Event honoring Claude Rains and his movies heralds return of FestivalSouth's movie fest

Jessica Rains grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania, just about as far away from her father's workplace as he could find.

Rains' father was an actor in Hollywood, but he didn't like it there, so spent as much time as he could at home in Pennsylvania with his family.

"As far as I knew, my dad was a farmer," Rains said.

She learned about his acting career when he took her to a local theater to see "The Invisible Man," her father's first film.

"You didn't see much of him in that movie," Rains said.

True enough, since her father was the title character — and invisible.

Rains said the movie was filmed using special effects that made her father appear invisible, and he explained some of the scenes as they watched the movie.

"You can't hide that voice," she said. "When the lights went up, everyone turned around to where we were sitting in the back row."

Rains' father, Claude Rains, went on to act in dozens of movies, including "Casablanca," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood," but to Jessica Rains, he was always her father, the farmer.

Jessica Rains will be in Hattiesburg in March to talk about her father's work during a popup film celebration hosted by FestivalSouth.

The event marks the resurgence of the FestivalSouth Film Expo and will include a showing of "Casablanca," which features Claude Rains, beginning at 2 p.m. March 2 at Fat Cat, 309 McLeod St.

"Casablanca" was an anti-war film, written on the fly, Jessica Rains said.

"It was just another studio film," she said. "They were grinding them out.

"None of them had any idea that what they were making was so extraordinary. It was very surprising that it was the hit that it was — and still is."

Joining Jessica Rains will be her daughter, Abigail Lenz Allen, cofounder of Hattiesburlesque. They will share their experiences and host a Q and A after the movie.

“I'm truly honored to celebrate my father's legacy here,” Jessica Rains said. “It's heartwarming to see his work still cherished after all these years.

Later the same day, FSFX will present the “March Monster Madness” bash, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear their "wackiest movie monster attire" and be ready to hit the dance floor. The bash is inspired by Claude Rains' iconic roles in “The Invisible Man,” “The Wolfman” and “Phantom of the Opera.”

Music will be provided by The Red Organ Trio, DJ Liberator and the Big Chill. Other surprises are in store as well, said FestivalSouth Artistic Director Mike Lopinto.

“We're beyond thrilled to bring FSFX back in such a dynamic way," Lopinto said. "It's a unique blend of local flavor and Hollywood glamour, offering something for everyone, from the classic film lovers to the young and hip crowd.”

Lopinto said Ward Emling, former head of the Mississippi Film Commission, and Drew Young, a local documentary filmmaker, have joined FSFX this year to bring their innovative crafts to the event.

For more information about FSFX and other FestivalSouth events, visit festivalsouth.org.

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This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Hattiesburg welcomes resturn of FestivalSouth movie festival