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Biography
One of the brightest film stars to grace the silver screen was born
Lily Claudette Chauchoin on September 13, 1903 in Paris, Seine,
France. Her banker father moved the family to the United States
when she was three. As she grew up, Claudette wanted nothing more
than to play to Broadway audiences. Any actress or actor worth
there salt went for Broadway, not Hollywood. After Claudette's
formal education ended, she enrolled in the Art Students' League
where she paid for her dramatic training by working in a dress
shop. She made her Broadway debut in 1923 in the stage production
of THE WILD WESCOTTS. It was during this event that she adopted the
name Claudette Colbert. When the Great Depression shut down most of
the theaters, Claudette decided to make a go of it in films. Her
first film was in 1927 in a movie called FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE. It
was a box-office disaster. She wasn't real keen on the film
industry but with no theaters worth anything she had no choice but
to remain. In 1929, she starred as Joyce Roamer in THE LADY LIES.
The production was a success and later that year had another hit
entitled THE HOLE IN THE WALL. In 1930, she played the starring
role, opposite Fredric March, in MANSLAUGHTER which was a remake
from the silent version eight years earlier. One year later,
Claudette was again paired in a film with March called HONOR AMONG
THIEVES. It fared well at the box-office only because it was the
kind of film that catered to women who enjoyed magazine fiction
romantic stories. In 1932, Claudette played the evil Poppeia in
Jesse Laskey's last great work, THE SIGN OF THE CROSS and once
again was with Fredric March. Later the same year, she was paired
with Jimmy Durante in THE PHANTOM PRESIDENT. By now Claudette's
name symbolized good movies and she along with March pulled them in
at the theaters with the acclaimed TONIGHT IS OURS (1933). 1934
started a little on the slow side with the release of FOUR
FRIGHTENED PEOPLE where Claudette and her co-stars were at odds
with the dreaded bubonic plague on board a ship. However, the next
two films were real gems for this young actress. First up Claudette
was charming and radiant in Cecil B. DeMille's spectacular
CLEOPATRA. It wasn't one of DeMille's finest by any means but it
was a financial success and showcased Claudette as never before.
But it was as Ellie Andrews, in the now famous IT HAPPENED ONE
NIGHT, that would ensure she would be forever immortalized. Paired
with Clark Gable, the madcap comedy was a super hit all across the
country. The film also helped Claudette be nominated for and win in
the category of Best Actress. The next year she was nominated again
for PRIVATE WORLDS where she played Dr. Jane Everest who was
staffed in a mental institution. The performance was exquisite.
Films such as GILDED LILY (1935), DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (1939),
and NO TIME FOR LOVE (1943) kept fans coming to the theaters and
the movie moguls happy. Claudette was a sure drawing card for
virtually any film. In 1944, Claudette starred as Anne Hilton in
the production of SINCE YOU WENT AWAY. Again, although she didn't
win, Claudette won her third nomination for Best Actress. By the
time the late 40's and early 50's rolled around she was not only
seen on the screen but the infant medium of television where she
was on a number of programs. However, her drawing card was fading
somewhat as new stars replaced the older ones. In 1955, she filmed
TEXAS LADY and wasn't seen again until PARRISH in 1961. It was her
final silver screen performance. Although she appeared in a TV
movie THE TWO MRS. GRENVILLES, Claudette never, again, appeared
before the cameras. She did, however, remain on the stage where she
had returned in 1956, her first love. After a series of strokes,
Claudette divided her time between New York and Barbados. On July
30, 1996, Claudette died in Speightstown, Barbados. She was 92.
