> Camberwell, London-born actor Claude Rains (1889-1967) is often best remembered for his mesmerizing voice, which he used to full effect during his lengthy Hollywood career as both leading man and perhaps even more successfully as one of its most enduring character actors. Unlike many of his peers transitioning from stage to screen, the success of his American cinematic debut hinged almost entirely on his vocal delivery. Had the role of Dr. Jack Griffin (aka The Invisible Man) NOT depended so heavily on Rains' melodramatic, theatrical tones, it seems unlikely that he would have found his path to screen stardom. This is in no small part due to the fact that Rains' only foray into Hollywood had been a disastrous screen test for RKO's A Bill of Divorcement (1932), which was so poorly received that when director James Whale made it known that he desired his old stage colleague be cast as the Invisible Man, he was forced to feign interest in other notable actors to satisfy Universal's studio chiefs. Frankenstein's Colin Clive was very briefly considered, but he was ready for a return to his native England and largely disinterested (while it is often noted that Boris Karloff was originally slated to portray The Invisible Man, the oft-told tale that he turned down the role due to a lack of screen presence was largely fictitious, as it had far more to do with the timing of his brief desertion of Universal Studios due to a salary dispute).

> At any rate, Whale demanded Rains, declaring, according to the actor himself "I don't give a hang what he looks like. That's how I want him to sound and I want HIM!" Whale's instincts proved correct, and Rains carried the weight of the picture upon his transparent shoulders and went on to great success in Hollywood, notably in roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Notorious (1946), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and in perhaps his finest, most indelible character role, as Captain Renault in Casablanca (1942). However, he was always inextricably linked to The Invisible Man through his marvelous vocalizations. His daughter Jessica Rains recalled that when the film was reissued and booked in Downingtown, Pennsylvania (Rains had a large farm in nearby West Bradord Township at the time) he bundled them up against the cold and set out to take in the classic. In spite of a heavy scarf around his face and his signature homburg, his voice betrayed him and his simple request for two tickets sent the theater manager into near hysterics, thrilled at the thought that the great actor had come to revisit his seminal role. Jessica sat alongside her father as he provided commentary throughout the film, relaying the many nuances (and indignities) involved in the production. Most notably, Rains, having been exposed to mustard gas in the First World War, was nearly blind in one eye and terribly claustrophobic, so the experience of having to endure the creation of a plaster life-mask critical to special effects work was particularly disturbing. Nevertheless, despite the grueling nature of the production, the success of 1933's The Invisible Man made Rains an overnight sensation in Hollywood and paved the way for his long, rich career.