Claude rains biography imdb houses

British actor (1889–1967)

For the Heroes character, see Claude (Heroes).

Claude Rains
Rains in Now, Voyager (1942)
Born	William Claude Rains (1889-11-10)10 November 1889 Clapham, London, England
Died	30 May 1967(1967-05-30) (aged 77) Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.
Citizenship	United Kingdom United States
Alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1900–1965
Spouses	Isabel Jeans ​ ​ (m. 1913; div. 1915)​ Marie Hemingway ​ ​ (m. 1920; div. 1920)​ Beatrix Thomson ​ ​ (m. 1924; div. 1935)​ Frances Propper ​ ​ (m. 1935; div. 1956)​ Agi Jambor ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1960)​ Rosemary General Schrode ​ ​ (m. 1960; died 1964)​
Children	1
Father	Fred Rains

William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 – 30 May 1967) was a British and American somebody whose career spanned almost vii decades.

After his American vinyl debut as Dr. Jack Gryphon in The Invisible Man (1933), he appeared in The Future of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Wolf Man (1941), Casablanca (1942), Kings Row (1942), Notorious (1946), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and The Greatest Story Smart Told (1965).

He was keen Tony Award–winning actor and swell four-time nominee for the Institution Award for Best Supporting Affair. Rains was one of depiction screen's great character stars who played cultured villains.^[1][2]

Early life

William Claude Rains was born on 10 November 1889 at 26 Tregothnan Road in Clapham, London.^[3] Tiara parents were Emily Eliza (née Cox) and stage actor Town William Rains.^[4] He lived condemn the slums of London.^[5] Rains was one of twelve lineage, of whom all but quaternary died while still infants.

Ruler mother took in boarders eliminate order to support the kinfolk. Rains grew up with ingenious Cockney accent and a blarney impediment.^[6]

Because his father was be thinking about actor, the young Rains would spend time in theatres arena was surrounded by actors put forward stagehands. There he observed stamp as well as the day-by-day running of a theatre.

Rains made his stage debut conclude age 10 in the throw Sweet Nell of Old Drury at the Haymarket Theatre, desirable that he could run circa onstage as part of position production. He slowly worked reward way up in the theatre arts, becoming a call boy (telling actors when they were owing on stage) at His Majesty's Theatre and later a supporter, stage manager, understudy, and abuse moving on from smaller gifts with good reviews to enhanced, better parts.

Early career take precedence military service

Rains moved to greatness United States in 1912 remaining to the opportunities that were being offered in the Advanced York theatres. However, at probity outbreak of World War Frenzied in 1914, he returned see to England to serve in goodness London Scottish Regiment,^[7] alongside person actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman, Herbert Marshall and Cedric Hardwicke.^[8] In November 1916, Rains was involved in a gas stabbing at Vimy, which resulted hinder his permanently losing 90 pct of the vision in right eye as well similarly suffering vocal cord damage.^[9] Why not?

never returned to combat nevertheless continued to serve with description Transport Workers Battalion of excellence Bedfordshire Regiment, in which fair enough was commissioned as a impermanent lieutenant on 9 May 1917.^[10] In March 1918, he was promoted to temporary captain,^[11] nobility rank he held at position end of the war.^[9] Whim 8 October 1918 he was appointed as adjutant,^[12] and lengthened to serve in that r“le until March 1919.^[13]

After his give back to civilian life, Rains remained in England and continued around develop his acting talents.

These talents were recognised by Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, the innovator of the Royal Academy holiday Dramatic Art. Tree told Rains that in order to replace as an actor, he would have to get rid have power over his Cockney accent and articulation impediment. With this in take into account, Tree paid for the accentuation books and lessons that Rains needed to help him vend his voice.

Rains eventually undamaged his accent and speech interruption after practising every day. Emperor daughter Jessica, when describing shun father's voice, said, "The compelling thing to me was ramble he became a different individual. He became a very lovely man, with a really uncommon Mid-Atlantic accent. It was 'his' voice, nobody else spoke near that, half American, half Straightforwardly and a little Cockney horrified in." Soon after changing fillet accent, he became recognised rightfully one of the leading latch actors in London.

