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Claudette Colbert

Claudette Colbert

Actor · Died July 30, 1996, aged 92 · Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France

Claudette Colbert (September 13, 1903 — July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Born Emilie Claudette Chauchoin in Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France, she was brought to the United States as a child three years later and went to high school in New York. While studying at the Art Students League when, in 1923, she took the name Claudette Colbert for her first Broadway role in "The Wild Westcotts". Her most noteworthy stage vehicle was the "The Barker" in 1927. Her first film was a silent For the Love of Mike (1927), directed by Frank Capra. Made on a shoestring, the movie was a flop, and she vowed that it would be her last film role: "I only left Broadway when the crash came. The Depression killed the theater, and the pictures were manna from heaven". She had her first film success the next year, however, in The Lady Lies (1929). Her early notable films were all box-office hits and included Cleopatra (1934), in which she played the title role enticingly. She had her greatest triumph playing a runaway heiress, with enormous charm, opposite Clark Gable in Capra's comedy It Happened One Night (1934), for which she won the Academy Award as Best Actress. By 1938 her keen ability in business made her the highest paid star in Hollywood. By 1950, though, her star had begun to wane. She returned to the stage in 1956 when she replaced Margaret Sullavan during the spring and summer in the comedy "Janus". Appearances in other Broadway productions followed, including "The Marriage-Go-Round". Besides the stage, she did TV specials and had a supporting role in a notable TV movie, The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987), for which she received a Golden Globe award. In 1989 she was presented with a Life Achievement award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She married actor Norman Foster in 1928, although they never lived together and were divorced after seven years. She married surgeon Dr. Joel Pressman soon after and remained married until his death in 1968. In latter years she divided her time between an apartment in New York and a 200-year-old plantation house in Speightstown, Barbados, where she entertained such guests as Frank Sinatra and Ronald Reagan. She remained on Barbados Island after her stroke. On July 30, 1996, Claudette died in Speightstown, Barbados. She was 92.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 13, 1903
Died
July 30, 1996 (aged 92)
From
Saint-Mandé, Val-de-Marne, France
Works as
Actor
Titles
43 on MovieCove · 81 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 23% in 30 days

What are Claudette Colbert's films like?

Across their 41 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy20 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 54th percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
45%
Morality
21%
Power
10%
Self
10%
Survival
6%
Society
5%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love16 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage9 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception10 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass7 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 41 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 25 · Serious 6 · Dark 10

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 21 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 18 · Intense 8

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 20 · Shifting 20 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 13

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 26 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 26 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 40 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

37 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 22 of 37 analyzed roles.

Hero
22 of 37
Ally
6 of 37
Shapeshifter
6 of 37
Shadow
2 of 37
Herald
1 of 37
Show the 37 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Joyful
17
Warm
16
Melancholic
17
Romantic
18
Other
28

How their films linger

Feel-good26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy26
  • Bittersweet12
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Claudette Colbert's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 43 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Claudette Colbert's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

81 credits, 43 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Back to the Present(2015)

    as Ellie

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Two Mrs. Grenvilles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 2 episodes · as Alice Grenville

  • Marilyn Monroe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as archive footage

  • Parrish(1961)

    as Ellen McLean

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Suspicion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Edith Miller

  • One Coat of White (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    as Betsy Gregg

  • Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Beth Brayden · as Lucy Bradford

  • Playhouse 90 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Telephone Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Blithe Spirit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Ruth Condomine

  • Texas Lady(1955)

    as Prudence Webb

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Jane Everest · as Sister Cecilia

  • Daughters of Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Elizabeth Whitefield (segment "Elisabeth")

  • Royal Affairs in Versailles(1954)

    as Mrs. de Montespan

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 2 episodes · as Edith Miller

  • Outpost in Malaya(1952)

    as Liz Frazer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Let's Make It Legal(1951)

    as Miriam Halsworth

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Thunder on the Hill(1951)

    as Sister Mary Bonaventure

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Claudette Colbert

  • The Secret Fury(1950)

    as Ellen Ewing

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Three Came Home(1950)

    as Agnes Newton Keith

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Robert Montgomery Presents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Bride for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Nora Shelley

