Claude Rains

Birthday: 1889-11-10
Deathday: 1966-10-23
Birthplace: Clapham, London, England, UK
Gender: Male
Drafted: 0
Drafted By: Unowned
Owned By: Unowned
Owned Wins: 0
Owned Noms: 0
Win Bonus: 0
Nom Bonus: 0
Total Points: 0

Claude Rains (10 November 1889 – 30 May 1967) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 47 years; he later held American citizenship. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man (1933), a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and, perhaps his most famous performance, Captain Renault in Casablanca (1942).

Rains was born William Claude Rains in Camberwell, London on November 10, 1889. He grew up, according to his daughter, with "a very serious cockney accent and a speech impediment". His father was British stage actor Frederick Rains, and the young Rains made his stage debut at 11 in Nell of Old Drury.

His acting talents were recognised by Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree, founder of The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Tree paid for the elocution lessons Rains needed in order to succeed as an actor. Later, Rains taught at the institution, teaching John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, among others.

Rains served in the First World War in the London Scottish Regiment, with fellow actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman and Herbert Marshall. Rains was involved in a gas attack that left him nearly blind in one eye for the rest of his life. However, the war did aid his social advancement and, by its end, he had risen from the rank of Private to Captain.

Rains began his career in the London theatre, having a success in the title role of John Drinkwater's play Ulysses S. Grant, the follow-up to the playwright's major hit Abraham Lincoln, and traveled to Broadway in the late 1920s to act in leading roles in such plays as Shaw's The Apple Cart and in the dramatizations of The Constant Nymph, and Pearl S. Buck's novel The Good Earth, as a Chinese farmer.

Rains came relatively late to film acting and his first screen test was a failure, but his distinctive voice won him the title role in James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933) when someone accidentally overheard his screen test being played in the next room. Rains later credited director Michael Curtiz with teaching him the more understated requirements of film acting, or "what not to do in front of a camera".

Career Statisics

Season Age Movie Role Result Points
1940 51 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Supporting Actor Nom 0
1944 55 Casablanca (1943) Supporting Actor Nom 0
1945 56 Mr. Skeffington (1944) Supporting Actor Nom 0
1947 58 Notorious (1946) Supporting Actor Nom 0
Career 0

Transaction History

Date Location Team Receives Team Receives Team Receives

Credits

Year Title Character
1965-04-09 The Greatest Story Ever Told King Herod
1963-11-13 Twilight of Honor Art Harper
1962-12-11 Lawrence of Arabia Mr. Dryden
1961-10-30 Battle of the Worlds Professor Benson
1960-07-13 The Lost World Prof. George Edward Challenger
1959-07-08 This Earth Is Mine Philippe Rambeau
1959-04-16 Judgment at Nuremberg Judge Dan Haywood
1957-11-26 The Pied Piper of Hamelin Mayor of Hamelin
1957-11-17 On Borrowed Time Mr. Brink
1956-08-17 Lisbon Aristides Mavros
1952-12-01 The Man Who Watched Trains Go By Kees Popinga
1951-05-19 Sealed Cargo Capt. Henrik Skalder
1950-11-16 Where Danger Lives Frederick Lannington
1950-06-24 The White Tower Paul Delambre
1949-10-27 Song of Surrender Elisha Hunt
1949-08-03 Rope of Sand Arthur 'Fred' Martingale
1949-01-26 The Passionate Friends Howard Justin
1947-10-11 The Unsuspected Victor Grandison
1946-10-26 Deception Alexander Hollenius
1946-09-20 Angel on My Shoulder Nick
1946-08-21 Notorious Alexander Sebastian
1945-12-11 Caesar and Cleopatra Julius Caesar
1945-11-02 This Love of Ours Joseph Targel
1945-10-19 Strange Holiday John Stevenson
1944-05-25 Mr. Skeffington Job Skeffington
1944-03-11 Passage to Marseille Captain Freycinet
1943-08-12 Phantom of the Opera Erique Claudin
1943-01-21 Forever and a Day Ambrose Pomfret
1943-01-15 Casablanca Captain Louis Renault
1942-10-22 Now, Voyager Dr. Jaquith
1942-05-29 Moontide Nutsy
1942-02-02 Kings Row Alexander Tower
1941-12-12 The Wolf Man Sir John Talbot
1941-08-07 Here Comes Mr. Jordan Mr. Jordan
1941-01-04 Four Mothers Adam Lemp
1940-11-30 Lady with Red Hair David Belasco
1940-08-10 The Sea Hawk Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
1940-05-04 Saturday's Children Mr. Henry Halevy
1939-12-22 Four Wives Adam Lemp
1939-10-19 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Joseph Paine
1939-06-23 Daughters Courageous Jim Masters
1939-06-10 Juarez Emperor Louis Napoleon III
1939-05-20 Sons of Liberty Haym Salomon
1939-01-21 They Made Me a Criminal Det. Monty Phelan
1938-08-09 Four Daughters Adam Lemp
1938-06-23 White Banners Paul Ward
1938-05-13 The Adventures of Robin Hood Prince John
1938-02-12 Gold Is Where You Find It Colonel Ferris
1937-07-14 They Won't Forget District Attorney Andrew J. Griffin
1937-04-30 The Prince and the Pauper Earl of Hertford
1937-02-06 Stolen Holiday Stefan Orloff
1936-08-26 Anthony Adverse Marquis Don Luis
1936-06-20 Hearts Divided Napoleon Bonaparte
1936-04-15 The Making of a Great Motion Picture
1935-11-26 Scrooge Jacob Marley (voice) (uncredited)
1935-10-11 The Last Outpost John Stevenson
1935-06-07 The Clairvoyant Maximus
1935-02-04 The Mystery of Edwin Drood John Jasper
1934-12-24 The Man Who Reclaimed His Head Paul Verin
1934-08-30 Crime Without Passion Lee Gentry
1933-11-03 The Invisible Man Dr. Jack Griffin
1920-10-01 Build Thy House Clarkis