I wonder why nobody gives a damn about this actor. He is one of the best character actors although he has never been on spotlight. Just look at him. He portrays Paine here superbly, in Casablanca or Notorious or Invisible Man he is just as great. I think he ought to be paid more respect than he is done today.
shareWell, he is the greatest prtrayer of sleazeballs to ever act, so that both helps his reputation (To film lovers) and hurts it (To the public). Heroic actors or out and out badguys are generally the ones most loved, not sleazeballs.
Seriously, just look at his filmography. One sleazeball after another.
SLEAZEBALL? Gosh, you put it oddly! Claude is awesome in Notorious, Casablanca, Invisible Man, ect. I obviously count myself as "the public" and a "film lover," and I love him in both styles!
Don't go saying that I only like the "sleazeballs." I'm a great fan of heros, and also the bad guys. I have trouble deciding who I want to win in the sword fights of Robin Hood. Should I go with Errol or Basil? Or should I simply cheer on Claude, the bystander? (How I would love to see him fighting with a sword, haha!)
Claude, by not being completely good or bad, will always surprise me. To call him a sleazeball is quite unfair, but is a valid opinion, I suppose.
Now, that role in They Won't Forget...
Well, I don't think his characters were always bad, but they were sleazeballs. Louise was a corrupt cop. Prince John was...Prince John. In Lawrence of Arabia, he played arguably the sleaziest character of them all. It's true he often does play an anti-hero, but often he was a sleazeball before he baecame good (Casablanca). I am ashamed to say that I have not yet seen the other films mentioned.
shareYes... you're right about the corrupt cop and Prince John part, legio-yow. But I still say he's pretty awesome. Maybe I just like sleazball guys... who knows? He's still really great. I suggest you see Invisible Man (can you love by first voice?) and Notorious.
You don't have to convince me of Claude Raine's awesomeness. I know he is awesome. I was just pointing out that a possible reason that he is not as popular as many other actors is that he always plays sleazeballs, unlike say, Lee J Cobb, who at least plays outright villians.
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He was the best part of Casablanca. And that's saying a lot!
shareI have always been a huge fan of old movies, and being only 19 i am discovering more about them. I have always known about Claude Rains for years, but in the past year i have actually discovered him and he shot right up to the top of my favorite actors list along side Mr. Gregory Peck. Claude Rains is absolutely amazing. He is the first actor that i really find intriging (sp?) in nearly every movie he has made. it doesn't even matter how big the roll was or how well the movie did. Only in a year i have seen probably about 70% of his movies and i am just addicted! Even though his role as the detective in They Made Me a Criminal, was his least favorite...he brings so much life and personality to a character that he saw was supposed to be tough and he wasn't believable...but he was believable and it didn't have to be in a tough way! I just love all his performances and i could write an essay on my reasons why! And in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...i watched that for the first time last week and i was beside myself! His role as Joe Paine was so convincing to me that subconsiously i forgot it was only actin and i wanted to hit Claude Rains in the face for acting the way he did in the movie! That's Powerful stuff!!!
Well now, enough said...Since i live in MASS, i think i'm going to take a ride up to New Hampshire this summer and visit his gravesite and pay my respects.
thats a nice tribute to mr.raines and he deserves it.you metion the character of joe payne from mr.smith goes to washington,,,i had forgotten his great preformance in that picture..it was indeed powerful...the scene where he breaks down and admitts that everything that young jefferson is saying is true..truly great acting......
shareClaude Rains was also supper in The Wolf Man with Lon Chaney Jr. He ranks up there with the best character actors of the era. Great and COMMANDING voice.
KJSimon
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I just love his voice. The first movie I saw with him was Robin Hood, and I must admit that I was rather blinded by Errol Flynn at the time. I also managed to completely miss Basil Rathbone in the movie, but that's another story. Flynn commanded my attention. I had no idea that a 5'6 guy named Claude Rains was even in the movie!
Later I saw Invisible Man and completely fell in love with his voice. I found it amazing that I could be so fascinated by an actor that I (thought) I had never even seen! Only later did I realize that I had actually watched a movie with him before.
After that, I was a devoted Rains fan. If anyone is along with me on that front, I HIGHLY suggest this website! Truly, it's the best place on the web for Claude fans!
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Park/6771/
Drink your coffee, darling. It's getting cold.
Claude Rains
I agree, he is TOTALLY underrated. He is such a fantastic actor, and I must admit, his voice is up there on my list of Favorite Voices (along with Jean Arthur and George Clooney, although George doesn't compare to Claude). I've seen him in all of three (? Casablanca, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Notorious) movies, but he's one of my favorite actors. Actually, Mr. Smith is almost my perfect movie because it's directed by Frank Capra, has Jimmy Stewart (my favorite actor), Jean Arthur (my idol), and Claude Rains. Anyways, if I were lame, I'd say Claude was "the shizniz". But I'm not, so I'm going to say that Claude Rains rocks my socks. (which may also be lame, but I digress)
I never did it either. I'm not a nymphomaniac, I'm a compulsive liar.
I agree. He was such an excellent actor. His performance in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was superb. Thomas Mitchell was very good in Stagecoach but I'd have given the Oscar to Rains.
"How could I have known that murder can sometimes smell like honeysuckle?"
Claude Rains is one of the finest actors that was ever filmed! VERY underrated and overlooked! He could blend into the surroundings better than any actor of his time! We don't have any actors of his quality alive today that is remotely in the same league!
shareAll these posts about the wonderful Mr Rains...yet nobody mentions his peerless performances in MR SKEFFINGTON and DECEPTION where he literally blows Bette Davis off the screen!
One of his few starring roles is in the woefully underrated THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) which uses his fabulous voice to great effect.
I also commend you to all see THE PASSIONATE FRIENDS, a David Lean classic that he came to England to make in 1948. He plays the deceived husband with such poignancy and depth, it will break your heart!
Was he ever less than marvellous? Consider this list:
Napoleon III in JUAREZ
Dr Tower in KINGS ROW
Don Alvarez in THE SEA HAWK
and masterly portrayals in FOUR DAUGHTERS, THEY WON'T FORGET and two fascinating early films: THE CLAIRVOYANT (made in Britain with Fay Waray!)and Ben Hecht's little seen CRIME WITHOUT PASSION, both worth seeking out.
He should really be awarded a posthumous Oscar or Life Achievement Award.
He was the best actor in Hollywood by a long way. No wonder Gielgud cited him as the only actor from his youth who influenced & inspired him.
I love Claude Rains and all of the films mentioned here. But as great as he was in this film, I do feel he was miscast only because there's no way that he and James Stewart grew up in the same state. It could be explained that Jefferson Paine was educated in England or was from there originally but it wasn't in the film. But like Sean Connery, Claude Rains was so great it didn't matter.
George Carlin: It's all bullsh-t and it's bad for ya.
I absolutely agree! I also got the chills in his final speech, perfect acting!!
I'm so excited, I think I'll brush all my teeth today!