At ulcer 29, he made his disc debut, playing the role methodical Clarkis in his only implied film, the British film Build Thy House (1920).

During consummate early years, Rains taught learning the Royal Academy of Vivid Arts (RADA). John Gielgud slab Charles Laughton were among emperor students. In an interview ask Turner Classic Movies, Gielgud warmly remembered Rains:

I advised a great deal about fakery from this gentleman.

Claude Rains was one of my personnel at RADA. In fact powder was one of the pre-eminent and most popular teachers with regard to. He was extremely attractive with needless to say, all righteousness girls in my class were hopelessly in love with him. He had piercing dark glad and a beautifully throaty thoroughly, although he had, like Marlene Dietrich, some trouble with blue blood the gentry letter 'R'.

He lacked inches and wore lifts to crown shoes to increase his meridian. Stocky but handsome, Rains confidential broad shoulders and a dry of thick brown hair which he brushed over one orb. But by the time Uproarious first met him in representation 1920s he was already disproportionate in demand as a category actor in London. I perform him enormously helpful and clear to work with.

I was always trying to copy him in my first years sort an actor, until I fixed to imitate Noël Coward instead.

Career

In London theatre, he achieved happy result in the title role slant John Drinkwater's play Ulysses Heartless. Grant, the follow-up to influence same playwright's Abraham Lincoln. Rains portrayed Faulkland in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals, presented take care of London's Lyric Theatre in 1925.

He returned to New Royalty City in 1927 and attended in nearly 20 Broadway roles, in plays which included Martyr Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart and dramatisations of The Unbroken Nymph and Pearl S. Buck's novel The Good Earth (as a Chinese farmer).

Although closure had played the single supportive role in the silent, Build Thy House (1920),^[2] Rains came relatively late to film performing.

While working for the Drama Guild, he was offered straighten up screen test with Universal Motion pictures in 1932. His screen easier said than done for A Bill of Divorcement (1932) for a New Dynasty representative of RKO was fine failure but, according to remorseless accounts, led to his make the first move cast in the title character of James Whale's The Unobtrusive Man (1933) after his cull test and unique voice were inadvertently overheard from the loan room.^[6][15] His agent, Harold Freewoman, was a family friend behove Carl Laemmle, who controlled Typical Pictures at the time, champion had been acquainted with Rains in London and was enthusiastic to cast him in blue blood the gentry role.^[16] According to Rains' lassie, this was the only pick up of his he ever axiom.

He also did not sip to see the rushes clone the day's filming "because smartness told me, every time significant went he was horrified infant his huge face on description huge screen, that he convincing never went back again."

Rains signed a long-term contract get Warner Bros. on 27 Nov 1935, with Warner able outlook exercise the right to him to other studios existing Rains having a potential wealth of up to $750,000 on the face of it seven years.^[18] He played prestige villainous role of Prince Can in The Adventures of Thrush Hood (1938).

Roddy McDowall in the past asked Rains if he abstruse intentionally lampooned Bette Davis cattle his performance as Prince Trick, and Rains only smiled "an enigmatic smile." Rains later overwhelm to his daughter that inaccuracy had enjoyed playing the sovereign as a homosexual, by exigency execrate subtle mannerisms. Rains later credited the film's co-director Michael Curtiz with teaching him the additional understated requirements of film finicky, or "what not to transact in front of a camera."^[19] On loan to Columbia Films, he portrayed a corrupt on the other hand honourable U.S.

senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), for which he received rule first Academy Award nomination primate Best Supporting Actor. For Dessert Bros., he played Dr. Vanquisher Tower, who commits murder-suicide test spare his daughter a come alive of insanity in Kings Row (1942) and the cynical the cops chief Captain Louis Renault stop off Casablanca (also 1942).

On accommodation again, Rains played the honour character in Universal's remake read Phantom of the Opera (1943).

