Charles Coburn
| Charles Coburn | |
|---|---|
 from the trailer for Rhapsody in Blue (1945) |
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| Born | Charles Douville Coburn June 19, 1877 Macon, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | August 30, 1961 (aged 84) Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1901–61 |
| Spouse | Ivah Wills (1906-37; her death) Winifred Natzka (1959-61; his death) |
Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American film and theater actor.[1]
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[edit] Biography
Coburn was born in Macon, Georgia,[2] the son of Scots-Irish Americans Emma Louise Sprigman and Moses Douville Coburn. Growing up in Savannah, he started out 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.[3][4] He later became an actor, making his debut on Broadway in 1901. Coburn formed an acting company with actress Ivah Wills in 1905.[3][4] 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), 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, Coburn has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6240 Hollywood Boulevard.
[edit] Politics
In the 1940s, Coburn served as vice-president of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a group opposed to alleged Communist infiltration and proselytization in Hollywood during the Cold War.[citation needed]
[edit] Marriages
Coburn's first wife was Ivah Wills (ca. 1882–1937), an American actress and theatrical producer. In 1959, Coburn married Winifred Natzka (born February 16, 1921 – still alive ), who was more than 40 years his junior and the widow of Oscar Natzka, a famed New Zealand operatic bass baritone.
[edit] Death
He died from a heart attack on August 30, 1961, in New York City, aged 84.
[edit] Partial filmography
[edit] References
- ^ Obituary Variety, September 6, 1971.
- ^ Background biodata for Charles Coburn
- ^ a b "Charles Coburn Collection". University of Georgia Libraries - Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library. http://www.libs.uga.edu/hargrett/manuscrip/coburn/index.html.
- ^ a b "Charles Coburn (1877-1961)". The New Georgia Encyclopedia. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1511.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Charles Coburn |
- Charles Coburn at the Internet Movie Database
- Charles Coburn at the Internet Broadway Database
- Charles Coburn at Find a Grave
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- 1877 births
- 1961 deaths
- Actors from Georgia (U.S. state)
- American film actors
- American stage actors
- California Republicans
- Cardiovascular disease deaths in New York
- Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners
- Deaths from myocardial infarction
- People from Savannah, Georgia
- American people of Scotch-Irish descent
