Claudette Colbert
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.
Midnight
as Eve PeabodyAn unemployed showgirl poses as Hungarian royalty to infiltrate Parisian society.
Movie pageIt Happened One Night
as Ellie AndrewsA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from...
Movie pageImitation of Life
as Beatrice 'Bea' PullmanA struggling widow and her daughter take in a black housekeeper and her fair-skinned daughter....
Movie pageThe Palm Beach Story
as Geraldine 'Gerry' JeffersA New York inventor, Tom Jeffers, needs cash to develop his big idea, so his adoring wife, Gerry...
Movie pageCleopatra
as CleopatraThe queen of Egypt barges the Nile and flirts with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar.
Movie pageThat's Entertainment! III
as (archive footage)Some of MGM'S musical stars review the studios history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of...
Movie pageSo Proudly We Hail
as Lt. Janet 'Davy' DavidsonDuring the start of the Pacific campaign in World War II, Lieutenant Janet Davidson is the head...
Movie pageDrums Along the Mohawk
as Lana (Magdelana)Albany, New York, 1776. After marrying, Gil and Lana travel north to settle on a small farm in...
Movie pageThe Love Goddesses
as (archive footage)This insightful documentary features some of the major and most beautiful actresses to grace the...
Movie pageSleep, My Love
as Alison CourtlandA woman wakes up in the middle of the night on board a train, but she can't remember how she got...
Movie pageArise, My Love
as Augusta NashA dashing pilot and a vivacious reporter have romantic and dramatic adventures in Europe as...
Movie pageBluebeard's Eighth Wife
as Nicole De LoiselleAmerican multi-millionaire Michael Brandon marries his eighth wife, Nicole, the daughter of a...
Movie pageBoom Town
as Betsy BartlettTwo buddies who rise from fly-by-night wildcatters to oil tycoons over a twenty year period both...
Movie pageThe Sign of the Cross
as Empress PoppaeaAfter burning Rome, Emperor Nero decides to blame the Christians, and issues the edict that they...
Movie pageSince You Went Away
as Mrs. Anne HiltonWhile husband Tim is away during World War II, Anne Hilton copes with problems on the homefront....
Movie pageRoyal Affairs in Versailles
as Mme de MontespanWitty narration follows the history of Versailles Palace; founded by Louis XIII, enlarged by...
Movie pageLet's Make It Legal
as Miriam HalsworthA woman divorces her husband of 20 years because he gambles too much.
Movie pageBreakdowns of 1938
as Tatiana (archive footage) (uncredited)Flubs and bloopers that occurred on the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1938.
Movie pageTomorrow Is Forever
as Elizabeth HamiltonIn 1918, Elizabeth MacDonald learns that her husband, John Andrew, has been killed in the war....
Movie pageThe Egg and I
as Betty MacDonaldWorld War II veteran Bob MacDonald surprises his new wife, Betty, by quitting his city job and...
Movie pageFour Frightened People
as Judy JonesMalaya tropical island romantic love triangle adventure thriller, about a cruise ship where...
Movie pageI Cover the Waterfront
as Julie KirkAn investigative reporter romances a suspected smuggler's daughter.
Movie pageThe Gilded Lily
as Marilyn DavidSecretary Marilyn David falls in love with British aristocrat Charles Gray, to the dismay of her...
Movie pageThe Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
as Self (archive footage)A film scrapbook, images, phrases from our past, hiding their meanings behind veils. Let's lift...
Movie pageThe Smiling Lieutenant
as FranziAn amorous lieutenant is forced to marry a socially awkward princess, though he tries to keep...
Movie pageMaid of Salem
as Barbara ClarkeWhen a young woman named Barbara Clarke has an affair with adventurer Roger Coverman, it causes...
Movie pageWithout Reservations
as Kit MaddenKit Madden is traveling to Hollywood, where her best-selling novel is to be filmed. Aboard the...
Movie pageCavalcade of the Academy Awards
as Self (archive footage)This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including...
Movie pageTorch Singer
as Sally Trent, aka Mimi BentonWhen she can't support her illegitimate child, an abandoned young woman puts her up for adoption...
