Claudette Colbert(1903-1996)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
One of the brightest film stars to grace the screen was born Emilie
Claudette Chauchoin on September 13, 1903, in Saint Mandé, France where
her father owned a bakery at 57, rue de la République (now Avenue Général de Gaulle). The family
moved to the United States when she was three. As Claudette grew up,
she wanted nothing more than to play to Broadway audiences (in those
days, any actress or actor worth their salt went for Broadway, not
Hollywood). After her formal education ended, she enrolled in the Art
Students League, where she paid for her dramatic training by working in
a dress shop. She made her Broadway debut in 1923 in the stage
production of "The Wild Wescotts". It was during this event that she
adopted the name Claudette Colbert.
When the Great Depression shut down most of the theaters, Claudette
decided to make a go of it in films. Her first film was called
For the Love of Mike (1927).
Unfortunately, it was a box-office disaster. She wasn't real keen on
the film industry, but with an extreme scarcity in theatrical roles,
she had no choice but to remain. In 1929 she starred as Joyce Roamer in
The Lady Lies (1929). The film was
a success and later that year she had another hit entitled
The Hole in the Wall (1929).
In 1930 she starred opposite Fredric March
in Manslaughter (1930), which was a
remake of the silent version of eight years earlier. A year after that
Claudette was again paired in a film with March,
Honor Among Lovers (1931). It
fared well at the box-office, probably only because it was the kind of
film that catered to women who enjoyed magazine fiction romantic
stories. In 1932 Claudette played the evil Poppeia in Cecil B.
DeMille's last great work,
The Sign of the Cross (1932),
and once again was cast with March. Later the same year she was paired
with Jimmy Durante in
The Phantom President (1932).
By now Claudette's name symbolized good movies and she, along with
March, pulled crowds into the theaters with the acclaimed
Tonight Is Ours (1933).
The next year started a little on the slow side with the release of
Four Frightened People (1934),
where Claudette and her co-stars were at odds with the dreaded bubonic
plague on board a ship. However, the next two films were real gems for
this young actress. First up, Claudette was charming and radiant in
Cecil B. DeMille's spectacular
Cleopatra (1934). It wasn't one of
DeMille's finest by any means, but it was a financial success and
showcased Claudette as never before. However, it was as Ellie Andrews,
in the now famous
It Happened One Night (1934),
that ensured she would be forever immortalized. Paired with
Clark Gable, the madcap comedy was a
mega-hit all across the country. It also resulted in Claudette being
nominated for and winning the Oscar that year for Best Actress. IN 1935
she was nominated again for
Private Worlds (1935), where she
played Dr. Jane Everest, on the staff at a mental institution. The
performance was exquisite. Films such as
The Gilded Lily (1935),
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
and No Time for Love (1943) kept
fans coming to the theaters and the movie moguls happy. Claudette was a
sure drawing card for virtually any film she was in. In 1944 she
starred as Anne Hilton in
Since You Went Away (1944).
Again, although she didn't win, Claudette picked up her third
nomination for Best Actress.
By the late 1940s and early 1950s she was not only seen on the screen
but the infant medium of television, where she appeared in a number of
programs. However, her drawing power was fading somewhat as new stars
replaced the older ones. In 1955 she filmed the western
Texas Lady (1955) and wasn't seen on
the screen again until Parrish (1961). It
was her final silver screen performance. Her final appearance before
the cameras was in a TV movie,
The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987).
She did, however, remain on the stage where she had returned in 1956,
her first love. After a series of strokes, Claudette divided her time
between New York and Barbados. On July 30, 1996, Claudette died in
Speightstown, Barbados. She was 92.
Claudette Chauchoin on September 13, 1903, in Saint Mandé, France where
her father owned a bakery at 57, rue de la République (now Avenue Général de Gaulle). The family
moved to the United States when she was three. As Claudette grew up,
she wanted nothing more than to play to Broadway audiences (in those
days, any actress or actor worth their salt went for Broadway, not
Hollywood). After her formal education ended, she enrolled in the Art
Students League, where she paid for her dramatic training by working in
a dress shop. She made her Broadway debut in 1923 in the stage
production of "The Wild Wescotts". It was during this event that she
adopted the name Claudette Colbert.
When the Great Depression shut down most of the theaters, Claudette
decided to make a go of it in films. Her first film was called
For the Love of Mike (1927).
Unfortunately, it was a box-office disaster. She wasn't real keen on
the film industry, but with an extreme scarcity in theatrical roles,
she had no choice but to remain. In 1929 she starred as Joyce Roamer in
The Lady Lies (1929). The film was
a success and later that year she had another hit entitled
The Hole in the Wall (1929).
In 1930 she starred opposite Fredric March
in Manslaughter (1930), which was a
remake of the silent version of eight years earlier. A year after that
Claudette was again paired in a film with March,
Honor Among Lovers (1931). It
fared well at the box-office, probably only because it was the kind of
film that catered to women who enjoyed magazine fiction romantic
stories. In 1932 Claudette played the evil Poppeia in Cecil B.
DeMille's last great work,
The Sign of the Cross (1932),
and once again was cast with March. Later the same year she was paired
with Jimmy Durante in
The Phantom President (1932).
By now Claudette's name symbolized good movies and she, along with
March, pulled crowds into the theaters with the acclaimed
Tonight Is Ours (1933).
The next year started a little on the slow side with the release of
Four Frightened People (1934),
where Claudette and her co-stars were at odds with the dreaded bubonic
plague on board a ship. However, the next two films were real gems for
this young actress. First up, Claudette was charming and radiant in
Cecil B. DeMille's spectacular
Cleopatra (1934). It wasn't one of
DeMille's finest by any means, but it was a financial success and
showcased Claudette as never before. However, it was as Ellie Andrews,
in the now famous
It Happened One Night (1934),
that ensured she would be forever immortalized. Paired with
Clark Gable, the madcap comedy was a
mega-hit all across the country. It also resulted in Claudette being
nominated for and winning the Oscar that year for Best Actress. IN 1935
she was nominated again for
Private Worlds (1935), where she
played Dr. Jane Everest, on the staff at a mental institution. The
performance was exquisite. Films such as
The Gilded Lily (1935),
Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
and No Time for Love (1943) kept
fans coming to the theaters and the movie moguls happy. Claudette was a
sure drawing card for virtually any film she was in. In 1944 she
starred as Anne Hilton in
Since You Went Away (1944).
Again, although she didn't win, Claudette picked up her third
nomination for Best Actress.
By the late 1940s and early 1950s she was not only seen on the screen
but the infant medium of television, where she appeared in a number of
programs. However, her drawing power was fading somewhat as new stars
replaced the older ones. In 1955 she filmed the western
Texas Lady (1955) and wasn't seen on
the screen again until Parrish (1961). It
was her final silver screen performance. Her final appearance before
the cameras was in a TV movie,
The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987).
She did, however, remain on the stage where she had returned in 1956,
her first love. After a series of strokes, Claudette divided her time
between New York and Barbados. On July 30, 1996, Claudette died in
Speightstown, Barbados. She was 92.