Douglas Rain

Douglas Rain

Born: March 13, 1928
Died: November 11, 2018
in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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!

Movies for Douglas Rain...

The Russian German War
Title: The Russian German War
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: January 1, 1995
Type: Movie
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.
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Title: No Price Too High
Character: Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King
Released: January 1, 1995
Type: TV
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.
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2010
Title: 2010
Character: HAL 9000 (voice)
Released: December 6, 1984
Type: Movie
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.
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The Man Who Skied Down Everest
Title: The Man Who Skied Down Everest
Character: Narrator
Released: September 19, 1975
Type: Movie
This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain.
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Sleeper
Title: Sleeper
Character: Bio Central Computer 2100, Series G (voice)
Released: December 17, 1973
Type: Movie
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.
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2001: A Space Odyssey
Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Character: HAL 9000 (voice)
Released: April 2, 1968
Type: Movie
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.
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Bird of Passage
Title: Bird of Passage
Character: Narrator
Released: January 1, 1966
Type: Movie
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.
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Fields of Sacrifice
Title: Fields of Sacrifice
Character: Narrator (voice)
Released: January 2, 1964
Type: Movie
This 1964 documentary returns to the battlefields where over 100,000 Canadian soldiers lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars. The film also visits cemeteries where servicemen are buried. Filmed from Hong Kong to Sicily, this documentary is designed to show Canadians places they have reason to know but may not be able to visit. Produced for the Canadian Department of Veteran Affairs by the renowned documentary filmmaker Donald Brittain. (NFB)
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A Cry of Angels
Title: A Cry of Angels
Released: December 15, 1963
Type: Movie
Hallmark presents the story of how the greatest oratorio, George Frederic Handel's "The Messiah," came to be written in the English language.
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Buddhism
Title: Buddhism
Character: Narrator
Released: January 1, 1962
Type: Movie
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.
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Robert Baldwin: A Matter Of Principle
Title: Robert Baldwin: A Matter Of Principle
Character: William Lyon Mackenzie
Released: January 1, 1961
Type: Movie
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.
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Universe
Title: Universe
Character: Narrator
Released: May 1, 1960
Type: Movie
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.
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Oedipus Rex
Title: Oedipus Rex
Character: Messenger
Released: January 6, 1957
Type: Movie
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.
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Title: Folio
Character: Malcom
Released: September 25, 1955
Type: TV
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.
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Title: Folio
Character: Jacob Schunk
Released: September 25, 1955
Type: TV
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.
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Title: Folio
Released: September 25, 1955
Type: TV
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.
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The Stratford Adventure
Title: The Stratford Adventure
Character: Self
Released: August 2, 1954
Type: Movie
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.