Editing Claude Rains

{{Short description|British-American actor (1889–1967)}}
{{For|the ''Heroes'' character|Claude (Heroes)}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Claude Rains
| image              = Claude Rains in Now Voyager trailer.jpg
| alt                = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
| caption            = Rains in ''[[Now, Voyager]]'' (1942).
| birth_name         = William Claude Rains
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1889|11|10|df=yes}}
| birth_place        = London, England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1967|5|30|1889|11|10|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Laconia, New Hampshire]], U.S.
| citizenship        = {{hlist|United Kingdom|United States (after 1939)}}
| alma_mater         = [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1900–1965
| father             = [[Fred Rains]]
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{Marriage|[[Isabel Jeans]]|1913|1915|reason=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|Marie Hemingway|1920|1920|reason=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|[[Beatrix Thomson]]|1924|1935|reason=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|Frances Propper|1935|1956|reason=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|[[Agi Jambor]]|1959|1960|reason=divorced}}
* {{Marriage|Rosemary Clark Schrode|1960|1964|reason=died}}
}}
| children           = 1
}}

'''William Claude Rains''' (10 November 1889{{Spaced ndash}}30 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four [[Academy Award]] nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]], and is considered one of the screen's great character stars who played cultured villains during the [[Golden Age of Hollywood]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Erickson |first=Hal |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |date=5 March 2016 |title=Claude Rains |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/58546/Claude-Rains/biography |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305232356/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/58546/Claude-Rains/biography |archive-date=5 March 2016 |access-date=30 December 2015 |department=Movies & TV Dept. |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref name="McFarlane">{{cite web |last=McFarlane |first=Brian |title=Rains, Claude (1889-1967) |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/546482/ |access-date=30 December 2015 |website=[[British Film Institute]]}} From McFarlane's ''Encyclopedia of British Film''. London: Methuen/BFI, 2003, p. 545</ref>

The son of a stage actor, Rains began acting on stage in his native [[London]] in the 1900s. He became a leading thespian on the [[West End theatre|West End]], and an acting teacher at the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts]]. He moved to the United States in the late 1920s and became a successful [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] star, before making his American film debut as [[Griffin (The Invisible Man)|Dr. Jack Griffin]] in ''[[The Invisible Man (1933 film)|The Invisible Man]]'' (1933). He went on to play prominent roles in such big screen production as ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1938), ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]'' (1939), ''[[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]]'' (1941), ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' (1942), ''[[Kings Row]]'' (1942), ''[[Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1943) and ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]'' (1946). 

In 1951, he won the [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play]] for his performance in ''[[Darkness at Noon]]''. He continued to work as a prominent [[character actor]] in films, notably as Mr. Dryden in ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962) and his final role in the Biblical epic ''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]'' (1965). 

In 1960, he received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] for his contributions to the film industry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chad |date=2019-10-25 |title=Claude Rains |url=https://walkoffame.com/claude-rains/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Hollywood Walk of Fame |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Richard Chamberlain]] described him as "one of the finest actors of the 20th century," while [[Bette Davis]] considered him one of her favorite co-stars.

==Early life==
William Claude Rains was born on 10 November 1889 at 26 Tregothnan Road in [[Clapham]], [[County of London|London]].<ref name="ODNB">{{Cite ODNB|id=55624|title=Rains, (William) Claude (1889–1967)}}</ref> His parents were Emily Eliza ([[née]] Cox) and stage actor [[Fred Rains|Frederick William Rains]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d_mUJebJ4uwC&pg=PA181 |title=International Stars at War| isbn=978-1-5575-0965-9| last1=Wise| first1=James E.| last2=Baron| first2=Scott| year=2002|publisher=Naval Institute Press }}</ref> He lived in the slums of London.<ref name="Soister pg.1">Soister, p. 1</ref> Rains was one of twelve children, of whom all but four died while still infants. His mother took in boarders in order to support the family. Rains grew up with a [[Cockney accent]] and a [[speech impediment]].<ref name="Harmetz p. 147">Harmetz, p. 147</ref>
[[File:Captain Claude Rains.jpg|thumb|right|Rains in his captain's uniform during the First World War]]

Because his father was an actor, the young Rains would spend time in theatres and was surrounded by actors and stagehands. There he observed actors as well as the day-to-day running of a theatre. Rains made his stage debut at age 10 in the play ''Sweet Nell of Old Drury'' at the [[Haymarket Theatre]], so that he could run around onstage as part of the production. He slowly worked his way up in the theatre, becoming a [[call boy (theatre)|call boy]] (telling actors when they were due on stage) at [[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]] and later a prompter, stage manager, understudy, and then moving on from smaller parts with good reviews to larger, better parts.
[[File:Actor, Claude Rains aged 23.jpg|thumb|right|A 23-year-old Rains in one of his early theatre roles, 1912]]

==Early career and military service==
Rains moved to the United States in 1912 owing to the opportunities that were being offered in the New York theatres. However, at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he returned to England to serve in the [[London Scottish Regiment]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.londonscottishregt.org |title=Welcome to The London Scottish Regiment Website |website=London Scottish Regt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070412093636/http://www.londonscottishregt.org/|archive-date=12 April 2007 }}</ref> alongside fellow actors [[Basil Rathbone]], [[Ronald Colman]], [[Herbert Marshall]] and [[Cedric Hardwicke]].<ref>{{cite book| last=Hastings| first=Max| year=2013| title=Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War 1914| url=https://archive.org/details/catastropheeurop0000hast/page/486/mode/2up?q=rains| publisher=William Collins| isbn=978-0-007-51974-3| page=486}}</ref> In November 1916, Rains was involved in a [[Chemical weapons in World War I|gas attack]] at [[Vimy]], which resulted in his permanently losing 90 percent of the vision in his right eye as well as suffering [[Vocal cords|vocal cord]] damage.<ref name=BFI>{{cite web |last=Parkinson |first=David |date=7 November 2018 |title=Roll of honour: 15 movie legends who served in the First World War |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/features/film-people-first-world-war |website=British Film Institute |access-date=26 February 2020}}</ref> He never returned to combat but continued to serve with the Transport Workers Battalion of the [[Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment|Bedfordshire Regiment]], in which he was commissioned as a temporary lieutenant on 9 May 1917.<ref>''[[The London Gazette]]'', 
Supplement 30074, 15 May 1917, [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30074/supplement/4783 p. 4783]</ref> In March 1918, he was promoted to temporary captain,<ref>''The London Gazette'', Supplement 30685, 14 May 1918, [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30685/supplement/5831 p. 5831]</ref> the rank he held at the end of the war.<ref name=BFI/> On 8 October 1918 he was appointed as [[adjutant]],<ref>''The London Gazette'', Supplement 31030, 22 November 1918, [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31030/supplement/13898 p. 13898]</ref> and continued to serve in that role until March 1919.<ref>''The London Gazette'', Supplement 31256, 28 March 1919, [https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31256/supplement/4111 p. 4111]</ref>

