His some 40 films during that period ranged from subtle comedy to psychological drama with a bit of horror revisited; many would be golden era classics. He culminated the decade with his complex, ethics-tortured Senator "Joe" Paine in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). This is a carousel with slides. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Rains' only child, Jennifer Rains, an actress, was born in January 1938 to Frances Propper. Claude Rains was an actor born in London England. Following his death, he was interred at Red Hill Cemetery in Moultonborough, New Hampshire USA PLOT lot 58 and 60. At the time of his death, he was -1967 years old. I don't think many people did that. His second, third, and fourth wives were Marie Hemingway, Beatrix Thomson, and Frances Propper, respectively. "[29] He was buried at the Red Hill Cemetery in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Often wed secretly like to do the very things we discipline ourselves against. On 8 April 1935, Claude Rains died of non-communicable disease. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. 8 of his best roles. Rains was also nominated for Oscars as best supporting actor for his work in three much-loved American film classics: as the corrupt senator in Frank Capras Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), as the charming, opportunistic police chief in Casablanca (1942), and as the likable, sensitive Nazi agent in love with costar Ingrid Bergman in Alfred Hitchcocks Notorious (1946). Louis Renault -- perhaps his best known role -- in Casablanca (1942). In Twilight of Honor Rains played a retired lawyer acting as a mentor to Chamberlain's character. Corrections? Rains later revealed to his daughter that he'd enjoyed playing the prince as a homosexual, by using subtle mannerisms. He was a Tony Award recipient and a four-time Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor. Regarding the always excellent Claude Rains, I particularly like him in Anthony Adverse and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Had played the devil who brought a criminal back to life in, Rains was offered numerous roles which would have undoubtedly changed his career path, but one way or another he did not play the roles. William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 - 30 May 1967) was an English actor of stage and screen whose career spanned 46 years. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rains died of an abdominal hemorrhage on May 30, 1967. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He took a Universal Studio screen test that proved positive and his long career in motion pictures began - the greatest portion of which was spent with Warner Brothers where he became a busy actor with his smooth distinguished voice portraying a variety of roles, ranging from villains to sympathetic gentlemen. Born In: Clapham, London, England, United Kingdom, Spouse/Ex-: Agi Jambor (1959-1960), Beatriz Thomas (1924-1935), Frances Propper (1935-1956), Isabel Jeans (1913-1915), Marie Hemingway (1920-1920), Rosemary Clark Schrode (1960-1964), place of death: Laconia, New Hampshire, United States, See the events in life of Claude Rains in Chronological Order, (One of the Greatest Character Stars on the Big Screen). As Sebastian, Rains' performance is so indelible that once you've seen it, it's hard to imagine another actor in the role. In 2010, many of his personal items, including his Tony + View More Here Renowned actor Claude Rains lived in West Chester. Did Claude Rains live in West Chester Pa? He was famous for being a Stage Actor. His only child, Jennifer, was the daughter of Frances Propper. Thanks for your help! As an actress, she is known as Jessica Rains. He returned to New York City in 1927 and appeared in nearly 20 Broadway roles, in plays which included George Bernard Shaw's The Apple Cart and dramatisations of The Constant Nymph and Pearl S. Buck's novel The Good Earth (as a Chinese farmer). William Claude Rains was born on 10 November 1889 at 26 Tregothnan Road in Clapham, London. 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]. What happens to atoms during chemical reaction? He was the surreptitiously nervous and malignant Alexander Sebastian in Notorious (1946) and the egotistical and domineering conductor Alexander Hollenius in Deception (1946). Also included in the auction were many volumes of his private leather-bound scrapbooks which contained many of his press cuttings and reviews from the beginning of his career. He was extremely attractive and needless to say, all the girls in my class were hopelessly in love with him. Claude Rains/Living or Deceased. Try again later. His "breakout" role came as Julius Caesar in "Caesar and Cleopatra," where he garnered a million dollars for his performance. Although neither tall nor romantically handsome, Rains had an attractive expressive face and a commanding voice and stage presence that led to his making a screen test. Rains eventually shed his accent and speech impediment after practising every day. [11] He never returned to combat but continued to serve with the Bedfordshire Regiment. Many years after Rains had gone to Hollywood and become a well-known film actor, John Gielgud commented, tongue-in-cheek, "There was somebody who taught me a very great deal at drama school, and I am certainly grateful to him for his kindness and consideration. See Claude Rains full list of movies and tv shows from their career. [25] Rains spent his final years in Sandwich, New Hampshire.