TCM Schedule for Tuesday, August 5th: CLAUDE RAINS

[CBHagman]

What a voice, what a man, what a character. A little guy with lifts in his shoes and only one good eye, he was by far the most intriguing figure depicted in Aljean Harmetz's The Making of Casablanca (AKA Round Up the Usual Suspects).

A bit of his biography, courtesy of the usual suspects, IMDB and TCM:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001647/bio

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=201931

And I don't print this image to depress everybody, just to provide perspective on what made the man tick.



I'm glad they're showing two of his nice-guy performances, the nurturing therapist from , Now, Voyager and the aptly named Job from Mr. Skeffington, both opposite Bette Davis, but I would have liked to have seen more of his pairings with John Garfield (Daughters Courageous, Saturday's Children).

They Won't Forget is still a shocker, and those who are well versed in American history will recognize it as a fictionalized version of the Leo Frank case.

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008.

12:30 AM Anna Christie (1930)
Eugene O'Neill's classic about a romantic prostitute trying to run away from her past. Cast: Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford, Marie Dressler. Dir: Clarence Brown. BW-90 mins, TV-PG, CC

2:05 AM Short Film: Why Daddy? (1944)
BW-9 mins,

2:15 AM Tugboat Annie (1933)
A lady tugboat captain tries to help two young lovers come together. Cast: Marie Dressler, Wallace Beery, Robert Young. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy. BW-86 mins, TV-G, CC

3:45 AM That's Entertainment! III (1994)
Classic musical numbers and rare behind-the-scenes footage show how MGM created the screen's greatest musicals. Featuring clips with Gene Kelly, Lena Horne and Debbie Reynolds. Cast: June Allyson, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Howard Keel Dir: Burt Friedgen, Michael J. Sheridan. C-120 mins, TV-G, CC, Letterbox Format

5:47 AM Short Film: Just One More Time (1974)
C-9 mins,

6:00 AM They Won't Forget (1937)
Bigotry flares when a Jewish businessman is accused of killing a small-town girl in the South. Cast: Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, Allyn Joslyn. Dir: Mervyn LeRoy. BW-95 mins, TV-G, CC

7:36 AM Short Film: Harry Reser And His Eskimos (1936)
A frosty, melodious short with Harry Reser and his orchestra. Cast: Harry Reser, Lynn Gordon Dir: Roy Mack BW-9 mins,

8:00 AM Gold Is Where You Find It (1938)
A gold strike in California triggers a bitter feud between farmers and prospectors. Cast: George Brent, Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains. Dir: Michael Curtiz. C-94 mins, TV-G, CC

9:45 AM Four Daughters (1938)
A small-town family's peaceful life is shattered when one daughter falls for a rebellious musician. Cast: Claude Rains, John Garfield, Priscilla Lane. Dir: Michael Curtiz. BW-90 mins, TV-G, CC

11:21 AM Short Film: Capital City Washington D.C., The (1940)
An installment of James A. Fitzpatrick's Travel Talks honoring Washington D.C. Cast: James A. Fitzpatrick C-9 mins,

11:30 AM Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
An idealistic Senate replacement takes on political corruption. Cast: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains. Dir: Frank Capra. BW-130 mins, TV-G, CC



1:45 PM Sea Hawk, The (1940)
A British buccaneer holds the Spanish fleet at bay with the covert approval of Elizabeth I. Cast: Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, Flora Robson. Dir: Michael Curtiz. BW-128 mins, TV-G, CC

4:00 PM Kings Row (1942)
Small town scandals inspire an idealistic young man to take up psychiatry. Cast: Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan. Dir: Sam Wood. BW-127 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS

6:15 PM Unsuspected, The (1947)
The producer of a radio crime series commits the perfect crime, then has to put the case on the air. Cast: Claude Rains, Joan Caulfield, Constance Bennett. Dir: Michael Curtiz. BW-103 mins, TV-PG, CC

8:00 PM Now, Voyager (1942)
A repressed spinster is transformed by psychiatry and her love for a married man. Cast: Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains. Dir: Irving Rapper. BW-118 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS



10:00 PM Mr. Skeffington (1944)
A flighty beauty marries a stockbroker for convenience and almost ruins both their lives. Cast: Bette Davis, Claude Rains, Walter Abel. Dir: Vincent Sherman. BW-146 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS



12:30 AM Caesar And Cleopatra (1945)
Julius Caesar gives the famed Egyptian queen lessons in government. Cast: Claude Rains, Vivien Leigh, Stewart Granger. Dir: Gabriel Pascal. C-128 mins, TV-G

2:45 AM Adventures of Robin Hood, The (1938)
The bandit king of Sherwood Forest leads his Merry Men in a battle against the corrupt Prince John. Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone. Dir: William Keighley, Michael Curtiz. C-102 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS



4:30 AM Lady With Red Hair (1940)
An actress hopes to regain her lost son by making it to the top. Cast: Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains, Richard Ainley. Dir: Curtis Bernhardt. BW-78 mins, TV-G, CC

5:49 AM Short Film: Let'S Sing Grandfather'S Favorites (1948)
BW-9 mins,

[Matilda]

1. Little Man - Big Talent

A couple of years ago I searched in vain for a good biography of Claude Rains, and was surprised and
disappointed to find that no good writer had ever attempted one. Apparently he started dictating
an autobiography to his daughter Jessica, but died before he'd got very far with it. I'd really
like to know more about this extremely talented actor, and I hope that somebody will be inspired to
write a good account of his life and work.

I notice "The Unsuspected" on the list - I've only seen it once, but it was very good viewing, and
I can't imagine why TCM here hasn't shown it more often. "Deception" isn't on the list - I think
that's one of his great performances, and IMO he managed to steal the picture from Bette Davis, no
mean feat. The dinner scene in that film (I won't spoil it for anyone who has yet to see it) was
both wickedly nasty and extremely funny at the same time.

Sad that he wasn't even awarded an honorary Oscar for his work; he certainly deserved to be
recognised.