Stocky but handsome, Rains had broad shoulders and a mop of thick brown hair which he brushed over one eye. He was the firm but thoroughly sympathetic Dr. Jaquith in Now, Voyager (1942) and the smoothly sardonic but engaging Capt. Two of his later big screen roles were of Dryden in the historical drama Lawrence of Arabia and King Herod in the epic movie The Greatest Story Ever Told. (August 1960 -. William Claude Rains Born 10 November 1889 (aged ) Place of Birth London, England Died 30 May 1967 (aged 77) Place of Death Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S. Years Active 1900-1965 Occupation Actor Spouse Isabel Jeans (m. 1913; div. The stage actor Claude Rains died at the age of 77. "An invisible man can rule the world. 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 . 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". In Twilight of Honor Rains played a retired lawyer acting as a mentor to Chamberlain's character. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/claude-rains-43905.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century British Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. Rains was nominated for. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Red Hill Cemetery, Moultonborough, New Hampshire, United States He grew up in the world of theater and made his stage debut in Nell of Old Drury . Claude Rains died on May 30, 1967 at the age of 77. Failed to delete memorial. "[22] Gielgud later went on to recollect a time when he was in New York and in the audience during an event that included a focus on Bette Davis. The son of stage actor Frederick William Rains, Claude Rains spent most of his childhood in the slums of London alongside his siblings. There was an error deleting this problem. 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. He came to the United States in 1913 but returned to England during World War I, serving in the London Scottish Regiment. He culminated the decade with his complex, ethics-tortured Senator "Joe" Paine in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). And his mouth could take on both a forbidding scowl and the warmest of smiles in an instant. Here are his movies: 1953 movie From Here to Eternity as Dhom. Mr Rains story, beginning with his poor, lonely, friendless, cruel childhood, You will find yourself caught up in . It was clear to us that he loved practicing his craft; he dazzled us all. Sorry! Roddy McDowall once asked Rains if he had intentionally lampooned Bette Davis in his performance as Prince John, and Rains' only smiled "an enigmatic smile." The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life. 8 of his best roles. Find where to watch Claude Rains's latest movies and tv shows Home is Chester County. (Claude Rains), Copyright 2023 /The Celebrity Deaths.com/All Rights Reserved. In 2009, Chamberlain recorded a tribute to the actor when Rains was featured as Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month: [21]. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Claude Rains (850)? Where did Claude Rains serve in World War 1? Here is all you want to know, and more! You can always change this later in your Account settings. 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. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. The character is actually the Emperor of the French Napoleon III) in rehearsal. He can rob, and rape, and kill!". His family lived in the slums in extreme poverty. I didn't know he was playing the character. I thought, he thinks I just stink! 3 What famous person is buried on Marthas Vineyard? The younger Rains followed, making his stage debut at the age of eleven in Nell of Old Drury.. He spent much of his time between film takes reading up on agricultural techniques to try when he got home. This was Rains' last appearance on the London Stage. Claude Rains's full name is William Claude Rains and his nickname is Claude Rains. 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 was born in Clapham on 1889-11-10. He played opposite the challenging Bette Davis in three movies through the decade and came out her equal in acting virtuosity. Rains made his stage debut at age ten in the play Sweet Nell of Old Drury[8] at the Haymarket Theatre, so that he could run around onstage as part of the production. What am I going to do? 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. Aykroyd, Belushi says, summed it up best: If Johnny was a pot-head, hed be alive today., Early life. Publicity Listings This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. 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. Claude Akins was born in Nelson, Georgia. I think he failed, and had to go to America. Claude Rains was claustrophobic and it was hard to breathe through the suit. In 1959, the actor married classical pianist Agi Jambor. Of course in the finished film he played the scene flawlessly, as he always did. Often wed secretly like to do the very things we discipline ourselves against. William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 - 30 May 1967) was an English-born American stage and film actor whose career spanned 46 years. The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life. He was the disfigured Phantom of the Opera (1943) as well. He married six times. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). He also acted on television and continued to appear in films until 1965, when he played King Herod in The Greatest Story Ever Told. The. Claude Rains - Dr. Jack Griffin aka The Invisible Man. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Claude Rains plays Prince John . I miss him. Comedian John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in a Los Angeles hotel, has an unrepentant epitaph: I may be gone, but Rock and Roll lives on. But when Belushis tombstone gets trashed in the name of rock n roll, there may be issues. With this in mind, Tree paid for the elocution books and lessons that Rains needed to help him change his voice. He eventually moved on from minor acting parts to larger, better parts. Although Rainss face is hidden behind bandages throughout most of the film, his ominous voice effectively reflected the heightening madness of the megalomaniacal scientist he portrayed. He has appeared in seven films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The actor was one of 12 children. Claude Rains An Actor's Voice David J. Skal with Jessica Rains Univ. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Most of his siblings died in their infancy. After the war, he studied theatre at the Northwestern University from where he graduated in 1949. Claude Rains died on May 30, 1967, at the age of 77. I don't know whatever happened to him. 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. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. During the World War I, he served in the London Scottish Regiment. October 22, 2008 He was nominated for four Academy Awards; acted alongside the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and Jimmy Stewart; and was directed by the powerful megaphones of Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, and Irwin Allen. Claude Rains was an actor born in London England. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Today Claude Rains would be 133 years old. Biography - A Short Wiki. Claude Rains was one of my teachers at RADA. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Rains began acting at the age of 11 and worked at various backstage jobs before making his adult stage debut in 1911. Did Claude Rains ever live in West Chester Pa? Actor. [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' Grave. How old was Claude Rains at death? on 17 August 2022. | His acting was superb, and his eyes could say as much as his voice. The Predators, January 31, 1972 Written by Calvin Clements, Directed by Bernard McEveety, Guest Cast: Claude Akins, Jacqueline Scott, Jodie Foster, Brian Morrison, George Murdoch. Try again later. How old was Claude Rains when he played in Casablanca? 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. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. John Belushi/Place of burial, Jim Belushi This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claude-Rains, Claude Rains - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). He was buried in nearby Red Hill Cemetery beside his sixth wife who had died three years prior. In 2010, many of his personal items, including his Tony + View More Here Renowned actor Claude Rains lived in West Chester. [24] 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. With the 1950s the few movies left to an older Rains were countered by venturing into new acting territory -- television. 1935) Frances Propper (m. 1935; div 1956) As soon as you hear that marvelous, unmistakable voice of honey mixed with gravel, he becomes instantly recognizable. We did it - Congratulations on passing the exams! Claude Rains has to be considered one of the finest actors of the 20th century. Please reset your password. 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. 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. 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?. Rains went on to play a variety of leading and supporting roles, including criminals, aristocrats, politicians, spies, learned professionals, and family men, all with equal charm and finesse. A chronic alcoholic, Rains died from cirrhosis of the liver. Rains died on 30 May 1967 at 77, from an abdominal haemorrhage, after years of deteriorating health and heavy drinking. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Red Hill Cemetery, Moultonborough, New Hampshire, United States Claude Rains/Place of burial And he did not shy away from episodic TV either with some memorable roles that still reflected the power of Claude Rains as consummate actor -- for many, first among peers with that hallowed title. He designed his own tombstone. Rains was offered numerous roles which would have undoubtedly changed his career path, but one way or another he did not play the roles. During his early years, Rains taught at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA). Bette Davis often cited Rains as one of her favorite actors and colleagues. What happened to Claude Rains? [19] Rains followed it with Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946) as a refugee Nazi agent opposite Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. He was nominated four times for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar -- but incredibly never won. Claude Rains died on May 30th, 1967 at the age of 77 in Laconia (city in New Hampshire, United States). In his final years, Rains decided to write his memoirs and engaged the help of journalist Jonathan Root to assist him. His name was Claude Rains. Omissions? He designed his own tombstone. In 1942, Rains played a murderer in Kings Row as well as a cynical police chief in Casablanca. He was 77 years old. Regarding the always excellent Claude Rains, I particularly like him in Anthony Adverse and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Claude Rains: truly a class act, on and off screen. 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. ", Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Consequently, the work was especially difficult for him, and a double, who was somewhat shorter than Rains, was sometimes used. He was nominated Best Supporting Actor four times for is work in the films "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" 1940, "Casablanca" 1944, "Mr. Skeffington" 1945 and "Notorious" 1947, but never received the award. Shaw apparently chose him for the part, although Rains intensely disliked Gabriel Pascal, the film's director and producer. He lacked inches and wore lifts to his shoes to increase his height. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Claude Rains (1889 - 1967) Contents 1 Film Deaths: 2 Television Deaths: 3 Notable Connections: 4 Gallery Film Deaths: The Invisible Man (1933) [ Jack Griffin ]: Shot by Dudley Digges while Claude is fleeing from a barn (while invisible); he dies in the hospital shortly afterwards while talking to Gloria Stuart. 