After his return to civilian life, Rains remained in England and continued to develop his acting talents. These talents were recognised by Sir [[Herbert Beerbohm Tree]], the founder of the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]. Tree told Rains that in order to succeed as an actor, he would have to get rid of his Cockney accent and speech impediment. With this in mind, Tree paid for the [[elocution]] books and lessons that Rains needed to help him change his voice. Rains eventually shed his accent and speech impediment after practising every day. His daughter Jessica, when describing her father's voice, said, "The interesting thing to me was that he became a different person. He became a very elegant man, with a really extraordinary [[Good American Speech|Mid-Atlantic accent]]. It was 'his' voice, nobody else spoke like that, half American, half English and a little Cockney thrown in."<ref name=extras>{{cite interview| first=Jessica| last=Rains| publisher=[[Universal Pictures]]| date=2000| title=Extras | edition=2004 DVD| work=[[Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|Phantom of the Opera]]}}</ref> Soon after changing his accent, he became recognised as one of the leading stage actors in London. At age 29, he made his film debut, playing the role of Clarkis in his only silent film, the British film ''[[Build Thy House]]'' (1920).

During his early years, Rains taught at the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts]] (RADA). [[John Gielgud]] and [[Charles Laughton]] were among his students. In an interview for [[Turner Classic Movies]], Gielgud fondly remembered Rains:
{{blockquote|
I learnt a great deal about acting from this gentleman. Claude Rains was one of my teachers at RADA. In fact he was one of the best and most popular teachers there. He was extremely attractive and needless to say, all the girls in my class were hopelessly in love with him. He had piercing dark eyes and a beautifully throaty voice, although he had, like [[Marlene Dietrich]], some trouble with the letter 'R'. He lacked inches and wore lifts to his shoes to increase his height. Stocky but handsome, Rains had broad shoulders and a mop of thick brown hair which he brushed over one eye. But by the time I first met him in the 1920s he was already much in demand as a character actor in London. I found him enormously helpful and encouraging to work with. I was always trying to copy him in my first years as an actor, until I decided to imitate [[Noël Coward]] instead.}}

==Career==
In London theatre, he achieved success in the title role of [[John Drinkwater (playwright)|John Drinkwater's]] play ''Ulysses S. Grant'', the follow-up to the same playwright's ''[[Abraham Lincoln (play)|Abraham Lincoln]]''. Rains portrayed Faulkland in [[Richard Brinsley Sheridan]]'s ''[[The Rivals]]'', presented at London's [[Lyric Theatre, London|Lyric Theatre]] in 1925. He returned to New York City in 1927 and appeared in nearly 20 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] roles, in plays which included [[George Bernard Shaw]]'s ''[[The Apple Cart]]'' and dramatisations of ''[[The Constant Nymph (novel)|The Constant Nymph]]'' and [[Pearl S. Buck]]'s novel ''[[The Good Earth]]'' (as a Chinese farmer).

[[File:Claude Rains Broadway 1929.jpeg|thumb|right|Rains with Mary Kennedy in ''Camel Through the Needle's Eye'' on Broadway, New York City, 1929]]

Although he had played the single supporting role in the silent, ''[[Build Thy House]]'' (1920),<ref name="McFarlane"/> Rains came relatively late to film acting. While working for the [[Theatre Guild]], he was offered a [[screen test]] with [[Universal Pictures]] in 1932. His screen test for ''[[A Bill of Divorcement (1932 film)|A Bill of Divorcement]]'' (1932) for a New York representative of [[RKO Pictures|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 film)|The Invisible Man]]'' (1933) after his screen test and unique voice were inadvertently overheard from the next room.<ref name="Harmetz p. 147"/><ref>{{cite book | first1=Tom | last1=Weaver |first2= Michael| last2= Brunas | first3= John | last3= Brunas | page= https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Wut4jYBtUdsC&pg=PA102 102]| title=Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946| place=Jefferson, North Carolina| publisher=McFarland| year=2007}}</ref> 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.<ref name= "Skal48">Skal and Rains [https://books.google.com/books?id=k54Y1HLqWDQC&pg=PT48 ''Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice''], pp. 48-9</ref>{{sfn|Weaver|Brunas|Brunas|2007|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Wut4jYBtUdsC&pg=PA79 79]}} According to Rains' daughter, this was the only film of his he ever saw. He also did not go to see the [[Dailies|rushes]] of the day's filming "because he told me, every time he went he was horrified by his huge face on the huge screen, that he just never went back again."

