Claudette Colbert film class starts next Wednesday at Facets Film School

"Down to Earth Sophistication: Claudette Colbert in Hollywood," one of the summer session offerings from Facets Film School,  begins on Wednesday July 28 at 7 p.m. The instructor for the six-week course is Steve Reginald, who most recently taught "Carole Lombard: The Divine Screwball" as at Facets. For information on how to register, click here.

Highest Paid Actress in Hollywood

During the 1930s and 1940s, Colbert was one of the highest paid stars in Hollwood, making upwards of $150,000 per film. That was big money during America's Great Depression. In 1938 Colbert held the title as the highest paid actress in Hollywood. While she was on top, she worked with some of the most talented directors in the business including, Ernst Lubitsch, Preston Sturges, John Ford, and Mitchell Leisen, to name a few. But her most famous role was as Ellie Andrews in Frank Capra's It Happened One Night for which she won the 1934 Academy Award for Best Actress.

Academy Award Winner

Specializing in romantic comedy, Colbert was successful in all film genres including musicals. Producer David O. Selznick considered no other actress for the role of wartime wife Anne Hilton in his production of Since You Went Away. Selznick knew that in the hands of a less talented actress the role wouldn't be believable. Not only was Colbert believable, receiving her third Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, (the film was nominated for a total of nine Oscars) Since You Went Away was also one of the biggest box office successes of 1944.

Class and Professionalism

In 1939, Colbert starred with Don Ameche in Midnight, directed by Mitchell Leisen. One of the many great films from that memorable movie year, it is too often overlooked by today's film historians. Although she was a great comic actress with impecable timing, Colbert gave some memorable dramatic performances. Three Came Home, based on the memoir of American author Agnes Newton Keith gave the actress one of her best dramatic roles. Colbert was as true to her characterization as possible. Playing a prisoner in a Japanese prison camp during World War II, Colbert wore little makeup and allowed the right side of her face to be filmed. This may sound like nothing to the casual reader, but during most of her career, Colbert refused to be filmed from the right side, insisting it was unflattering. This often drove directors to distraction because all the blocking and camera set-ups would have to be changed to accomodate Colbert's wishes.

The Claudette Colbert Brand
What may appear to be the eccentric demands of a movie star were really the actions of a shrewd businesswoman. Colbert knew that fame and popularity were fleeting. Most of her demands had to do with protecting the Claudette Colbert "brand." She knew she was a commodity and she worked hard polishing her investment.

Colbert made over 60 films during her long career, and most are still worth watching.

Go “Wild” with Theodora this Saturday at Facets Night School

Looking for something “wild” to do this Saturday? Look no further than this week’s midnight screening of the screwball comedy classic, Theodora Goes Wild (1936), starring Irene Dunne at Facets Film School, 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago, IL.

Drama Queen

Irene Dunne took a leap of faith by starring in a comedy after she was dubbed “Queen of the Weepies” by the film trade publications in the 1930s. Having made her mark in the western epic Cimarron (1931), Dunne carved out an enormously successful career as the heroine of a string of popular melodramas.

Comedy Rules
When she reluctantly accepted the role of Theodora Lynn in the film directed by Richard Boleslawski, Dunne was an instant comedy sensation. So popular was the film and Dunne’s performance, that she earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress (Dunne’s first nomination was for her role in Cimarron). The year 1936 was a great year for the screwball comedy. That same year saw the release of Frank Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Gregory LaCava’s My Man Godfrey.

The Peyton Place of Lynnfield!
The plot surrounds Dunne, a small town woman who is the best-selling author of a scandalous romance novel. Writing under the name of Caroline Adams, her secret is safe. That is until she meets a New York illustrator played by Melvin Douglas. He decides Theodora needs to break out of her small-town existence, all the while he’s trapped in a loveless marriage to please his politically connected father. So who really needs to go wild?

Theodora Goes Wild is a highly entertaining comedy that borders on comic genius. It deserves to be in the same class as Capra’s Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and LaCava’s My Man Godfrey. It fact, it's in a class all by itself.