Claudette Colbert

Claudette Colbert

Biography: Claudette Colbert was born in Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France on September 13, 1903 and was brought to the United States as a child three years later. Born Emilie 'Lily' Claudette Chauchoin, she went to high school in New York. She was studying at the Art Students League when, in 1923, she took the name Claudette Colbert for her first Broadway role in "The Wild Westcotts". Her most noteworthy stage vehicle was the "The Barker" in 1927. Her first film was a silent For the Love of Mike (1927), directed by Frank Capra. Made on a shoestring, the movie was a flop, and she vowed that it would be her last film role: "I only left Broadway when the crash came. The Depression killed the theater, and the pictures were manna from heaven". She had her first film success the next year, however, in The Lady Lies (1929). Her early notable films were all box-office hits and included Cleopatra (1934), in which she played the title role enticingly. She had her greatest triumph playing a runaway heiress, with enormous charm, opposite Clark Gable in Capra's comedy It Happened One Night (1934), for which she won the Academy Award as Best Actress. By 1938 her keen ability in business made her the highest paid star in Hollywood. By 1950, though, her star had begun to wane. She returned to the stage in 1956 when she replaced Margaret Sullavan during the spring and summer in the comedy "Janus". Appearances in other Broadway productions followed, including "The Marriage-Go-Round". Besides the stage, she did TV specials and had a supporting role in a notable TV movie, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987), for which she received a Golden Globe award. In 1989 she was presented with a Life Achievement award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She married actor Norman Foster in 1928, although they never lived together and were divorced after seven years. She married surgeon Dr. Joel Pressman soon after and remained married until his death in 1968. In latter years she divided her time between an apartment in New York and a 200-year-old plantation house in Speightstown, Barbados, where she entertained such guests as Frank Sinatra and Ronald Reagan. She remained on Barbados Island after her stroke. On July 30, 1996, Claudette died in Speightstown, Barbados. She was 92.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: September 13, 1903

Deathday: July 30, 1996

Popularity:

8.139

Known For

It Happened One Night
It Happened One Night

1934-02-22

The Smiling Lieutenant
The Smiling Lieutenant

1931-08-01

Let's Make It Legal
Let's Make It Legal

1951-10-31

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife

1938-03-25

Midnight
Midnight

1939-03-24

No Time for Love
No Time for Love

1943-04-09

The Palm Beach Story
The Palm Beach Story

1942-08-28

Without Reservations
Without Reservations

1946-05-13

I Cover the Waterfront
I Cover the Waterfront

1933-05-19

Parrish
Parrish

1961-05-04

The Egg and I
The Egg and I

1947-05-01

Since You Went Away
Since You Went Away

1944-06-30

Tovarich
Tovarich

1937-12-25

Four Frightened People
Four Frightened People

1934-01-26

Cleopatra
Cleopatra

1934-10-05

Tomorrow Is Forever
Tomorrow Is Forever

1946-02-20

The Lady Lies
The Lady Lies

1929-09-21

It's a Wonderful World
It's a Wonderful World

1939-05-19

Imitation of Life
Imitation of Life

1934-11-23

Royal Affairs in Versailles
Royal Affairs in Versailles

1954-02-10

She Married Her Boss
She Married Her Boss

1935-09-19

The Sign of the Cross
The Sign of the Cross

1932-11-30

Torch Singer
Torch Singer

1933-09-08

Drums Along the Mohawk
Drums Along the Mohawk

1939-11-10

Three-Cornered Moon
Three-Cornered Moon

1933-08-08

The Gilded Lily
The Gilded Lily

1935-01-25

The Secret Fury
The Secret Fury

1950-02-21

Sleep, My Love
Sleep, My Love

1948-02-18

Boom Town
Boom Town

1940-08-30

Under Two Flags
Under Two Flags

1936-04-30

Maid of Salem
Maid of Salem

1937-02-12

Remember the Day
Remember the Day

1941-12-25

Thunder on the Hill
Thunder on the Hill

1951-10-17

Skylark
Skylark

1941-11-21

Three Came Home
Three Came Home

1950-02-20

Family Honeymoon
Family Honeymoon

1948-12-06

The Hole in the Wall
The Hole in the Wall

1929-04-27

Private Worlds
Private Worlds

1935-04-19

The Bride Comes Home
The Bride Comes Home

1935-12-25

So Proudly We Hail
So Proudly We Hail

1943-09-09

Arise, My Love
Arise, My Love

1940-11-08

Guest Wife
Guest Wife

1945-07-27

I Met Him in Paris
I Met Him in Paris

1937-05-28

Honor Among Lovers
Honor Among Lovers

1931-02-28

Frank Capra Jr. Remembers: 'It Happened One Night'
Frank Capra Jr. Remembers: 'It Happened One Night'

1999-12-27

Make Me a Star
Make Me a Star

1932-07-01

Manslaughter
Manslaughter

1930-07-22

The Phantom President
The Phantom President

1932-09-23

Tonight Is Ours
Tonight Is Ours

1933-01-21

Texas Lady
Texas Lady

1955-11-23

The Misleading Lady
The Misleading Lady

1932-04-15

Practically Yours
Practically Yours

1944-12-20

The Man from Yesterday
The Man from Yesterday

1932-06-24

Secrets of a Secretary
Secrets of a Secretary

1931-09-05

The Planter's Wife
The Planter's Wife

1952-12-04

Young Man of Manhattan
Young Man of Manhattan

1930-04-19

Zaza
Zaza

1938-12-29

The Big Pond
The Big Pond

1930-05-03

His Woman
His Woman

1931-11-20

The Secret Heart
The Secret Heart

1946-12-25

Bride for Sale
Bride for Sale

1949-11-12

For the Love of Mike
For the Love of Mike

1927-07-31

Blithe Spirit
Blithe Spirit

1956-01-14

Daughters of Destiny
Daughters of Destiny

1954-01-21

The Wiser Sex
The Wiser Sex

1932-03-14

The Fashion Side of Hollywood
The Fashion Side of Hollywood

1935-11-04

That's Entertainment! III
That's Entertainment! III

1994-07-01

Breakdowns of 1938
Breakdowns of 1938

1938-12-31

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

1940-07-31

Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Hollywood: Style Center of the World

1940-05-29

Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6

1942-10-05

Complicated Women
Complicated Women

2003-05-06

Hollywood Goes to Town
Hollywood Goes to Town

1938-07-07

The House That Shadows Built
The House That Shadows Built

1931-07-08

The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender

1997-11-01

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