Charles Coburn

Born: 1877-06-18 in Macon, Georgia, USA

Died: 1961-08-30

Known For: Acting

Biography

Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American film and theatre actor. Best known for his work in comedies, Coburn received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1943's The More the Merrier. Coburn was born in Macon, Georgia, the son of Scotch-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman (May 11, 1838 Springfield, Ohio – November 12, 1896 Savannah, Georgia) and Moses Douville Coburn (April 27, 1834 Savannah, Georgia – December 27, 1902 Savannah, Georgia). Growing up in Savannah, he started out at age 14 doing odd jobs at the local Savannah Theater, handing out programs, ushering, or being the doorman. By age 17 or 18, he was the theater manager. He later became an actor, making his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn formed an acting company with actress Ivah Wills in 1905. They married in 1906. In addition to managing the company, the couple performed frequently on Broadway. After his wife's death in 1937, Coburn relocated to Los Angeles, California and began film work. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a retired millionaire playing Cupid in The More the Merrier in 1943. He was also nominated for The Devil and Miss Jones in 1941 and The Green Years in 1946. Other notable film credits include Of Human Hearts (1938), The Lady Eve (1941), Kings Row (1942), The Constant Nymph (1943), Heaven Can Wait (1943), Wilson (1944), Impact (1949), The Paradine Case (1947), Everybody Does It (1950), Has Anybody Seen My Gal? (1952), Monkey Business (1952), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), and John Paul Jones (1959). He usually played comedic parts, but Kings Row and Wilson were dramatic parts, showing his versatility. For his contributions to motion pictures, in 1960, Coburn was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6268 Hollywood Boulevard.

Filmography

1997

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line as Self (archive footage)

1976

It's Showtime as Self (archive footage)

1963

Marilyn as Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman (archive footage) (uncredited)

1960

Pepe as Charles Coburn

1959

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker as Grampa Pennypacker
A Stranger in My Arms as Vance Beasley
John Paul Jones as Benjamin Franklin

1957

How to Murder a Rich Uncle as Uncle George Clitterbern
Town on Trial as Dr. John Fenner
The Story of Mankind as Hippocrates

1953

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as Sir Francis Beekman
Trouble Along the Way as le Père Matthew William Burke

1952

This Is Your Life as Self
Monkey Business as Oliver Oxley
Has Anybody Seen My Gal? as Samuel Fulton / John Smith

1951

The Highwayman as Lord Walters

1950

What's My Line? as Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour as Self
Lux Video Theatre as Pa Harrington
Peggy as Professor Brookfield
Louisa as Mr. Burnside
Mr. Music as Alex Conway

1949

Impact as Lieutenant Quincy
Yes Sir, That's My Baby as Professor Jason Hartley
Everybody Does It as Major Blair
The Doctor and the Girl as Dr. John Corday
The Gal Who Took the West as General Michael O'Hara

1948

Studio One as Louis Hurst
The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
Green Grass of Wyoming as Beaver Greenway
B.F.'s Daughter as Burton F. 'B.F.' Fulton

1947

Lured as Harley Temple
The Paradine Case as Sir Simon Flaquer

1946

The Green Years as Alexander Gow
Colonel Effingham's Raid as Colonel Will Seaborn Effingham

1945

Over 21 as Robert Drexel Gow
Shady Lady as Col. John Appleby
A Royal Scandal as Nicolai Iiyitch
Rhapsody in Blue as Max Dreyfus

1944

Together Again as Jonathan Crandall Sr
Wilson as Professor Henry Holmes
The Impatient Years as William Smith
Knickerbocker Holiday as Peter Stuyvesant

1943

The More the Merrier as Benjamin Dingle
Heaven Can Wait as Hugo Van Cleve
Princess O'Rourke as Uncle Holman
The Constant Nymph as Charles Creighton
My Kingdom for a Cook as Rudyard Morley

1942

Kings Row as Henry Gordon
Breakdowns of 1942 as Self
George Washington Slept Here as Stanley Menninger
In This Our Life as William Fitzroy

1941

Unexpected Uncle as Seton Mansley
H.M. Pulham, Esq. as John Pulham
The Devil and Miss Jones as John P. Merrick/Thomas Higgins
The Lady Eve as 'Colonel' Harrington
Our Wife as Professor Drake

1940

Florian as Dr. Johannes Hofer
Road to Singapore as Joshua Mallon IV
Edison, the Man as General Powell
Three Faces West as Dr. Karl Braun
The Captain Is a Lady as Captain Abe Peabody

1939

Bachelor Mother as J. B. Merlin
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell as Gardner Hubbard
Stanley and Livingstone as Lord Tyce
Made for Each Other as Judge Joseph M. Doolittle
Idiot's Delight as Dr. Hugo Waldersee
In Name Only as Richard Walker

1938

Vivacious Lady as Mr. Morgan
Yellow Jack as Dr. Finlay
Lord Jeff as Captain Briggs
Of Human Hearts as Dr. Charles Shingle

1935

The People's Enemy as Judge