Editing Claudette Colbert (section)

=== The early films, 1928–1934 ===
[[File:Claudette Colbert, La Gringa.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Colbert in the Broadway production ''La Gringa'', 1928]]
In 1928, Colbert signed a contract with [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref name="tcmdb" /> A demand existed for stage actors who could handle dialogue in the new "talkies", and Colbert's elegance and musical voice were among her best assets.<ref name="Pace1996" /> Her distinctive high-cheekboned
beauty drew attention in ''[[The Hole in the Wall (1929 film)|The Hole in the Wall]]'' (1929), but at first she did not like film acting.<ref name="All Movie Guide">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/p14003 |work=All Movie Guide |author=Hal Erickson |access-date=November 16, 2016 |title=Claudette Colbert biography}}</ref> Her earliest films were produced in New York. During the filming of ''[[The Lady Lies (film)|The Lady Lies]]'' (also 1929), she was also appearing nightly in the play ''See Naples and Die''. ''The Lady Lies'' was a box-office success.<ref name="Pace1996" /> At this period, many film critics wrote her having potential to be the screen's next big star.<ref name="netflix">[http://blog.dvd.netflix.com/new-dvd-releases/claudette-colbert-french-lady-of-hollywood Claudette Colbert The French Lady of Hollywood] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914035628/http://blog.dvd.netflix.com/new-dvd-releases/claudette-colbert-french-lady-of-hollywood |date=2021-09-14}}, Netflix, James David Patrick, access-date=May 9, 2023</ref> In 1930, she starred opposite [[Maurice Chevalier]] in ''[[The Big Pond]]'', which was filmed in both English and French for release in their respective markets as was common during the early sound era. With her first husband [[Norman Foster (director)|Norman Foster]] she co-starred in the film ''[[Young Man of Manhattan]]'' (1930), for which he received negative reviews as one of her weakest leading men.<ref name="Shipman114" />

Colbert co-starred with Fredric March in ''[[Manslaughter (1930 film)|Manslaughter]]'' (1930), acclaimed again by critics<ref>Quirk, p. 64, citing ''The New York Times''.</ref> for her performance as a woman charged with [[vehicular manslaughter]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/v101560 |work=All Movie Guide |title=Manslaughter |author=Hal Erickson |access-date=February 11, 2013}}</ref> She was paired with March again in ''[[Honor Among Lovers]]'' (1931), which was popular at that time;<ref>Quirk, p. 36.</ref> he was also originally cast as her co-star in ''[[His Woman]]'' (1931), but was replaced by [[Gary Cooper]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6979 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328174443/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6979 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 28, 2014 |title=His Woman |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=November 20, 2015}}</ref> Colbert also starred in ''Mysterious Mr. Parkes'' (1931), a French-language version of ''[[Slightly Scarlet (1930 film)|Slightly Scarlet]]'' for the European market, although her French was tinged with an English accent after American life. It was also screened in the United States. She sang and played piano/violin in the [[Ernst Lubitsch]] musical ''[[The Smiling Lieutenant]]'' (1931), which was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Picture]] as well as being a box-office hit and critical success.<ref name="Pace1996" /><ref>Quirk, p. 37.</ref> 

[[File:The smiling lieutenant.jpg|thumb|With Maurice Chevalier in ''[[The Smiling Lieutenant]]'' (1931)]]

Colbert's career got a further boost when she played the supporting role as ''[[femme fatale]]'' Poppaea in [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s historical epic ''[[The Sign of the Cross (1932 film)|The Sign of the Cross]]'' (1932), opposite Fredric March and [[Charles Laughton]]. In one of the best-remembered scenes of her film career, she bathes nude in a marble pool filled with [[asses' milk]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Claudette Colbert (1903–1996) |work=Hollywood's Golden Age|url=http://www.hollywoodsgoldenage.com/actors/claudette_colbert.html|access-date=July 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Springer|first=John|year=1978|title=They Had Faces Then, Annabella to Zorina, the Superstars, Stars and Starlets of the 1930s |isbn=0-8065-0657-1|page=62|publisher=Citadel Press}}</ref> The film was [[1932 in film|the highest-grossing picture of the year]] in the United States.<ref name="Birchard">{{cite book|last=Birchard|first=Robert S.|date=2004|title=Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=9780813123240}}</ref> 