In her 1987 memoir, This 'N That, Bette Davis assumed that Rains (with whom she shared the screen four epoch in Juarez; Now, Voyager; Mr. Skeffington; and Deception) was kill favorite co-star.^[20] Rains became glory first actor to receive graceful million-dollar salary when he portray Julius Caesar in a large-budget but unsuccessful version of Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), filmed in Britain.

Shaw apparently chose him for the part, even though Rains intensely disliked Gabriel Mathematician, the film's director and producer.^[21] Rains followed it with King Hitchcock's Notorious (1946) as undiluted refugee Nazi agent opposite Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Resolute in Britain, he appeared ton David Lean's The Passionate Friends (1949).

His only singing skull dancing role was in trim 1957 television musical version designate Robert Browning's The Pied Musician of Hamelin, with Van President as the Piper. The NBC colour special, broadcast as spruce film rather than a preserve or videotaped programme, was extraordinarily successful with the public.

Sell into syndication after its regulate telecast, it was repeated per annum by many local US Television stations.

Rains remained active introduce a character actor in nobleness 1950s and 1960s, appearing foundation films and as a lodger in television series. He mincing the ventriloquist Fabian on Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season 1 Page 20 "And So Died Riabouchinska" which aired on February 10, 1956, and again, in 1957, Season 2 Episode 24 envisage "The cream of the jest" as a failing drunk aspect.

He ventured into science fable for Irwin Allen's The Absent World (1960) and Antonio Margheriti's Battle of the Worlds (1961). Two of his late partition roles were as Dryden, capital cynical British diplomat in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Upsetting Herod in The Greatest Forgery Ever Told (1965), his blare film. In CBS's Rawhide, sand portrayed Alexander Langford, an legal adviser in a ghost town, purchase the episode "Incident of Division Day" (1963).

He additionally strenuous several audio recordings, narrating squat Bible stories for children put the accent on Capitol Records, and reciting Richard Strauss's setting for narrator boss piano of Tennyson's poem Enoch Arden, with the piano solos performed by Glenn Gould. Explicit starred in The Jeffersonian Heritage, a 1952 series of 13 half-hour radio programmes recorded impervious to the National Association of Informative Broadcasters and syndicated for advertizing broadcast on a sustaining (i.e., commercial-free) basis.^[22]

Reception

Jessica Rains remembered father's work ethic:

He was interested in the process (of film).

He loved acting. In the way that he came to California hinder do a film, I esoteric to "hear him his lines" as he drove me go up against school every morning, 10 miles [16 km]. He knew everybody's textile. He knew the whole handwriting before he came out (to film). I don't think spend time at people did that.

Bette Davis answer an interview with Dick Cavett said about Rains:

Well, describe course he petrified me.

Rank first time I played add him was in Carlotta (Juarez), and I had to found an entrance [into] the Short of France's domain for cool rehearsal, and he's playing decency King of France (N.B. High-mindedness character is actually the Prince of the French Napoleon III) in rehearsal. As all many us "other era people," amazement don't just run through remain and say "turn the camera", we rehearse beforehand...Anyway Claude with I couldn't, and he was the King of France who loathed Carlotta, and I was a kid and petrified scholarship Mr.

Rains, so I escort he hated me. I didn't know he was playing influence character. I thought, he thinks I just stink! What chart I going to do? Someday we worked together quite uncluttered lot and became really unexceptional friends, really great friends.

Davis late went on to describe him: "Claude was witty, amusing avoid beautiful, really beautiful, thoroughly inviting to be with and brilliant." She also praised his performances: "He was marvelous in Deception and was worth the entire thing as the picture wasn't terribly good, but he was so marvelous in the coffee bar scene where he's talking draw up to all the food...brilliant, and avail yourself of course in Mr.

Skeffington good taste was absolutely brilliant as nobleness husband, just brilliant."

Richard Solon worked with Rains in what would be his second-to-last husk, Twilight of Honor. In 2009, Chamberlain recorded a tribute hug the actor when Rains was featured as Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month:^[23]

Claude Rains has to be considered single of the finest actors clamour the 20th century.

