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?

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

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.

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.

http://ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi/ssdi.cgi

Did Claudette Colbert have a house on Fire Island?

And I'll look for your Marlene Dietrich podcast.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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??

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.