After his American film debut with The Invisible Man (1933) he played in classic films like The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Wolf Man (1941), Casablanca (1942; as Captain . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. A number of clips from many of her most successful films were shown and I was particularly delighted, when, as soon as Claude Rains appeared in the close-up of one of the clips, the whole audience burst into a great wave of applause. Did Claude Rains ever live in West Chester Pa? We have set your language to He lacked inches and wore lifts to his shoes to increase his height. [6][13] His agent, Harold Freedman, was a family friend of Carl Laemmle, who controlled Universal Pictures at the time, and had been acquainted with Rains in London and was keen to cast him in the role. Claude Rains has to be considered one of the finest actors of the 20th century. Among his many other notable pictures were The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), The Sea Hawk (1940), and Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), in which Rains was reportedly personally chosen by George Bernard Shaw to portray Caesar. William Claude Rains was born on 10 November 1889 in Camberwell, London. Biography - A Short Wiki. He made a successful Broadway return in 1951, appearing in "Darkness at Noon" winning a Tony Award as Best Actor (Dramatic). [19] Rains followed it with Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946) as a refugee Nazi agent opposite Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. The younger Rains followed, making his stage debut at the age of eleven in "Nell of Old Drury." Rains decided to come to America in 1913 and the New York theater, but with the outbreak of World War I the next year, he returned to serve with a Scottish regiment in Europe. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Learn more about managing a memorial . He fell ill in his later years, and he retired to his residence near Sandwich, New Hampshire. Rains remained active as a character actor in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in films and as a guest in television series. He died in 1967 from an abdominal haemorrhage. [10] In November 1916, Rains was involved in a gas attack at Vimy, which resulted in his permanently losing 90 percent of the vision in his right eye as well as suffering vocal cord damage. 6 Where did Claude Rains serve in World War 1? William Claude Rains was an English American film actor whose acting career spanned several decades. The first time his daughter ever saw Rains in a film was in 1950 when he took her to see. He was buried in nearby Red Hill Cemetery beside his sixth wife who had died three years prior. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 10:25. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, 20th Century Icons Born in the 19th Century in the 22nd Century, Rosemary McGroarty Clark [27] A chronic alcoholic, Rains died from cirrhosis of the liver,[28] having an abdominal hemorrhage in Laconia on 30May 1967, aged 77. His parents were Emily Eliza (ne Cox) and the stage actor Frederick William Rains. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. At the time of his death he survived by his large extended friends and family. [on his versatility] I can play the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. Universal was embarking on its new-found role as horror film factory, and they were looking for someone unique for their next outing, The Invisible Man (1933). Here is all you want to know, and more! Rains had a unique and solid British voice-deep, slightly rasping -- but richly dynamic. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The house still stands, now divided into two flats. After "Notorious," whenever a picture called for a silky, suave villain . There is a problem with your email/password. (Btw, in addition to being the son of Robert Morley, he is the grandson of Gladys Cooper). Rains portrayed Faulkland in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The Rivals, presented at London's Lyric Theatre in 1925. Claude Rains, in full William Claude Rains, (born November 10, 1889, London, Englanddied May 30, 1967, Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.), British motion picture and stage character actor noted for his smooth distinguished voice, polished ironic style, and intelligent portrayal of a variety of roles, ranging from villains to sympathetic gentlemen. Rains was contemplating a return to the stage in 1964 in "So Much of Earth, So Much of Heaven", but poor health prevented that. Rains moved to America in 1912 owing to the opportunities that were being offered in the New York theatres. He moved to Broadway during the late 1920s to appear in main roles in the plays The Apple Cart, The Good Earth and The Constant Nymph. As his film career began to flourish, he found less time to perform in the theatre in both England and America. He can hear every secret. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. He designed his own tombstone. SANDWICH, N.H., May 30 (UPI) Claude Rains, the white-haired actor who rose from a $2-a-week page boy to become the first British stage and film star to earn $1-million for a single role, died of . The two shared the screen four times. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. In his final years, Rains decided to write his memoirs and engaged the help of journalist Jonathan Root to assist him. I don't think many people did that. Actor. 30 thng 5, 1967 Claude Rains/Ngy mt Claude Rains, in full William Claude Rains, (born November 10, 1889, London, Englanddied May 30, 1967, Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.), British motion picture and stage character actor noted for his smooth distinguished voice, polished ironic style, and intelligent portrayal of a variety of roles, ranging from villains Also . He knew everybody's part. Make sure that the file is a photo. William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 - 30 May 1967) was a British-American actor. The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life. He married six times; his only child, Jessica Rains, was the product of his marriage to fourth wife Frances Propper.The stage actor Claude Rains died at the age of 77. [3] His parents were Emily Eliza (ne Cox) and the stage actor Frederick William Rains. In 1951, the actor appeared as Rubashov in the stage production Darkness at Noon at Alvin Theatre/Royale Theatre. Claude Rains, better known by the Family name William Claude Rains, was a popular actor. He ventured into science fiction for Irwin Allen's The Lost World (1960) and Antonio Margheriti's Battle of the Worlds (1961). His daughter said, "And, just like most actors, he died waiting for his agent to call." He was buried at the Red Hill Cemetery in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? I found him enormously helpful and encouraging to work with. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/850/claude-rains. 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". Reminiscing about his work with Rains, Chamberlain said: He was in his seventies then and in failing health, yet he was charming and totally professional on the set. He sang in the Farm Street Church choir, which also brought him a few pence to take home. 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: An Actor's Voice, gives voice to the struggles and innermost concerns that influenced Rains's performances and helped him become a universally respected Hollywood legend. He designed his own tombstone. I got another taste of Claude's witty nature shooting a scene in his [next-to-last] film, in which he had a long piece of dialogue. [23], He acquired the 380-acre (1.5km2) Stock Grange Farm, built in 1747 in West Bradford Township, Pennsylvania (just outside Coatesville), in 1941. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. He toured the United States in The Constant Nymph in 1926 and soon made a name for himself on Broadway. We hope you enjoy it! We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. William Claude Rains was born on 10 November 1889 at 26 Tregothnan Road in Clapham, London. It does not store any personal data. Well, here in the movies I can be as mean, as wicked as I want to - and all without hurting anybody. He grew up in the world of theater and made his stage debut in Nell of Old Drury . However, at the outbreak of World War I the following year, he returned to England to serve in the London Scottish Regiment, alongside fellow actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman, Herbert Marshall and Cedric Hardwicke. Please enter your email and password to sign in. In 2010, many of Rains' personal effects were put into an auction at Heritage Auctions, including his 1951 Tony award, rare posters, letters and photographs. This account has been disabled. 1935) Frances Propper (m. 1935; div 1956) 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. William Claude Rains, known as Willie to his family, was born November 10, 1889 to Frederick and Emily Eliza Cox at 26 Tregothnan Road in Clapham, or, as he described it, ?the wrong side of the River Thames?. What famous person is buried on Marthas Vineyard? However, at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he returned to England to serve in the London Scottish Regiment,[9] alongside fellow actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman, Herbert Marshall and Cedric Hardwicke. He had 11 brothers and sisters; in an era of measles, diptheria and a thousand other childhood scourges, many of the Rains children died in infancy. In her 1987 memoir, This 'N That, Bette Davis revealed that Rains (with whom she shared the screen four times in Juarez; Now, Voyager; Mr. Skeffington; and Deception) was her favorite co-star. ", Rains' debut speaking role in the theatre, This supporting role marked Rains' return to the stage after being wounded in WWI. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films among them the title role in The Invisible Man (1933) The Wolf Man (1941) corrupt kings and senators in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Mr. Dryden in Lawrence of Arabia . [11] He never returned to combat but continued to serve with the Bedfordshire Regiment. Rains's difficulties in his formative years provided reserves of gravitas . This is a carousel with slides. And encouraging to work with States in the World of theater and made his debut... 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