role, as the Mayor in a musical version of Robert Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin, opposite Van Johnson as the Piper. This 1957 NBC color special, shown as a film rather than a live or videotaped program, was highly successful with the public. Sold into syndication after its first telecast, it was repeated annually by many local TV stations. Robert Browning (May 7, 1812 – December 12, 1889) was a British poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets. ... The oldest picture of Pied Piper (watercolour) copied from the glass window of Marktkirche in Hamelin by Freiherr Augustin von Moersperg. ... Van Johnson in Battleground (1949) Van Johnson (born Charles Van Johnson on August 25, 1916, in Newport, Rhode Island) is an American film and television actor and dancer. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... NBC (a former acronym for National Broadcasting Company) is an American television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York Citys Rockefeller Center. ... In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows to multiple stations, without going through a broadcast network. ...

On screen, Rains remained a popular character actor in the '50s and '60s, continuing to appear in many films. Two of his more well-known later screen roles were in Lawrence of Arabia (1962), where he played Dryden, a cynical British diplomat, and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), where he was King Herod. The latter was his final film role. A character actor is an actor, especially in motion pictures, who predominantly performs in similar roles throughout the course of a career. ... Lawrence of Arabia is an award-winning 1962 film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. ... The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 United Artists film about the life of Jesus, directed by George Stevens (some scenes by Jean Negulesco and David Lean). ... Herod I, also known as Herod the Great was an ancient king of Judaea. ...

[edit] Personal life

In 1939, Rains became a naturalized citizen of the United States. He married six times, the first five of which ended in divorce: Isabel Jeans (1913 - 1915); Marie Hemingway (1920 - 1920); Beatriz Thomas (1924 - 8 April 1935); Frances Propper (9 April 1935 - 1956); Agi Jambor (4 November 1959 - 1960); and to Rosemary Clark Schrode (1960 - 31 December 1964) (her death). Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ...

He acquired a 380-acre farm in Pennsylvania, and spent much of his time between takes reading up on agricultural techniques. He eventually sold the farm when his marriage to Frances Propper ended in 1956.

Rains died from an internal haemorrhage, in Laconia, New Hampshire at the age of 77. He is interred in the Red Hill Cemetery, Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Hemorrhage (alternate spelling is Haemorrhage) is the medical term meaning bleeding. ... Motto: City on the Lakes Location in Belknap County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Belknap County Incorporated 1855 City Council Matthew J. Lahey, Mayor Area    - City 68. ... Moultonborough is a town located in Carroll County, New Hampshire. ...

[edit] Awards and nominations

In 1951, Rains won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for Darkness at Noon. He was also nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor: for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Casablanca, Mr. Skeffington and Notorious. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard. The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a play, whether a new production or a revival. ... Darkness at Noon is the most famous novel by Hungarian-born British novelist Arthur Koestler. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to male actors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Mr. ... A band plays on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ... Hollywood Boulevard as taken from the Kodak Theatre Hollywood Boulevard is an avenue in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out and runs due west to Laurel Canyon Boulevard. ...

[edit] Popular references

In 1975, both Rains, and his memorable role as the Invisible Man was referenced in the opening song to the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a cult comedy musical from 1975. ...

He was also mentioned in the television show Heroes, where a British character, who can make himself invisible, refers to himself as "Claude Rains, the Invisible Man." Heroes is an American science fiction drama television series, created by Tim Kring, which premiered on NBC on September 25, 2006. ... Claude is a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Christopher Eccleston. ...

In the 1996 film Sleepers, speaking about a nonexistent witness to a murder, a character describes him as having done "a Claude Rains so far". Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Sleepers (1996) is a dramatic movie based on Lorenzo Carcaterras novel of the same name. ...

[edit] Filmography

See also: 1919 in film 1920 1921 in film 1920s in film years in film film Events November 28 - The Mask of Zorro, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. ... The Invisible Man is a movie produced by Universal Pictures in 1933 and directed by James Whale. ... See also: 1932 in film 1933 1934 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events British Film Institute founded. ... The Clairvoyant (also known as The Evil Mind) is a 1934 film starring Claude Rains and Fay Wray, and directed by Maurice Elvey. ... See also: 1933 in film 1934 1935 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 26 - Samuel Goldwyn (of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) finally purchased the film rights to The Wizard of Oz from Frank J. Baum for $40,000. ... The Last Outpost is a first season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. ... See also: 1934 in film 1935 1936 in film 1930s in film years in film film Events Judy Garland signs a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). ... See also: 1935 in film 1936 1937 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon September 28 - The Marx Brothers Harpo Marx marries actress Susan Fleming Top grossing films in North America Red River Valley Academy Awards Best Picture: The Great... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des... Anthony Adverse is a 1936 film based upon the novel by Hervey Allen. ... See also: 1936 in film 1937 category:1937 films 1938 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US. May 7 - Shall We Dance premieres in the US. Top grossing films Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Conquest Damaged Lives... The Prince and the Pauper is an 1882 book by Mark Twain that represents his first attempt at historical fiction. ... They Wont Forget is a 1937 film directed by Mervyn LeRoy (who was uncredited). ... White Banners is a 1938 film which tells the story of a homeless woman who finds a home with a kind couple in order to be near to their young neighbor, her son whom she had given up for adoption. ... See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... The Adventures of Robin Hood is an American film released in 1938 and directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Four Daughters is a 1938 film which tells the story of a happy musical family whose lives and loves are disrupted by the arrival of a cynical young composer who interjects himself into the daughters romantic lives. ... They Made Me a Criminal is a 1939 Warner Bros. ... // Movie historians and film buffs often look back on the year 1939 as the greatest year in film history (see below: 1939 in film#Films released in 1939, for a list with over 20 classics). ... Napoléon III, born Charles Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (20 April 1808 – 9 January 1873) was the first President of the French Republic from 10 December 1848 to 2 December 1851, then again from 2 December 1851 to 2 December 1852. ... The Sons of Liberty as depicted in British press The Sons of Liberty was a label adopted by Patriots in the Thirteen Colonies before the American Revolution. ... Daughters Courageous was a movie from 1939, starring three of the four Lane Sisters (Lola, Rosemary and Priscilla). ... Mr. ... See also: 1939 in film 1940 1941 in film 1940s in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events February 7 - Walt Disneys animated film Pinocchio is released. ... Movie poster for The Sea Hawk The Sea Hawk is a 1940 adventure film about an English privateer set in the Elizabethan era, loosely based on the historical figure Sir Francis Drake. ... The year 1941 in film involved some significant events. ... Here Comes Mr. ... The Wolf Man is a 1941 horror film written by Curt Siodmak and produced and directed by George Waggner, starring Lon Chaney Jr, Claude Rains, Evelyn Ankers, Ralph Bellamy, Patric Knowles, Bela Lugosi, and Maria Ouspenskaya. ... Kings Row is a 1942 film which tells the story of a group of children who grow up leading supposedly idyllic lives in a small town with disturbing secrets. ... See also: 1941 in film 1942 1943 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Carole Lombard is killed in a plane crash when returning from a War Bond tour. ... Now, Voyager is a 1942 film which tells the story of a middle-aged spinster who, repressed by the domination of her mother, winds up in a sanatorium, where her self-confidence is boosted by an understanding psychiatrist. ... Casablanca is an Oscar-winning 1942 romance film set during World War II in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. ... Forever and a Day is the debut album of Idols winner Karin Kortje. ... See also: 1942 in film 1943 1944 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America For Whom the Bell Tolls The Song of Bernadette This is the Army Stage Door Canteen Random Harvest Star Spangled Rhythm Casablanca Journey Into Fear Academy Awards Best... Phantom of the Opera is a 1943 Universal horror film starring Claude Rains. ... Spanish film poster for Passage to Marseille Passage to Marseille is a 1944 war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Hal B. Wallis with Jack L. Warner as executive producer. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ... Mr. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... Caesar and Cleopatra is a 1945 film starring Claude Rains and Vivien Leigh, produced by Gabriel Pascal from the 1901 play by George Bernard Shaw. ... Notorious was a 1946 thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. ... See also: 1945 in film 1946 1947 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America The Bells of St. ... Angel on My Shoulder is a 1946 film by Archie Mayo Starring Paul Muni . ... Deception is a 1946 film noir directed by Irving Rapper. ... The Unsuspected is a 1947 film starring Claude Rains. ... // Events May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York. ... The Passionate Friends is a 1949 film by David Lean. ... See also: 1948 in film 1949 1950 in film 1940s in film 1950s in film years in film film Events Top grossing films North America Adams Rib Jolson Sings Again Pinky I Was a Male War Bride, The Snake Pit, Joan of Arc Academy Awards Best Picture: All the... Escape to Beer Mountain: A Rope of Sand is an episode of Clone High. ... The White Tower is a 1945 novel by James Ramsey Ullman. ... See also: 1949 in film 1950 1951 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events February 15 - Walt Disney Studios animated film Cinderella debuts. ... Where Danger Lives is a 1950 film drama directed by John Farrow. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... The year 1953 in film involved some significant events. ... See also: 1955 in film 1956 1957 in film 1950s in film years in film film // Events November 15 - The film Love Me Tender starring Elvis Presley (his first film) opens. ... The oldest picture of Pied Piper (watercolour) copied from the glass window of Marktkirche in Hamelin by Freiherr Augustin von Moersperg. ... // October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock, starring Elvis Presley, opens. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... The Lost World is a 1960 science fiction adventure film based on the novel by Arthur Conan Doyle. ... Pianeta degli uomini spenti, Il (Battle of the Worlds) : Astronomers on a futuristic remote island outpost discover a stray planet on a collision course with Earth. ... See also: 1960 in film 1961 1962 in film 1960s in film years in film film Events Last Year at Marienbad (Lannée dernière à Marienbad) released Top grossing films North America The Guns of Navarone Exodus The Parent Trap The Absent-Minded Professor The Alamo Swiss Family Robinson... Lawrence of Arabia is an award-winning 1962 film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. ... // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ... Twilight of Honor is a 1963 film with Nick Adams. ... // Events January 28 - Filming begins on Dr. Strangelove. ... The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 United Artists film about the life of Jesus, directed by George Stevens (some scenes by Jean Negulesco and David Lean). ... // Events Top grossing films North America Mary Poppins The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews Goldfinger My Fair Lady Whats New Pussycat? Shenandoah The Sandpiper Father Goose Academy Awards Best Picture: The Sound of Music - Argyle, Twentieth Century-Fox Best Actor: Lee Marvin - Cat Ballou Best Actress: Julie Christie... Herod I, also known as Herod the Great was an ancient king of Judaea. ...

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Harmetz p. 147.
2. ^ londonscottishregt.org
3. ^ Harmetz p. 147.
4. ^ Harmetz p. 190.

[edit] References

• Harmetz, Aljean. Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of "Casablanca". Orion Publishing Co, 1993.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Claude Rains

• Claude Rains at the Internet Movie Database
• Claude Rains at the TCM Movie Database
• Claude Rains at the Internet Broadway Database
• Find A Grave profile for Claude Rains