Claudette Colbert

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The picture of elegance and class in every role, Claudette Colbert was born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin in France before her family moved to Manhattan in 1906. Beginning her unplanned acting career on Broadway, Colbert would be recruited to star in some of sound’s earliest films, like The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) and His Woman (1931) alongside Gary Cooper. This was only the beginning of a movie career that would span well into the mid to late ‘50s, along with a television career beyond that.

During her long-standing career, Colbert played a wide variety of roles - first as a sultry temptress in films like Cleopatra (1934) and The Sign of The Cross (1932) and later as a beacon of hope and strength in dramas, such as So Proudly We Hail (1943). She also established herself as a very successful comedienne in films, such as It’s a Wonderful World (1939) with Jimmy Stewart and Midnight (1939) with Don Ameche. Unlike some of her peers, Colbert’s approach to comedy lay more in her facial expressions than on physical comedy.

In addition to her acting ability, Colbert was a hard worker who did her utmost to maintain and advance her career, making a name for herself as a true professional. Whether that meant learning all she could about lighting in order to look her best - she always preferred to be shot from her left side - or constantly looking for new material, she was always at the top of her game!

Core Films

*= my personal favorites

The Smiling Lieutenant (1931)

Cleopatra (1934)

Imitation of Life (1934)*

It Happened one Night (1934)*

Midnight (1939)*

Arise, My Love (1940)*

Boom Town (1940)

The Palm Beach Story (1942)*

So Proudly We Hail (1943)*

Since You Went Away (1944)*

Tomorrow is Forever (1946)*

Sleep, My Love (1948)

Three Came Home (1950)

For More

Books

Biography; Claudette Colbert: An Illustrated Biography by Lawrence J. Quirk: https://smile.amazon.com/Claudette-Colbert-Illustrated-Lawrence-Quirk/dp/0517556782/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1550797316&sr=1-3&keywords=claudette+colbert

In It Happened One Night (1934) with Clark Gable

In Cleopatra (1934) with Henry Wilcoxon — In *Cleopatra* (1934) with Henry Wilcoxon

In Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) with Henry Fonda — In *Drums Along the Mohawk* (1939) with Henry Fonda

With Gary Cooper in Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1938) — With Gary Cooper in *Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife* (1938)

With Orson Welles in Tomorrow is Forever (1946)

In Let’s Make it Legal (1951) with Macdonald Carey, Marilyn Monroe, and Zachary Scott — In *Let’s Make it Legal* (1951) with Macdonald Carey, Marilyn Monroe, and Zachary Scott

With Veronica Lake in So Proudly We Hail (1943) — With Veronica Lake in *So Proudly We Hail* (1943)

I Met Him in Paris (1937) — *I Met Him in Paris* (1937)

In Arise, My Love (1940) with Ray Milland — In *Arise, My Love* (1940) with Ray Milland

The Bride Comes Home (1935) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Robert Young — *The Bride Comes Home* (1935) co-starring Fred MacMurray and Robert Young

Torch Singer (1933) — *Torch Singer* (1933)

With Fred MacMurray in Maid of Salem (1937) — With Fred MacMurray in *Maid of Salem* (1937)

She Married Her Boss (1935) with Melvyn Douglas and Edith Fellows — *She Married Her Boss* (1935) with Melvyn Douglas and Edith Fellows

Secret Fury (1950) — *Secret Fury* (1950)

With Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple in Since You Went Away (1944) — With Jennifer Jones and Shirley Temple in *Since You Went Away* (1944)

With Louise Beavers in the first screen adaptation of Imitation of Life (1934) — With Louise Beavers in the first screen adaptation of *Imitation of Life* (1934)

No Time for Love (1943) — *No Time for Love* (1943)

It Happened One Night (1934) — *It Happened One Night* (1934)

In the hilarious mystery comedy It’s a Wonderful World (1939) co-starring James Stewart

So Proudly We Hail (1943), co-starring Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake — *So Proudly We Hail* (1943), co-starring Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake

With Ray Milland in The Gilded Lily (1935) — With Ray Milland in *The Gilded Lily* (1935)

Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) — *Drums Along the Mohawk* (1939)

Boom Town (1940) starring Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, Colbert, and Clark Gable — *Boom Town* (1940) starring Spencer Tracy, Hedy Lamarr, Colbert, and Clark Gable

