Charles Coburn(1877-1961)

Actor
Soundtrack

The career of Revolutionary War naval hero from his youth in Scotland through his service to Catherine the Great of Russia.

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John Paul Jones (1959)

A cigar-smoking, monocled, swag-bellied character actor known for his Old South manners and charm. In 1918 he and his first wife formed the Coburn Players and appeared on Broadway in many plays. With her death in 1937, he accepted a Hollywood contract and began making films at the age of sixty.

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

Won 1 Oscar
- 13 wins & 2 nominations total

Photos115

+ 109

Known for

The More the Merrier

7.6

Benjamin Dingle

1943

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

7.1

Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman

1953

The Lady Eve

7.7

'Colonel' Harrington

1941

The Paradine Case

6.5

Sir Simon Flaquer

1947

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

The Best of the Post
7.5
TV Series
- John Conant
- 1961
Pepe
5.4
- Charles Coburn
- 1960
Startime
6.4
TV Series
- Colonel Sykes
- 1959
John Paul Jones
6.3
- Benjamin Franklin
- 1959
The Danny Thomas Show
7.1
TV Series
- John Malloy
- 1959
A Stranger in My Arms
6.2
- Vance Beasley
- 1959
This Is Alice
7.9
TV Series
- 1958
The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker
6.2
- Grampa Pennypacker
- 1958
The Bob Cummings Show
7.7
TV Series
- Charles Coburn
- Sir Humphrey Mallard
- 1958
The Story of Mankind
4.8
- Hippocrates
- 1957
How to Murder a Rich Uncle
6.9
- Uncle George
- 1957
Town on Trial
6.5
- Dr. John Fenner
- 1957
Strange Stories
7.8
TV Series
- 1956
Chevron Hall of Stars
6.8
TV Series
- Bill Compton
- 1956
Ethel Barrymore Theater
7.7
TV Series
- 1956

Soundtrack

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
7.1
- performer: "Down Boy" (1953) (Outtake) (uncredited)
- 1953
Monkey Business
6.9
- performer: "The Whiffenpoof Song" (uncredited)
- 1952
Has Anybody Seen My Gal
7.1
- performer: "When the Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along", "The Charleston", "It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'" (uncredited)
- 1952
Knickerbocker Holiday
5.3
- performer: "September Song" (uncredited)
- 1944
The More the Merrier
7.6
- Soundtrack ("The Torpedo Song" (1943))
- 1943
George Washington Slept Here
6.9
- Soundtrack ("I'll Never Smile Again" (1939), uncredited)
- 1942
Unexpected Uncle
6.0
- Soundtrack ("Strolling Through the Park One Day" (1884), uncredited)
- 1941
We're Going to Be Rich
6.4
- writer: "Two Lovely Black Eyes" (uncredited)
- 1938

Videos24

Personal details

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Height
- 6′ (1.83 m)
Born
- June 19, 1877
- Macon, Georgia, USA
Died
- August 30, 1961
- New York City, New York, USA(heart attack)
Spouses
Other works
Stage: Appeared (credited as Charles D. Coburn; Broadway debut) in "Up York State" on Broadway. Drama. Written by David Higgins and Georgia Waldron. Haverly's 14th Street Theatre: 16 Sep 1901-Sep 1901 (closing date unknown/15 performances). Cast: John R. Cumpson, Harry Daus, Olive Maud Davis, Pauline Duffield, Ada Dwyer, Dorritt Gough, Master John Gough, David Higgins (as "Darius Green"), William T. Hodge, Walter G. Horton, Gabriella McKean, E.F. Nagle, Virginia Tracy, Georgia Waldron (as "Evelyn Blair"), Eva Westcott.
Publicity listings
- 7 Articles
- 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

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Trivia
When asked by a reporter why he did not wear his omnipresent monocle while eating, he replied, "I once lost one in a bowl of soup.".

Quotes
[a story he told fans each year at the Delaware County (OH) Fair Little Brown Jug Stakes for pacers, which as a devoted harness-racing fan he attended annually] I grew up in the city not far from a burlesque theater and my father cautioned me not to go there because I might see something I shouldn't see. So, of course, when I got old enough I went right in, and sure enough I saw something I shouldn't--my father!