  • Family Honeymoon(1948)

    as Katie Armstrong Jordan

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Sleep, My Love(1948)

    as Alison Courtland

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Egg and I(1947)

    as Betty MacDonald

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Heart(1946)

    as Lee Addams

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Without Reservations(1946)

    as Kit Madden

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Tomorrow Is Forever(1946)

    as Elizabeth Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Guest Wife(1945)

    as Mary Price

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Practically Yours(1944)

    as Peggy Martin

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Since You Went Away(1944)

    as Anne Hilton

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • So Proudly We Hail!(1943)

    as Lt. Janet 'Davy' Davidson

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • No Time for Love(1943)

    as Katherine Grant

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Palm Beach Story(1942)

    as Geraldine 'Gerry' Jeffers

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Remember the Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Nora Trinell

  • Skylark (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Lydia Kenyon

  • Arise, My Love(1940)

    as Augusta Nash

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Boom Town(1940)

    as Betsy Bartlett

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Drums Along the Mohawk(1939)

    as Lana (Magdelana)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • It's a Wonderful World(1939)

    as Edwina Corday

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Midnight(1939)

    as Eve Peabody

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Zaza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Zaza

  • Breakdowns of 1938 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Tatiana (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Bluebeard's Eighth Wife(1938)

    as Nicole De Loiselle

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Tovarich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna Romanov

  • I Met Him in Paris(1937)

    as Kay Denham

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Maid of Salem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Barbara Clarke

  • Under Two Flags (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Cigarette

  • The Bride Comes Home(1935)

    as Jeannette Desmereau

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • She Married Her Boss(1935)

    as Julia Scott

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Private Worlds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Dr. Jane Everest

  • The Gilded Lily(1935)

    as Marilyn David

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Imitation of Life(1934)

    as Beatrice 'Bea' Pullman

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cleopatra(1934)

    as Cleopatra

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • It Happened One Night(1934)

    as Ellie Andrews

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Four Frightened People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Judy Jones

  • Torch Singer(1933)

    as Sally Trent, aka Mimi Benton

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Three Cornered Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Elizabeth Rimplegar

  • I Cover the Waterfront(1933)

    as Julie Kirk

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Tonight Is Ours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Princess Nadya

  • The Sign of the Cross(1932)

    as Empress Poppaea

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Phantom President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Felicia Hammond

  • Make Me a Star(1932)

    as Claudette Colbert (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Man from Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Sylvia Suffolk

  • The Misleading Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Helen Steele

  • The Wiser Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Margaret Hughes

  • His Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Sally Clark

  • Secrets of a Secretary(1931)

    as Helen Blake

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Smiling Lieutenant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Franzi

  • The House That Shadows Built (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as (archive footage)

  • Honor Among Lovers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Julia Traynor

  • The Lottery Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Jenny

  • Mysterious Mr. Parkes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Lucy Stavrin

  • Manslaughter(1930)

    as Lydia Thorne

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Big Pond(1930)

    as Barbara Billings

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Young Man of Manhattan(1930)

    as Ann Vaughn

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Lady Lies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Joyce Roamer

  • The Hole in the Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    as Jean Oliver

  • For the Love of Mike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    as Mary

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 80 titles from 1927 to 1994.

Biggest box office

That's Entertainment! III (1994)

$280K worldwide

Highest rated

It Happened One Night (1934)

Midcredits 98th

Film career

Top draw in 13 MovieCove titles.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting80 of 80: 80 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score70th

By decade

1920s3 · acting1930s38 · acting1940s17 · acting1950s18 · acting1960s1 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 71% of 21 roles
313641

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Claudette Colbert's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 43; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Approval · how many liked their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 41

Midcredits score across 43 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up14
  • 50th to 74th21
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · actor

Manslaughter (1930)

50th percentile spread · 14% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

It Happened One Night (1934)

Midcredits 98th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 73/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Claudette Colbert work with?

People who share at least 2 of Claudette Colbert's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Fred MacMurray shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles