Charles Coburn
Known for Acting · 82 credits
- Born
- 1877-06-18
- Died
- 1961-08-30
- Place of birth
- Macon, Georgia, USA
- Also known as
- Charles Douville 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
TV Shows (11)
What's My Line?
1950
as Self
Studio One
1948
as Louis Hurst
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
The Colgate Comedy Hour
1950
as Self
Studio 57
1954
December Bride
1954
Startime
1959
as Colonel Sykes
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Pa Harrington
This Is Your Life
1952
as Self
The George Gobel Show
1954
as Self
The Rosemary Clooney Show
1956
as Self
Movies (71)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
1953
as Sir Francis Beekman
Around the World in 80 Days
1956
as Steamship Company Clerk
Monkey Business
1952
as Oliver Oxley
Our Wife
1941
as Professor Drake
Bachelor Mother
1939
as J. B. Merlin
Wilson
1944
as Professor Henry Holmes
The Lady Eve
1941
as 'Colonel' Harrington
Princess O'Rourke
1943
as Uncle Holman
Impact
1949
as Lieutenant Quincy
Vivacious Lady
1938
as Mr. Morgan
Heaven Can Wait
1943
as Hugo Van Cleve
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
1952
as Samuel Fulton / John Smith
Yellow Jack
1938
as Dr. Finlay
Lured
1947
as Harley Temple
The More the Merrier
1943
as Benjamin Dingle
Pepe
1960
as Charles Coburn
Stanley and Livingstone
1939
as Lord Tyce
Peggy
1950
as Professor Brookfield
Breakdowns of 1942
1942
as Self
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
as Self (archive footage)
In This Our Life
1942
as William Fitzroy
The Devil and Miss Jones
1941
as John P. Merrick/Thomas Higgins
It's Showtime
1976
as Self (archive footage)
The Paradine Case
1947
as Sir Simon Flaquer
Florian
1940
as Dr. Johannes Hofer
A Royal Scandal
1945
as Nicolai Iiyitch
In Name Only
1939
as Richard Walker
Made for Each Other
1939
as Judge Joseph M. Doolittle
Trouble Along the Way
1953
as le Père Matthew William Burke
Edison, the Man
1940
as General Powell
Rhapsody in Blue
1945
as Max Dreyfus
Three Faces West
1940
as Dr. Karl Braun
Knickerbocker Holiday
1944
as Peter Stuyvesant
The Green Years
1946
as Alexander Gow
Kings Row
1942
as Henry Gordon
The Story of Mankind
1957
as Hippocrates
Over 21
1945
as Robert Drexel Gow
John Paul Jones
1959
as Benjamin Franklin
Louisa
1950
as Mr. Burnside
Road to Singapore
1940
as Joshua Mallon IV
The Constant Nymph
1943
as Charles Creighton
Together Again
1944
as Jonathan Crandall Sr
Idiot's Delight
1939
as Dr. Hugo Waldersee
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
1939
as Gardner Hubbard
Shady Lady
1945
as Col. John Appleby
The People's Enemy
1935
as Judge
How to Murder a Rich Uncle
1957
as Uncle George Clitterbern
Colonel Effingham's Raid
1946
as Colonel Will Seaborn Effingham
Lord Jeff
1938
as Captain Briggs
B.F.'s Daughter
1948
as Burton F. 'B.F.' Fulton
Of Human Hearts
1938
as Dr. Charles Shingle
The Power and the Prize
1956
as Guy Eliot
Mr. Music
1950
as Alex Conway
Green Grass of Wyoming
1948
as Beaver Greenway
The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker
1959
as Grampa Pennypacker
Town on Trial
1957
as Dr. John Fenner
The Long Wait
1954
as Gardiner
Unexpected Uncle
1941
as Seton Mansley
H.M. Pulham, Esq.
1941
as John Pulham
How to Be Very, Very Popular
1955
as Dr. Tweed
George Washington Slept Here
1942
as Stanley Menninger
The Gal Who Took the West
1949
as General Michael O'Hara
The Rocket Man
1954
as Mayor Ed Johnson
The Highwayman
1951
as Lord Walters
A Stranger in My Arms
1959
as Vance Beasley
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
1949
as Professor Jason Hartley
The Doctor and the Girl
1949
as Dr. John Corday
Everybody Does It
1949
as Major Blair
My Kingdom for a Cook
1943
as Rudyard Morley
The Impatient Years
1944
as William Smith
The Captain is a Lady
1940
as Captain Abe Peabody
About Charles Coburn
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 j… With 82 credits spanning from 1935 to 1997, Charles Coburn has appeared in 71 films and 11 TV shows.
Fans searching for Charles Coburn movies, Charles Coburn filmography, or the latest projects starring Charles Coburn can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Charles Coburn Movies
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) — as Sir Francis Beekman
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956) — as Steamship Company Clerk
- Monkey Business (1952) — as Oliver Oxley
- Our Wife (1941) — as Professor Drake
- Bachelor Mother (1939) — as J. B. Merlin
Where to Watch Charles Coburn Films
Most Charles Coburn movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Charles Coburn, check our movies catalogue and browse page.