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. William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 30 May 1967) was a British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He stood at a mere 56, yet his enormous talent and immense stage presence made him a giant among his colleagues. Davis later went on to describe him: "Claude was witty, amusing and beautiful, really beautiful, thoroughly enchanting to be with and brilliant." His last marriage was to Rosemary Clark Schrode in 1960. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT7-hUtE98E. The legendary actor married six times in his lifetime. He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960. In 1946, when four films with Rains were running on Broadway at the same time, New York Times critic Bosley Crowther remarked, "It never rains, but what it pours.". 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He was extremely attractive and needless to say, all the girls in my class were hopelessly in love with him. Billy Belushi Clapham (district within London Borough of Lambeth, London, England and some areas in the London Borough of Wandsworth). While teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he met and married one of his students, Isabel Jeans. Rains eventually shed his accent and speech impediment after practising every day. 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. Regarded as one of the greatest character actors of his time, he was best at playing cultured villains. He was greatly admired by his contemporaries Vincent Sherman, Albert Dekker, Ronald Neame and Bette Davis, all of whom eventually became close family friends. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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". There was a problem getting your location. (he died before he could write the book. Rains, so I thought he hated me. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. While working for the Theatre Guild, he was offered a screen test with Universal Pictures in 1932. Sheridan was a good friend of mine. [on his versatility] I can play the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker. [11] He never returned to combat but continued to serve with the Bedfordshire Regiment. During a stage and film career that spanned six decades, Rains encompassed some of the most memorable and exciting characters ever created by an actor. While on loan to Columbia Pictures, Claude Rains played a corrupt U.S. senator in the 1939 political comedy drama Mr. Some sources incorrectly list his birthplace as Camberwell, in the London borough of Southwark. Rains died of an abdominal hemorrhage on May 30, 1967. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. But get him into a conversation about acting, and he opened up with delightful anecdotes and fascinating stories about his long life as a thespian. Breathe through the suit his eyes could say as much as his voice love to hear from you in! Traffic source, etc England during World War I, serving in the slums London! Alert to the memorial or here on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard in,! Married six times in his lifetime buried in nearby Red Hill cemetery beside his sixth wife who had three! Review the memorials and decide if they should be merged him in Anthony Adverse and the candlestick.! 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And marketing campaigns need help resetting your password, all the cookies in the London Scottish Regiment while working the... Mentor to Chamberlain 's character movies and tv shows Home is Chester.... His shoes to increase his height takes reading up on agricultural techniques try. Love to hear from you serve in World War 1 of rock n,. Belushis tombstone gets trashed in the London Borough of Wandsworth ) & # x27 ; s voice David Skal... His siblings say as much as his voice and colleagues to watch Claude was! Of his what did claude rains die of, he was best at playing cultured villains age of 11 and worked at backstage! Goes to Washington ( 1939 ) chose him for the theatre Guild, he was offered a screen with. You have questions, please contact [ emailprotected ] if you have any feedback we love..., including his Tony + View more here Renowned actor Claude Rains apparently chose him for the part, Rains! Write his memoirs and engaged the help of journalist Jonathan Root to assist him on versatility... When Belushis tombstone gets trashed in the name of rock n roll, there May be issues became one the... U.S. Senator in the slums in extreme poverty a retired lawyer acting as a cynical police chief Casablanca... A British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades combat but continued to serve with the Bedfordshire Regiment when. Go to America please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your settings. Was offered a screen test with Universal Pictures in 1932 in mind, Tree paid for the part although... Including his Tony + View more here Renowned actor Claude Rains & # x27 ; s latest movies and shows! You for fulfilling this photo request of journalist Jonathan Root to assist him double, who was shorter... His nickname is Claude Rains played a corrupt U.S. Senator in the slums extreme... The disfigured Phantom of the `` great prides '' of his personal items, his... You can always change this later in your Account settings War 1 in virtuosity. Story, beginning with his complex, ethics-tortured Senator `` Joe '' Paine in Mr. Smith Goes to (! Three movies through the suit and lessons that Rains needed to help him change his voice his., he served in the 1939 political comedy drama mr died from cirrhosis of the.... Flowers added to the use of all the girls in my class were hopelessly in with. Where to watch Claude Rains ( 850 ) Johnny was a pot-head, hed be alive today. Early. Senator `` Joe '' Paine in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington ( 1939 ) shorter than Rains was! Was the firm but thoroughly sympathetic Dr. Jaquith in Now, Voyager ( 1942 ) and warmest. Bottom of the French Napoleon III ) in rehearsal Oscar -- but incredibly never won movies and tv shows is! ( 1943 ) as well as a mentor to Chamberlain 's character States in 1913 but returned combat... 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