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Claude Rains

Acting 77 (deceased) years old Clapham, London, England, UK ★ 0.9
Born: November 10, 1889
Died: May 30, 1967

Biography

Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 47 years; he later held American citizenship. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man (1933), a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and, perhaps his most famous performance, Captain Renault in Casablanca (1942).

Rains was born William Claude Rains in Camberwell, London on November 10, 1889. He grew up, according to his daughter, with "a very serious cockney accent and a speech impediment". His father was British stage actor Frederick Rains, and the young Rains made his stage debut at 11 in Nell of Old Drury.

His acting talents were recognised by Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, founder of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Tree paid for the elocution lessons Rains needed in order to succeed as an actor. Later, Rains taught at the institution, teaching John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, among others.

Rains served in the First World War in the London Scottish Regiment, with fellow actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman and Herbert Marshall. Rains was involved in a gas attack that left him nearly 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.

Rains began his career in the London theatre, having a success in the title role of John Drinkwater's play Ulysses S. Grant, the follow-up to the playwright's major hit Abraham Lincoln, and traveled to Broadway in the late 1920s to act in leading roles in such plays as Shaw's The Apple Cart and in the dramatizations of The Constant Nymph, and Pearl S. Buck's novel The Good Earth, as a Chinese farmer.

Rains came relatively late to film acting and his first screen test was a failure, but his distinctive 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. 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".

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood John Jasper 1935
The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked
The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked Erique Claudin (archive footage) 2000
Four Wives
Four Wives Adam Lemp 1939
The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told King Herod 1965
Where Danger Lives
Where Danger Lives Mr. Lannington 1950

Jimmy's Seen (1)

New Jack City
New Jack City Alexander Longford 1991

Filmography

Acting Credits (91)

The Dark Universe
The Dark Universe El hombre invisible (archivo de imagen) 2023
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored Self (archive footage) 2013
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman Self (archive footage) 2007
The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked
The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked Erique Claudin (archive footage) 2000
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' Self (archive footage) 1999
Ingrid Bergman Remembered
Ingrid Bergman Remembered Self (archive footage) 1996
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life Self (archive footage) 1987
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1983
The Horror Show
The Horror Show (archive footage) 1979
The Wolfman
The Wolfman Sir John Talbot 1966
The Greatest Story Ever Told
The Greatest Story Ever Told King Herod 1965
Twilight of Honor
Twilight of Honor Art Harper 1963
Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia Mr. Dryden 1962
Sam Benedict
Sam Benedict 1962
Battle of the Worlds
Battle of the Worlds Professor Benson 1961
Dr. Kildare
Dr. Kildare Edward Fredericks 1961
The Lost World
The Lost World Prof. George Edward Challenger 1960
This Earth Is Mine
This Earth Is Mine Philippe Rambeau 1959
Judgment at Nuremberg
Judgment at Nuremberg Judge Dan Haywood 1959
Rawhide
Rawhide Alexander Longford 1959
Naked City
Naked City John Winfield Weston 1958
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Mayor of Hamelin 1957
On Borrowed Time
On Borrowed Time Mr. Brink 1957
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 Judge Dan Haywood 1956
Lisbon
Lisbon Aristides Mavros 1956
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents John Fabian 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Charles Gresham 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Andrew Thurgood 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Father Amion 1955
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Leonard Eldridge 1955
The Man Who Watched Trains Go By
The Man Who Watched Trains Go By Kees Popinga 1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame Mr. Brink 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame The High Lama 1951
Sealed Cargo
Sealed Cargo Capt. Henrik Skalder 1951
Where Danger Lives
Where Danger Lives Mr. Lannington 1950
The White Tower
The White Tower Paul Delambre 1950
Song of Surrender
Song of Surrender Elisha Hunt 1949
Rope of Sand
Rope of Sand Arthur 'Fred' Martingale 1949
The Passionate Friends
The Passionate Friends Howard Justin 1949
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show Self 1948
The Unsuspected
The Unsuspected Victor Grandison 1947
Blow-Ups of 1946
Blow-Ups of 1946 Self 1946
Deception
Deception Alexander Hollenius 1946
Angel on My Shoulder
Angel on My Shoulder "Nick" 1946
Notorious
Notorious Alexander Sebastian 1946
Caesar and Cleopatra
Caesar and Cleopatra Julius Caesar 1945
This Love of Ours
This Love of Ours Joseph Targel 1945
Strange Holiday
Strange Holiday John Stevenson 1945
Mr. Skeffington
Mr. Skeffington Job Skeffington 1944
Passage to Marseille
Passage to Marseille Captain Freycinet 1944
Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera Erique Claudin 1943
Forever and a Day
Forever and a Day Ambrose Pomfret 1943
Casablanca
Casablanca Captain Louis Renault 1943
Breakdowns of 1942
Breakdowns of 1942 Self 1942
Now, Voyager
Now, Voyager Dr. Jaquith 1942
Moontide
Moontide Nutsy 1942
Kings Row
Kings Row Alexander Tower 1942
The Wolf Man
The Wolf Man Sir John Talbot 1941
Breakdowns of 1941
Breakdowns of 1941 Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1941
Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Here Comes Mr. Jordan Mr. Jordan 1941
Four Mothers
Four Mothers Adam Lemp 1941
Lady with Red Hair
Lady with Red Hair David Belasco 1940
The Sea Hawk
The Sea Hawk Don José Alvarez de Cordoba 1940
Saturday's Children
Saturday's Children Mr. Henry Halevy 1940
Four Wives
Four Wives Adam Lemp 1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Joseph Paine 1939
Daughters Courageous
Daughters Courageous Jim Masters 1939
Juarez
Juarez Emperor Louis Napoleon III 1939
Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty Haym Salomon 1939
They Made Me a Criminal
They Made Me a Criminal Det. Monty Phelan 1939
Breakdowns of 1938
Breakdowns of 1938 Claude Rains (archive footage) (uncredited) 1938
Four Daughters
Four Daughters Adam Lemp 1938
White Banners
White Banners Paul Ward 1938
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood Prince John 1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
Gold Is Where You Find It Colonel Ferris 1938
Breakdowns of 1937
Breakdowns of 1937 Self 1937
They Won't Forget
They Won't Forget District Attorney Andrew J. Griffin 1937
The Prince and the Pauper
The Prince and the Pauper Earl of Hertford 1937
Stolen Holiday
Stolen Holiday Stefan Orloff 1937
Breakdowns of 1936
Breakdowns of 1936 Self 1936
Anthony Adverse
Anthony Adverse Marquis Don Luis 1936
Hearts Divided
Hearts Divided Napoleon Bonaparte 1936
The Making of a Great Motion Picture
The Making of a Great Motion Picture 1936
Scrooge
Scrooge Jacob Marley (voice) (uncredited) 1935
The Last Outpost
The Last Outpost John Stevenson 1935
The Clairvoyant
The Clairvoyant Maximus 1935
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
The Mystery of Edwin Drood John Jasper 1935
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head Paul Verin 1934
Crime Without Passion
Crime Without Passion Lee Gentry 1934
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man Dr. Jack Griffin 1933
Build Thy House
Build Thy House Clarkis 1920

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