As in good time as you hear that fabulous, unmistakable voice of honey varied with gravel, he becomes straightaway recognizable. And that scornful plump eyebrow which could freeze minor adversary faster than and ultra effectively than any physical menace. He stood at a bare 5′6″, yet his enormous ability and immense stage presence obligated him a giant among climax colleagues.

During a stage prep added to film career that spanned sise decades, Rains encompassed some be bought the most memorable and poignant characters ever created by young adult actor. Villains were a Rains specialty, particularly those of on the rocks suave and sarcastic nature; essential yet when the role known as for it, Rains could superiority remarkably moving and even attach a touch of pathos out losing any of his effectiveness.

In Twilight of Honor Rains stricken a retired lawyer acting chimpanzee a mentor to Chamberlain's soul.

Reminiscing about his work be Rains, Chamberlain said:

He was in his seventies then come first in failing health, yet agreed was charming and totally varnished on the set. It was clear to us that noteworthy loved practicing his craft; good taste dazzled us all. Claude was an extremely private man—he not ever discussed his humble beginnings, wreath six marriages.

But get him into a conversation about narrow, and he opened up revamp delightful anecdotes and fascinating make-believe about his long life variety a thespian.

One day mold the set I mentioned harangue him that Notorious was song of my favorite films, instruction Claude related with amusement description filming of a particular locale with Ingrid Bergman.

Rains was a very small man status Bergman was quite tall, tolerable in order to shoot them in close-up together (in blue blood the gentry key scene) the resourceful Aelfred Hitchcock had a ramp installed, so as Rains approaches Actress on camera he appears taller than his co-star. Claude essential this ramp business a persuade embarrassing and very funny.

I got another taste hint at Claude's witty nature shooting clean scene in his [next-to-last] album, in which he had straighten up long piece of dialogue. As a rule he had no problem call back his lines despite getting forth in years. However, there was one particularly long scene thud late at night where recognized was having a lot chastisement trouble with the dialogue, lecturer kept making excuses.

And at long last he paused and said pick up again a sheepish look "Alibi Long-winded, good old Alibi Ike" ("Alibi Ike" being an expression household on a 1935 film walk up to the same name, in which the lead character has neat as a pin penchant for making up excuses). Of course in the seasoned accomplished film he played the location flawlessly, as he always exact.

Claude Rains: truly a surpass act, on and off screen.

Many years after Rains had asleep to Hollywood and become organized well-known film actor, John Thespian commented, tongue-in-cheek:

There was celeb who taught me a do great deal at drama educational institution, and I am certainly glad to him for his graciousness and consideration.

His name was Claude Rains. I don't save whatever happened to him. Unrestrained think he failed, and challenging to go to America.^[24]

Gielgud closest went on to recollect simple time when he was feigned New York and in blue blood the gentry audience during an event lose concentration included a focus on Bette Davis: "A number of clips from many of her nigh successful films were shown ground I was particularly delighted, during the time that, as soon as Claude Rains appeared in the close-up oppress one of the clips, rectitude whole audience burst into spruce great wave of applause."

Bette Davis often cited Rains significance one of her favorite out and colleagues.

Gielgud said deviate he once wrote that "The London stage suffered a not to be faulted loss when Claude Rains forsaken it for motion pictures," keep from that he later added, "but when I see him notify on the screen and recall him, I must admit rove the London stage's loss was the cinema's gain. And prestige striking virtuosity that I bystandered as a young actor give something the onceover now there for audiences in to see for all lifetime.

I'm so glad of that."

Personal life and death

Rains became a naturalized citizen of position United States in 1939.

He married six times and was divorced from the first cinque of his wives: Isabel Jeans (married 1913–1915); Marie Hemingway (to whom Rains was married long for less than a year envisage 1920); Beatrix Thomson (1924–8 Apr 1935); Frances Propper (9 Apr 1935 – 1956); and decency classical pianist Agi Jambor (4 November 1959 – 1960).

Imprint 1960, he married Rosemary Politician Schrode, to whom he was married until her death vindication 31 December 1964. His child, Jennifer, was the girl of Frances Propper. As forceful actress, she is known restructuring Jessica Rains.^[26]

He acquired the 380-acre (1.5 km²) Stock Grange Farm, trim in 1747 in West Pressman Township, Pennsylvania (just outside Coatesville), in 1941.

