Five minutes, everybody! The curtain’s going up on the “Claude Rains Blogathon!”

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Often we’d secretly like to do the very things we discipline ourselves against. Isn’t that true? Well, here in the movies I can be as mean, as wicked as I want to – and all without hurting anybody. Look at that lovely girl I’ve just shot! – Claude Rains

See the complete roster of this blogathon here.

When you hear the name Claude Rains, what comes to your mind? A famous voice, a chilling laugh, a pair of slightly wandering but piercing eyes, a thick head of curly brown hair? Whatever this famous name means to you, be sure to read on and see how I, Rebekah Brannan from the Pure Entertainment Preservation Society (PEPS), am honoring this wonderful actor of the Golden Era on his 129th birthday!

On November 9-11, the three days surrounding Claude Rains’s birthday, PEPS will be hosting a blogathon to celebrate this brilliant star of the Silver Cinema. We acknowledge that the day following his birthday is Veteran’s Day, which celebrates the end of World War I, and we consider this very apropos, since he served dutifully in the Great War, sustaining permanent injury to his eyes and vocal chords due to a gas attack. We respectfully submit this blogathon as an honor to this man as both a great actor and a heroic soldier.

The Rules:

  1. I am putting no limitations on duplicates. Although Mr. Rains did make a great many films in his long career, there are a select few that are particularly famous and beloved, which I’m sure several people will want to review.
  2. Although Mr. Rains did do a good deal of work in the media of stage, radio, and television, I wish to limit this blogathon to his film career, since PEPS predominately celebrates the cinema during the Golden Era.
  3. Because PEPS’s main goal is to celebrate and spread the word about the Code and the wonderful films it produced, we ask that you please keep all articles Code-compliant, even when discussing a film which is not.

Here are the banners for the “Claude Rains Blogathon,” all of which feature a photograph from a film in which Mr. Rains played the title character. Please select one and include it in your article. Please use these banners to advertise the blogathon on your website!

The Claude Rains Blogathon (1)

This banner features the last shot from Claude Rains’s first film, The Invisible Man (1933); this is the only shot in the entire film where he is seen.

The Claude Rains Blogathon (3)

This banner features a shot from the film Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941); it is from the scene in which the angel, Mr. Jordan (Claude Rains), tells Joe Pendleton (Robert Montgomery) that he must leave the body of Bruce Farnsworth.

The Claude Rains Blogathon

This banner features a shot from the film Phantom of the Opera (1943); it is from the film’s climax, shortly before Christine DuBois (Susanna Foster) removes his mask, revealing his acid-scarred face.

The Claude Rains Blogathon (2)

This banner features a shot from Mr. Skeffington (1944); it is from the scene on a ferryboat after Fanny Trellis (Bette Davis) and Job Skeffington (Claude Rains) have gotten married.

The Claude Rains Blogathon (4)

This banner features a shot from the British film Caesar and Cleopatra (1945); in this scene, Caesar (Claude Rains) prays to a sphynx, shortly before meeting Cleopatra (Vivien Leigh).

Roster of Participants

  1. Rebekah Brannan of The Pure Entertainment Preservation Society – Phantom of the Opera from 1943
  2. Tiffany Brannan of The Pure Entertainment Preservation Society – Mr. Skeffington from 1944
  3. Jenni of Portraits by Jenni – The Unsuspected from 1947
  4. Ruth Kerr of Silver Screenings – The Invisible Man from 1933
  5. Phyllis of Phyllis Loves Classic Movies – Four Daughters (1938)
  6. Rebecca Deniston of Taking Up Room – Here Comes Mr. Jordan from 1941
  7. Eva Schon of Coffee, Classics, & Craziness – The Adventures of Robin Hood from 1938
  8. Winthrop J. Quiggy of Midnite Drive-In – Battle of the Worlds from 1961
  9. Crystal Kalyana of In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood – Now, Voyager from 1942
  10. Debbie Vega of Moon in Gemini – Deception from 1946
  11. Maddy of Maddy Loves Her Classic Films – A Tribute to Claude Rains
  12. Rob of MovieRob – Mr. Skeffington from 1944, Angel on My Shoulder from 1946, and Twilight of Honor from 1963
  13. Lesley of Second Sight Cinema – Love Letters: Dear Mr. Rains
  14. Poppity of FilmExodus – The Passionate Friends from 1947 and Phantom of the Opera from 1943

Please help us to make this blogathon a success by joining and displaying one of our banners on your website to advertise it! Also, don’t forget to join and advertise the Second Annual Great Breening Blogathon, which is coming up soon, on October 12-17!

Join The Second Annual Great Breening Blogathon!

Follow us to bring back the Code and save the arts in America!

We are lifting our voices in classical song to help the sun rise on a new day of pure entertainment!

Only the Code can make the sun rise on a new day of pure entertainment!

 

54 thoughts on “Five minutes, everybody! The curtain’s going up on the “Claude Rains Blogathon!””

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  9. Hi Tiffany and Rebekah. Unfortunately, I’m not going to have time to write about all of Claude’s collaborations with Bette Davis as initially anticipated. However, I still want to take part. I’d be happy to write about “Now Voyager” instead.

    Also, I’m really sorry for not being able to get my article completed for your “Great Breening Blogathon”. I’ve been under a strict deadline with my studies, and haven’t been able to do the blogathons that I would like.

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    • Dear Crystal,

      Thank you for letting us know about your change in topic. I understand that you’re under time restraints, so a simple review of “Now, Voyager” will be greatly appreciated. It is a great film and features brilliant performances by both Mr. Rains and Miss Davis.

