Claude Rains; A Comprehensive Illustrated Reference to His Work in Film, Stage, Radio, Television and Recordings

The career of Claude Rains is often, and unfairly, overshadowed by the careers of the ever-popular Karloff, Lugosi, Chaney and Rathbone, but few can dispute that he was truly one of the world’s foremost character actors. The Invisible Man, ironically, made him quite the visible star. In his own inimitable way, Rains later became John Jasper (in Mystery of Edwin Drood), Louis Renault (Casablanca), Julius Caesar (Caesar and Cleopatra), and Mr. Dryden (Lawrence of Arabia). While concentrating on Rains’ more than fifty films, this book also comprehensively examines his work in other media: the stage, radio, television and recordings. His only child, Jessica, in the foreword, provides a brief biography of her father. There are many rare photographs.

John T. Soister, a teacher of modern and classical languages, is also the author of Up from the Vault (2004), Conrad Veidt on Screen (2002) and Of Gods and Monsters (1999).

JoAnna Wioskowski is a teacher in Baltimore, Maryland, and has published articles and art in Big Reel and other magazines.