Claudette Colbert, Paramount star
Those who remember Claudette Colbert, Turner Classic Movies' "Summer Under the Stars" featured player today, will likely picture a woman raising her skirt so as to hitch a ride in Frank Capra's 1934 Academy Award-winning comedy It Happened One Night. After all, Colbert's left leg immediately succeeds where Clark Gable's left thumb failed. [Claudette Colbert Movie Schedule.]
Colbert, however, could get her way without having to resort to displaying her ankle to helpless oncoming drivers. In fact, during her nearly three decades as a film star — a film superstar during more than half that period — Colbert almost invariably got her way in both dramas and comedies, whether in modern dress or in period costumes. All she needed to do was raise a knowing eyebrow, open a megawatt smile, or bathe naked in a pool filled with asses' milk.
On screen, Colbert could be funny, heartbreaking, witty, dazed and confused, sophisticated, bourgeois, sexless, sexy. On the set of her films, she could be the perfect diva, making demands on how she should be lit and how she should be photographed. Indeed, according to cinematographer Joseph August, Frank Capra and Colbert "ended up hating each other" after working together in the actress' only silent film, For the Love of Mike. Things didn't improve any during the shooting of their second joint effort, It Happened One Night.
But (at least in her films) Colbert couldn't be one thing: phony. Whether because of her extensive Broadway training, or merely because the actress had what it takes to behave naturally in front of the camera, the vast majority of her performances hold up remarkably well. Despite the elaborate coiffures, the glamorous gowns, and the penciled eyebrows, Colbert exuded freshness at a time when so many performers — both male and female, stage-trained or not — believed that film acting meant posing and declaiming.
Back in March 2007, James Robert Parish, author of The RKO Gals, The Paramount Pretties (among them Colbert), Fiasco: A History of Hollywood's Iconic Flops, and It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks, among dozens of other titles, agreed to answer a few questions (via email) about Claudette Colbert. At the time, Jim was doing research on Colbert's life for a possible book project. Please click on the link below the check out the reposted Parish/Colbert q&a.
Claudette Colbert photo via Doctor Macro.
My mother and she graduated from the same high school-Washington Irving High School in Manhattan.
There was something really special about Miss Colbert. She was really beautiful, extremely talented and very versatile as an actress. I have seen many of her films. She was chic and beautiful, but also down to earth. I never had the privilege of meeting her. I really would have wanted to. People that I know who have met her said that she was as nice in person as she was in her films.
She led a great life. She traveled extensively, saw much of the world, associated with the famous and gave the world a lot of pleasure. It seems strange that she is no longer with us.
My friend believes he has an Er Coupe Airplane that once was bought by Cladette for her husband Dr presman. Is there any information you might have on this?
she was to me a quality of genuiness probable the same off screen. besides self diciplined
probable the same off screen as on screen.
acting is seeing the same person each movie but
different roles putting ones self in to the job.
remaining the same person showing the person in the acting.
does this make sense?
don`t give out my name or email.
not enough information put to the public is given to inform people to see the burial place of claudette colburt is keep up. why is`nt the actors guild doing up keep of stars burial place.
the quality of pictures before 1970`s needs to be perserved for our kids heritage. the quality of viewing today trashes entertainment descent for viewing for the younger generation.
a generation is growing up with out the american dream or middle class or a chance to climb from
beginning to succed in home ownership or career.
someway keeping alive something in this nation
of what it really is.
vb
I just returned from Barbados where I visited Claudette Colberts grave site in St.Peters cemetary. I was deeply saddened. It is a dump. The cemetary is about 100 yards wide and 200 yards deep. No grass, no tree's, just dirt. Broken and turned over grave stones. It looked like a World War I no man's land. Holes,and junk on the ground. Many unmarked graves. It is located in a run down ares of Sprightstown on Highway 1. There is one tree near her cript. Her cript is in a low place about four feet deep. It's red granite. Her ashes are in a vase next to her husbands Joel Presman's coffin. How could such a beautiful, talented and world class celeberty end up in such a bad place. Is there no family to care for it. I'll never forget the scene. Bob Faust
The SSDI site is great for the actual birthdates of stars although some names I can't find at all – Norma Shearer for example. I wonder if maybe Norma never did become a US citizen despite reports that she had.
It's interesting that many stars were apparently younger than the age "assigned" to them – anyone who has read a fair amount of old movie mags should know that things like birthdates, age, and birth year were almost never mentioned so maybe a lot of YOB printed in early film books were taken out of the air.
Mary Boland was born in 1882, not 1880 as most sources state. Vilma Banky was born in 1901 while several had "guessed" her being older. Gloria Swanson and Lana Turner told the truth about being born in 1899 and 1921 while some have claimed a year or two earlier.
The topper for me was Mae Murray. I argued against those in the past on other websites who suggested she was possibly born before 1889, saying that it was unlikely, but there it is on SSDI – born in 1884!!! I stand corrected.
