MANILA, Philippines?The first time I saw Claude Rains in ?Cesar and Cleopatra,? he played a Roman Emperor madly enamored with the Serpent of the Nile, portrayed by Vivien Leigh. I was barely 8 years old then, but I had to accompany my older sister, who introduced me to artistic films?regardless of how adult the themes of those movies were.

British stage actor

My sister informed me that Rains was a respected British stage actor, while the beautiful Vivien Leigh had starred as Scarlett O?Hara in ?Gone with the Wind.? I was impressed, although I didn?t really see the Selznick classic until two years later.

There?s something to be said about film classification, after all, because regardless of that film?s alleged literary value?Leigh?s beauty, Rains? acting ability?I was frankly bored with it. I was unsure how to take a leading man with Rains? look, height and style. After all, I had been led to believe that leading men looked and moved like Errol Flynn, Cornell Wilde and Johnny Weismuller.

Yes, he was classy, but Rains was short, middle-aged and bossy. And, back then, I still wasn?t familiar with such terms as ?sardonic? or ?ironic.?

Supporting roles

Thereafter, I saw him play supporting roles in Bette Davis? films. There was no doubt he was a fine actor?because he held his own against the formidable actress, who was one of Hollywood?s dramatic queens. I realized that he truly belonged to Hollywood?s acting elite.

However, I didn?t really like the actor because he played villains. Since I was turned off by his screen persona, he must have been effective at what he did! His training was in classical British theater, so he was uniquely smooth. His expressive face and subtle approach frightened me even more than stereotypical villains like Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet.

Then, I saw him in memorable films like ?Casablanca? and ?Notorious,? where he costarred with Ingrid Bergman. In the latter, he was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of an older spy who was madly in love with the enigmatic actress. With the suave Cary Grant as his rival for Bergman?s love, he was the underdog viewers involuntarily sympathized with!

I appreciated the actor even more as I grew older. I belatedly discovered that he was not merely ?subtle??he was also highly effective because of his timing and seeming nonchalance. His élan and easy style enhanced any scene he was in!

He played lead and supporting ones in a string of films during his long career that started even before sound was introduced in motion pictures. Ironically, he didn?t have much presence in his movie debut in the 1933 talkie, ?The Invisible Man.?

Oscar nominations

Rains earned Oscar nominations for his performances in ?Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,? ?Casablanca,? ?Mr. Skeffington? and ?Notorious??but he never won the coveted award!

Claude Rains will forever be remembered for his performance in 1942?s ?Casablanca,? where he delivered the memorable last line addressed to Bogart, after Bergman and Paul Henreid had already left Casablanca: ?This is the start of a beautiful friendship!? With the advent of Gay Liberation, some viewers found a deeper meaning in the punchline!