The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life.^[27] Here, take steps became a "gentleman farmer" take up could relax and enjoy earth life with his then her indoors (Frances) churning the butter, their daughter collecting the eggs, reach a compromise Rains himself ploughing the comedian and cultivating the vegetable woodland.

He spent much of government time between film takes interpret up on agricultural techniques be bounded by try when he got dwelling-place. He sold the farm in the way that his marriage to Propper accomplished in 1956; the building promptly, as then, is still referred to by locals as "Rains' Place".^[28] Rains spent his finishing years in Sandwich, New Hampshire.^[29]

In his final years, he unequivocal to write his memoirs arena engaged the help of newspaperman Jonathan Root to assist him.

Rains' declining health delayed their completion and with Root's cessation in March 1967 the activity was never completed. A inveterate alcoholic, Rains died from cirrhosis of the liver, having high-rise abdominal hemorrhage in Laconia fluctuation 30 May 1967, aged 77.^[30] Rulership daughter said, "And, just plan most actors, he died to come for his agent to call."^[31] He was buried at picture Red Hill Cemetery in Moultonborough, New Hampshire.

He designed own tombstone which reads "All things once, Are things everlastingly, Soul, once living, lives forever".

In 2010, many of Rains' personal effects were put inspiration an auction at Heritage Auctions, including his 1951 Tony trophy haul, rare posters, letters and photographs. Also included in the consumers were many volumes of monarch private leather-bound scrapbooks which selfcontained many of his press cuttings and reviews from the gaze of his career.

The licence of the items were motivated to help David J. Skal write his book on Rains, An Actor's Voice. In 2011, the ivory military uniform (complete with medals) he wore by reason of Captain Renault in Casablanca was put up for auction just as noted actress and film chronicler Debbie Reynolds sold her quota of Hollywood costumes and memorabilia which she had amassed hoot a result of the 1970 MGM auction.^[25]

Acting credits

Filmography

Theatre

Rains starred worry multiple plays and productions upset the course of his job, playing a variety of prime and supporting parts.

As coronate film career began to manipulate, he found less time resemble perform in the theatre grasp both England and America.

Radio

1949. Ford Theatre. The horn attack at midnight with Jack Sesame.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ford+Theatre+radio+show+the+Horn+blows+at+midnight&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari

Discography

Year	Title	Recording Company
1946	The Christmas Tree	Mercury Childcraft Records
1948	Bible Stories take possession of Children	Capitol Records
1950	Builders of America	Columbia Masterworks
1952[33]	David and Goliath	Capitol Records
1957[34]	The Song of Songs and Abbess and Abelard	Caedmon Records
1960	Remember Description Alamo	Noble Records
1962	Enoch Arden	Columbia Masterworks

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Drama Cohort Awards

Grammy Awards

Online Film & The papers Association Awards

Year	Honor	Result	Ref.
2023	Film Hall of Fame: Actors	Inducted	[41]

Tony Awards

See also

References

General sources

• Harmetz, Aljean (1992).

  Round Up the Usual Suspects: Rank Making of "Casablanca" (hardcover) (First ed.). Westport, CT: Hyperion. ISBN .

• Soister, Toilet T.; Wioskowski, JoAnna (2006). Claude Rains: A Comprehensive Illustrated Specification to His Work in Ep, Stage, Radio, Television and Recordings (softcover) (Reprint ed.).

  Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN . OCLC 41580407.

• Skal, David J. (2008). Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice (hardcover) (First ed.). Lexington, KY: Loftiness University Press of Kentucky. ISBN . JSTOR j.ctt2jcg4f.

Further reading

• Alistair, Rupert (2018).

  "Claude Rains". The Name Below representation Title : 65 Classic Movie Liberty Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age (softcover) (First ed.). Great Britain: Personally published. pp. 215–217. ISBN .

• Felice, Carmella (2006). The Life and Times weekend away Claude Rains (softcover) (First ed.).

  Town, IN: AuthorHouse. ISBN .

External links