[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. 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. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, A $150,000 executive protection dog? 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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. He went on to live in New Hampshire and passed away there on May 30, 1967 at age 77 from an abdominal hemorrhage. , money, salary, income, and assets. Search our Auction Archives below to find item values. Claude Rains has to be considered one of the finest actors of the 20th century. He taught her to pronounce words the way he did, and he was . 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. Rains' personal life was as dramatic as his work on stage: to end his second marriage while masking his wife's alcoholism, he staged an episode of infidelity, though the ensuing scandal made it difficult for him to find work. Raine was a guest star in the 2013 Doctor Who episode "Hide". Rains left school after the third year to sell newspapers so that he could bring the pennies and halfpennies home for his mother. Posted on 17 2021 by 17 2021 by According to his daughter, Jessica Rains, he grew up with "a very serious Cockney accent and a speech impediment" which took the form of a stutter . I think he failed, and had to go to America. With . The girls hid under his cape as he rang each doorbell. William Claude Rains (10 November 1889 - 30 May 1967) was an English film and stage actor whose career spanned several decades. He became a very elegant man, with a really extraordinary Mid-Atlantic accent. [27] A chronic alcoholic, Rains died from cirrhosis of the liver,[28] having an abdominal hemorrhage in Laconia on 30May 1967, aged 77. His daughter Jessica, when describing her father's voice, said, "The interesting thing to me was that he became a different person. The handicap of a bad Bloody Idiots Who Couldnt Learn Their Lines, MacGuffins Deceptions Domestic Recriminations, Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts, Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism. Later that year, she appeared as Doctor Who's original producer, Verity Lambert, in the fact-based drama An Adventure in Space and Time, showing the creation of the series as part of its fiftieth anniversary celebrations.[16]. [19] In 2019, she gave birth to a son.[20]. [24] Rains became the first actor to receive a million-dollar salary when he portrayed Julius Caesar in a large-budget but . He sang in the Farm Street Church choir, which also brought him a few pence to take home. 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?. While working for the Theater Guild, he was offered a screen test with Universal Pictures in 1932. He possessed an air of nobility and became an emblem of sophistication, but he never shed the insecurities that traced back to his upbringing in an abusive and poverty-stricken family. is 5'6"(1.69m) . Get our L.A. Rains' declining health delayed their completion and with Root's death in March 1967 the project was never completed. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. His only singing and dancing role was in a 1957 television musical version of Robert Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin, with Van Johnson as the Piper. These were lead roles, but far more often his fate was to be the most interesting character in the movie, but rarely its center. Rains invested these roles with a slight but palpable air of mystery. Also learn how She earned most of networth at the age of 83 years old? My video for Father's Day is dedicated to a wonderful lady Jessica Rains, lovely daughter of Claude Rains. People did talk about his height; he was only 5 feet 6, often wore elevator shoes, generally combed his hair in a pompadour that added another inch to his height and frequently stood on boxes when performing with statuesque actresses like Bergman. Photo: Eagle Lion. "[12] Soon after changing his accent, he became recognised as one of the leading stage actors in London. Click the image to load the highest resolution version. But by the time I first met him in the 1920s he was already much in demand as a character actor in London. 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This was Rains' last appearance on the London Stage. Although he had played the single supporting role in the silent, Build Thy House (1920),[1] Rains came relatively late to film acting. Rains was the very man. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Most people were unaware of his chronic alcoholism (he died of cirrhosis of the liver at 78). Jessica Rainss income source is mostly from being a successful Actress. [4] He lived in the slums of London, and, in his own words, on "the wrong side of the River Thames". As Skal shows, numerous contradictions informed the life and career of Claude Rains. Rains, so I thought he hated me. And the striking virtuosity that I witnessed as a young actor is now there for audiences everywhere to see for all time. I was always trying to copy him in my first years as an actor, until I decided to imitate Nol Coward instead. In his final years, he decided to write his memoirs and engaged the help of journalist Jonathan Root to assist him. [16] He played the villainous role of Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). 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Skals portrait also benefits from the insights of Jessica Rains, who provides firsthand accounts of the enigmatic man behind her fathers refined screen presence and genteel public persona. When he finished a picture, he would quietly retreat to one of several country places he owned over his American career, which began in 1920s theater. His fourth wife, Frances Propper, was born around 1909. 4 . It was clear to us that he loved practicing his craft; he dazzled us all. File:Actor, Claude Rains aged 23.jpg A 23-year-old Rains in one of his early theatre roles, 1912 Early career and military service Rains moved to America in 1913 due to the opportunities that were being offered in the New York theatres. In February 2014, Raine joined the cast of the BBC Two police drama Line of Duty for series 2 as Detective Constable Georgia Trotman working for the AC12 anti corruption unit. login . [14][15] According to Rains' daughter, this was the only film of his he ever saw. [6], After graduating in 2008, Raine began a successful stage career, initially cast as Lesley Sharp's goth daughter in Simon Stephens's Harper Regan. Born into the English working class, Claude Rains (1889-1967) overcame a severe speech impediment to become a fixture of the London theater scene. He knew everybody's part. ", To help honor his life and work, Rains, an actress in her own right, donated a number of items from her father's estate to the archives at Collier Library at the University of North Alabama. Davis later went on to describe him: "Claude was witty, amusing and beautiful, really beautiful, thoroughly enchanting to be with and brilliant." For he was the greatest character actor of his age -- possibly of all ages. 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. With the 1950s the few movies left to an older Rains were countered by venturing into new acting territory -- television. The first full-length biography of the actor known for his roles in The Invisible Man, Casablanca, and other classics, based on newly released interviews. Buyer'sPremium per Lot: His daughter said, "And, just like most actors, he died waiting for his agent to call. Rains died of an abdominal hemorrhage . Jessica Rains, the only child of Claude Rains, is a producer and actress who lives in Venice, CA. jessica rains daughter of claude rains. The first full-length biography of the actor known for his roles in The Invisible Man, Casablanca, and other classics, based on newly released interviews. Or about what may be his greatest role, as the mother-dominated Nazi spy hopelessly in love with Ingrid Bergman in Hitchcocks Notorious. It is a part that, unlikely as it seems, generates our sympathy and not solely because he competes -- talk about hopeless -- with Cary Grant for her favors. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, including the title role in The Invisible Man (1933), scientists, corrupt kings,and senators in The Wolf Man (1941),The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Mr. Dryden in . Bette Davis often cited Rains as one of her favorite actors and colleagues. British Actor Claude Rains was born William Claude Rains on 10th November, 1889 in Camberwell, London, England, UK and passed away on 30th May 1967 Laconia, New Hampshire, USA aged 77. Jessica Rains on Claude Rains - (TCM Original) Jessica Rains in a TCM "Word of Mouth" remembering her father Claude Rains and his friend and colleague Bette Davis. [23], He acquired the 380-acre (1.5km2) Stock Grange Farm, built in 1747 in West Bradford Township, Pennsylvania (just outside Coatesville), in 1941.