In 1933, Colbert renegotiated her contract with Paramount to allow her to appear in films for other studios. The pioneering screwball comedy film<ref>[https://www.allmovie.com/movie/three-cornered-moon-vm1070978 ''Three-Cornered Moon''] AllMovie review by Craig Butler, accessed October 28, 2023</ref> ''[[Three-Cornered Moon]]''&nbsp;reached No. 9 in the [[National Board of Review Awards 1933|National Board of Review Awards]] in 1933.<ref>[http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=1933 ''Three-Cornered Moon'' profile] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083700/http://www.nbrmp.org/awards/past.cfm?year=1933 |date=2007-09-29}}, nbrmp.org; accessed August 4, 2015.</ref> Her musical voice, a [[contralto]] that footnotes list as being coached by [[Bing Crosby]], was also featured in ''[[Torch Singer]]'' (1933),<ref>{{cite book|last=Bradley|first=Edwin M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zXatCwAAQBAJ&q=colbert++torch+singer+1933&pg=PA201|title=Unsung Hollywood Musicals of the Golden Era: 50 Overlooked Films and Their Stars, 1929–1939|year=2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-9833-8}}</ref> co-starring [[Ricardo Cortez]] and [[David Manners]]. Partly as results, she was ranked as the year's 13th box-office star.<ref>Schallert, Edwin. "Stars' Box-Office Ratings for Past Season Given: Survey Shows Sophisticates Slipping Fast. Will Rogers Tops All; Shirley Temple and Crosby Shoot Up", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 9, 1934, p. A1.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/motionpictureher117unse#page/n389/mode/2up ''Motion Picture Herald''], December 1, 1934; accessed October 13, 2016</ref> By 1933, she had appeared in 21 films, averaging four per year. Many of her early films were dramatics, and her performances were admired.<ref name="Britannica" /> Colbert's leading roles were down-to-earth and diverse, highlighting her versatility.<ref name="richardson" />

Colbert was initially reluctant to appear in the [[screwball comedy]] ''[[It Happened One Night]]'' (1934). The studio agreed to pay her $50,000 for the role and guaranteed filming would be done within four weeks so she could take a planned vacation.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hirschnor |first=Joel |year=1983 |title=Rating the Movie Stars for Home Video, TV and Cable |publisher=Publications International Limited |isbn=0-88176-152-4 |page=87}}</ref> She won the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for the film.<ref name="Oscars7" />

In ''[[Cleopatra (1934 film)|Cleopatra]]'' (1934), Colbert played the title role opposite [[Warren William]] and [[Henry Wilcoxon]]. It was [[1934 in film|the second highest-grossing picture]] of that year in the United States.<ref name="Birchard"/><ref name="Pace1996" /><ref name=ultimate/> Thereafter, Colbert did not wish to be portrayed as overtly sexual and later refused such roles.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chaneles|first=Sol|year=1974|title=The Movie Makers|publisher=Octopus Books|isbn=0-7064-0387-8|page=97}}</ref> She was loaned to [[Universal Pictures]] for ''[[Imitation of Life (1934 film)|Imitation of Life]]'' (1934), which was another box-office success.<ref name="Shipman114" /><ref name="ultimate" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Early Years|access-date=October 9, 2016|work=University of Virginia|url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma02/rodriguez/thesis/34show.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021001071740/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA02/rodriguez/thesis/34show.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 1, 2002|year=2002}}</ref> Those three films were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in the next year; Colbert is the only actress to date to star in three films nominated for Best Motion Picture in the same year.

[[File:Cleopatra publicity photo.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Screen capture of Colbert|Colbert in the title role of ''[[Cleopatra (1934 film)|Cleopatra]]'', 1934]]