Old Hollywood is littered with the names and faces of some of the cinema’s most famous leading actors and stars. Accomplished thespians like Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud and stars like Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, and James Stewart have become part of the cinema lexicon and are almost universally known and recognized by film buffs and casual movie viewers alike. Olivier’s name is synonymous with expert acting and Bogart, Stewart, and Grant represent the best in comedic and dramatic acting in the Golden Age of Hollywood. But hidden underneath the layer of famous stars and big names lies a world of men and women who are not widely known by the typical film viewer yet have a face that one would immediately recognize as having seen in a movie before, producing the inevitable inquiry, “What else have I seen them in?” These familiar faces are the performers who belong to an underappreciated group of cinematic character actors.

A character actor, by my definition, would be an actor who always plays a variety of small, supporting roles in an assortment of different kinds of pictures. A good character actor gives his or her all for a role, regardless of the film’s story or the peculiarities of the character. Old Hollywood has numerous, stand-out character actors. There is Ward Bond, the man who appeared in nearly every famous slice of Americana including “Gone with the Wind”, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, and “The Searchers”. There is Walter Brennan who brought his unique vocal style to such classics as “Sergeant York”, “Red River”, and “Rio Bravo”. One of these character actors who has left an impression on me with every performance I have seen by him is the talented Claude Rains. Short in stature but enormous in talent, Claude Rains never ceases to astound me with his understated performances which are often accentuated by his aristocratic, soft-spoken British accent.

It is perhaps Rains’ voice which is the most versatile. Depending on the role, it can come across as either soothing and reassuring or villainous and deceitful. Along with Morgan Freeman’s and a few others', it is one of those unforgettable on-screen voices. Rains appeared in everything from Universal monster films and Hitchcock thrillers to big costume epics and American film essentials.

Here is a look at some of his most memorable performances:

“The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938)- As the villain Prince John, Rains is delightfully sinister and a tad flamboyant as the oppressor the heroic Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) and his band of men successfully combat.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939) - In Frank Capra’s acclaimed work, Rains stars opposite James Stewart as the elderly statesman Joseph Paine who at first warms to the newly-elected Smith (Stewart) but eventually ends up going behind his back by way of some political corruption. It is a performance in which Rains was nominated for an Oscar.

“The Wolf Man” (1941)- In this Universal monster classic, Rains portrays Sir John Talbot, father to cursed lycanthrope Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.). Rains brings a strong sense of fatherly wisdom and devotion to the role of Sir John. He sternly defends his son to the growing voices of disdain coming from their tiny village, while also trying to persuade his offspring that his werewolf activities are entirely a creation of his imagination. It is a supporting role in a short movie, yet Sir John is an extremely rich character. He is a man driven by science, secured by a faith in the divine, and filled with a completely unending love for his son. Rains’ voice eloquently speaks lines of insight and understanding to Larry, informing him (in one of the best lines of the film) when the two are examining a telescope that “all astronomers are amateurs. When it comes to the heavens there is only one professional”. It is a great line and this is my personal favorite performance by Rains.

“Casablanca” (1942)- This is the role in which Rains will forever be remembered. He is amusingly suave as Captain Louis Renault, the head official of the police force in the haven town of Casablanca. Louis is friendly to everyone- the Nazis, the French, and Humphrey Bogart’s Rick- and without question is a corrupt official. One of his best lines comes when he leads a raid on Rick’s café. Yelling that he is shocked to find gambling going on inside the café, a man comes up and hands him his winnings for the night. Eventually, he comes down on the side of his friend Rick and, in the end the two embark on “the beginning of a beautiful friendship”. It’s a great performance in one of the great American films.

“Notorious” (1946)- This Hitchcock essential probably contains Rains’ greatest performance. Here, he plays the film’s heavy, a Nazi named Alex Sebastian. Hiding out in Rio with other Nazis following the end of World War II, Sebastian is seeking to do something very sinister with quantities of uranium he has hidden in the wine cellar of his house. Ingrid Bergman stars as a spy who marries Sebastian in order to uncover his diabolical secrets. It is a complex role for Rains. He at first is completely naïve toward’s Bergman’s Alicia and her true attentions, believing that she is really in love with him. When he finds he has been had, he turns subtly evil and collaborates with his vindictive mother on how to murder Alicia for her duplicity. It is a role that brings out the best in Rains: he presents vulnerability and affection at first, then vengeance and wickedness. And all of this is articulated by way of his distinct, charismatic voice. A must see.

Some of Rains’ other stand-out performances include his roles in “The Invisible Man”, “Now, Voyager”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, and “The Greatest Story Ever Told”.