Job Actor
Years active 1901-61
Known for Monocled, cigar-smoking, 'elder' roles
Top Roles Holman, Mr. Oliver Oxley, Robert Drexel Gow, Col. Will Seaborn Effingham, Sir Simon Flaquer
Top GenresComedy, Drama, Romance, Crime, Historical, Musical
Top TopicsBook-Based, Romance (Comic), Marriage
Top Collaborators (Producer), (Director), (Director), (Director)
Shares birthday with Louis Jourdan, Moe Howard, Mildred Natwick  see more..

Charles Coburn Overview:

Legendary character actor, Charles Coburn, was born Charles Douville Coburn on Jun 19, 1877 in Savannah, GA. Coburn appeared in over 95 film and TV roles. His best known films include The More the Merrier, The Devil and Miss Jones, The Lady Eve, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Heaven Can Wait and Monkey Business. Coburn died at the age of 84 on Aug 30, 1961 in New York City, NY and was cremated and his ashes scattered in GA, MA and NY.

MINI BIO:

Although already an established stage actor for almost 40 years, Coburn made his feature film debut at 58 years old as Judge Hays in The People's Enemy (starring Preston Foster, Lila Lee and Melvyn Douglas). The monocled, cigar-smoking character actor played a variety of 'elder' roles, most notably the 'damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead' match-maker Mr. Dingle in The More the Merrier (starring Jean Arthur and Joel McCrea) and Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman (Marilyn Monroe's 'sugar daddy') in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (also starring Jane Russell).

(Source: article by Annmarie Gatti for Classic Movie Hub).

HONORS and AWARDS:

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Charles Coburn was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one for Best Supporting Actor for The More the Merrier (as Benjamin Dingle) in 1943.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1941Best Supporting ActorThe Devil and Miss Jones (1941)John P. MerrickNominated
1943Best Supporting ActorThe More the Merrier (1943)Benjamin DingleWon
1946Best Supporting ActorThe Green Years (1946)Alexander GowNominated
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He was honored with one star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures.

BlogHub Articles:

Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and believe “The More the Merrier”

By Stephen Reginald on Jan 1, 2021 From Classic Movie Man

Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and believe “The More the Merrier” The More the Merrier (1943) is an American romantic comedy directed by George Stevens and starring Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and . This was director Steven’s last feature film before he j... Read full article


Happy Birthday to Classic Film’s Cupid,

By Judy on Jun 19, 2017 From Cary Grant Won't Eat You

Today you need to embrace your love, ask out that crush, comfort your lovelorn friend, or play matchmaker yourself. Why? Because it’s ’s birthday. You know: the warm uncle/grandfather/parent type who plays the part of wing man, aiding couples in love. A Coburn character is ... Read full article


Happy Birthday to Classic Film’s Cupid,

By Judy on Jun 19, 2017 From Cary Grant Won't Eat You

Today you need to embrace your love, ask out that crush, comfort your lovelorn friend, or play matchmaker yourself. Why? Because it’s ’s birthday. You know: the warm uncle/grandfather/parent type who plays the part of wing man, aiding couples in love. A Coburn character is ... Read full article


10 Things You May Not Know About

By Stephen Reginald on Apr 1, 2017 From Classic Movie Man

10 Things You May Not Know About (1877 – 1961) was one of the most beloved character actors, during Hollywood’s Golden Age, appearing in some of the most beloved films of 1940s and 1950s. Coburn started his career as a “program boy” and work... Read full article


Falling for , Matchmaker Extraordinaire

By Judy on Sep 27, 2015 From Cary Grant Won't Eat You

Has there ever been a Cupid more charming than ? He smartens up the debonair Henry Van Cleve (Don Ameche), ensuring he doesn’t lose his lovely wife, Martha (Gene Tierney) in Heaven Can Wait (1943). He pushes his widowed daughter-in-law (Irene Dunne) into frivolity and a new chan... Read full article


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Charles Coburn Quotes:

[Connie explains the morning schedule to Mr. Dingle]
Constance 'Connie' Milligan: [showing him a map] See, this is a floor plan of the apartment. Here's my room, here's your room, here's the bathroom and here's the kitchen. Now, my alarm goes off at seven o'clock, and we both get up. At seven one, I enter the bathroom. Then you go down to get the milk, and by seven five you've started the coffee. One minute later, I leave the bathroom, and a minute after that, you enter the bathroom. And that's when I'm starting to dress. Three minutes later, I'm having my coffee, and a minute after that at seven twelve, you leave the bathroom. At seven thirteen, I put on my eggs, and I leave to finish dressing. Then you put on your shoes, and take off my eggs at seven sixteen. At seven seventeen, you start to shave. At seven eighteen, I eat my eggs, and at seven twenty-one, I'm in the bathroom fixing my hair, and at seven twenty-four, you're in the kitchen putting on your eggs. At seven twenty-five, you make your bed. Seven twenty-six, I make my bed. And then while you're eating your eggs, I take out the papers and cans. At seven twenty-nine, you're washing the dishes, and at seven thirty, we're all finished. You see? It's really very simple.
Benjamin Dingle: Do we do all this railroad time or Eastern War time?


Sir Simon Flaquer: [about Mrs. Paradine] You'll find her a strange woman with an almost mystical charm.


Max Dreyfus: [referring to "Porgy and Bess", which has just opened] You've made opera entertaining.


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Best Supporting Actor Oscar 1943





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Charles Coburn on the
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Charles Coburn Facts
One of the few Hollywood actors who actually lived on Hollywood Blvd.

His famous monocle was no affectation, but actually corrected an eye deficiency. "No point having two window panes where one will do," was always his explanation.

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