Imitation of Life (1934) — *Imitation of Life* (1934)

With June Allyson and Walter Pidgeon in The Secret Heart (1946) — With June Allyson and Walter Pidgeon in *The Secret Heart* (1946)

I Cover the Waterfront (1933) — *I Cover the Waterfront* (1933)

Three Came Home (1950) — *Three Came Home* (1950)

Skylark (1941) with Brian Aherne and Ray Milland — *Skylark* (1941) with Brian Aherne and Ray Milland

Thunder on the Hill with Ann Blyth (1951) — *Thunder on the Hill* with Ann Blyth (1951)

Behind the scenes of Boom Town (1940) with Frank Morgan, Clark Gable, Colbert, Hedy Lamarr, and Spencer Tracy — Behind the scenes of *Boom Town* (1940) with Frank Morgan, Clark Gable, Colbert, Hedy Lamarr, and Spencer Tracy

In The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) with Miriam Hopkins and Maurice Chevalier — In *The Smiling Lieutenant* (1931) with Miriam Hopkins and Maurice Chevalier

Practically Yours (1944) co-starring Fred MacMurray — *Practically Yours* (1944) co-starring Fred MacMurray

Three-Cornered Moon (1933) — *Three-Cornered Moon* (1933)

Young Man of Manhattan (1930) — *Young Man of Manhattan* (1930)

With Don Ameche and Dick Foran in Guest Wife (1945) — With Don Ameche and Dick Foran in *Guest Wife* (1945)

In Four Frightened People (1934) with William Gargan and Herbert Marshall — In *Four Frightened People* (1934) with William Gargan and Herbert Marshall

Family Honeymoon (1949) with Fred MacMurray — *Family Honeymoon* (1949) with Fred MacMurray

Private Worlds (1935) — *Private Worlds* (1935)

With Fredric March in Honor Among Lovers (1931) — With Fredric March in *Honor Among Lovers* (1931)

The Palm Beach Story (1942) — *The Palm Beach Story* (1942)

It Happened One Night (1934) co-starring Clark Gable — *It Happened One Night* (1934) co-starring Clark Gable

With frequent co-star Fred MacMurray in The Egg and I (1947)

With Don DeForce and John Wayne in Without Reservations (1946) — With Don DeForce and John Wayne in *Without Reservations* (1946)

Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1938) co-starring Gary Cooper — *Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife* (1938) co-starring Gary Cooper

With Ronald Colman in Under Two Flags (1936) — With Ronald Colman in *Under Two Flags* (1936)

Tomorrow is Forever (1946) — *Tomorrow is Forever* (1946)

With the cast of Midnight (1939) — With the cast of *Midnight* (1939)

With frequent co-star fred MacMurray in The Gilded Lily (1935) — With frequent co-star fred MacMurray in *The Gilded Lily* (1935)

The cast of The Pal Beach Story (1942): Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, director and writer Preston Sturges, Colbert, and Rudy Vallée — The cast of *The Pal Beach Story* (1942): Joel McCrea, Mary Astor, director and writer Preston Sturges, Colbert, and Rudy Vallée

The Pal Beach Story (1942) — *The Pal Beach Story* (1942)

Behind the scenes of Tovarich (1937), co-starring Charles Boyer — Behind the scenes of *Tovarich* (1937), co-starring Charles Boyer

The Sign of the Cross (1932) — *The Sign of the Cross* (1932)

In Sleep, My Love (1948) with Robert Cummings

With Walter Huston in The Lady Lies (1929) — With Walter Huston in *The Lady Lies* (1929)

Tomorrow is Forever (1946) with a very young Natalie Wood — *Tomorrow is Forever* (1946) with a very young Natalie Wood

A candid publicity still of Ray Milland and Colbert for Arise, My Love (1940) — A candid publicity still of Ray Milland and Colbert for *Arise, My Love* (1940)

Four Frightened People (1934) — *Four Frightened People* (1934)

With John Payne in Remember the Day (1941) — With John Payne in *Remember the Day* (1941)

Tonight is Ours (1933) — *Tonight is Ours* (1933)

Star Profile, Star of the MonthOliviaMarch 4, 2019Star Profile, Star of the Month, Claudette ColbertComment