Claude Rains

Biography

Claude Rains was a British and American character actor who started on the London stage and became known for cultured villains during Hollywood's Golden Age. The son of a stage actor, he grew up around London theaters, made his stage debut as a child, and became a leading West End performer and a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts before moving to the United States late in the 1920s. After success on Broadway, he made his American film debut in the title role of The Invisible Man (1933). He received four nominations for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards and appeared in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Casablanca (1942), Kings Row (1942), Phantom of the Opera (1943), and Notorious (1946). He won a Tony Award in 1951 for Darkness at Noon and appeared in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). His final film was The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).

77years old at death

Born November 10, 1889Clapham
Died May 30, 1967Laconia
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Also credited as William Claude Rains, William Rains and Claude William Rains

Movie Career

Films: 31
Career span: 29 years1933 to 1962

Genres

Drama74%, 23 films
Romance39%, 12 films
Adventure23%, 7 films
Thriller19%, 6 films
Mystery16%, 5 films

First and latest

Photos

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First role
Rains first appeared on stage at 10 in Sweet Nell of Old Drury at the Haymarket Theatre, where he was cast to run around onstage during the production.
Early training
In his early years, Rains was a teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, known as RADA, and John Gielgud and Charles Laughton were among the students he taught there.
Big break
According to some accounts, Rains failed a screen test for A Bill of Divorcement in 1932, but his test and distinctive voice were overheard from the next room, leading to his casting as the title role in James Whale's The Invisible Man in 1933.
A first
Rains had just one part that required him to sing and dance: a 1957 television musical of Robert Browning's The Pied Piper of Hamelin. After its first telecast it was sold into syndication and repeated yearly by many local US TV stations.

Claude Rains movies on Netflix

Lawrence of Arabia1962IMDb rating 8.3as Mr. Dryden
Il pianeta degli uomini spenti1961IMDb rating 4.4as Prof. Benson
The Lost World1960IMDb rating 5.5as Prof. George Edward Challenger
The Man Who Watched Trains Go By1952IMDb rating 6.3as Kees Popinga
Where Danger Lives1950IMDb rating 6.7as Mr. Lannington
Rope of Sand1949IMDb rating 6.6as Arthur 'Fred' Martingale
The Passionate Friends1949IMDb rating 7.2as Howard Justin
The Unsuspected1947IMDb rating 7.2as Victor Grandison
Deception1946IMDb rating 7.1as Alexander Hollenius
Notorious1946IMDb rating 7.9as Alexander Sebastian
Caesar and Cleopatra1945IMDb rating 6.2as Caesar
Mr. Skeffington1944IMDb rating 7.5as Job Skeffington
Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8as Capt. Freycinet
Phantom of the Opera1943IMDb rating 6.4as Erique Claudin
Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5as Captain Louis Renault
Kings Row1942IMDb rating 7.5as Alexander Tower
Moontide1942IMDb rating 6.8as Nutsy
Now, Voyager1942IMDb rating 7.8as Dr. Jaquith
Here Comes Mr. Jordan1941IMDb rating 7.5as Mr. Jordan
The Wolf Man1941IMDb rating 7.2as Sir John Talbot
The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6as Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
Juarez1939IMDb rating 6.8as Emperor Louis Napoleon III
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939IMDb rating 8.1as Senator Joseph Paine
They Made Me a Criminal1939IMDb rating 6.8as Det. Monty Phelan
Four Daughters1938IMDb rating 6.9as Adam Lemp
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9as Prince John
The Prince and the Pauper1937IMDb rating 7.2as Earl of Hertford
They Won't Forget1937IMDb rating 7.2as District Attorney Andrew J. Griffin
Scrooge1935IMDb rating 6.4as Jacob Marley (voice)
The Clairvoyant1935IMDb rating 6.6as Maximus
The Invisible Man1933IMDb rating 7.6as Dr. Jack Griffin

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Casablanca1942 Drama, Romance, Waras Captain Louis Renault
IMDb rating 8.5661K votes
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939 Comedy, Dramaas Senator Joseph Paine
IMDb rating 8.1130K votes
Notorious1946as Alexander Sebastian
IMDb rating 7.9114K votes
Lawrence of Arabia1962as Mr. Dryden
IMDb rating 8.3346K votes
The Invisible Man1933as Dr. Jack Griffin
IMDb rating 7.645K votes
The Wolf Man1941as Sir John Talbot
IMDb rating 7.235K votes
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938as Prince John
IMDb rating 7.958K votes
Now, Voyager1942as Dr. Jaquith
IMDb rating 7.821K votes

Most often with

Michael Curtiz directed six of these films, David Lean two and William Keighley two. Three actors appear in four of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Bette Davis

Montagu Love

Paul Henreid

Peter Lorre

Alan Hale

Errol FlynnMichael CurtizDirector, 6 films David LeanDirector, 2 films William KeighleyDirector, 2 films