Rains signed a long-term contract with [[Warner Bros.]] on 27 November 1935, with Warner able to exercise the right to loan him to other studios and Rains having a potential income of up to $750,000 over seven years.<ref>David J. Skal, with Jessica Rains [https://books.google.com/books?id=k54Y1HLqWDQC&pg=PT62 ''Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice''], Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2008, pp. 61-62</ref> He played the villainous role of [[John, King of England|Prince John]] in ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1938). [[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." Rains later revealed to his daughter that he had enjoyed playing the prince as a [[homosexual]], by using subtle mannerisms. 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."<ref>Harmetz, p. 190</ref> On loan to [[Columbia Pictures]], he portrayed a corrupt but honourable U.S. senator in ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]'' (1939), for which he received his first [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nomination as Best Supporting Actor. For Warner Bros., he played Dr. Alexander Tower, who commits murder-suicide to spare his daughter a life of insanity in ''[[Kings Row]]'' (1942) and the cynical police chief Captain Louis Renault in ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' (also 1942). On loan again, Rains played the [[Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)|title character]] in Universal's remake of ''[[Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1943).

In her 1987 memoir, ''This 'N That'', Bette Davis stated that Rains (with whom she shared the screen four times in ''[[Juarez (1939 film)|Juarez]]''; ''[[Now, Voyager]]''; ''[[Mr. Skeffington]]''; and ''[[Deception (1946 film)|Deception]]'') was her favorite co-star.<ref>Davis and Herskowitz 1987, p. 26</ref> 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 (film)|Caesar and Cleopatra]]'' (1945), filmed in [[UK|Britain]]. Shaw apparently chose him for the part, although Rains intensely disliked [[Gabriel Pascal]], the film's director and producer.<ref>{{cite book |last=Shipman |first=David |date=1989 |title=The Great Movie Stars: 1, The Golden Years |location=London |publisher= Macdonald |page=487 |isbn=978-0600338178 |author-link=David Shipman (writer)}}</ref> Rains followed it with [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]'' (1946) as a refugee [[Nazi]] agent opposite [[Cary Grant]] and [[Ingrid Bergman]]. Back in Britain, he appeared in [[David Lean]]'s ''[[The Passionate Friends (1949 film)|The Passionate Friends]]'' (1949).

[[File:Claude Rains in Notorious trailer.jpg|thumb|Rains in ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]'' (1946)]]

His only singing and dancing role was in a 1957 television musical version of [[Robert Browning]]'s ''[[The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 film)|The Pied Piper of Hamelin]]'', with [[Van Johnson]] as the Piper. The [[NBC]] colour special, broadcast as a film rather than a live or videotaped programme, was highly successful with the public. Sold into [[broadcast syndication|syndication]] after its first telecast, it was repeated annually by many local US TV stations.

Rains remained active as a character actor in the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in films and as a guest in television series. He played the ventriloquist Fabian on ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' Season 1 Episode 20 "And So Died Riabouchinska" which aired on February 10, 1956, and again, in 1957, Season 2 Episode 24 in "The cream of the jest" as a failing drunk actor. He ventured into science fiction for [[Irwin Allen]]'s ''[[The Lost World (1960 film)|The Lost World]]'' (1960) and [[Antonio Margheriti]]'s ''[[Battle of the Worlds]]'' (1961). Two of his late screen roles were as [[Mr. Dryden|Dryden]], a cynical British diplomat in ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962) and [[Herod the Great|King Herod]] in ''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]'' (1965), his last film. In CBS's ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'', he portrayed Alexander Langford, an attorney in a ghost town, in the episode "Incident of Judgement Day" (1963).

He additionally made several audio recordings, narrating some [[Bible]] stories for children on [[Capitol Records]], and reciting [[Richard Strauss]]'s [[Enoch Arden (Strauss)|setting for narrator and piano]] of [[Alfred, Lord Tennyson|Tennyson's]] poem ''[[Enoch Arden]]'', with the piano solos performed by [[Glenn Gould]]. He starred in ''The Jeffersonian Heritage'', a 1952 series of 13 half-hour radio programmes recorded by the [[National Association of Educational Broadcasters]] and syndicated for commercial broadcast on a sustaining (i.e., commercial-free) basis.<ref>"The Jeffersonian Heritage," Broadcasting-Telecasting, 8 September 1952, 36 (trade advertisement).</ref>

== Reception ==
Jessica Rains remembered her father's work ethic:

{{blockquote|He was interested in the process (of film). He loved acting. When he came to California to do a film, I had to "hear him his lines" as he drove me to school every morning, {{convert|10|mi|km|0|disp=sqbr}}. He knew everybody's part. He knew the whole script before he came out (to film). I don't think many people did that.}}

Bette Davis in an interview with [[Dick Cavett]] said about Rains:

{{blockquote|Well, of course he petrified me. The first time I played with him was in [[Carlota of Mexico|Carlotta]] (''[[Juarez (1939 film)|Juarez]]''), and I had to make an entrance [into] the King of France's domain for a rehearsal, and he's playing the King of France (N.B. The character is actually the Emperor of the French [[Napoleon III]]) in rehearsal. As all of us "other era people," we don't just run through lines and say "turn the camera", we rehearse beforehand...Anyway Claude and I couldn't, and he was the King of France who loathed Carlotta, and I was a kid and petrified of Mr. Rains, so I thought he hated ''me''. I didn't know he was playing the character. I thought, he thinks I just stink! What am I going to do? Eventually we worked together quite a lot and became really great friends, really great friends.}}

Davis later went on to describe him: "Claude was witty, amusing and beautiful, really beautiful, thoroughly enchanting to be with and brilliant." She also praised his performances: "He was marvelous in ''[[Deception (1946 film)|Deception]]'' and was worth the whole thing as the picture wasn't terribly good, but he was so marvelous in the restaurant scene where he's talking about all the food...brilliant, and of course in ''[[Mr Skeffington|Mr. Skeffington]]'' he was absolutely brilliant as the husband, just brilliant."

