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Claudette Colbert

Milestones

  • Birthplace: Paris, France
  • Birthday: September 13, 1903
  • 1991

    Career celebrated with ceremony and retrospective at New York University

  • 1987

    Returned to TV to star opposite Ann-Margret in two-part film, "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles"

  • 1984

    A building at the old Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York (where she had made her first films for Paramount) was renamed in her honor

  • 1984

    Received tribute for lifetime achievement from the Film Society of Lincoln Center

  • 1982

    Appeared on the American Film Institute's televised salute to Frank Capra

  • 1981

    Acted on Broadway in "A Talent for Murder"

  • 1978

    Returned to Broadway to star opposite Rex Harrison in "The Kingfisher"

  • 1974

    Returned to the stage to appear in "A Community of Two" in Philadelphia

  • 1972

    Made rare public appearance at the "Fabulous Forties" nostalgia night at Manhattan's Roseland

  • 1969

    Announced that she was going to write a book entitled "How to Run a House" for her friend's Bennett Cerf's Random House Press; book did not materialize

  • 1965

    Made last stage appearance for almost a decade, opposite Brian Ahearne in "Diplomatic Relations"

  • 1963

    Appeared in Maxwell House Coffee TV commercials and billboard advertisements

  • 1961

    One-shot return to films: played Troy Donahue's mother in the popular soap opera, "Parrish"

  • 1959

    Last major acting role on TV for 25 years, in "The Bells of St. Mary's"

  • 1958

    Returned to Broadway to originate a role after 27 years to star opposite Charles Boyer in the popular sex farce, "The Marriage Go-Round"

  • 1956

    Replaced Margaret Sullavan in the female lead of the Broadway play, "Janus"

  • 1955

    Last starring role in an American feature film, "Texas Lady"

  • 1954

    Made pact with CBS to star in five teleplays after successful appearance in "The Royal Family of Broadway"

  • 1952

    Traveled to England to star in "Outpost in Malaya"

  • 1952 to 1957

    Worked in Europe in film and theater; made fewer films, but starred in two in France

  • 1951

    Announcments made that she would star in a TV series, "Leave It to Lizabeth"; filmed pilot, but backed out of series commitment

  • 1951

    Made TV debut on "The Jack Benny Show"

  • 1951

    Starred in last screen romantic comedy, "Let's Make It Legal"

  • 1951

    Starred opposite Noel Coward in successful stage presentation of "Island Fling/South Sea Bubble"

  • 1950

    Replaced in leading role in "All About Eve" by Bette Davis after suffering severe back injury

  • 1948

    Replaced by Katharine Hepburn in leading role in "State of the Union" after disagreements with director Frank Capra

  • 1947

    Made motion picture exhibitor's poll of top ten box office stars; placed 9th

  • 1945

    Left Paramount Pictures after having spent most of her starring career there; last film under contract, "Practically Yours"

  • 1944

    Played a mother with teen-aged daughters for the first time in David O. Selznick's acclaimed homefront saga, "Since You Went Away"

  • 1941

    Joined with Ronald Colman, Charles Boyer, Irene Dunne, Lewis Milestone and Anatole Litvak to form producing unit at Twentieth-Century Fox; Colbert starred in Fox film, "Remember the Day"

  • 1939

    Starred in first color film, "Drums Along the Mohawk", directed by John Ford and co-starring Henry Fonda

  • 1938

    Was the sixth top money-making woman in America with an income of $301,944 ($50,000 less than she had made the year before, when she placed fourteenth)

  • 1936

    Negotiated new contract with Paramount which called for seven films at $150,000 per film

  • 1936

    Plans to star as Joan of Arc in a film directed by Anatole Litvak fell through

  • 1935

    Co-starred opposite Fred MacMurray for the first of seven films together (in his first substantial lead) in the popular "The Gilded Lily"

  • 1935

    Was named best-dressed actress in Hollywood

  • 1934

    Enjoyed landmark career success in Frank Capra's popular and acclaimed Oscar-winner, "It Happened One Night" while on loan to Columbia

  • 1934

    Signed new two-year contract with Paramount; earned $5000 per week

  • 1933

    Renegotiated contract with Paramount; allowed to appear in films at other studios

  • 1932

    Appeared in largest film to date: as Poppaea in Cecil B. DeMille's epic, "The Sign of the Cross"

  • 1932

    Briefly went off salary for refusing bland roles

  • 1931

    Position in film industry elevated by success of Ernst Lubitsch's popular "The Smiling Lieutenant"

  • 1929

    Made talking film debut in second film, "The Hole in the Wall"

  • 1929

    Played leading roles in two unsuccessful plays by noted playwrights Eugene O'Neill ("Dynamo") and Elmer Rice ("See Naples and Die", her last stage appearance for over 20 years)

  • 1928

    Film contract with First National aborted after failure of first film

  • 1928

    Journeyed with Foster to Paris to recreate their stage roles in "The Barker"

  • 1928

    Marriage to Norman Foster (in 1927) revealed by New York columnist

  • 1928

    Signed film contract with Paramount which enabled her to continue stage career

  • 1927

    Enjoyed major Broadway success as the female lead in "The Barker"

  • 1927

    Film acting debut in the silent, "For the Love of Mike"

  • 1926

    Traveled to Paris; returned to New York to comply with five-year contract she had recently signed with producer Al Woods

  • 1925

    Replaced in leading role of Frederick Lonsdale's "The Fake"

  • 1923

    Made Broadway stage debut in "The Wild Westcotts"

  • 1919

    Made stage debut at the Provincetown Playhouse in "The Widow's Veil", written by her speech teacher, Alice Rossetter

  • 1912

    Moved from Paris to New York after father suffered financial reverses in the banking business

  • Hosted monthly CBS afternoon information series, "The Women"

  • Made motion picture exhibitors poll of top ten boxoffice stars: 6th place in 1935 and 8th place in 1936

  • Reunited in London and on Broadway with Rex Harrison in revival of Frederick Lonsdale's drawing-room comedy, "Aren't We All?"

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