Claudette Colbert
Birthday:
13 September 1903, Saint-Mandé, Seine [now Val-de-Marne], France
Birth Name:
Emilie Claudette Chauchoin
Height:
164 cm
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 ...
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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. Show less «
Most of us don't know about happiness until it's over.
Most of us don't know about happiness until it's over.
I've always believed that acting is instinct to start with; you either have it or you don't.
I've always believed that acting is instinct to start with; you either have it or you don't.
Audiences always sound like they're glad to see me, and I'm damned glad to see them. If they want you, you want to do it.
Audiences always sound like they're glad to see me, and I'm damned glad to see them. If they want you, you want to do it.
I know what's best for me, after all I have been in the Claudette Colbert business longer than anybody.
I know what's best for me, after all I have been in the Claudette Colbert business longer than anybody.
[after having been asked to write her autobiography] Books written by actresses are for the birds. Besides, what would I write? That somebod...Show more »
[after having been asked to write her autobiography] Books written by actresses are for the birds. Besides, what would I write? That somebody was looking for an Italian type to play the ingénue in a film and I might do? Show less «
Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy - the mother.
Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy - the mother.
[to Bette Davis] You're the luckiest of us all. You started playing older women when you were young. So you never had to bridge the gap.
[to Bette Davis] You're the luckiest of us all. You started playing older women when you were young. So you never had to bridge the gap.
[on Clark Gable] I was so happy to be within two feet of him.
[on Clark Gable] I was so happy to be within two feet of him.
This I know for sure. Of all the marriages I've seen where the husband has love for his wife after fifteen years, the wife has the ability t...Show more »
This I know for sure. Of all the marriages I've seen where the husband has love for his wife after fifteen years, the wife has the ability to make him laugh. She is gay when he comes home. She doesn't bore him with her petty ills. Show less «
Some women think if you don't expect too much you won't be let down. I always expect miracles. Sure, I'm let down. But they're near miracles...Show more »
Some women think if you don't expect too much you won't be let down. I always expect miracles. Sure, I'm let down. But they're near miracles. Show less «
[on winning the Best Actress Oscar for It Happened One Night (1934)] I was surprised when I got the prize. I really had no idea I would get ...Show more »
[on winning the Best Actress Oscar for It Happened One Night (1934)] I was surprised when I got the prize. I really had no idea I would get it. In fact, I was ready to leave for New York the night they called to tell me about it. Dressed in a mousy brown suit, I was escorted into the banquet hall full of diamonds and tail coats. It was especially embarrassing because I imagined they thought I was putting on an act, making an entrance. Show less «
[In 1982] I try to live sensibly. I sleep well, eat well, and have only one drink a day. I have managed to stay at 108 pounds - which is wha...Show more »
[In 1982] I try to live sensibly. I sleep well, eat well, and have only one drink a day. I have managed to stay at 108 pounds - which is what I weighed years ago. I eat three meals a day, but if I'm working in a play, I need four meals a day for additional energy. Show less «
[During the 1960s] I think there was more sex in those old films than in all that thrashing around today. I'm tired of sex scenes.
[During the 1960s] I think there was more sex in those old films than in all that thrashing around today. I'm tired of sex scenes.
I always had the feeling on the screen, and I never lost it, that I'd never given my best performance. I never felt I'd had enough rehearsin...Show more »
I always had the feeling on the screen, and I never lost it, that I'd never given my best performance. I never felt I'd had enough rehearsing. When you go on the stage after four weeks of rehearsal, you know what you're doing. And really, there's nothing like that wonderful feeling of facing your audience. Show less «
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