[[Richard Chamberlain]] worked with Rains in what would be his second-to-last film, ''[[Twilight of Honor]]''. In 2009, Chamberlain recorded a tribute to the actor when Rains was featured as [[Turner Classic Movies]]' Star of the Month:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Richard Chamberlain on Claude Rains -- (TCM Original) September, 2009 |url=https://www.tcm.com/video/254747/richard-chamberlain-on-claude-rains-tcm-original-september-2009 |access-date=2022-06-22 |website=Turner Classic Movies |language=en}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Claude Rains has to be considered one of the finest actors of the 20th century. As soon as you hear that marvelous, unmistakable voice of honey mixed with gravel, he becomes instantly recognizable. And that scornful right eyebrow which could freeze an adversary faster than and more effectively than any physical threat. He stood at a mere 5′6″, yet his enormous talent and immense stage presence made him a giant among his colleagues. 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. Villains were a Rains specialty, particularly those of a suave and sarcastic nature; and yet when the role called for it, Rains could be remarkably moving and even add a touch of pathos without losing any of his effectiveness.}}

In ''[[Twilight of Honor]]'' Rains played a retired lawyer acting as a mentor to Chamberlain's character. Reminiscing about his work with Rains, Chamberlain said:

{{blockquote|He was in his seventies then and in failing health, yet he was charming and totally professional on the set. It was clear to us that he loved practicing his craft; he dazzled us all. Claude was an extremely private man—he never discussed his humble beginnings, his six marriages. 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.

One day on the set I mentioned to him that ''Notorious'' was one of my favorite films, and Claude related with amusement the filming of a particular scene with [[Ingrid Bergman]]. Rains was a very small man and Bergman was quite tall, so in order to shoot them in close-up together (in the key scene) the resourceful [[Alfred Hitchcock]] had a ramp installed, so as Rains approaches Bergman on camera he appears taller than his co-star. Claude found this ramp business a bit embarrassing and very funny.

I got another taste of Claude's witty nature shooting a scene in his [next-to-last] film, in which he had a long piece of dialogue. Generally he had no problem remembering his lines despite getting along in years. However, there was one particularly long scene shot late at night where he was having a lot of trouble with the dialogue, and kept making excuses. And finally he paused and said with a sheepish look "[[Alibi Ike]], good old Alibi Ike" ("Alibi Ike" being an expression based on a 1935 film of the same name, in which the lead character has a penchant for making up excuses). Of course in the finished film he played the scene flawlessly, as he always did. Claude Rains: truly a class act, on and off screen.}}

Many years after Rains had gone to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] and become a well-known film actor, [[John Gielgud]] commented, tongue-in-cheek:
{{blockquote|
There was somebody who taught me a very great deal at drama school, and I am certainly grateful to him for his kindness and consideration. His name was Claude Rains. I don't know whatever happened to him. I think he failed, and had to go to America.<ref>{{cite book |last=Morley| first=Sheridan| author-link=Sheridan Morley| title=John Gielgud: The Authorized Biography| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HUdOdkY7_x4C&q=rains| date=11 May 2010| publisher=Simon & Schuster| isbn=978-1-4391-1617-3| page=50}}</ref>
}}

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]]: "A number of clips from many of her most successful films were shown and I was particularly delighted, when, as soon as Claude Rains appeared in the close-up of one of the clips, the whole audience burst into a great wave of applause."

Bette Davis often cited Rains as one of her favorite actors and colleagues. Gielgud said that he once wrote that "The London stage suffered a great loss when Claude Rains deserted it for motion pictures," and that he later added, "but when I see him now on the screen and remember him, I must admit that the London stage's loss was the cinema's gain. And the striking virtuosity that I witnessed as a young actor is now there for audiences everywhere to see for all time. I'm so glad of that."

==Personal life and death==

[[File:Debbie Reynolds Auction - Claude Rains "Captain Louis Renault" ivory military suit from "Casablanca" (5851596823) (2).jpg|thumb|The ivory military uniform Rains wore in ''Casablanca'' was sold at auction in 2011 for $55,000.<ref name="DR Auction"/>]]

Rains became a [[naturalized citizen of the United States]] in 1939.

He married six times and was divorced from the first five of his wives: [[Isabel Jeans]] (married 1913–1915); Marie Hemingway (to whom Rains was married for less than a year in 1920); [[Beatrix Thomson]] (1924–8 April 1935); Frances Propper (9 April 1935 – 1956); and the classical pianist [[Agi Jambor]] (4 November 1959 – 1960). In 1960, he married Rosemary Clark Schrode, to whom he was married until her death on 31 December 1964. His only child, Jennifer, was the daughter of Frances Propper. As an actress, she is known as Jessica Rains.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=k54Y1HLqWDQC&pg=PT104 Skal and Rains], p. 104</ref>

He acquired the {{Convert|380|acre|km2|adj=on}} Stock Grange Farm, built in 1747 in [[West Bradford Township, Pennsylvania|West Bradford Township]], [[Pennsylvania]] (just outside [[Coatesville, Pennsylvania|Coatesville]]), in 1941. The farm became one of the "great prides" of his life.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/photos/claude-rains-scrapbook-devoted-to-his-farm-stock-grange-total-12-items-/a/7006-49362.s| title=Claude Rains' Scrapbook Devoted to His Farm, Stock - Lot #49362 - Heritage Auctions| website=Heritage Auctions}}</ref> 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. He spent much of his time between film takes reading up on agricultural techniques to try when he got home. He sold the farm when his marriage to Propper ended in 1956; the building now, as then, is still referred to by locals as "Rains' Place".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailylocal.com/article/DL/20101114/NEWS/311149969|title=Thinking about Claude Rains and the pastoral Stock Grange Farm|date=8 March 2020}}</ref> Rains spent his final years in [[Sandwich, New Hampshire|Sandwich]], [[New Hampshire]].<ref>{{cite news| last=Duckler| first=Ray| title=A Star's Last Act: The great Claude Rains spent his final years in New Hampshire| url=http://www.concordmonitor.com/news/4419930-95/a-stars-last-act| access-date=13 September 2013| newspaper=Concord Monitor| date=31 March 2012| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://archive.today/20130913193332/http://www.concordmonitor.com/news/4419930-95/a-stars-last-act| archive-date=13 September 2013}}</ref>

