By Lee Pfeiffer
When it comes to talent, style and class, few actors had the pedigree of the great Claude Rains. The consummate actor exudes sophistication in every performance from films ranging from The Invisible Man to Notorious, Lawrence of Arabia and Casablanca. Such actors are virtually non-existent today, which makes it all the more pleasing that author David Skal has teamed with Rains' daughter Jessica to write the first in-depth biography of the acting legend. The information was culled from substantial archives of materials Rains himself had amassed over the years when he was trying unsuccessfully to write his autobiography. In addition to being superbly researched, the book is also liberally illustrated with wonderful movie stills.
Here is more information from the official press release:
Born into the English working class, Claude Rains (1889-1967) overcame a
severe speech impediment to become a fixture of the London theater scene.
Rains's personal life was as dramatic as his work onstage: 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.
In 1926 he immigrated to America where, despite what Rains described as "the
worst screen test of all time," he was hired by director James Whale to play the
title role in an adaptation of H. G. Wells's The Invisible Man, a
tour-de-force depending completely on his vocal skills.
In Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice, noted author David J. Skal
illustrates how Rains's talents were well suited to Hollywood's studio system,
allowing him to become one of cinema's best known character actors. He lent his
commanding presence to such landmark films as Casablanca, Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington, Notorious, and Lawrence of Arabia and
was nominated for four Academy Awards. Bette Davis considered him her favorite
acting partner.
Drawing on over thirty hours of newly released audio interviews with Rains
and enriched by daughter Jessica Rains's contributions, Claude Rains is
an intimate portrait and the first full biography of this gifted actor.
David J. Skal is the author of numerous books about film and
popular culture, including Hollywood Gothic and The Monster
Show. He is a frequent lecturer and talk-show guest and has produced
several documentaries about Hollywood history, including documentaries about
Claude Rains's The Invisible Man and Phantom of the Opera.
Jessica Rains, the only child of Claude Rains, is a producer
and actress whose performance credits include The Sting, Pete and
Tillie, Islands in the Stream, and Portnoy's Complaint.
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