      Also, we completely understand about the “Great Breening Blogathon.” We are glad that you can help us celebrate Claude Rains’s birthday, and we look forward to your joining us in future blogathons.

      I will change your topic on the roster and l look forward to receiving your article.

      Thanks again!

      With Hopes of Joy,

      Rebekah and Tiffany Brannan

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  13. Hi, Tiffany!

    What a wonderful blogathon topic—one of the great actors, who graced everything he appeared in, and a huge personal favorite. Would love to participate, I’m just trying to get back to blogging after a sustained period of challenge from chronic illness….

    Would it be all right to write a personal appreciation, sort of a love letter to him? I’d like to talk about him, his bio, some specific favorite roles, and thoughts on his career and contribution to movies. Some films I would discuss: Notorious, Now, Voyager, Mr. Skeffington, Casablanca, Four Daughters. Would love to discuss both his villains and his good guys, how he played both utterly convincingly.

    My website is secondsightcinema.com.

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    • Dear Lesley,

      I’m so glad that you like the topic. My sister, Rebekah, and I decided that it was time to give Claude Rains a much-deserved blogathon. We would love to have your talent in it! You sound like you really appreciate this wonderful actor. I will put you on the roster with the topic of “Tribute to Claude Rains.” We look forward to reading it! We hope that you feel better and enjoy getting back to blogging.

      Yours Hopefully,

      Tiffany Brannan

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      • Thank you, Tiffany and Rebekah, for the warm welcome!

        If it’s not too much trouble, could you call my entry “Love Letters: Dear Mr. Rains”? I’m thinking of Judy Garland singing “Dear Mr. Gable,” and hoping to start a new feature on my site of more personal pieces on movie folk who have particularly seized my imagination and affections.

        Looking forward to reading all the entries, thanks again.

        Have a great weekend!

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    • Dear Maddy,

      Thank you for posting early! What a lovely article. You wrote some really sincere, sweet, and heartfelt things about Claude Rains with which all we fans can identify. I will include the link in the announcement roster for now. When I publish the roster article on November 9, your article will be the first!

      Yours Hopefully,

      Tiffany Brannan

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. Hello! 😊
    I tried posting a message several days ago concerning the Blogathon but I think that it must not have gone through.
    I would be happy to submit two articles that I did last year on 2 Claude films: ‘The Passionate Friends’ & ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.
    Just let me know if you would be interested. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Dear Poppity,

      Thank you so much for wanting to join our blogathon! Unfortunately, I didn’t see that other comment you left. I have been having problems with WordPress. I am glad to know that you want to join! Those are wonderful movies! If you could perhaps republish the articles during the days of the blogathon with a link to our website and a banner, that would be wonderful! Shall I put you down as Poppity of Film Exodus?

      Yours Hopefully,

      Tiffany Brannan

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      Reply

        • Dear Rob,

          That sounds wonderful! I recently watched “Mr. Skeffington” for the first time myself. I really loved it, so you should enjoy it, too.

          By the way, I saw that you included my article in Genre Grandeur. Thank you very much for that! I’m thinking about participating in your November month. That’s a great topic! I just had a question. My sister, Rebekah, is writing about “Phantom of the Opera” from 1943 for our Claude Rains Blogathon. The Phantom is a violinist and a pianist. Could that article count as participation in Genre Grandeur if we included a link to your website?

          Thank you!

          Yours Hopefully,

          Tiffany Brannan

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    • Dear Maddy,

      Thank you so much for joining! We are so glad to have you join. We know that your talented writing skills will be wonderful in a tribute to Claude Rains. We’ll put you on the roster. Rebekah and I thank you for your good wishes and hope that you too are well.

      Yours Hopefully,

      Tiffany Brannan

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  21. Pingback: “The Code Puts ‘Music in My Heart’” for “100 Years of Rita Hayworth Blogathon” | pure entertainment preservation society

    • Dear Debbie,

      I’m so glad that you finally got my comment. I am looking forward to the blogathon. Thank you for letting me join.

      Thank you so much for joining the Claude Rains Blogathon! We can’t wait to read your article on deception. We’ll put you on the roster right away.

      Yours Hopefully,

      Tiffany Brannan

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  24. This feels like a really beautiful Blogathon, that too on Claude Rains. I would love to take part in. But I’ve been very sick this month, I still am. So it’s hard to say anything at the moment. Closer to the date I shall let you know, if am well enough, to work on something.
    Your sister, Tiffany, sent me this link.
    Am hosting a Bloagathon this month (though not taking part in it). If you can join, it would be lovely!! More the merrier. You are welcome to do as many posts as you like, so long as it’s within this month.
    Specific dates for the Blogathon are 20th – 22nd, but you are welcome to do posts till the 31st.
    Tiffany will be working on Joseph Breen.
    Regards
    Nuwan Sen

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  28. You picked a popular weekend for this one…; Four other blogathons and I’m committed to all of them. But I can squeeze you in if you let me post on early the 7th. I don’t like posting two reviews on the same day if I can avoid it, although I can WRITE two (or more) the same day… In my vast library of cheesy drive-in fare I have an Italian movie in which Rains was a part. “Battle of the Worlds” from 1961. (Italian title translates as “Planet of Extinct Men”)

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  29. I am really busy, especially during NaNoWriMo (which is in November) but Claude Rains is such a great actor that I can’t resist participating. I’d like to write about his role as Prince John in The Adventures of Robin Hood.

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    • Dear Eva,

      Thank you so much for joining! We are honored to have you. We’ll put you down on the roster for “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” We look forward to reading your article. Good luck with your other endeavors.

      Yours Hopefully,

      Tiffany Brannan

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