William Claude Rains (1889 - 1967) . Rains later credited the film's co-director Michael Curtiz with teaching him the more understated requirements of film acting, or "what not to do in front of a camera. He became a very elegant man, with a really extraordinary Mid-Atlantic accent. After the war ended, Rains remained in England and continued to develop his acting talents. Explore genealogy for Claude Rains born 1889 London, England died 1967 New Hampshire, USA including ancestors + more in the free family tree community. I was always trying to copy him in my first years as an actor, until I decided to imitate Nol Coward instead. That year he became an American citizen. That said, however, it seems to me that Casablanca does a small disservice to Rains. Included in the collection that will be on permanent display beginning Monday are three original scripts from some of his more well-known works, "Casablanca," Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" and "The Wolf Man.". He went on to live in New Hampshire and passed away there on May 30, 1967 at age 77 from an abdominal hemorrhage. These roles include Dr. Gogol in Mad Love (1935), Dr. Pretorius in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Frollo or Qasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), Wolf von Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein (1939), Professor Higgins in Pygmalion (1938), Mr. Doolittle in My Fair Lady (1964), Klaatu in Day the Earth Stood Still, The (1951), Duke de Lorca in Adventures of Don Juan (1948) and Henry Potter in It's A Wonderful Life (1946). The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life. Dallas, TX 75261-6199 He sang in the Farm Street Church choir, which also brought him a few pence to take home. [4] He lived in the slums of London, and, in his own words, on "the wrong side of the River Thames". "Marty" won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay in 1955. These were lead roles, but far more often his fate was to be the most interesting character in the movie, but rarely its center. He remained in England, honing his acting talents, bolstered with instruction patronized by the founder of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Herbert Beerbohm Tree. In 2011, the ivory military uniform (complete with medals) he wore as Captain Renault in Casablanca was put up for auction when noted actress and film historian Debbie Reynolds sold her collection of Hollywood costumes and memorabilia which she had amassed as a result of the 1970 MGM auction.[30]. He was the firm but thoroughly sympathetic Dr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Claude Rains Salary Detail. Jessica Rains - Biographical Summaries of Notable People - MyHeritage Jessica Rains In Biographical Summaries of Notable People Save this record and choose the information you want to add to your family tree Save record Spotted an error? Jessica Rains was born on 24 January 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA. In the 1940s and '50s he owned a 380-acre farm in eastern Pennsylvania, which he lived on and farmed when he wasn't busy acting. Her screen name is Jessica Rains, as there was already a Jennifer Rains registered in the Actors' Equity. [16] He played the villainous role of Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). His screen test for A Bill of Divorcement (1932) for a New York representative of RKO was a failure but, according to some accounts, led to his being cast in the title role of James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933) after his screen test and unique voice were inadvertently overheard from the next room. The Heritage Auctions web sites will not function without JavaScript, so we recommend enabling it. Claude Rains died on May 30, 1967, at the age of 77. Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice (Screen Classics) eBook : Skal, David J., Rains, Jessica: Amazon.co.uk: Books "[17] This was seen as a very different role to her Call the Midwife character.[18]. Claude Rains - Madness, Magic, & Mayhem Hardcover - October 15, 2022 by John T. Soister (Author), Jessica Rains (Author), JoAnna Jones (Author), 3 ratings See all formats and editions Kindle from $9.95 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $45.00 1 Used from $46.45 4 New from $45.00 Paperback $35.00 1 Used from $37.26 4 New from $35.00 By the end of the war, he had risen to the rank of captain.[11]. In Twilight of Honor Rains played a retired lawyer acting as a mentor to Chamberlain's character. It was 'his' voice, nobody else spoke like that, half American, half English and a little Cockney thrown in. Charlotte has been browbeaten by her domineering mother, and she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown when she is introduced to Dr. Jaquith (Rains), a psychiatrist who helps her break free from. As an actress, she is known as Jessica Rains. Although he had played the single supporting role in the silent, Build Thy House (1920),[1] Rains came relatively late to film acting. Claude Rains may have played the Invisible Man but he was anything but invisible in Hollywood. He starred in The Jeffersonian Heritage, a 1952 series of 13 half-hour radio programmes recorded by the National Association of Educational Broadcasters and syndicated for commercial broadcast on a sustaining (i.e., commercial-free) basis.