Claude Rains
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- November 10, 1889, Clapham, London, England, UK
- Died
- May 30, 1967
- Movies
- 77
Claude Rains (November 10, 1889 – May 30, 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 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.
Best-Known Movies
Filmography
| 2013 | Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored | Self (archive footage) |
| 2007 | Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman | Self (archive footage) |
| 2000 | The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked | Erique Claudin (archive footage) |
| 1999 | Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' | Self (archive footage) |
| 1996 | Ingrid Bergman Remembered | Self (archive footage) |
| 1991 | Halloween Monster Bash | Maximus (archive footage) |
| 1987 | James Stewart: A Wonderful Life | Self (archive footage) |
| 1983 | Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1979 | The Horror Show | (archive footage) |
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told | King Herod |
| 1963 | Twilight of Honor | Art Harper |
| 1962 | Lawrence of Arabia | Mr. Dryden |
| 1961 | Battle of the Worlds | Professor Benson |
| 1960 | The Lost World | Prof. George Edward Challenger |
| 1959 | This Earth Is Mine | Philippe Rambeau |
| 1959 | Judgment at Nuremberg | Judge Dan Haywood |
| 1957 | The Pied Piper of Hamelin | Mayor of Hamelin |
| 1957 | On Borrowed Time | Mr. Brink |
| 1956 | Lisbon | Aristides Mavros |
| 1952 | The Man Who Watched Trains Go By | Kees Popinga |
| 1951 | Sealed Cargo | Capt. Henrik Skalder |
| 1950 | Where Danger Lives | Mr. Lannington |
| 1950 | The White Tower | Paul Delambre |
| 1949 | Song of Surrender | Elisha Hunt |
| 1949 | Rope of Sand | Arthur 'Fred' Martingale |
| 1949 | The Passionate Friends | Howard Justin |
| 1947 | The Unsuspected | Victor Grandison |
| 1946 | Blow-Ups of 1946 | Self |
| 1946 | Deception | Alexander Hollenius |
| 1946 | Angel on My Shoulder | "Nick" |
| 1946 | Notorious | Alexander Sebastian |
| 1945 | Caesar and Cleopatra | Julius Caesar |
| 1945 | This Love of Ours | Joseph Targel |
| 1945 | Strange Holiday | John Stevenson |
| 1944 | Mr. Skeffington | Job Skeffington |
| 1944 | Passage to Marseille | Capt. Freycinet |
| 1943 | Phantom of the Opera | Erique Claudin |
| 1943 | Forever and a Day | Ambrose Pomfret |
| 1943 | Casablanca | Captain Louis Renault |
| 1942 | Breakdowns of 1942 | Self |
| 1942 | Now, Voyager | Dr. Jaquith |
| 1942 | Moontide | Nutsy |
| 1942 | Kings Row | Alexander Tower |
| 1941 | The Wolf Man | Sir John Talbot |
| 1941 | Breakdowns of 1941 | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Here Comes Mr. Jordan | Mr. Jordan |
| 1941 | Four Mothers | Adam Lemp |
| 1940 | Lady with Red Hair | David Belasco |
| 1940 | The Sea Hawk | Don José Alvarez de Cordoba |
| 1940 | Saturday's Children | Mr. Henry Halevy |
| 1939 | Four Wives | Adam Lemp |
| 1939 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | Joseph Paine |
| 1939 | Daughters Courageous | Jim Masters |
| 1939 | Juarez | Emperor Louis Napoleon III |
| 1939 | Sons of Liberty | Haym Salomon |
| 1939 | They Made Me a Criminal | Det. Monty Phelan |
| 1938 | Breakdowns of 1938 | Claude Rains (archive footage) (uncredited) |
| 1938 | Four Daughters | Adam Lemp |
| 1938 | White Banners | Paul Ward |
| 1938 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Prince John |
| 1938 | Gold Is Where You Find It | Colonel Ferris |
| 1937 | Breakdowns of 1937 | Self |
| 1937 | They Won't Forget | District Attorney Andrew J. Griffin |
| 1937 | The Prince and the Pauper | Earl of Hertford |
| 1937 | Stolen Holiday | Stefan Orloff |
| 1936 | Breakdowns of 1936 | Self |
| 1936 | Anthony Adverse | Marquis Don Luis |
| 1936 | Hearts Divided | Napoleon Bonaparte |
| 1936 | The Making of a Great Motion Picture | |
| 1935 | Scrooge | Jacob Marley (voice) (uncredited) |
| 1935 | The Last Outpost | John Stevenson |
| 1935 | The Clairvoyant | Maximus |
| 1935 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | John Jasper |
| 1934 | The Man Who Reclaimed His Head | Paul Verin |
| 1934 | Crime Without Passion | Lee Gentry |
| 1933 | The Invisible Man | Dr. Jack Griffin |
| 1920 | Build Thy House | Clarkis |
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