Claudette Colbert (September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996)

The French-born actress began her career in Broadway productions during the 
1920s, progressing to film and talking pictures. She had a successful film career 
with Paramount Pictures, and is recognized as one of the leading ladies of comedy 
movies. Colbert was the highest paid actress in American cinema during the late 
1930s. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her comedic performance
in It Happened One Night (1934), and also received Academy Award nominations
for her dramatic roles in Private Worlds (1935), and Since You Went Away (1944).  

Colbert retired from film in 1961 and in 1999, the American Film Institute placed her 
at number twelve on their "AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Stars" list of the "50 Greatest
American Screen Legends".

January 1937