Tom,
Thanks. I've copied the info, and I've forwarded it to Jim Parish.
I've asked him twice about Colbert's date of birth, and both times he affirmed that she was born in 1901.
I'll see if I can get him to elaborate a little more on that.
Claudette Colbert was born in 1903, maybe there is some confusion here about her birth year being two years early because it was publicized as 1905 for decades but Claudette herself confirmed it as 1903 in the 1980's.
http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi/ssdi.cgi
Harry,
Did Claudette Colbert have a house on Fire Island?
And I'll look for your Marlene Dietrich podcast.
Gosh, no, I didn't even get to see Aren't We All when it was playing in London and New York. I mailed my speech to her home in Barbados and, much to my surprise, received the autograph I posted here, in my Colbert tribute:
http://broadcastellan.blogspot.com/2005/09/on-this-day-in-1903-girl-named-lily.html
You know, she's my favorite leading lady. I often wonder why, at the age of 9, I became so intrigued by her image; I'd like to think that I sensed something that was reassuring. She had the dignity and confidence I lacked growing up. She was never shrill or, say, obvious. And as much as I envy those among my acquaintances who got to wave at her on Fire Island, I never required any such hints or clues. I simply felt embraced.
Could Ms. Colbert play a Welsh character? I'm not sure; there's probably not much left of the culture in the radio adaptation. I am fairly certain, however, that she did not attempt a phony accent. Once I'm through with Ms. Dietrich, I'm going to devote a podcast to her radio performances.
Thanks for getting all of us talking about her.
Tom,
Claudette Colbert, then in her mid-30s, was indeed too old to play Scarlett. Curiously, Jean Arthur and Tallulah Bankhead, who were about the same age, were considered for the part.
If I remember it correctly, Arthur was one of Selznick's favorites to play Scarlett. Arthur was great, but that would have been a very bad bit of miscasting.
I'll ask re: Jimmie Hicks.
I would imagine Claudette didn't pursue GWTW because she knew she was too old, too womanly (as opposed to girlish), and lacked the extreme sex appeal the role required. Most of the "contenders" were similarly deprived in all three areas but apparently lacked Colbert's common sense. I don't see Claudette's French-ness as a handicap, however, after all Scarlett was half-French and her coquetry could be seen as the "French" in her. Claudette herself loved the South and had many friends in New Orleans (she had her Barbados home built to resemble a New Orleans mansion) and was a big enough fan of the book GWTW to attend the film's world premiere in Atlanta – the only major star there not involved with the production other than, of course, Mrs. Clark Gable, Carole Lombard.
Los Angeles-based film historian Jimmie Hicks was working on a Claudette Colbert biography in the 1990's, does anyone know if he is still pursuing that project or completed it?
Benny,
You've raised a valid point, even though there have been stories about Claudette Colbert's sexual orientation since — at least — the 1970s. Of course, that per se doesn't mean she *was* gay or bisexual or whatever. (In fact, the 1970s stories come from a thoroughly unreliable source.)
Now, there weren't any stories about, say, Ramon Novarro being gay until after his death. That doesn't mean Novarro wasn't gay. He was.
Ultimately, one must go by the available evidence (or lack thereof) and reach one's own — as unbiased as possible — conclusions.
They didn't say that Claudette Colbert was a lesbian while she was still alive. Doesn't it look kind of funny when they wait till after someone's dead to say something like that?
Harry,
Did I get this right?? You showed Claudette Colbert your prepared speech, and she autographed it?
Did you ever sit down to talk to her?
I also have a Claudette Colbert autograph, though I've never met her. A friend, then working as a busboy at a restaurant, got her to sign her name on a napkin. He then gave it to me. That ragged napkin is still here — somewhere.
So, you think Claudette Colbert could play Welsh??
Thanks for this interview, Andre. I am really looking forward to Jim's book and a reassessment of Colbert's career. I just dropped her name yesterday when I considered American actors playing Welsh parts; I'd done more than that if I had a recording of her Lux performance in The Corn Is Green.
I mentioned her business savvy, her reluctance to stretch, and rumors about her gender-orientation in a short undergraduate speech on her (hey, my professor did say, pick any topic). Colbert didn't seem to mind it, I guess (otherwise I wouldn't have gotten that autograph).
Later, in another college essay titled "Ladies in Loco-Motion," I discussed her roles as will-powered women on the go (on buses and trains) and how that image changed toward the end of the war when she became the tormented wife (Sleep, My Love), the frustrated farmer (The Egg and I), or the frazzled newlywed (Family Honeymoon). After flinging Mein Kampf out of her compartment window in Arise, My Love or plunging into adventure on trains bound for Paris or Florida, she got derailed with projects like Without Reservations. No matter how deficient her knowledge about the Budapest subway, she sure looked great in a tight Bronx Local.