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Douglas Rain

Douglas Rain

Acting

Biography

Douglas Rain (March 13, 1928 - November 11, 2018) was a Canadian actor and narrator. He was primarily a stage actor, but his best known film role was as the voice of the HAL 9000 computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and its sequel 2010 (1984). Rain was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He studied acting at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Banff, Alberta as well as in London at the Old Vic School. As a stage actor, his long association with the Stratford Festival of Canada that spans more than four decades. He has performed in many diverse roles on stage, most notably recognized for his performance at Stratford, Ontario in Henry V which was made into a television production in 1966. Rain was also nominated for Broadway's 1972 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for his performance in Vivat! Vivat Regina!

Known For

BBC Play of the Month
5.3

A BBC television anthology series featuring productions of classic and contemporary stage plays usually broadcast on BBC1. Each production featured a different work, often using prominent British stage actors in the leading roles. The series was transmitted from October 1965 to September 1983.

BBC Play of the Month

1965
2001: A Space Odyssey
8.0

Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.

2001: A Space Odyssey

1968
Folio
10.0

Folio, a precursor to CBC's renowned fine-arts series Festival, aired for four years starting in 1956. The series showcased original dramas, music compositions, and ballets, many originating from diverse regions across Canada. Notable episodes featured Barry Morse in a new staging of MacBeth, along with performances by Canadian talents like Robert Goulet and Sharon Acker. One of the highlights included a musical adaptation of the beloved Canadian classic, Anne of Green Gables. Airing without sponsorship, Folio thrived until its conclusion in the fall of 1960. Producers: Robert Allen, Harvey Hart, David Greene, Mario Prizek and Ronald Weyman.

Folio

1955
2010
6.7

While planet Earth poises on the brink of nuclear self-destruction, a team of Russian and American scientists aboard the Leonov hurtles to a rendezvous with the still-orbiting Discovery spacecraft and its sole known survivor, the homicidal computer HAL.

2010

1984
Sleeper
6.9

Miles Monroe, a clarinet-playing health food store proprietor, is revived out of cryostasis 200 years into a future world in order to help rebels fight an oppressive government regime.

Sleeper

1973
No Price Too High
10.0

The Canadian contribution to World War Two was extraordinary in scale and variety. More than one million people, out of nation of just eleven million, volunteered to serve. To transform a small, virtually unequipped military into a powerful army, navy and air force was a remarkable achievement. No Price Too High traces Canada's involvement from the prewar years through 1945, explaining the events of the war in the context of the political and military realities of the time. There is none of the second guessing that has characterized so much recent analysis of the war. No Price Too High draws on original sources - personal letters and diary entries, and powerful photographs - to evoke the mood of those momentous years. The thoughts, hopes, dreams, fears, and heartbreaks of the generation of Canadians who faced the war are captured. Produced by Norflicks, No Price Too High chronicles Canada's role in the major events of the war, including The Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day.

No Price Too High

1995
Universe
7.5

A triumph of film art, creating on the screen a vast, awe-inspiring picture of the universe as it would appear to a voyager through space, this film was among the sources of inspiration used by Stanley Kubrick for his 2001: A Space Odyssey. Realistic animation takes you into far regions of space, beyond the reach of the strongest telescope, past Moon, Sun, and Milky Way, into galaxies yet unfathomed.

Universe

1960
LIFE BEYOND
N/A

Life Beyond explores humanity's future, the evolution of technology, and the mysteries of the universe. From AI and space exploration to philosophical reflections on existence, each chapter combines stunning visuals with emotional music, creating an immersive experience.

LIFE BEYOND

2019
The Man Who Skied Down Everest
6.8

This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain.

The Man Who Skied Down Everest

1975
Oedipus Rex
6.5

The story of Oedipus' gradual discovery of his primal crime, killing his father and marrying his mother, filmed by the famed British theatrical director Sir Tyrone Guthrie. This elegant version of Sophocles' play adds a brilliant stroke: the actors wear masks just as the Greeks did in the playwright's day.

Oedipus Rex

1957
The Russian German War
5.5

This is a rare look at one of the worst horror stories in the long infamous history of warfare. This series features captured German and Russian film footage, much of which has never been seen before. For decades the Cold War prevented us from looking closely at what really happened between the Russians and the Germans on the Eastern Front during World War II. More than a struggle between nations, it pitted maniacal tyrant against maniacal tyrant, evil ideology against evil ideology. The lives of tens of millions of human beings were consumed by its raging hatreds and appalling indignities. One in every ten Russians died. One in every four Poles died. Whole divisions of Italians, Romanians, Hungarians disappeared with barely a trace. An average of 17,800 people died on every single day and this, the war on the Russian German Front, lasted for 1,400 days. This series features captured German and Russian film footage, much of which has never been seen before.

The Russian German War

1995
A Cry of Angels
N/A

Hallmark presents the story of how the greatest oratorio, George Frederic Handel's "The Messiah," came to be written in the English language.

A Cry of Angels

1963
The Stratford Adventure
6.2

This short film depicts how a small Canadian city, bearing the name of Stratford and by a river Avon, created its own renowned Shakespearean theatre. The film tells how the idea grew, how a famous British director, international stars and Canadian talent were recruited, and how the Stratford Shakespearean Festival finally became a triumphant reality.

The Stratford Adventure

1954
No image
10.0

This film is a reconstruction of Robert Baldwin’s involvement in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. Though bound to the cause of constitutional reform by principle, Baldwin’s heart was with the rebels and in the midst of armed revolt, he withdrew to fight a lonely battle with himself.

Robert Baldwin: A Matter Of Principle

1961
No image
9.0

In this short documentary we learn the back story of the Buddha – the religion he founded and how it is manifested today. Travel through Southeast Asia to India, Burma, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), Thailand, Japan, China and many other countries to discover the history and ideas behind Buddhism.

Buddhism

1962
Henry V
9.0

Henry, tracing his descent from Edward III, has claimed the French crown. Assured by the Archbishop of Canterbury that right is on his side, and needled by the Dauphin’s insolence, he prepares for war.

Henry V

1967
Love & Larceny
7.0

Besty Bigley, a notorious con-woman of the 1890s, alias Mrs. Chadwick, alias Pelvina de Vere, and a string of other false names, worked her way up the criminal ranks, all the way to Wall Street, where she chiseled fortunes out of millionaires. Based on a true story.

Love & Larceny

1985
No image
7.0

A young Japanese-Canadian businessman, now established in Montréal, recalls the time during World War II when the Japanese-Canadian community of Canada's west coast was uprooted and moved inland. There are some flashbacks to the events he describes, but the film is mainly about his home and family life in Montréal and his successful career as a chemical engineer.

Bird of Passage

1966
No image
10.0

For all who enjoy ballet, this English-language film presents an insight into the dance that only dancers ordinarily see. It is an engaging film portrait of the famous Canadian husband-and-wife team, Anna Marie and David Holmes. We see their busy lives as international dance stars, their private interests and, above all, their dedication to the absolute refinement of ballet movement.

Tour en l'air

1973
Donald Brittain: Filmmaker
7.0

A retrospective of documentary films by Donald Brittain offering a glimpse of the man and the restless energy that informed his work. Dedicated and hard-working Brittain left nothing to chance, driving himself and his colleagues at the NFB and the CBC until perfection was achieved, or until airtime -- whichever came first.

Donald Brittain: Filmmaker

1992