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Claude Rains

Claude Rains

Actor · Died May 30, 1967, aged 77 · Clapham, London, England, UK

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. Rains served in the First World War in the London Scottish Regiment, with fellow actors Basil Rathbone, Ronald Colman and Herbert Marshall. Rains was involved in a gas attack that left him nearly blind in one eye for the rest of his life. However, the war did aid his social advancement and, by its end, he had risen from the rank of Private to Captain. Rains began his career in the London theatre, having a success in the title role of John Drinkwater's play Ulysses S. Grant, the follow-up to the playwright's major hit Abraham Lincoln, and traveled to Broadway in the late 1920s to act in leading roles in such plays as Shaw's The Apple Cart and in the dramatizations of The Constant Nymph, and Pearl S. Buck's novel The Good Earth, as a Chinese farmer. Rains came relatively late to film acting and his first screen test was a failure, but his distinctive voice won him the title role in James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933) when someone accidentally overheard his screen test being played in the next room. Rains later credited director Michael Curtiz with teaching him the more understated requirements of film acting, or "what not to do in front of a camera".

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 10, 1889
Died
May 30, 1967 (aged 77)
From
Clapham, London, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
45 on MovieCove · 74 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

What are Claude Rains' films like?

Across their 41 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 51st percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Horror3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
25%
Morality
24%
Self
18%
Power
16%
Ideas
7%
Society
6%
Survival
5%
Romantic love15 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 12 · Serious 10 · Dark 19

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 20 · Heightened 10

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 20 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 19 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 25 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 20 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 4

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 18 · Engaged 20 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 14 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 33 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

42 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 14 of 42 analyzed roles.

Shadow
14 of 42
Mentor
13 of 42
Trickster
4 of 42
Threshold guardian
4 of 42
Hero
3 of 42
Shapeshifter
2 of 42
Ally
2 of 42
Show the 42 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
26
Melancholic
16
Romantic
16
Dread
8
Thrilling
8
Other
31

How their films linger

Bittersweet18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet19
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Claude Rains' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 24 of their 45 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Claude Rains' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

74 credits, 45 with a MovieCove page; 12 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington(2012)

    as Senator Paine

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Opera Ghost: A Phantom Unmasked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Erique Claudin (archive footage)

  • Halloween Monster Bash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as Maximus (archive footage)

  • The Horror Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as (archive footage)

  • The Greatest Story Ever Told(1965)

    as King Herod

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Twilight of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Art Harper

  • Lawrence of Arabia(1962)

    as Mr. Dryden

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Sam Benedict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Battle of the Worlds(1961)

    as Professor Benson

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Edward Fredericks

  • The Lost World(1960)

    as Prof. George Edward Challenger

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • This Earth Is Mine(1959)

    as Philippe Rambeau

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Judgment at Nuremberg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Judge Dan Haywood

  • Rawhide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · as Alexander Longford

  • Naked City(1958)

    Show 1 episode · as John Winfield Weston

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • The Pied Piper of Hamelin(1957)

    as Mayor of Hamelin

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • On Borrowed Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Mr. Brink

  • Playhouse 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Judge Dan Haywood

  • Lisbon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Aristides Mavros

  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents(1955)

    Show 1 episode · as Andrew Thurgood · as Charles Gresham · as Father Amion · as John Fabian · as Leonard Eldridge

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Paris Express(1952)

    as Kees Popinga

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Mr. Brink · as The High Lama

  • Sealed Cargo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Capt. Henrik Skalder

  • Where Danger Lives(1950)

    as Mr. Lannington

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The White Tower (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Paul Delambre

  • Song of Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Elisha Hunt

  • Rope of Sand(1949)

    as Arthur 'Fred' Martingale

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Passionate Friends(1949)

    as Howard Justin

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Unsuspected(1947)

    as Victor Grandison

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Deception(1946)

    as Alexander Hollenius

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Angel on My Shoulder(1946)

    as "Nick"

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Notorious(1946)

    as Alexander Sebastian

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Caesar and Cleopatra(1945)

    as Julius Caesar

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • This Love of Ours(1945)

    as Joseph Targel

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Strange Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as John Stevenson

  • Mr. Skeffington(1944)

    as Job Skeffington

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Passage to Marseille(1944)

    as Capt. Freycinet

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Phantom of the Opera(1943)

    as Erique Claudin

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Forever and a Day(1943)

    as Ambrose Pomfret

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Casablanca(1942)

    as Captain Louis Renault

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Now, Voyager(1942)

    as Dr. Jaquith

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Moontide(1942)

    as Nutsy

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Kings Row(1942)

    as Alexander Tower

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Wolf Man(1941)

    as Sir John Talbot

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Here Comes Mr. Jordan(1941)

    as Mr. Jordan

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Four Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Adam Lemp

  • Lady with Red Hair(1940)

    as David Belasco

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Sea Hawk(1940)

    as Don José Alvarez de Cordoba

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Saturday's Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Mr. Henry Halevy

  • Four Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Adam Lemp

  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

    as Joseph Paine

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Daughters Courageous(1939)

    as Jim Masters

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Juarez(1939)

    as Emperor Louis Napoleon III

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Sons of Liberty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Haym Salomon

  • They Made Me a Criminal(1938)

    as Det. Monty Phelan

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Breakdowns of 1938 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Claude Rains (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Four Daughters(1938)

    as Adam Lemp

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • White Banners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Paul Ward

  • The Adventures of Robin Hood(1938)

    as Prince John

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Gold Is Where You Find It(1938)

    as Colonel Ferris

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • They Won't Forget(1937)

    as District Attorney Andrew J. Griffin

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Prince and the Pauper(1937)

    as Earl of Hertford

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Stolen Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Stefan Orloff

  • Anthony Adverse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Marquis Don Luis

  • Hearts Divided (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Napoleon Bonaparte

  • The Making of a Great Motion Picture (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Actor

  • Scrooge(1935)

    as Jacob Marley (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Last Outpost(1935)

    as John Stevenson

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Clairvoyant(1935)

    as Maximus

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Mystery of Edwin Drood(1935)

    as John Jasper

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Reclaimed His Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Paul Verin

  • Crime Without Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Lee Gentry

  • The Invisible Man(1933)

    as Dr. Jack Griffin

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Build Thy House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    as Clarkis

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 73 titles from 1920 to 2000; peak year 1961.

Biggest box office

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

$46M worldwide

Highest rated

Casablanca (1942)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

19202000

Peak 1961 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 20 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting73 of 73: 73 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score75th

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s24 · acting1940s24 · acting1950s14 · acting1960s7 · acting1970s1 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 16% of 32 roles
33384348

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Claude Rains' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 43; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 45 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up22
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 45 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

A Night at the Movies: Hollywood Goes to Washington (2012)

84th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Casablanca (1942)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 78/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Claude Rains' work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles16–46 · median 30 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles3–13 · median 8 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles0–22 · median 4 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs9 titles17–41 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense9 titles15–48 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Claude Rains work with?

People who share at least 2 of Claude Rains' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hal B. Wallis shares the most, 13.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles