Biography
British leading man of primarily American films, one of the great stars of the Golden Age. Raised in Ealing, the son of a successful silk merchant, he attended boarding school in Sussex, where he first discovered amateur theatre. He intended to attend Cambridge and become an engineer, but his father's death cost him the financial support necessary. He joined the London Scottish Regionals and at the outbreak of World War I was sent to France. Seriously wounded at the battle of Messines--he was gassed--he was invalided out of service scarcely two months after shipping out for France. Upon his recovery he tried to enter the consular service, but a chance encounter got him a small role in a London play. He dropped other plans and concentrated on the theatre, and was rewarded with a succession of increasingly prominent parts. He made extra money appearing in a few minor films, and in 1920 set out for New York in hopes of finding greater fortune there than in war-depressed England. After two years of impoverishment he was cast in a Broadway hit, "La Tendresse". Director Henry King spotted him in the show and cast him as Lillian Gish's leading man in The White Sister (1923). His success in the film led to a contract with Samuel Goldwyn, and his career as a Hollywood leading man was underway. He became a vastly popular star of silent films, in romances as well as adventure films. The coming of sound made his extraordinarily beautiful speaking voice even more important to the film industry. He played sophisticated, thoughtful characters of integrity with enormous aplomb, and swashbuckled expertly when called to do so in films like The Prisoner of Zenda (1937). A decade later he received an Academy Award for his splendid portrayal of a tormented actor in A Double Life (1947). Much of his later career was devoted to "The Halls of Ivy", a radio show that later was transferred to television "The Halls of Ivy" (1954). He continued to work until nearly the end of his life, which came in 1958 after a brief lung illness. He was survived by his second wife, actress Benita Hume, and their daughter Juliet Benita Colman.
Filmography
all 66
Movies 61
self 8
TV Shows 5
Writer 1
![The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/67636-the-making-of-a-legend-gone-with-the-wind.jpg)
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988)
![That's Entertainment, Part II](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/3555-that-s-entertainment-part-ii.jpg)
That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
![Hollywood: The Selznick Years](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/721443-hollywood-the-selznick-years.jpg)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1961)
![The Story of Mankind](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/83341-the-story-of-mankind.jpg)
The Story of Mankind (1957)
![Around the World in Eighty Days](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/6159-around-the-world-in-eighty-days.jpg)
Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)
![The Halls of Ivy](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
The Halls of Ivy (1954)
![Four Star Playhouse](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Four Star Playhouse (1952)
![The Jack Benny Program](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137525-the-jack-benny-program.jpg)
The Jack Benny Program (1950)
![Champagne for Caesar](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/87013-champagne-for-caesar.jpg)
Champagne for Caesar (1950)
![The Art Director](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/170152-the-art-director.jpg)
The Art Director (1949)
![A Double Life](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/81725-a-double-life.jpg)
A Double Life (1947)
![The Late George Apley](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/97183-the-late-george-apley.jpg)
The Late George Apley (1947)
![Kismet](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/67340-kismet.jpg)
Kismet (1944)
![Random Harvest](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/8754-random-harvest.jpg)
Random Harvest (1942)
![The Talk of the Town](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/74385-the-talk-of-the-town.jpg)
The Talk of the Town (1942)
![Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 3](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/744004-hedda-hopper-s-hollywood-no-3.jpg)
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood No. 3 (1942)
![Personalities](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Personalities (1942)
![Lucky Partners](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/119798-lucky-partners.jpg)
Lucky Partners (1940)
![The Light That Failed](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/93144-the-light-that-failed.jpg)
The Light That Failed (1939)
![If I Were King](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/81958-if-i-were-king.jpg)
If I Were King (1938)
![The Prisoner of Zenda](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/5734-the-prisoner-of-zenda.jpg)
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
![Lost Horizon](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/89308-lost-horizon.jpg)
Lost Horizon (1937)
![Under Two Flags](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/69394-under-two-flags.jpg)
Under Two Flags (1936)
![A Tale of Two Cities](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/76409-a-tale-of-two-cities.jpg)
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
![Clive of India](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/93314-clive-of-india.jpg)
Clive of India (1935)
![Movie Memories #2](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Movie Memories #2 (1934)
![Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/93413-bulldog-drummond-strikes-back.jpg)
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (1934)
![The Masquerader](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/122661-the-masquerader.jpg)
The Masquerader (1933)
![Cynara](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/96456-cynara.jpg)
Cynara (1932)
![Arrowsmith](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/11977-arrowsmith.jpg)
Arrowsmith (1931)
![The Unholy Garden](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/90247-the-unholy-garden.jpg)
The Unholy Garden (1931)
![The Devil to Pay!](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/87616-the-devil-to-pay.jpg)
The Devil to Pay! (1930)
![Terra Melophon Magazin Nr. 1](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Terra Melophon Magazin Nr. 1 (1930)
![Raffles](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/91536-raffles.jpg)
Raffles (1930)
![Condemned](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/91554-condemned.jpg)
Condemned (1929)
![Bulldog Drummond](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/67468-bulldog-drummond.jpg)
Bulldog Drummond (1929)
![The Rescue](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/91580-the-rescue.jpg)
The Rescue (1929)
![Two Lovers](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/68132-two-lovers.jpg)
Two Lovers (1928)
![The Magic Flame](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/25312-the-magic-flame.jpg)
The Magic Flame (1927)
![The Winning of Barbara Worth](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/102359-the-winning-of-barbara-worth.jpg)
The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926)
![Beau Geste](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/112831-beau-geste.jpg)
Beau Geste (1926)
![Kiki](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/91590-kiki.jpg)
Kiki (1926)
![Lady Windermere's Fan](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/22277-lady-windermere-s-fan.jpg)
Lady Windermere's Fan (1925)
![Stella Dallas](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/103512-stella-dallas.jpg)
Stella Dallas (1925)
![The Dark Angel](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
The Dark Angel (1925)
![Her Sister from Paris](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/91572-her-sister-from-paris.jpg)
Her Sister from Paris (1925)
![A Thief in Paradise](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
A Thief in Paradise (1925)
![The Sporting Venus](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
The Sporting Venus (1925)
![His Supreme Moment](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/275063-his-supreme-moment.jpg)
His Supreme Moment (1925)
![Romola](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/116550-romola.jpg)
Romola (1924)
![Her Night of Romance](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/103530-her-night-of-romance.jpg)
Her Night of Romance (1924)
![Tarnish](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/504038-tarnish.jpg)
Tarnish (1924)
![Twenty Dollars a Week](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
Twenty Dollars a Week (1924)
![The White Sister](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/132231-the-white-sister.jpg)
The White Sister (1923)
![A Daughter of Eve](https://images.moviefit.me/default-images/t/o.jpg)
A Daughter of Eve (1919)
Ratings
Gallery
![Ronald Colman](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/24301-ronald-colman.jpg)
![Ronald Colman](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/24301-ronald-colman.jpg)
![Ronald Colman](https://images.moviefit.me/p/o/24301-ronald-colman.jpg)
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1891-02-08
Deathday1958-05-19 (67 years old)
Birth PlaceRichmond, United Kingdom
RelationshipsBenita Hume (1938-09-30 - 1958-05-19)
SpouseBenita Hume
CitizenshipsUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom
Also Known AsRonald Charles Colman
Awardsstar on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, Academy Award for Best Actor
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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