Claudette was the type of actress that only comes along once in a
lifetime.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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Movie
Credits
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it at Amazon.com
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Two Mrs. Grenvilles, The (Made for TV) (1987)
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[ Elizabeth Ashley ]
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Salute to Frank Capra, A (Made for TV) (1982)
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[ Donna Reed ] [ Bette Midler ]
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Love Goddesses, The (1965)
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[ Louise Brooks ] [ Sophia Loren ] [ Rita Hayworth ] [ Hedy Lamarr ] [ Clara Bow ] [ Jean Harlow ] [ Marilyn Monroe ] [ Marlene Dietrich ] [ Elizabeth Taylor ] [ Betty Grable ] [ Brigitte Bardot ] [ Mae West ] [ Carole Lombard ] [ Dorothy Lamour ] [ Ingrid Bergman ] [ Myrna Loy ] [ Audrey Hepburn ] [ Greta Garbo ] [ Barbara Stanwyck ]
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Parrish (1961)
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[ Connie Stevens ]
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Bells of St. Mary's, The (Made for TV) (1959)
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Blithe Spirit (Made for TV) (1955)
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[ Lauren Bacall ] [ Rachel Roberts ]
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Texas Lady (1955)
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Si Versailles m'était conté (1954)
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[ Brigitte Bardot ]
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Destinées (1953)
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Planter's Wife, The (1952)
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Thunder on the Hill (1951)
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[ Ann Blyth ]
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Let's Make It Legal (1951)
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[ Marilyn Monroe ]
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Secret Fury, The (1950)
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Three Came Home (1950)
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Watch the Birdie (1950)
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[ Arletty ] [ Arlene Dahl ]
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Bride for Sale (1949)
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Sleep, My Love (1948)
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Family Honeymoon (1948)
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Egg and I, The (1947)
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Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)
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[ Natalie Wood ]
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Without Reservations (1946)
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Secret Heart, The (1946)
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Guest Wife (1945)
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Since You Went Away (1944)
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[ Dorothy Dandridge ]
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Garabatos Claudette Colbert (1944)
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Practically Yours (1944)
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So Proudly We Hail! (1943)
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[ Veronica Lake ]
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No Time for Love (1943)
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[ Carrie Bittner ]
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Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 6 (1942)
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Palm Beach Story, The (1942)
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Skylark (1941)
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Remember the Day (1941)
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Boom Town (1940)
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[ Hedy Lamarr ] [ Marion Martin ]
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Arise, My Love (1940)
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Midnight (1939)
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[ Kathleen Kinmont ] [ Karen Witter ] [ Lynn Redgrave ]
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Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)
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It's a Wonderful World (1939)
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Zaza (1939)
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Hollywood Goes to Town (1938)
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[ Hedy Lamarr ] [ Judy Garland ] [ Carole Lombard ] [ Barbara Stanwyck ]
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Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)
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Maid of Salem (1937)
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Tovarich (1937)
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I Met Him in Paris (1937)
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Under Two Flags (1936)
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Gilded Lily, The (1935)
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She Married Her Boss (1935)
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Fashion Side of Hollywood, The (1935)
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[ Marlene Dietrich ] [ Mae West ] [ Carole Lombard ]
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Private Worlds (1935)
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Bride Comes Home, The (1935)
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Imitation of Life (1934)
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It Happened One Night (1934)
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Hollywood You Never See, The (1934)
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Four Frightened People (1934)
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Cleopatra (1934)
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[ Paola Pitagora ] [ Elizabeth Taylor ] [ Francesca Annis ]
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Torch Singer (1933)
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Three-Cornered Moon (1933)
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I Cover the Waterfront (1933)
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Tonight Is Ours (1933)
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Make Me a Star (1932)
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[ Joan Blondell ]
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Sign of the Cross, The (1932)
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Phantom President, The (1932)
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Man from Yesterday, The (1932)
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Misleading Lady (1932)
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Wiser Sex, The (1932)
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Smiling Lieutenant, The (1931)
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His Woman (1931)
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Honor Among Lovers (1931)
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Secrets of a Secretary (1931)
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Énigmatique Monsieur Parkes, L' (1930)
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Grande mare, La (1930)
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Big Pond, The (1930)
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Manslaughter (1930)
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Young Man of Manhattan (1930)
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Hole in the Wall, The (1929)
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Lady Lies, The (1929)
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For the Love of Mike (1927)
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