Claudette Colbert | Hollywood Yesterday

Claudette Colbert, Cleopatra

One of the most extraordinary actresses of all time was born on this date in Saint Mandé, France in 1903. This is an actress with a filmography that’s so remarkable – not just in quantity but quality as well.

Below are my… as of now… personal favorite Claudette Colbert movies (each link leads to the film on Amazon Prime or dvd). I know, as I watch more of her films, I’ll pick up new favorites to add along the way.

It Happened One Night (1934, directed by Frank Capra), co-starring Clark Gable. This film is so popular for a very good reason – it’s outstanding and the humor stands the test of time. It Happened One Night is also available on dvd.
Cleopatra (1934, directed by Cecil B DeMille), co-starring Warren William as Julius Caesar and Henry Wilcoxon as Marc Antony. Visually stunning and the acting is superb.
I Met Him in Paris (1937, directed by Wesley Ruggles), co-starring two of my favorite actors – Melvyn Douglas and Robert Young. They (like Claudette, herself) are wonderful in everything!
The Sign of the Cross (1932, directed by Cecil B. DeMille), co-starring Fredric March and Charles Laughton. Beautiful and lush, as you’d always expect from Cecil B. DeMille.

Claudette Colbert, Cleopatra

I Met Him in Paris with Melvyn Douglas, Claudette Colbert, and Robert Young

Sometimes… not always, but sometimes… when two or more of your favorite stars hooked up in a movie, magic ensued. This is what happened with I Met Him in Paris, starring three of my very favorites Melvyn Douglas, Claudette Colbert, and Robert Young (though, admittedly, I spend the entire movie wanting Robert to get out of Melvyn’s way!).

This is an especially cute romcom from 1937 (directed by Wesley Ruggles). The film’s plot is somewhat of a love triangle between the three main characters: Kay (Claudette Colbert), George (Melvyn Douglas), and Gene (Robert Young). The problem is, one is concealing quite a secret.

The chemistry among the three stars is palpable and the writing is timeless.

Paramount leased the land owned by a local Sun Valley silver prospector, Gus Anderson, for 500 dollars and built the set for I Met Him in Paris… complete with a Swiss-like lodge! Gus Anderson and his family apparently moved into the lodge after filming was completed.

A few of the skiing scenes call for us old movie lovers to do what we do best… tell our high falutin’ expectations to take the day off. Is it perfectly believable? No. But as we all know, old movies are about entertainment and fun – and, come on, we wouldn’t have them any other way.

You can find I Met Him in Paris (link to the dvd) on Amazon.

And say it one more time with me… Get out of the way, Gene!