[26]. Yet for some reason this London-born actor is moldering in a tiny cemetery in the middle . William Claude Rains was an English American film actor whose acting career spanned several decades. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. He was a Tony Award-winning actor and was a four-time nominee for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1941, he moved from Delaware County to Stock Grange Farm in West Bradford Township, Chester County, calling it the best place to live in the world. In 1956, he moved to the Hawthorne House on South Church Street in West Chester. While working for the Theater Guild, he was offered a screen test with Universal Pictures in 1932. He spent much of his time between film takes reading up on agricultural techniques to try when he got home. "The Jeffersonian Heritage," Broadcasting-Telecasting, 8 September 1952, 36 (trade advertisement). He would recite bedtime stories to his daughter Jessica in Cockney, an English dialect that was essentially his mother tongue. After his American film debut as Dr. Jack Griffin in "The Invisible Man" (1933), he played in such classic films, as "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), "The Wolf Man" (1941), "Casablanca" (1942), "Notorious" (1946) and "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). Wellss The Invisible Man (1933), directed by James Whale. Try again. 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. 0 cemeteries found in Moultonborough, Carroll County, New Hampshire, USA. He stood at a mere 56, yet his enormous talent and immense stage presence made him a giant among his colleagues. At age 29, he played the role of Clarkis in his only silent film, the British film Build Thy House (1920). | Biography 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." Sahaana Harishankar. He taught her to pronounce words the way he did, and he was successful. Sorry! Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Also, as a young child, she stuttered and Rains' cure for this was for everyone in the house to sing everything they wanted to say, which worked. "Carla" is obsessed with making the climb and puts together . We hope you enjoy it! After serving in World War I, he enjoyed a successful stage career in London and taught at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (one of his students was John Gielgud). 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?. At the time of his death he survived by his large extended friends and family. on 17 August 2022. William Claude Rains was an English-born American stage and film actor whose career spanned 46 years. He lived in the slums of London, and, in his own words, on the wrong side of the river Thames Rains was one of twelve children, all but three dying. I was always trying to copy him in my first years as an actor, until I decided to imitate Nol Coward instead. For the Heroes character, see Claude (Heroes). He knew the whole script before he came out (to film). Into the 1940s, Rains had risen to perhaps unique stature: a supporting actor who had achieved A-list stardom -- almost in a category by himself. "Rains embraced the innovative TV playhouse circuit with nearly 20 roles. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Where did Claude Rains serve in World War 1? On 30 May 1967, he died due to an abdominal hemorrhage, at the age of 77. He married six times; his only child, Jessica Rains, was the product of his marriage to fourth wife Frances Propper. On his stone is the epitaph "All things once/Are things forever/Soul once living/lives forever" Posted by The Metzinger Sisters at 9:19 PM Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest Renowned actor Claude Rains lived in West Chester. 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. After his American film debut as Dr. Jack Griffin in The Invisible Man (1933) he appeared in such highly regarded films as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Wolf . Official Sites, Often played sophisticated, sometimes ambiguously moral men. Four-time Oscar nominee who starred as Captain Louis Renault in Casablanca and as the title character in the 1933 film The Invisible Man. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. However in reality he was from a comfortable lower middle-class background in south London, and he never spoke with a Cockney accent. Most of his siblings died in their infancy. Claude Rains died on May 30, 1967, at the age of 77. However, there was one particularly long scene shot late at night where he was having a lot of trouble with the dialogue, and kept making excuses. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Generally he had no problem remembering his lines despite getting along in years. 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 . John Gielgud and Charles Laughton were among his students. [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. What happened to Claude Rains? The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life. This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 10:25. The England and Wales Census of 1891 shows infant William C Rains living with parents Frederick Wm Rains and Emily E Rains at 26 Tregothnan Rd, Lambeth, London. Claude Rains - Dr. Jack Griffin aka The Invisible Man. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [18] Rains became the first actor to receive a million-dollar salary when he portrayed Julius Caesar in a large-budget but unsuccessful version of Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra (1945), filmed in Britain. During the World War II, he served with the US Army Signal Corps in Burma as well as in the Philippines. 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