Charles Coburn

Also Known As: Charles Douville Coburn

Biography: Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American film and theatre actor. Best known for his work in comedies, Coburn received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1943's The More the Merrier. Coburn was born in Macon, Georgia, the son of Scotch-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman (May 11, 1838 Springfield, Ohio – November 12, 1896 Savannah, Georgia) and Moses Douville Coburn (April 27, 1834 Savannah, Georgia – December 27, 1902 Savannah, Georgia). Growing up in Savannah, he started out at age 14 doing odd jobs at the local Savannah Theater, handing out programs, ushering, or being the doorman. By age 17 or 18, he was the theater manager. He later became an actor, making his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn formed an acting company with actress Ivah Wills in 1905. They married in 1906. In addition to managing the company, the couple performed frequently on Broadway. After his wife's death in 1937, Coburn relocated to Los Angeles, California and began film work. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a retired millionaire playing Cupid in The More the Merrier in 1943. He was also nominated for The Devil and Miss Jones in 1941 and The Green Years in 1946. Other notable film credits include Of Human Hearts (1938), The Lady Eve (1941), Kings Row (1942), The Constant Nymph (1943), Heaven Can Wait (1943), Wilson (1944), Impact (1949), The Paradine Case (1947), Everybody Does It (1950), Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952), Monkey Business (1952), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and John Paul Jones (1959). He usually played comedic parts, but Kings Row and Wilson were dramatic parts, showing his versatility. For his contributions to motion pictures, in 1960, Coburn was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6268 Hollywood Boulevard. Description above from the Wikipedia article Charles Coburn, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Department: Acting

Place of Birth: Macon, Georgia, USA

Birthday: June 18, 1877

Deathday: August 30, 1961

Adult: No

Gender: Male

Popularity:

2.18%

Known For:

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Lady Eve
Lured
Monkey Business
The Paradine Case
Together Again
Impact
In Name Only
Princess O'Rourke
Vivacious Lady
George Washington Slept Here
Trouble Along the Way
Three Faces West
Bachelor Mother
The Story of Mankind
The Gal Who Took the West
The Long Wait
Rhapsody in Blue
In This Our Life
The Devil and Miss Jones
Edison, the Man
Idiot's Delight
Made for Each Other
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
Heaven Can Wait
Green Grass of Wyoming
The More the Merrier
Pepe
Kings Row
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
John Paul Jones
B.F.'s Daughter
Wilson
The People's Enemy
The Constant Nymph
A Royal Scandal
Our Wife
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
Over 21
The Doctor and the Girl
Stanley and Livingstone
The Green Years
Town on Trial
Lord Jeff
Mr. Music
Of Human Hearts
Shady Lady
How to Murder a Rich Uncle
How To Be Very, Very Popular
The Rocket Man
Yellow Jack
The Impatient Years
The Highwayman
The Power and the Prize
Unexpected Uncle
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend
Florian
A Stranger in My Arms
Knickerbocker Holiday
Everybody Does It
Road to Singapore
The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
My Kingdom for a Cook
Around the World in Eighty Days
Peggy
Louisa
The Captain Is a Lady
Colonel Effingham's Raid
Marilyn
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey
It's Showtime
Breakdowns of 1942