Claudette Colbert was born in France but her family moved to America when she was very young. She was a versatile actress in drama and in comedy as being able to sing. She appeared in a range of films in the 1930's and 1940's and some television work in the 1950's. She started her career on Broadway and this led to her first film role in For the Love of Mike and early Frank Capra directed film. She then had a contract with Paramount and after a number of films had her first hit with the romantic comedy The Smiling Lieutenant. She became a major star in The Sign Of Cross directed by Cecil B DeMille. This pre-code film showed her a sexuality though she wanted to be regarded for her acting than for glamour. They followed this up with Cleopatra, another historical epic and hers was a very sensual Cleopatra. It Happened On Night became a significant film in her career and the one she is most remembered for. It was not a film she was keen to make having a bad experience with Frank Capra et the start of her career. It this point she one of Hollywood's biggest female stars and uses that to renegotiate her contract with Paramount and became the highest paid actress. Whilst she was elegant and glamorous she was also a strong and intelligent character. After her Oscar nomination for Private Worlds she appeared in the historical drama Maid of Salem and arguably her best dramatic performances. She returned to comedy with films like Bluebeard's Eight Wife. She gave a very good performance in the comedy Midnight and also in one of her favourite films Arise My Love. She then stared in the Preston Sturges directed The Palm Beach Story a popular screwball comedy film. For Since You Went Away a patriotic wartime film she had another Oscar nomination. The Egg And I was the first of the rustic comedies of city folk moving to the country. By the early 1905's her career had peaked though in 1952 she filmed The Planters Wife in England. Her last film role was Parrish in 1961. She had a slight bump on the right side of her nose and so was always photographed from the left side.
