Claudette Colbert

Birthday: 1903-09-13
Deathday: 1995-08-21
Birthplace: Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France
Gender: Female
Drafted: 0
Drafted By: Unowned
Owned By: Unowned
Owned Wins: 0
Owned Noms: 0
Win Bonus: 5
Nom Bonus: 0
Total Points: 0

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.

Career Statisics

Season Age Movie Role Result Points
1935 32 It Happened One Night (1934) Leading Actress Win 0
1936 33 Private Worlds (1935) Leading Actress Nom 0
1945 42 Since You Went Away (1944) Leading Actress Nom 0
Career 0

Transaction History

Date Location Team Receives Team Receives Team Receives

Credits

Year Title Character
1961-05-04 Parrish Ellen McLean
1956-01-14 Blithe Spirit Ruth Condomine
1955-11-23 Texas Lady Prudence Webb
1954-02-10 Royal Affairs in Versailles Mme de Montespan
1954-01-21 Daughters of Destiny Elizabeth Whitefield (segment "Elisabeth")
1952-12-04 The Planter's Wife Liz Frazer
1951-10-31 Let's Make It Legal Miriam Halsworth
1951-10-17 Thunder on the Hill Sister Mary Bonaventure
1950-02-21 The Secret Fury Ellen Ewing
1950-02-20 Three Came Home Agnes Newton Keith
1949-11-12 Bride for Sale Nora Shelley
1948-12-06 Family Honeymoon Katie Armstrong Jordan
1948-02-18 Sleep, My Love Alison Courtland
1947-05-01 The Egg and I Betty MacDonald
1946-12-25 The Secret Heart Lee Addams
1946-05-13 Without Reservations Kit Madden
1946-02-20 Tomorrow Is Forever Elizabeth Hamilton
1945-07-27 Guest Wife Mary Price
1944-12-20 Practically Yours Peggy Martin
1944-06-30 Since You Went Away Mrs. Anne Hilton
1943-09-09 So Proudly We Hail Lt. Janet 'Davy' Davidson
1943-04-09 No Time for Love Katherine Grant
1942-08-28 The Palm Beach Story Geraldine 'Gerry' Jeffers
1941-12-25 Remember the Day Nora Trinell
1941-11-21 Skylark Lydia Kenyon
1940-11-08 Arise, My Love Augusta Nash
1940-08-30 Boom Town Betsy Bartlett
1939-11-10 Drums Along the Mohawk Lana (Magdelana)
1939-05-19 It's a Wonderful World Edwina Corday
1939-03-24 Midnight Eve Peabody
1938-12-29 Zaza Zaza
1938-03-25 Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Nicole De Loiselle
1937-12-25 Tovarich Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna Romanov
1937-05-28 I Met Him in Paris Kay Denham
1937-02-12 Maid of Salem Barbara Clarke
1936-04-30 Under Two Flags Cigarette
1935-12-25 The Bride Comes Home Jeannette Desmereau
1935-09-19 She Married Her Boss Julia Scott
1935-04-19 Private Worlds Dr. Jane Everest
1935-01-25 The Gilded Lily Marilyn David
1934-11-23 Imitation of Life Beatrice 'Bea' Pullman
1934-10-05 Cleopatra Cleopatra
1934-02-22 It Happened One Night Ellie Andrews
1934-01-26 Four Frightened People Judy Jones
1933-09-08 Torch Singer Sally Trent, aka Mimi Benton
1933-08-08 Three-Cornered Moon Elizabeth Rimplegar
1933-05-19 I Cover the Waterfront Julie Kirk
1933-01-21 Tonight Is Ours Princess Nadya
1932-11-30 The Sign of the Cross Empress Poppaea
1932-09-23 The Phantom President Felicia Hammond
1932-07-01 Make Me a Star Claudette Colbert (uncredited)
1932-06-24 The Man from Yesterday Sylvia Suffolk
1932-04-15 The Misleading Lady Helen Steele
1932-03-14 The Wiser Sex Margaret Hughes
1931-11-20 His Woman Sally Clark
1931-09-05 Secrets of a Secretary Helen Blake
1931-08-01 The Smiling Lieutenant Franzi
1931-02-28 Honor Among Lovers Julia Traynor
1930-07-22 Manslaughter Lydia Thorne
1930-05-03 The Big Pond Barbara Billings
1930-04-19 Young Man of Manhattan Ann Vaughn
1929-09-21 The Lady Lies Joyce Roamer
1929-04-27 The Hole in the Wall Jean Oliver
1927-07-31 For the Love of Mike Mary