David J. Skal - Claude Rains: An Actor’s Voice

GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS DUE to the dozens of institutions and individuals who helped make the idea for this book a reality.

Claude Rains: An Actor's Voice would not exist without the support and assistance of Jessica Rains, who entrusted me with the responsibility of giving narrative shape to her father's life, in the process making available to me all of Rains's surviving papers and visual documents and her own extraordinary and vivid memories. An equal debt is owed to the late Jonathan Root, whose preliminary notes and audiotaped conversations with Rains during the 1960s provided a practical basis for this book.

Thanks to the University of Victoria, Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, and the Lansdowne Visiting Scholar Program for a residency that made possible this project's completion. In particular, I am indebted to department chair Peter Glz, acting chair Sehry Yekelchyk, and Dean of Humanities Andrew Rippin. Additional thanks in Victoria are owed to Gregory Burt, Paul and Dagmar Henry, Dave O'Brien, Linda Ulrich, Robert Beaupre, Graydon Guest, Mike Belknap, and the Journey-Men: Steve, John, Tom, Mike, Chris, and Chris.

At the University Press of Kentucky, I owe much to Leila Salisbury, Mack McCormick, and Lin Wirkus; thanks also to Donna Bouvier for her intelligent and perceptive copyediting (not to mention her special interest in all things Rainsian). I am equally grateful to Tom Jones for his uncommonly eagle-eyed proofreading. And what can I say about Jen Huppert's stunning cover design and Richard Farkas's impeccable interior layouts and typography? Thank you somehow doesn't seem quite enough. I am grateful to my agent, Christopher Schelling, for pairing me with the whole Kentucky team.

Thanks also to those individuals and institutions where I conducted research, including the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University (special thanks to J. C. Johnson); the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (special thanks to Stacey Behlmer); the Warner Bros. Collection at the University of Southern California as well as USC's Film and Television Library (special thanks to Ned Comstock); the Billy Rose Theatre Collection at the New York Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center (especially Leslie Ferrari); the Free Library of Philadelphia Theatre Collection (special thanks to Geraldine Duclow); the MacPherson Library, University of Victoria; the Los Angeles Public Library; the Beverly Hills Public Library; the Pasadena Public Library; the Glendale Public Library; the Connecticut State Library; the San Diego Public Library; and the Scottish Regiment, London.

Individuals who provided interviews, information, advice, research leads, photographs, general assistance, friendship, hospitality, and support include Rudy Behlmer, Jay Blotcher, Ronald V. Borst, Ray Bradbury, Kevin Brownlow (for proofreading above and beyond the call of duty), Dr. Sam Carvajal, Keith Clark, Julius Epstein, Susanna Foster, Kevin Gerlock and Sandra Skal-Gerlock, the late Sir John Gielgud, Dr. Julia Gomez, Jack Greene, Aljean Harmetz, Byron Hite, George Hoffman, Clay Hornik, Michael Isador, Scott MacQueen, Bob Madison, the late Roddy McDowall (for photographs as well as an interview), Ronald Neame, Lori Nelson, Terry Nelson, Ted Newsome, Terry Pace, Linda Robinson, Rich Scrivani, the late Vincent Sherman, Joyce Stock and David Cheng, Donna Tattle (major thanks for her patient and generous photographic assistance), Ara Touniyans, the late Richard Valley, Tom Weaver, and JoAnna Wiokowski.

The ebullient original cast recording of The Drowsy Chaperone got me through the darkest drudgery of final fact-checking and indexing (Claude Rains himself certainly understood the sustaining and restorative energies of live theatre). Our extended family of feline companionsWhitefoot, Margaret, Louis, and Momcatoffered their constant, calming reassurance, even while draping themselves all over the desk, monitor, and manuscript.

Finally, heartfelt thanks forever to Robert Postawko, whose contributions and support to this and many other projects can never be fully repaid or enumerated.