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Charles Coburn

Charles Coburn

Birthday: 1877-06-19 | Place of Birth: Macon, Georgia, USA

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. Description above from the Wikipedia article Charles Coburn, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1963
Marilyn

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

1959
John Paul Jones

as    Benjamin Franklin

1957
Town on Trial

as    Dr. John Fenner

1957
How to Murder a Rich Uncle

as    Uncle George Clitterbern

1954
The Long Wait

as    Gardiner

1954
The Rocket Man

as    Mayor Ed Johnson

1953
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

as    Sir Francis Beekman

1953
Trouble Along the Way

as    le Père Matthew William Burke

1952
Monkey Business

as    Oliver Oxley

1952
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?

as    Samuel Fulton / John Smith

1950
Mr. Music

as    Alex Conway

1949
The Doctor and the Girl

as    Dr. John Corday

1949
The Gal Who Took the West

as    General Michael O'Hara

1949
Impact

as    Lieutenant Quincy

1949
Yes Sir, That's My Baby

as    Professor Jason Hartley

1948
Green Grass of Wyoming

as    Beaver Greenway

1948
B.F.'s Daughter

as    Burton F. 'B.F.' Fulton

1947
Lured

as    Harley Temple

1947
The Paradine Case

as    Sir Simon Flaquer

1946
Colonel Effingham's Raid

as    Colonel Will Seaborn Effingham

1945
Shady Lady

as    Col. John Appleby

1945
Rhapsody in Blue

as    Max Dreyfus

1945
A Royal Scandal

as    Nicolai Iiyitch

1944
Together Again

as    Jonathan Crandall Sr

1944
Knickerbocker Holiday

as    Peter Stuyvesant

1944
Wilson

as    Professor Henry Holmes

1944
The Impatient Years

as    William Smith

1943
The More the Merrier

as    Benjamin Dingle

1943
Heaven Can Wait

as    Hugo Van Cleve

1943
Princess O'Rourke

as    Uncle Holman