In his final years, he decided to write his memoirs and engaged journalist Jonathan Root to assist him. Rains' declining health delayed their completion and, with Root's death in March 1967, the project was never completed. A [[chronic alcoholic]], Rains died from [[cirrhosis of the liver]], having an [[abdominal hemorrhage]] in [[Laconia, New Hampshire|Laconia]] on 30{{nbsp}}May 1967, aged 77.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/05/31/archives/claude-rains-film-star-dead-began-career-on-london-stage-caesar-and.html | title=Claude Rains, Film Star, Dead; Began Career on London Stage; 'Caesar and Cleopatra' and the Invisible Man' Were Among Actor's Hits | work=The New York Times | date=31 May 1967 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-nov-20-et-book20-story.html| title=Rains was never a minor character| date=20 November 2008| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> His daughter said, "And, just like most actors, he died waiting for his agent to call."<ref>{{cite book| last=Soister| first=John T.| date=19 July 2017| title=Claude Rains: A Comprehensive Illustrated to His Work in Film, Stage, Radio, Television and Recordings| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EYuACgAAQBAJ&q=claude%20rains%20records&pg=PA244| publisher=McFarland| isbn=978-1-4766-1278-2}}</ref> He was buried at the Red Hill Cemetery in [[Moultonborough, New Hampshire|Moultonborough]], [[New Hampshire]]. He designed his own tombstone which reads "All things once, Are things forever, Soul, once living, lives forever".

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. Also included in the auction were many volumes of his private leather-bound scrapbooks which contained many of his press cuttings and reviews from the beginning of his career. The majority of the items were used to help David J. Skal write his book on Rains, ''An Actor's Voice''. In 2011, the ivory military uniform (complete with medals) he wore as Captain Renault in ''Casablanca'' was put up for auction when noted actress and film historian [[Debbie Reynolds]] sold her collection of Hollywood costumes and memorabilia which she had amassed as a result of the [[Film memorabilia#1970 MGM auction|1970 MGM auction]].<ref name="DR Auction">{{cite web| url=http://www.icollector.com/Claude-Rains-Captain-Louis-Renault-ivory-military-suit-from-Casablanca_i10657974| title=Claude Rains "Captain Louis Renault" ivory military suit from Casablanca| website=iCollector.com Online Auctions| access-date=6 March 2017| archive-date=12 August 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180812115904/http://www.icollector.com/Claude-Rains-Captain-Louis-Renault-ivory-military-suit-from-Casablanca_i10657974| url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Theatre credits ==
Rains starred in multiple plays and productions over the course of his career, playing a variety of leading and supporting parts. As his film career began to flourish, he found less time to perform in the theatre in both England and America.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role(s)
! Venue
! class="unsortable" | Notes
!Ref.
|-
|1900||''[[Sweet Nell of Old Drury]]''|| ||[[Haymarket Theatre]]||Stage debut, aged 10 as an "unbilled child extra "running around a fountain."
|
|-
|1901||''Herod''|| || rowspan="2" |[[Her Majesty's Theatre|His Majesty's Theatre]]||Unbilled
|
|-
|1904||''Last of the Dandies''||Winkles||Rains' debut speaking role in the theatre
|<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Claude Rains {{!}} Theatricalia |url=https://theatricalia.com/person/ctz/claude-rains |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=theatricalia.com}}</ref>
|-
|1911||''The Gods of the Mountain''||Thahn|| rowspan="2" |[[Haymarket Theatre]]||Shared role with [[Reginald Owen]]
|
|-
|1912-13
|''Typhoon''||Omayi||First heavy character role
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|1913||''The Green Cockatoo''||Grasset||[[Aldwych Theatre]]||Also stage manager
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |1919||''Reparation''||Ivan Petrovitch||[[St. James's Theatre]]||Also stage manager
|
|-
|''Uncle Ned''||Mears||[[Lyceum Theatre, London|Lyceum Theatre]]||Marked Rains' return to the stage after being wounded in WWI
|
|-
|1919-20
|''The Jest''
|
|[[Prince's Theatre, Bristol]]
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|1920||''[[Julius Caesar (play)|Julius Caesar]]''||Casca||[[St. James's Theatre]]||
|
|-
|1921-22
|''Will Shakespeare''
|
|[[Shaftesbury Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|1922
|[[The Bat (play)|''The Bat'']]
|Billy
|[[St. James's Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| rowspan="2" |1922-23
|''The Rumour''
|
|[[Gielgud Theatre|Globe Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|''[[Pictures from the Insects' Life]]''
|Lepidopterist, Parasite, Chief Engineer
| rowspan="2" |Regent Theatre
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
| rowspan="3" |1923
|''Robert E. Lee''
|David Peel
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|[[Good Luck (play)|''Good Luck'']]
|Earl of Trenton
|[[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane]]
|
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|''Reparation''
|
|[[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
|As director
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|1925||''[[The Rivals]]''||Faulkland||[[Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)|Lyric Hammersmith]]||
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
|1926||''[[The Government Inspector]]''||The Inspector||[[Gaiety Theatre, London|Gaiety Theatre]]||Professional debut of his RADA student, [[Charles Laughton]]
|
|-
|1926||''Made in Heaven''||Martin Walmer||[[Everyman Cinema, Hampstead|Everyman Theatre, London]]||Rains' last appearance on the London Stage.
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1927
|[[The Constant Nymph (play)|''The Constant Nymph'']]
|Roberto
|[[Todd Haimes Theatre|Selwyn Theatre]]
|Replacement, Broadway debut
|<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Claude Rains theatre profile |url=https://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/569497-claude-rains |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=www.abouttheartists.com}}</ref>
|-
|''Lally'' 
|Lally
|[[Greenwich Village Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Claude Rains – Broadway Cast & Staff {{!}} IBDB |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/claude-rains-56984 |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=www.ibdb.com}}</ref>
|-
|''Out of the Sea''
|Arthur Logris
|[[Empire Theatre (42nd Street)|Eltinge Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|1929
|''The Camel Through the Needle's Eye''
|Joseph Vilim
|[[Al Hirschfeld Theatre|Martin Beck Theatre]], [[August Wilson Theatre|Guild Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
|1929-30
|''The Game of Love and Death''
|Lazare Carnot
|[[August Wilson Theatre|Guild Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
| rowspan="2" |1930
| rowspan="2" |''[[The Apple Cart]]''
| rowspan="2" |Proteus
|[[Al Hirschfeld Theatre|Martin Beck Theatre]]
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" |<ref name=":1" />
|-
|[[Alvin Theatre]]
|-
| rowspan="2" |1931
|''Miracle at Verdun''
|Heydner, Messenger, Lamparenne
|[[Al Hirschfeld Theatre|Martin Beck Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
|''He''
|Elevator Man
| rowspan="3" |[[August Wilson Theatre|Guild Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
| rowspan="4" |1932
|''The Moon in the Yellow River''
|Dobelle
|
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|''[[Too True to Be Good]]''
|The Elder
|
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|''[[The Man Who Reclaimed His Head]]''
|Paul Verin
|[[Broadhurst Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|''[[The Good Earth]]''
|[[Wang Lung]]
| rowspan="2" |[[August Wilson Theatre|Guild Theatre]]
|
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
|1933
|''American Dream''
|Ezekial Bell
|
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
| rowspan="2" |1951|| rowspan="2" |''[[Darkness at Noon]]''|| rowspan="2" |Rubashov||[[Alvin Theatre]]|| rowspan="2" | Won [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play]]
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|[[Royale Theatre]]
|<ref name=":2" />
|-
|1954||''[[The Confidential Clerk]]''||Sir Claude Mulhammer||[[Morosco Theatre]]||
|<ref name=":1" />
|-
|1956||''[[Night of the Auk]]''||Dr. Bruner||[[Playhouse Theatre (New York City)|Playhouse Theatre]]||
|<ref name=":2" />
|}

