Charles Coburn

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.

Known For

What's My Line?

Studio One

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Colgate Comedy Hour

This Is Your Life

Startime

Studio 57

December Bride

All Movies (71)

• Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line1997 · as Self (archive footage)
• It's Showtime1976 · as Self (archive footage)
• Pepe1960 · as Charles Coburn
• John Paul Jones1959 · as Benjamin Franklin
• A Stranger in My Arms1959 · as Vance Beasley
• The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker1959 · as Grampa Pennypacker
• The Story of Mankind1957 · as Hippocrates
• How to Murder a Rich Uncle1957 · as Uncle George Clitterbern
• Town on Trial1957 · as Dr. John Fenner
• Around the World in 80 Days1956 · as Steamship Company Clerk
• The Power and the Prize1956 · as Guy Eliot
• How to Be Very, Very Popular1955 · as Dr. Tweed
• The Long Wait1954 · as Gardiner
• The Rocket Man1954 · as Mayor Ed Johnson
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes1953 · as Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman
• Trouble Along the Way1953 · as le Père Matthew William Burke
• Monkey Business1952 · as Oliver Oxley
• Has Anybody Seen My Gal?1952 · as Samuel Fulton / John Smith
• The Highwayman1951 · as Lord Walters
• Mr. Music1950 · as Alex Conway
• Peggy1950 · as Professor Brookfield
• Louisa1950 · as Mr. Burnside
• Everybody Does It1949 · as Major Blair
• The Doctor and the Girl1949 · as Dr. John Corday
• Yes Sir, That's My Baby1949 · as Professor Jason Hartley
• The Gal Who Took the West1949 · as General Michael O'Hara
• Impact1949 · as Lieutenant Quincy
• Green Grass of Wyoming1948 · as Beaver Greenway
• B.F.'s Daughter1948 · as Burton F. 'B.F.' Fulton
• The Paradine Case1947 · as Sir Simon Flaquer
• Lured1947 · as Harley Temple
• The Green Years1946 · as Alexander Gow
• Colonel Effingham's Raid1946 · as Colonel Will Seaborn Effingham
• Shady Lady1945 · as Col. John Appleby
• Over 211945 · as Robert Drexel Gow
• Rhapsody in Blue1945 · as Max Dreyfus
• A Royal Scandal1945 · as Nicolai Iiyitch
• Together Again1944 · as Jonathan Crandall Sr
• The Impatient Years1944 · as William Smith
• Wilson1944 · as Professor Henry Holmes
• Knickerbocker Holiday1944 · as Peter Stuyvesant
• My Kingdom for a Cook1943 · as Rudyard Morley
• Princess O'Rourke1943 · as Uncle Holman
• Heaven Can Wait1943 · as Hugo Van Cleve
• The Constant Nymph1943 · as Charles Creighton
• The More the Merrier1943 · as Benjamin Dingle
• Breakdowns of 19421942 · as Self
• George Washington Slept Here1942 · as Stanley Menninger
• In This Our Life1942 · as William Fitzroy
• Kings Row1942 · as Henry Gordon
• H.M. Pulham, Esq.1941 · as John Pulham
• Unexpected Uncle1941 · as Seton Mansley
• Our Wife1941 · as Professor Drake
• The Devil and Miss Jones1941 · as John P. Merrick/Thomas Higgins
• The Lady Eve1941 · as 'Colonel' Harrington
• Three Faces West1940 · as Dr. Karl Braun
• The Captain is a Lady1940 · as Captain Abe Peabody
• Florian1940 · as Dr. Johannes Hofer
• Edison, the Man1940 · as General Powell
• Road to Singapore1940 · as Joshua Mallon IV
• In Name Only1939 · as Richard Walker
• Stanley and Livingstone1939 · as Lord Tyce
• Bachelor Mother1939 · as J. B. Merlin
• The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939 · as Gardner Hubbard
• Made for Each Other1939 · as Judge Joseph M. Doolittle
• Idiot's Delight1939 · as Dr. Hugo Waldersee
• Lord Jeff1938 · as Captain Briggs
• Yellow Jack1938 · as Dr. Finlay
• Vivacious Lady1938 · as Mr. Morgan
• Of Human Hearts1938 · as Dr. Charles Shingle
• The People's Enemy1935 · as Judge

All TV Shows (11)

• Startime1959 · as Colonel Sykes
• The Rosemary Clooney Show1956 · as Self
• December Bride1954
• The George Gobel Show1954 · as Self
• Studio 571954
• This Is Your Life1952 · as Self
• Lux Video Theatre1950 · as Pa Harrington
• The Colgate Comedy Hour1950 · as Self
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self
• Studio One1948 · as Louis Hurst
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self