[20]. William Claude Rains, the first film actor to earn a million dollars for a part, was born on November 10, 1889, in London, England, to Frederick and Emily Eliza Cox Rains and was referred to by his family as "Willie." During Rains' youth, his father transitioned from one temporary job to the . Gielgud said that he once wrote that "The London stage suffered a great loss when Claude Rains deserted it for motion pictures," and that he later added, "but when I see him now on the screen and remember him, I must admit that the London stage's loss was the cinema's gain. I don't think many people did that. Rains was considered to be "one of the screen's great character stars"[1] who was, according to the All-Movie Guide, "at his best when playing cultured villains". by David J. Skal and Jessica Rains. Jessica Rains was born on January 24, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA as Jennifer Rains. Rains had a unique and solid British voice-deep, slightly rasping -- but richly dynamic. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, including the title role in The Invisible Man (1933), scientists, corrupt kings,and senators in The Wolf Man (1941),The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Mr. Dryden in . Heritage Live! When the householder opened the door, the Phantom threw open his cloak and the children, dressed as gremlins, jumped out, squealing "Trick or treat!". "[29] He was buried at the Red Hill Cemetery in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Along with Vanessa Redgrave (for Julia (1977)), Kate Winslet (for Iris (2000), Mare Winningham (for Georgia (1995)) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (for _The Master (2012)), he is one of the few performers to be nominated for a Supporting Oscar (for Mr. Skeffington (1944)) for playing the title role in a movie. Today, people seem unaware of the astonishing range of response that he brought to an extraordinarily diverse group of pictures: the prosecutor whose political ambitions lead to a lynching in They Wont Forget; Napoleon III as Hitler stand-in in Juarez; the mysteriously damaged humanist-doctor of Kings Row; the openly Jewish (a rarity in movies of that time) investment banker in love with Bette Davis in Mr. Growing up in the world of theater, he saw not only acting up close but the down-to-earth business end as well, progressing from a page boy to a stage manager during his well-rounded learning experience. He is from UK. He knew everybody's part. Fred Rains. And if you search him out now, you will be entranced by paradoxes: the power of his subtlety, the urgency of his patience, the admirably muted passion of his proud professionalism. Jessica Rains was born on January 24, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, USA as Jennifer Rains. To view this content, please use one of the following compatible browsers: Jessica Rains in a TCM "Word of Mouth" remembering her father Claude Rains and his friend and colleague Bette Davis. Stocky but handsome, Rains had broad shoulders and a mop of thick brown hair which he brushed over one eye. His fifth wife, Agi, was a widow who had lost her husband in 1949. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 83 years old? Sales Date: 02/05/2010. William Claude Rains was born on November 10, 1889 in Camberwell, London, England to actor Frederick William Rains and his wife Emily Eliza Rains (nee Cox). She is a member of famous Actress with the age 84 years old group. [7] His accent was so strong that his daughter could not understand a word he said when he used it to sing old Cockney songs to her or purposely used it to playfully annoy her. "I love biographies, but they're only worth writing if you have access to new primary materials," he said. It took almost seven years to finalize. Her net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Jessica never went back! His only child, Jennifer, was the daughter of Frances Propper. Though deeply self-conscious about his short stature, Rains drew notorious ardor from female fans and was married six times. The first time I played with him was in Carlotta (Juarez), and I had to make an entrance [into] the King of France's domain for a rehearsal, and he's playing the King of France (N.B. People did talk about his height; he was only 5 feet 6, often wore elevator shoes, generally combed his hair in a pompadour that added another inch to his height and frequently stood on boxes when performing with statuesque actresses like Bergman. In this book, noted Hollywood historian David J.Skal draws on more than thirty hours of newly released Rains interviews to create the first full-length biography of the man nominated multiple times for an Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. Skeffington. That says nothing of the many sympathetic father figures he played. [24] Jessica Rains was a prolific actress who created a name for herself largely on the big screen. He was buried at the Red Hill Cemetery in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. [24] On 30 May 1967, he died due to an abdominal hemorrhage, at the age of 77. What are my TCGs (Trading Card Games) Worth? [6], She starred as the lead character Jenny Lee in the first three series of the BBC One drama Call the Midwife. Rains was offered numerous roles which would have undoubtedly changed his career path, but one way or another he did not play the roles. ", Rains' debut speaking role in the theatre, This supporting role marked Rains' return to the stage after being wounded in WWI. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? He designed his own tombstone which reads "All things once, Are things forever, Soul, once living, lives forever". According to his daughter, Jessica Rains, he grew up with "a very serious Cockney accent and a speech impediment"[6] which took the form of a stutter, causing him to call himself "Willie Wains". He took the role by the ears, churning up a rasping malice and volume in his voice to achieve a bone chilling persona of the disembodied mad doctor. 2000 Ranked 2000's Ranked Documentaries Ranked His name was Claude Rains. By David J. Skal with Jessica Rains. After the war, the parts got larger and he became a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. [11] He never returned to combat but continued to serve with the Bedfordshire Regiment. Rains did return to New York in 1927 to begin what would be nearly 20 Broadway roles. Skeffington, Rains Oscar nomination was for supporting actor -- a category that Hollywood generally votes for bombast, cuteness or, curiously, non-actors. He possessed an air of nobility and became an emblem of sophistication, but he never shed the insecurities that traced back to his upbringing in an abusive and poverty-stricken family. In CBS's Rawhide, he portrayed Alexander Langford, an attorney in a ghost town, in the episode "Incident of Judgement Day" (1963). Rains portrayed Faulkland in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals, presented at London's Lyric Theatre in 1925. The materials become part of a growing collection of memorabilia from the science-fiction and horror genres. "Rains embraced the innovative TV playhouse circuit with nearly 20 roles. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, Jonathan Majors dubs Michael B. Jordan Michael B. Handsome at Walk of Fame ceremony, Review: Natural beauty and a touching ecological tale center the female-forward Blueback, Disneys Peter Pan & Wendy trailer criticized for depictions of Hook and Tinker Bell, Review: The path to redemption is murky in taut political thriller What We Do Next, Will Smith gives first awards acceptance speech since Oscars controversy. Photo: Eagle Lion. Claude Rains starred in numerous . were put into an auction at the Heritage Auctions. Claude Rains Born: 10-Nov - 1889 Birthplace: London, England Died: 30-May - 1967 Location of death: Laconia, NH Cause of death: Abdominal Hemorrhage Remains: Buried, Red Hill Cemetery, Moultonborough, NH Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Actor Nationality: United States Member. True to Universal's formula mentality, it cast him in similar roles through 1934 with some respite in more diverse film roles -- and further relieved by Broadway roles (1933, 1934) for the remainder of his contract. I was to be one of the reps at the Sisters In Crime booth at NELA in Burlington, Vt., so the day before we went north and visited the resting place of my favorite actor, Claude Rains. Rains' first wife, Isabel Jeans played the role of Lady Elizabeth Mulhammer in the 1953 Edinburgh premiere. Jessica Rains, the only child of Claude Rains, is a producer and actress who lives in Venice, CA. 304 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 x 1.25 in, 63 halftones. When he came to California to do a film, I had to "hear him his lines" as he drove me to school every morning, 10 miles [16km]. ", (Michelle Rupe Eubanks of the TimesDaily newspaper authored this report.). "He was. Typing our address directly into a map search may misdirect you. William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 30 May 1967) was a British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. His longest marriage, to Frances Propper, lasted 20 years and produced his daughter. Claude Rains (William Claude Rains) was born on 10 November, 1889 in Clapham, London, England, UK, is an Actor, Soundtrack. Leave us your thoughts. His fifth wife, Agi Jambor, was born in 1908. He was the surreptitiously nervous and malignant Alexander Sebastian in Notorious (1946) and the egotistical and domineering conductor Alexander Hollenius in Deception (1946).