Claudette Colbert (Actor)

"Claudette Colbert brought a new kind of tongue-in-cheek vivacity to the sound cinema which sustained her as a major movie star for two decades. Her unique combination of physical assets--sleek appearance, trim figure, sparkling heart-shaped face, and throaty, vibrant voice--boosted her to the top ranks of cinema popularity. No matter what the role, she was always a lady. With her innate reticence, charm and poise, she was unsuitable to portray anyone common or vulgar. Her mystique was as alluring as Marlene Dietrich's, but because she best fitted the stereotype of the practical-minded modern woman, she never attained the living legend status reserved for those who play, and seem to be, aloof godesses of physical and intellectual perfection." --James Robert Parish, quoted in "The Paramount Pretties" (Arlington House, New Rochelle NY, 1972)

Besides her Oscar for "It Happened One Night" (1934), Colbert was also nominated as Best Actress for "Private Worlds" (1935) and "Since You Went Away" (1944). She was also nominated for a Tony for her stage work in "The Marriage Go-Round" (1958) and an Emmy for "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" (1987).

Colbert is the only actress to star in three films nominated for Best Picture in the same year (1934), three prestigious films of the day which confirmed her as a "top" star: Cecil B. DeMille's playful, sexy epic, "Cleopatra"; John Stahl's notable interracial/mother-love tearjerker, "Imitation of Life", and Frank Capra's aforementioned landmark comedy, "It Happened One Night", which won.