== Filmography ==

=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Director
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1920
| ''[[Build Thy House]]''
| Clarkis
| {{sortname|Fred|Goodwins}}
| Film debut
|-
| 1933
| ''[[The Invisible Man (1933 film)|The Invisible Man]]''
| [[Griffin (The Invisible Man)|Dr. Jack Griffin/The Invisible Man]]
| {{sortname|James|Whale}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1934
| ''[[Crime Without Passion]]''
| Lee Gentry
| {{sortname|Ben|Hecht}}, [[Charles MacArthur]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Man Who Reclaimed His Head]]''
| Paul Verin
| {{sortname|Edward|Ludwig}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1935
| ''[[The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1935 film)|The Mystery of Edwin Drood]]''
| [[List of Dickensian characters#J|John Jasper]]
| {{sortname|Stuart|Walker|Stuart Walker (filmmaker)}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Clairvoyant (1935 film)|The Clairvoyant]]''
| Maximus
| {{sortname|Maurice|Elvey}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Last Outpost (1935 film)|The Last Outpost]]''
| John Stevenson
| {{sortname|Louis|Gasnier}}, [[Charles Barton (director)|Charles Barton]]
|
|-
| ''[[Scrooge (1935 film)|Scrooge]]''
| [[Jacob Marley]]
| [[Henry Edwards (actor)|Henry Edwards]]
| Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1936
| ''[[Hearts Divided]]''
| [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]
| {{sortname|Frank|Borzage}}
|
|-
| ''[[Anthony Adverse]]''
| Marquis Don Luis
| {{sortname|Mervyn|LeRoy}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1937
| ''[[Stolen Holiday]]''
| Stefan Orloff
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Prince and the Pauper (1937 film)|The Prince and the Pauper]]''
| [[Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset|Earl of Hertford]]
| {{sortname|William|Keighley}}
|
|-
| ''[[They Won't Forget]]''
| District Attorney Andrew J. "Andy" Griffin
| {{sortname|Mervyn|LeRoy}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1938
| ''[[White Banners]]''
| Paul Ward
| {{sortname|Edmund|Goulding}}
|
|-
| ''[[Gold is Where You Find It]]''
| Colonel Christopher "Chris" Ferris
| rowspan="3" | {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]''
| [[John, King of England|Prince John]]
|
|-
| ''[[Four Daughters (1938 film)|Four Daughters]]''
| Adam Lemp
|
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1939
| ''[[They Made Me a Criminal]]''
| Detective Monty Phelan
| {{sortname|Busby|Berkeley}}
|
|-
| ''[[Juarez (1939 film)|Juarez]]''
| [[Louis Napoleon III|Emperor Louis Napoleon III]]
| {{sortname|William|Dieterle}}
|
|-
| ''[[Sons of Liberty (film)|Sons of Liberty]]''
| [[Haym Salomon]]
| rowspan="2" | {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
| Two-reel short
|-
| ''[[Daughters Courageous]]''
| Jim Masters
|
|-
| ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]''
| Senator Joseph Harrison Paine
| {{sortname|Frank|Capra}}
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| ''[[Four Wives]]''
| Adam Lemp
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1940
| ''[[Saturday's Children (1940 film)|Saturday's Children]]''
| Mr. Henry Halevy
| {{sortname|Vincent|Sherman}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Sea Hawk (1940 film)|The Sea Hawk]]''
| Don José Álvarez de Córdoba
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|
|-
| ''[[Lady with Red Hair]]''
| [[David Belasco]]
| {{sortname|Curtis|Bernhardt}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1941
| ''[[Four Mothers]]''
| Adam Lemp
| {{sortname|William|Keighley}}
|
|-
| ''[[Here Comes Mr. Jordan]]''
| [[God in Christianity|Mr. Jordan]]
| {{sortname|Alexander|Hall}}
|
|-
| ''[[The Wolf Man (1941 film)|The Wolf Man]]''
| Sir John Talbot
| {{sortname|George|Waggner}}
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1942
| ''[[Kings Row]]''
| Dr. Alexander Tower
| {{sortname|Sam|Wood}}
|
|-
| ''[[Moontide]]''
| Nutsy
| {{sortname|Archie|Mayo}}
|
|-
| ''[[Now, Voyager]]''
| Dr. Jaquith
| {{sortname|Irving|Rapper}}
|
|-
| ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]''
| Captain Louis Renault
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1943
| ''[[Forever and a Day (1943 film)|Forever and a Day]]''
| Ambrose Pomfret
| {{sortname|Herbert|Wilcox}}<br />(sequence with Rains)
|
|-
| ''[[Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|Phantom of the Opera]]''
| [[Erik (The Phantom of the Opera)|Erique Claudin/The Phantom of the Opera]]
| {{sortname|Arthur|Lubin}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1944
| ''[[Passage to Marseille]]''
| Captain Freycinet
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|
|-
| ''[[Mr. Skeffington]]''
| Job Skeffington
| {{sortname|Vincent|Sherman}}
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1945
| ''[[Strange Holiday (1945 film)|Strange Holiday]]''
| John Stevenson
| [[Arch Oboler]]
|-
| ''[[This Love of Ours]]''
| Joseph Targel
| {{sortname|William|Dieterle}}
|
|-
| ''[[Caesar and Cleopatra (film)|Caesar and Cleopatra]]''
| [[Julius Caesar]]
| {{sortname|Gabriel|Pascal}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1946
| ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]''
| Alexander Sebastian
| {{sortname|Alfred|Hitchcock}}
|Nominated- [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
| ''[[Angel on My Shoulder (film)|Angel on My Shoulder]]''
| [[Satan|Nick]]
| {{sortname|Archie|Mayo}}
|
|-
| ''[[Deception (1946 film)|Deception]]''
| Alexander Hollenius
| {{sortname|Irving|Rapper}}
|
|-
| 1947
| ''[[The Unsuspected]]''
| Victor Grandison
| {{sortname|Michael|Curtiz}}
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1949
| ''[[The Passionate Friends (1949 film)|The Passionate Friends]]''
| Howard Justin
| {{sortname|David|Lean}}
|
|-
| ''[[Rope of Sand]]''
| Arthur "Fred" Martingale
| {{sortname|William|Dieterle}}
|
|-
| ''[[Song of Surrender]]''
| Elisha Hunt
| {{sortname|Mitchell|Leisen}}
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1950
| ''[[The White Tower (film)|The White Tower]]''
| Paul DeLambre
| {{sortname|Ted|Tetzlaff}}
|
|-
| ''[[Where Danger Lives]]''
| Frederick Lannington
| {{sortname|John|Farrow}}
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[Sealed Cargo]]''
| Captain Skalder
| {{sortname|Alfred L.|Werker}}
|
|-
| 1952
| ''[[The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By]]''
| Kees Popinga
| {{sortname|Harold|French}}
|
|-
|1956
| ''[[Lisbon (1956 film)|Lisbon]]''
| Aristides Mavros
| {{sortname|Ray|Milland}}
|
|-
|1959
| ''[[This Earth Is Mine (1959 film)|This Earth Is Mine]]''
| Philippe Rambeau
| {{sortname|Henry|King|Henry King (director)}}
|
|-
| 1960
| ''[[The Lost World (1960 film)|The Lost World]]''
| [[Professor Challenger|Professor George Edward Challenger]]
| {{sortname|Irwin|Allen}}
|
|-
|1961
| ''[[Battle of the Worlds]]''
| Professor Benson
| {{sortname|Antonio|Margheriti}}
|
|-
|1962
| ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]''
| [[Mr. Dryden]]
| {{sortname|David|Lean}}
|
|-
| 1963
| ''[[Twilight of Honor]]''
| Art Harper
| {{sortname|Boris|Sagal}}
|
|-
| 1965
| ''[[The Greatest Story Ever Told]]''
| [[Herod the Great]]
| {{sortname|George|Stevens}}
|
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-right: 0;"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1953
|''[[Medallion Theatre]]''
|
|2 episodes
|-
|1954
|[[Omnibus (American TV program)|''Omnibus'']]
|Father
|Episode: "The Confidential Clerk"
|-
| rowspan="4" |1956
|''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]''
|Narrator
|Episode: "[[A Night to Remember (Kraft Television Theatre)|A Night to Remember]]"
|-
|''[[The Alcoa Hour]]''
|Paul Westman
|Episode:"The President"
|-
|''[[The Kaiser Aluminum Hour]]''
|[[Creon (king of Thebes)|Creon]]
|Episode: "Antigone"
|-
|''Eye on New York''
|Dr. Bruner
|Episode: "Night of the Auk"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1957
|''On Borrowed Time''
|Mr. Brink
| rowspan="2" |TV movie
|-
|[[The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 film)|''The Pied Piper of Hamelin'']]
|Mayor of Hamelin
|-
|1956-62
|''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
|Various roles
|5 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1959
|''Once Upon a Christmas Time''
|John Woodcutter
|TV movie
|-
|''[[Playhouse 90]]''
|Judge Haywood
|Episode: "[[Judgment at Nuremberg (Playhouse 90)|Judgment at Nuremberg]]"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1960
|''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]''
|High Lama
|Episode: "[[Shangri-La (musical)|Shangri-La]]"
|-
|[[Naked City (TV series)|''Naked City'']]
|John Winfield Weston
|Episode: "To Walk in Silence"
|-
|''[[Mel-O-Toons]]''
|Narrator (voice)
|Episode: "David and Goliath"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1962
|''[[Wagon Train]]''
|Judge Daniel Clay
|Episode: "The Daniel Clay Story"
|-
|''[[Sam Benedict]]''
|Thonis Jundelin
|Episode: "Nor Practice Makes Perfect"
|-
|1962-63
|''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]''
|Colonel, Baron van der Zost
|2 episodes
|-
|1963
|[[Rawhide (TV series)|''Rawhide'']]
|Alexander Longford
|Episode: "Incident of Judgement Day"
|-
|1963-65
|''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]''
|Mr. Fare, Valentin
|2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" |1964
|[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|''Dr. Kildare'']] 
|Edward Fredericks
|Episode: "Why Won't Anyone Listen?"
|-
|[[The Reporter (TV series)|''The Reporter'']]
|John Vance
|Episode: "A Time to Be Silent"
|}

== Radio appearances ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Programme !! Episode/source
|-
|1949
|''[[Ford Theatre]]''
|''The Horn Blows at Midnight''
|-
| 1952|| ''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' || ''Three Words''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kirby|first1=Walter|title=Better Radio Programs for the Week|newspaper=The Decatur Daily Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2533510/the_decatur_daily_review/|agency=The Decatur Daily Review|date=17 February 1952|page=40|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date = 1 June 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|}

==Discography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Recording Company
|-
| 1946||''The Christmas Tree''||Mercury Childcraft Records
|-
| 1948||''Bible Stories for Children''||[[Capitol Records]]
|-
| 1950|| ''Builders of America''||Columbia Masterworks
|-
| 1952<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/casf3123|title=Claude Rains - David And Goliath|via=www.45cat.com}}</ref>||''David and Goliath''||Capitol Records
|-
| 1957<ref>{{discogs release|10506951|name=Claire Bloom & Claude Rains – The Song Of Songs And Heloise And Abelard}}</ref>||''The Song of Songs and Heloise and Abelard''||Caedmon Records
|-
| 1960||''Remember The Alamo''||Noble Records
|-
| 1962||''Enoch Arden''||Columbia Masterworks
|}

==Awards and nominations==
===[[Academy Awards]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[12th Academy Awards|1939]]
| rowspan="4"| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| ''[[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1940 |title=The 12th Academy Awards (1940) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 10, 2011 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[16th Academy Awards|1943]]
| ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1944 |title=The 16th Academy Awards (1944) Nominees and Winners |access-date=October 13, 2013 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[17th Academy Awards|1944]]
| ''[[Mr. Skeffington]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1945 |title=The 17th Academy Awards (1945) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 14, 2011 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
|-
| [[19th Academy Awards|1946]]
| ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1947 |title=The 19th Academy Awards (1947) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 19, 2011 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref>
|}

===[[Drama League Award]]s===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| 1951
| Distinguished Performance Award
| ''[[Darkness at Noon]]''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://dramaleague.org/awards-history/ |title=Awards History – The Drama League |date=25 March 2021 |publisher=[[Drama League Award]]s |access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref>
|}

===[[Grammy Awards]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[5th Annual Grammy Awards|1962]]
| [[Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording|Best Documentary or Spoken Word Recording (Other Than Comedy)]]
| ''[[Enoch Arden]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/artists/claude-rains/17270 |title=Claude Rains |publisher=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref>
|}

===Online Film & Television Association Awards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Honor
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| 2023
| Film Hall of Fame: Actors
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-actors/ |title=Film Hall of Fame: Actors |publisher=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref>
|}

===[[Tony Awards]]===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[5th Tony Awards|1951]]
| [[Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play|Best Actor in a Play]]
| ''[[Darkness at Noon]]''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/1951/category/actor-leading-role-play/show/any/ |title=The Tony Award Nominations – 1951 Actor (Play) |publisher=[[Tony Awards]] |access-date=July 28, 2023}}</ref>
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
* [[List of actors with Academy Award nominations]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== General sources ==
* {{cite book |last= Harmetz |first= Aljean |title= Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of "Casablanca" |url= https://archive.org/details/roundupusualsusp00harm |url-access= registration |date= 1992 |edition= First |type= hardcover |publisher= Hyperion |location= Westport, CT |isbn = 978-1-56282-941-4}}
* {{cite book |last1= Soister |first1= John T. |last2= Wioskowski |first2= JoAnna |title= Claude Rains: A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference to His Work in Film, Stage, Radio, Television and Recordings |date= 2006 |edition= Reprint |type= softcover |publisher= McFarland |location= Jefferson, NC |isbn = 978-0-7864-2855-7 |oclc= 41580407 }}
* {{cite book |last= Skal |first= David J. |title= Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice |date= 2008 |edition= First |type= hardcover |publisher= The University Press of Kentucky |location= Lexington, KY |jstor= j.ctt2jcg4f |isbn = 978-1-7200-3837-5 }}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last= Alistair |first= Rupert |title= The Name Below the Title : 65 Classic Movie Character Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age |chapter= Claude Rains |pages= 215–217 |date= 2018 |edition= First |type= softcover |publisher= Independently published |location= Great Britain |isbn = 978-1-7200-3837-5}}
* {{cite book |last= Felice |first= Carmella |title= The Life and Times of Claude Rains |date= 2006 |edition= First |type= softcover |publisher= AuthorHouse |location= Bloomington, IN |isbn = 978-1-4259-5301-0 |url= https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2141761.The_Life_and_Times_of_Claude_Rains}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{ TCMDb name | 157263%7C32760 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160818133729/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9f57ed22 Claude Rains] at the [[British Film Institute]]{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert - if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=546482}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110607213155/http://www.bris.ac.uk/theatrecollection/search/people_sub_plays?forename=Claude&surname=RAINS&job=Actor&pid=7947&image_view=Yes&x=19&y=17 Performances listed in Theatre Archive of the University of Bristol]

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Claude Rains
|list =
{{Distinguished Performance Award}}
{{TonyAward PlayLeadActor 1947-1975}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rains, Claude}}
[[Category:1889 births]]
[[Category:1967 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Lambeth]]
[[Category:Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment officers]]
[[Category:British acting coaches]]
[[Category:British Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:British emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Deaths from gastrointestinal hemorrhage]]
[[Category:Donaldson Award winners]]
[[Category:English acting coaches]]
[[Category:English male film actors]]
[[Category:English male radio actors]]
[[Category:English male stage actors]]
[[Category:English male television actors]]
[[Category:London Scottish soldiers]]
[[Category:Male actors from London]]
[[Category:Military personnel from the London Borough of Lambeth]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:People from Clapham]]
[[Category:Territorial Force soldiers]]
[[Category:Tony Award winners]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. contract players]]
[[Category:20th-century English male actors]]