Director: Frank Capra. Claude Rains has to be considered one of the finest actors of the 20th century. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. When. Nobody will see him come, nobody will see him go. Claude Rains was one of my teachers at RADA. He slowly worked his way up in the theatre, becoming a call boy (telling actors when they were due on stage) at His Majesty's Theatre and later a prompter, stage manager, understudy, and then moving on from smaller parts with good reviews to larger, better parts. He left a legacy of characters who were not the leads much of the time, but were some of the most important supporting roles in all of. After the war, he studied theatre at the Northwestern University from where he graduated in 1949. To use this feature, use a newer browser. He was the disfigured Phantom of the Opera (1943) as well. He died in 1967 from an abdominal haemorrhage. Most people were unaware of his chronic alcoholism (he died of cirrhosis of the liver at . His "breakout" role came as Julius Caesar in "Caesar and Cleopatra," where he garnered a million dollars for his performance. Although they lived in Pennsylvania, Rains did not want his daughter to have a Pennsylvanian accent. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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". [11] He never returned to combat but continued to serve with the Bedfordshire Regiment. [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. Sub-edited by. While working for the Theatre Guild, he was offered a screen test with Universal Pictures in 1932. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Search above to list available cemeteries. 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). 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. 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 signed a long-term contract with Warner Bros. on 27 November 1935 with Warner able to exercise the right to loan him to other studios and Rains having a potential income of up to $750,000 over seven years. Citizenship United Kingdom - United States Alma mater Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Occupation Actor Years active 1900-1965 Spouse(s) Isabel Jeans (m. 1913; div. On 27 November 1935, he signed to Warner Bros. Three years later, he starred in the villainous role of Prince John in the swashbuckler film The Adventures of Robin Hood alongside Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, and Olivia de Havilland. Not much is known about his parents. Claude Rains started his career at the London theatre, achieving critical success with John Drinkwater's Ulysses S. Grant. | Most of his siblings died in their infancy. He grew up in Bedford, Indiana. Rains also starred in two films noirs - the best of these was The . He became the first actor to receive a million-dollar salary when he portrayed Julius Caesar in. Learn more about managing a memorial . 1954 : Shield for Murder as Fat Michaels, The Human Jungle as . Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Rains was a very small man and Bergman was quite tall, so in order to shoot them in close-up together (in the key scene) the resourceful Alfred Hitchcock had a ramp installed, so as Rains approaches Bergman on camera he appears taller than his co-star. Starring: Claude Rains [Sir Claude Mulhammer] Play Comedy Original. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. During his early years, he also served as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). After a shear lucky opportunity to dispatch his young wife's lover, Louis Hayward, in a duel, he triumphs over her in a scene with derisive, bulging eyes and that high pitched laugh -- with appropriate shadow and light backdrop -- that is unforgettable.He was kept very busy through the remainder of the 1930s with a mix of benign and devious historical, literary, and contemporary characters always adapting a different nuance -- from murmur to growl -- of that voice to become the person. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. When did Claude Rains die? He was a Tony Award-winning actor and was a four-time nominee for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. According to John Gielgud, Rains' second wife Marie Hemingway joined the cast for a brief period, thereby bringing Rains' first 3 wives together in the same dressing room. 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. Mini bio of the life of actor Claude Rains who is probably most famous for debut as Dr. Jack Griffin in The Invisible ManThis video was made using informatio. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. | In London theatre, he achieved success in the title role of John Drinkwater's play Ulysses S. Grant, the follow-up to the same playwright's Abraham Lincoln. When Charles Dickens died on June 9th, 1870, his final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was barely half-finished. And as a man of small stature, the combination was immediately intriguing. In 2010, many of his personal items, including his Tony Award, letters, photographs, etc. Two of his late screen roles were as Dryden, a cynical British diplomat in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and King Herod in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), his last film. With this in mind, Tree paid for the elocution books and lessons that Rains needed to help him change his voice. Director: Michael Curtiz. Louis Renault -- perhaps his best known role -- in Casablanca (1942). Rains was nominated for. Consequently, the work was especially difficult for him, and a double, who was somewhat shorter than Rains, was sometimes used. While working for the Theater Guild, he was offered a screen test with Universal Pictures in 1932. His only dancing and singing role was in a 1957 small screen production of The Pied Piper of Hamelin. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. [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. He could also throw out a high-pitched maniac laugh that would make you leave the lights on before going to bed. A year later, he appeared in the titular role in Phantom of the Opera and followed it up with the spy film Notorious as a refugee Nazi agent. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. That year he became an American citizen. He was seen in a wide variety of classic films, from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Now Voyager, to The Sea Hawk and Lawrence of Arabia. 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. 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. Renowned actor Claude Rains lived in West Chester. Villains were a Rains specialty, particularly those of a suave and sarcastic nature; and yet when the role called for it, Rains could be remarkably moving and even add a touch of pathos without losing any of his effectiveness. 2 Did Claude Rains ever live in West Chester Pa? And his mouth could take on both a forbidding scowl and the warmest of smiles in an instant. Rains only child, Jennifer Rains, an actress, was born in January 1938 to Frances Propper. Press of Kentucky: 290 pp., $29.95 . [25] Rains spent his final years in Sandwich, New Hampshire.[26]. I thought, he thinks I just stink! Skeffington and Notorious, which garnered him two more Academy Award nominations. He did not just memorize his own lines, but the entire script. more on this quote . He was a Tony Award recipient and a four-time Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actor. . He was often described as having come from impoverished working-class background in the East End of London. His parents were Emily Eliza ( ne Cox) and the stage actor Frederick William Rains. Age (2022) Update Soon. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Well, here in the movies I can be as mean, as wicked as I want to - and all without hurting anybody. 3 What famous person is buried on Marthas Vineyard? Born William Claude Rains in London, England, the son of British stage actor Frederick Rains, he made his stage debut at the age of eleven, and learned the technical end of the business working first as a page, then working up to stage manager. By the end of the war, he had emerged as a captain. Clapham, London Borough of Lambeth, Greater London, England, Laconia, Belknap County, New Hampshire, USA. He spent much of his time between film takes reading up on agricultural techniques to try when he got home. The actor had a Cockney accent and suffered from a speech impediment during his early years. As a favored 'Alfred Hitchcock' alumnus, he starred in five Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) suspense dramas into the 1960s. "All things once are things forever, Soul, once living, lives forever. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. As all of us "other era people," we don't just run through lines and say "turn the camera", we rehearse beforehandAnyway Claude and I couldn't, and he was the King of France who loathed Carlotta, and I was a kid and petrified of Mr. Description. Contents. He was extremely attractive and needless to say, all the girls in my class were hopelessly in love with him. He returned to the United States, working from the mid 1920s for the New York Theatre Guild productions. Needing emergency medical attention, he was taken to Lakes Region Hospital where he died of abdominal hemorrhage at age 77. Death place William Claude Rains was born on November 10, 1889, in Clapham, London, to Emily Eliza and Frederick William Rains, a stage actor, as one of their twelve children. Young and eager Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud were perhaps his best known students. Up-to-Date Info : Claude and Rosemary Rains died in the late 1960s and are buried at Red Hill Cemetery in Center Harbor, New Hampshire. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. As Jessica Rains remembers, one of the "great prides" of Claude Rains' life was Stock Grange, a 600-acre farm built in 1747 in the Brandywine countryside outside of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Claude Rains' Grave. [5] Rains was one of twelve children, all but three dying of malnutrition when still infants. 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 of malnutrition when still infants. While teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he met and married one of his students, Isabel Jeans. Claude Rains, better known by the Family name William Claude Rains, was a popular actor. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. When his daughter Jennifer was 17, her mother, Frances Propper, woke her up in the middle of the night, saying she was leaving her father, and wanted to know if Jennifer wanted to come with her. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Look at that lovely girl I've just shot! Rains and his doctor kept the diagnosis from Rosemary until one day she said, "Please don't do that to me any longer. Claude Akins was born in Nelson, Georgia. 1920) Beatriz Thomas (m. 1924; div. William Claude Rains was born on November 10, 1889 in Clapham, London, England and grew up around his acting father. In 1960, he married Rosemary Clark Schrode, to whom he was married until her death on 31 December 1964. At the time of his death he survived by his large extended friends and family. "[17] On loan to Columbia Pictures, he portrayed a corrupt U.S. senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), for which he received his first Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor. Place of Birth Where was Claude Rains born? Claude Rains was an English-born American film and stage actor, whose career spanned 46 years. However in reality he was from a comfortable lower middle-class background in south London, and he never spoke with a Cockney accent. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Try again. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claude-Rains, Claude Rains - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Here, he became a "gentleman farmer" and could relax and enjoy farming life with his then wife (Frances) churning the butter, their daughter collecting the eggs, with Rains himself ploughing the fields and cultivating the vegetable garden. 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