Films together

Bette Davis4 films together, 1939 to 1946
Bette Davis's page
- Deception1946IMDb rating 7.1Rains as Alexander HolleniusDavis as Christine Radcliffe
- Mr. Skeffington1944IMDb rating 7.5Rains as Job SkeffingtonDavis as Fanny Trellis
- Now, Voyager1942IMDb rating 7.8Rains as Dr. JaquithDavis as Charlotte Vale
- Juarez1939IMDb rating 6.8Rains as Emperor Louis Napoleon IIIDavis as Empress Carlotta von Hapsburg
Montagu Love4 films together, 1937 to 1940
Montagu Love's page
- The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6Rains as Don José Alvarez de CordobaLove as King Phillip II
- Juarez1939IMDb rating 6.8Rains as Emperor Louis Napoleon IIILove as Jose de Montares
- The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Rains as Prince JohnLove as Bishop of the Black Canons
- The Prince and the Pauper1937IMDb rating 7.2Rains as Earl of HertfordLove as Henry VIII
Paul Henreid4 films together, 1942 to 1949
Paul Henreid's page
- Rope of Sand1949IMDb rating 6.6Rains as Arthur 'Fred' MartingaleHenreid as Commandant Paul G. Vogel
- Deception1946IMDb rating 7.1Rains as Alexander HolleniusHenreid as Karel Novak
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Rains as Captain Louis RenaultHenreid as Victor Laszlo
- Now, Voyager1942IMDb rating 7.8Rains as Dr. JaquithHenreid as Jeremiah (Jerry) Durrance
Peter Lorre3 films together, 1942 to 1949
Peter Lorre's page
- Rope of Sand1949IMDb rating 6.6Rains as Arthur 'Fred' MartingaleLorre as Toady
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Rains as Capt. FreycinetLorre as Marius
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Rains as Captain Louis RenaultLorre as Ugarte
Alan Hale3 films together, 1937 to 1940
Alan Hale's page
- The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6Rains as Don José Alvarez de CordobaHale as Carl Pitt
- The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Rains as Prince JohnHale as Little John
- The Prince and the Pauper1937IMDb rating 7.2Rains as Earl of HertfordHale as Captain of the Guard
Errol Flynn3 films together, 1937 to 1940
Errol Flynn's page
- The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6Rains as Don José Alvarez de CordobaFlynn as Geoffrey Thorpe
- The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Rains as Prince JohnFlynn as Robin Hood
- The Prince and the Pauper1937IMDb rating 7.2Rains as Earl of HertfordFlynn as Miles Hendon
Michael CurtizDirector, 6 films, 1938 to 1947
All films by Michael Curtiz
- The Unsuspected1947IMDb rating 7.2Rains as Victor Grandison
- Passage to Marseille1944IMDb rating 6.8Rains as Capt. Freycinet
- Casablanca1942IMDb rating 8.5Rains as Captain Louis Renault
- The Sea Hawk1940IMDb rating 7.6Rains as Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
- Four Daughters1938IMDb rating 6.9Rains as Adam Lemp
- The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Rains as Prince John
David LeanDirector, 2 films, 1949 to 1962
All films by David Lean
- Lawrence of Arabia1962IMDb rating 8.3Rains as Mr. Dryden
- The Passionate Friends1949IMDb rating 7.2Rains as Howard Justin
William KeighleyDirector, 2 films, 1937 to 1938
All films by William Keighley
- The Adventures of Robin Hood1938IMDb rating 7.9Rains as Prince John
- The Prince and the Pauper1937IMDb rating 7.2Rains as Earl of Hertford
Also three films together3 more actors
- Una O'ConnorThe Sea Hawk (1940), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and The Invisible Man (1933)
- John GarfieldJuarez (1939), They Made Me a Criminal (1939) and Four Daughters (1938)
- Fritz LeiberPhantom of the Opera (1943), The Sea Hawk (1940) and The Prince and the Pauper (1937)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Box office

What Claude Rains's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$127 million

10 of the 31 films have a worldwide figure.

10Worldwide figure
21Figure not found

Top grosser

Lawrence of Arabia1962Mr. Dryden$70.0 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
Lawrence of Arabia1962as Mr. Dryden
$70M55.0% of the total
2
Notorious1946as Alexander Sebastian
$25M19.3% of the total
3
Casablanca1942as Captain Louis Renault
$10M8.2% of the total
4
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939as Senator Joseph Paine
$9.6M7.5% of the total
5
Now, Voyager1942as Dr. Jaquith
$4.2M3.3% of the total
6
The Adventures of Robin Hood1938as Prince John
$4.0M3.1% of the total
7
Deception1946as Alexander Hollenius
$2.3M1.8% of the total
8
The Sea Hawk1940as Don José Alvarez de Cordoba
$2.0M1.6% of the total