Movie pageFamily Honeymoon
as Katie Armstrong JordanGrant Jordan, bachelor botany professor, marries Katie, a widow with three kids, despite the...
Movie pageMake Me a Star
as Claudette Colbert (uncredited)A grocery clerk, longing to become a cowboy actor, goes to Hollywood in search of fame and...
Movie pageThree Came Home
as Agnes Newton KeithBorneo, 1941, during World War II. When the Japanese occupy the island, American writer Agnes...
Movie pagePrivate Worlds
as Dr. Jane EverestAt the Brentwood Asylum for the mentally ill, psychiatrist partners Jane Everest and Alex...
Movie pageThe Secret Fury
as Ellen EwingThe wedding of Ellen and David is halted by a stranger who insists that the bride is already...
Movie pageHedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
as HerselfNarrator Hopper covers two war benefit affairs, a garden party and a USO fashion show, at...
Movie pageRemember the Day
as Nora TrinellElderly schoolteacher Nora Trinell, waiting to meet presidential nominee Dewey Roberts, recalls...
Movie pageThe Secret Heart
as Lee AddamsPenny Addams lives in a constant state of depression stemming from the trauma of her father's...
Movie pageZaza
as ZazaA seductive music hall star falls in love with a married aristocrat.
Movie pageNo Time for Love
as Katherine GrantUpper-class female reporter is (despite herself) attracted to hulking laborer digging a tunnel...
Movie pageDaughters of Destiny
as Elizabeth Whitefield (segment "Elisabeth")Three stories, very different in space and time. Lysistrata, a dancer from ancient times, Jeanne...
Movie pageIt's a Wonderful World
as Edwina CordayDetective Guy Johnson's client, Willie Heywood, is framed for murder. While Guy hides him so he...
Movie pageThe Man from Yesterday
as Sylvia SuffolkA woman whose husband never came home from World War I finds herself in love with her doctor....
Movie pageTovarich
as Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna RomanovWhen upper-class Parisian Charles Dupont and his family hire Tina and Michel as their servants,...
Movie pageGuest Wife
as Mary PriceChristopher Price, a small-town bank executive, continues to be loyal to and idolize his boyhood...
Movie pageBride for Sale
as Nora ShelleyNora Shelley is a tax expert for the accounting company which is led by Paul Martin. She thinks...
Movie pageManslaughter
as Lydia ThorneA spoiled young rich girl is sent to prison for accidentally running down a pedestrian. There...
Movie pageThunder on the Hill
as Sister Mary BonaventureSister Mary presides over a convent where a convicted murderess, who is being escorted to Death...
Movie pageHollywood Goes to Town
as SelfThis short shows how Hollywood gets ready for the world premiere of an "important" movie. The...
Movie pageComplicated Women
as Self (archive footage)Looks at the stereotype-breaking films of the period from 1929, when movies entered the sound...
Movie pagePractically Yours
as Peggy MartinIn this screwball comedy a WW2 US pilot bombs a Japanese aircraft carrier, is assumed to be...
Movie pageThe Bride Comes Home
as Jeannette DesmereauA penniless socialite is hired by two young men as a front in their plan to start a magazine....
Movie pageTexas Lady
as Prudence WebbClaudette Colbert plays Prudence Webb, who arrives in the wide-open town of Fort Ralston, Texas,...
Movie pageSecrets of a Secretary
as Helen BlakeSociety girl becomes a social secretary when her father dies penniless. From a story by Charles...
Movie pageThe Phantom President
as Felicia HammondToo bad for presidential hopes of banker T.K. Blair; his party feels he has too little flair for...
Movie pageThe Big Pond
as Barbara BillingsA singing Frenchman meets an American heiress and gets a job at her father's chewing-gum factory.
Movie pageTonight Is Ours
as Princess NadyaA princess is torn between her royal obligations and her love for a handsome Frenchman.
Movie pageParrish
as Ellen McLeanParrish McLean lives with his mother Ellen on Sala Post's tobacco plantation in the Connecticut...
Movie pageHollywood: Style Center of the World
as SelfThis short promotes the premise that movies often create a demand for the fashions seen in them....
Movie pageUnder Two Flags
as CigaretteSergeant Victor comes to the French Foreign Legion after taking the blame for his brother's...
Movie pageThe Planter's Wife
as Liz FrazerThe wife of a rubber plantation owner must put her marriage problems on hold when her family is...
Movie pageHis Woman
as Sally ClarkTough Caribbean freighter Captain Sam Whelan engages Sally Clark, a tramp masquerading as a...
Movie pageThree-Cornered Moon
as Elizabeth RimplegarElizabeth Rimplegar inhabits a household populated by virtual lunatics. Her mother, Nellie,...
Movie pageI Met Him in Paris
as Kay DenhamKay Denham is off for a fling in Paris, leaving her suitor Berk behind. There, she meets two new...
Movie pageHonor Among Lovers
as Julia TraynorJerry Stafford falls for his secretary, Julia Traynor, but instead she marries a shady character...
Movie pageBlithe Spirit
as Ruth CondomineTelevision adaptation of Noël Coward's famous play about an unhappily married man plagued by the...
Movie pageThe Misleading Lady
as Helen SteeleA scheming socialite meets her match in the out-of-touch wildlife explorer she ventures to ensnare.
Movie pageShe Married Her Boss
as Julia ScottA super-efficient secretary at a department store falls for and marries her boss, but finds out...
Movie pageThe Hole in the Wall
as Jean OliverMrs. Ramsey sent Jean Oliver to prison on a false charge. To get even, Jean (disguised as Madame...
Movie pageThe Wiser Sex
as Margaret HughesA young woman goes undercover to gather evidence to free her boyfriend, an attorney who has been...
Movie pageYoung Man of Manhattan
as Ann VaughnTwo flappers try to get their newspaper reporter boyfriends to pay attention to them.
Movie pageThe House That Shadows Built
as (archive footage)The House That Shadows Built (1931) is a short feature, roughly 48 minutes long, from Paramount...
Movie pageSkylark
as Lydia KenyonAs her fifth wedding anniversary approaches, a woman realizes that she is fed up with always...
Movie pageThe Lady Lies
as Joyce RoamerMuch to the disapproval of his snooty children, a wealthy widowed attorney takes up with a...
Movie pageThe Fashion Side of Hollywood
as SelfCompilation of lighting and costume tests from various films, most notably Sternberg's "The...
Movie pageFor the Love of Mike
as MaryThree men join forces to raise an adopted son.
Movie pageFrank Capra Jr. Remembers: 'It Happened One Night'
as Self (archive footage)The director's son gives interesting anecdotes about Frank Capra's making of the 1934 hit...
Movie pageRobert Montgomery Presents
as uncreditedRobert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC...
TV Show pageWhat's My Line?
as Self - Mystery GuestFour panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while...
TV Show pageThe Jack Benny Program
as Claudette ColbertLaugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular...
TV Show pageThe Colgate Comedy Hour
as SelfThe Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC...
TV Show pageDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Lucy BradfordDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, sometimes simply called Zane Grey Theatre, is an American...
TV Show pageDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
as Beth BraydenDick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre, sometimes simply called Zane Grey Theatre, is an American...
TV Show pageThe Ed Sullivan Show
as Self (archive footage)The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...
TV Show pageThe Kennedy Center Honors
as SelfThe Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their...
TV Show pageClimax!
as uncreditedClimax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was...
TV Show pageClimax!
as Dr. Jane EverestClimax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was...
TV Show pageClimax!
as Sister CeciliaClimax! is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was...
TV Show pageLetter to Loretta
as Self - Guest HostLetter to Loretta is an American anthology drama series telecast on NBC from September 1953 to...
TV Show pageThe Oscars
as SelfAn annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The...
TV Show pageThe Two Mrs. Grenvilles
as Alice GrenvilleAnn, a former chorus girl marries above herself into a rich society family, but her...
TV Show pageTelephone Time
as uncreditedTelephone Time is an American anthology drama series that aired on CBS in 1956, and on ABC from...
TV Show pageSuspicion
as Edith MillerSuspicion is the title of an American television mystery drama series which aired on the NBC...
TV Show pagePlayhouse 90
as uncreditedPlayhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to...
TV Show pageGeneral Electric Theater
as Edith MillerGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was...
TV Show page