A short discussion of Three Came Back brought a few facts to my mind. Claudette has always been a favorite of mine. I never knew she went back to the silent period until recently, but not being a particular student of silents, that would not be surprising.
Claudette was lovely, with huge, expressive eyes that could say volumes, but she wasn't extraordinarily beautiful. She didn't have that shimmery glow of Loretta Young, or as some believe, Garbo and Lamarr. But in her own way, Claudette was the fore runner of Doris Day, June Allyson and many others as the girl next door, who all the boys finally realize is more substantive than the Lana's and Dietriech's. Give Claudette a role to make you laugh or cry and within a short time, you will be wiping your eyes with tears of joy or sorrow.
As a spritely imp, she captures Clark Gable in It Happened One Night, and had already vamped it up as Cleopatra, then she becomes the marvelous, understanding wife and Mom in Since You Went Away, and continues until her retirement as Mom to Troy Donahue in Parrish. She was stoic in Three Came Back and So Proudly We Hail. In other words, Claudette did it all in her career. Again, probably because of not being an astounding beauty, or a wretched wretch as Bette Davis, people don't think of her in listing great actresses of film. Maybe some day that attitude will change.
Anne
Claudette Colbert - As an actress
Claudette Colbert - As an actress
Anne
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Anne
Love Claudette in Three Came Home. it paved the way for the hit British tv series Tenko with Stephanie Beacham and Anne Bell, in the Claudette like role. Kato from The Pink Panther was the Komandant. of course there was also Peter Finch/Virginia McKenna in A Town Like Alice
i liked Since You Went Away, but wish Claudette could have been seen in a man's overall, as in the second part of the movie she was a welder, but that was kind of glossed over and she was her usual glamorous self throughout the film.
There was the famous scene where she lifted the hem of her skirt to thumb a lift from Alan Hale in It Happened One Night
would love to see Claudette in So Proudly We Hail, it sounds like she makes a convincing action heroine
i'm interested in the back injury that prevented her from making All About Eve. who badly was she hurt, how long did it take her to recover ect
i thought her attempt to follow Barbara Stanwyck in the 50s western genre with Texas was a disaster
Love Claudette in Three Came Home. it paved the way for the hit British tv series Tenko with Stephanie Beacham and Anne Bell, in the Claudette like role. Kato from The Pink Panther was the Komandant. of course there was also Peter Finch/Virginia McKenna in A Town Like Alice
i liked Since You Went Away, but wish Claudette could have been seen in a man's overall, as in the second part of the movie she was a welder, but that was kind of glossed over and she was her usual glamorous self throughout the film.
There was the famous scene where she lifted the hem of her skirt to thumb a lift from Alan Hale in It Happened One Night
would love to see Claudette in So Proudly We Hail, it sounds like she makes a convincing action heroine
i'm interested in the back injury that prevented her from making All About Eve. who badly was she hurt, how long did it take her to recover ect
i thought her attempt to follow Barbara Stanwyck in the 50s western genre with Texas was a disaster
Last edited by stuart.uk on March 21st, 2008, 12:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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movieman1957
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Loved her in many things. "Tovarich", "Midnight", "The Gilded Lily." Another I rememebr fondly but haven't seen in years is "Thunder On The Hill." I think she gets stranded at a convent.
She had quite a range of genres. Even did a western but she was still every bit Claudette.
She had quite a range of genres. Even did a western but she was still every bit Claudette.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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charliechaplinfan
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To memory I've only seen her in two films. It Happened One Night one of my favorite thirties films and Imitation of Life a completely different film. From just these two I can tell she was a major player and good actress.
I've got The Palm Beach Story to watch somewhere.
I've got The Palm Beach Story to watch somewhere.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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feaito
Anne,
I agree with your assessments; Claudette is one of my top ladies of the Silver Screen. Her charm went beyond beauty. She excelled at drama and comedy. She's one of the best comediennes ever along with Myrna, Jean, Irene, Barbara, Katharine and Carole. Those ladies and films of the 1930s are unsurpassed. For me the 1930s epitomize the nadir of the Golden Age.
Movieman, "Thunder on the Hill" is good, but Ann Blyth's performance marred quite a bit that film for me.
I agree with your assessments; Claudette is one of my top ladies of the Silver Screen. Her charm went beyond beauty. She excelled at drama and comedy. She's one of the best comediennes ever along with Myrna, Jean, Irene, Barbara, Katharine and Carole. Those ladies and films of the 1930s are unsurpassed. For me the 1930s epitomize the nadir of the Golden Age.
Movieman, "Thunder on the Hill" is good, but Ann Blyth's performance marred quite a bit that film for me.
I think she's a wonderfully beautiful creature in a variety of her ages. She was SO cute as a young woman - "imp", you mentioned, yes. But she'd light a fire with her eyes, too - in anger and, hrumph, otherwise.
One aspect of that incredibly expressive face was her ability to 'go stone' - that flat, expressionless look like everything was drained from her, and ANY quivering of her lip broke every dam around. She has that wonderful bit she used sometimes, like standing on the stairs as Clark Gable insults her as Love Is Triumphant!
And who else would have been SO stone-faced as her Dad's saying, "You don't want to marry King Wesley..." and then you can see her stutter and jump, running off from the procession.
She did this is so many films. I think she never had a stronger facial performance than in TOMORROW IS FOREVER, as she tries to get Orson Welles to "come back to her" as her husband, but he refuses. She may never understand why, but she heard and saw him refuse.
I think she was glorious looking. I'm glad a few of her generation - Myrna, Loretta, even lately, Audrey Totter - made appearances in their later years to display their beauty.
One aspect of that incredibly expressive face was her ability to 'go stone' - that flat, expressionless look like everything was drained from her, and ANY quivering of her lip broke every dam around. She has that wonderful bit she used sometimes, like standing on the stairs as Clark Gable insults her as Love Is Triumphant!
And who else would have been SO stone-faced as her Dad's saying, "You don't want to marry King Wesley..." and then you can see her stutter and jump, running off from the procession.
She did this is so many films. I think she never had a stronger facial performance than in TOMORROW IS FOREVER, as she tries to get Orson Welles to "come back to her" as her husband, but he refuses. She may never understand why, but she heard and saw him refuse.
I think she was glorious looking. I'm glad a few of her generation - Myrna, Loretta, even lately, Audrey Totter - made appearances in their later years to display their beauty.
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feaito
JohnM wrote:Remember the famous quote to Jean Harlow?
Harlow greeting Colbert: "Oh Miss Col berT, I've been a fan since I was a child!"
Colbert: "Dear, the T is silent, just like in Harlow." (harlot)
I don't know if it truly happened or not, but it's very clever and funny, regardless.
That's hilarious John!!!