Charles Coburn

Charles Coburn

1877-06-18 Macon, Georgia, USA 74 Credits

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...

Known For

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Complete Filmography

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down The Line

1997

as Self (archive footage)

7.0
Acting

Born Ruby Stevens, she was orphaned when she was four. A chance audition led to a chorus job. By 17 she was a Ziegfeld Girl. At 20 she earned excellen...

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend

1986

as Self (from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [1953]) (archive footage)

7.5
Acting

Her story is well-known — the lonely child who yearned for affection and approval which she finally seemed to find as Hollywood's greatest love goddes...

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

1985

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

5.6
Acting

Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.

It's Showtime

It's Showtime

1976

as Self (archive footage)

7.0
Acting

A collection of film clips profiling animal actors.

Marilyn

Marilyn

1963

as Sir Francis 'Piggy' Beekman (archive footage) (uncredited)

6.0
Acting

This 1963 documentary, released less than a year after Marilyn Monroe's death, showcases the star in memorable scenes from her 20th Century Fox films,...

Pepe

Pepe

1960

as Charles Coburn

6.2
Acting

Mario "Cantinflas" Moreno is a hired hand, Pepe, employed on a ranch. A boozing Hollywood director buys a white stallion that belongs to Pepe's boss. ...

John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones

1959

as Benjamin Franklin

6.1
Acting

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

A Stranger in My Arms

A Stranger in My Arms

1959

as Vance Beasley

2.3
Acting

An Air Force pilot finds romance with his war buddy's widow.

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker

1959

as Grampa Pennypacker

6.0
Acting

In early 1900s' Pennsylvania, Mr. Pennypacker has two company offices and two families with a combined total of 17 children. With an office in Harrisb...

The Story of Mankind

The Story of Mankind

1957

as Hippocrates

4.5
Acting

The devil and the spirit of mankind argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.

How to Murder a Rich Uncle

How to Murder a Rich Uncle

1957

as Uncle George Clitterbern

6.7
Acting

A broke British nobleman targets his Canadian uncle, but other relatives get in the way.

Town on Trial

Town on Trial

1957

as Dr. John Fenner

6.5
Acting

When an attractive young girl is murdered, suspicion falls on several members of the local tennis club. It falls to Police Inspector Halloran to sort ...

Around the World in Eighty Days

Around the World in Eighty Days

1956

as Steamship Company Clerk

6.6
Acting

Based on the famous book by Jules Verne the movie follows Phileas Fogg on his journey around the world. Which has to be completed within 80 days, a ve...

The Power and the Prize

The Power and the Prize

1956

as Guy Eliot

5.5
Acting

An ambitious executive jeopardizes his career to marry a European refugee.

How To Be Very, Very Popular

How To Be Very, Very Popular

1955

as Dr. Tweed

4.7
Acting

Two strippers on the run hide out in a college fraternity. Director Nunnally Johnson's 1955 musical comedy stars Betty Grable, Sheree North, Robert Cu...

The Long Wait

The Long Wait

1954

as Gardiner

5.8
Acting

Soon after thumbing a ride from a truck driver, Johnny McBride is badly burned and suffers from complete amnesia when the vehicle he’s riding in blows...

The Rocket Man

The Rocket Man

1954

as Mayor Ed Johnson

6.3
Acting

After procuring a special ray gun, a precocious orphan helps his community by exposing the shady doings of local government, and plays a part in a cut...

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

1953

as Sir Francis Beekman

7.3
Acting

Lorelei Lee is a beautiful showgirl engaged to be married to the wealthy Gus Esmond, much to the disapproval of Gus' rich father, Esmond Sr., who thin...

Trouble Along the Way

Trouble Along the Way

1953

as le Père Matthew William Burke

5.9
Acting

Struggling to retain custody of his daughter following his divorce, football coach Steve Williams finds himself embroiled in a recruiting scandal at t...

Monkey Business

Monkey Business

1952

as Oliver Oxley

6.7
Acting

Research chemist Barnaby Fulton works on a fountain of youth pill for a chemical company. One of the labs chimps gets loose in the laboratory and mixe...

Has Anybody Seen My Gal?

Has Anybody Seen My Gal?

1952

as Samuel Fulton / John Smith

6.9
Acting

When a 1920s millionaire tests the fiber of his Vermont family, a young lady and her boyfriend feel the repercussions.

The Highwayman

The Highwayman

1951

as Lord Walters

Acting
Mr. Music

Mr. Music

1950

as Alex Conway

4.0
Acting

A golf-crazy songwriter tries to avoid the long, solitary hours of concentration needed to produce a hit musical. His producer and his secretary consp...

Peggy

Peggy

1950

as Professor Brookfield

4.7
Acting

Professor Brookfield along with daughters Peggy and Susan move to small town Pasadena, California. Their new neighbor Mrs. Fielding helps them move in...

Louisa

Louisa

1950

as Mr. Burnside

6.1
Acting

Architect Hal Norton and wife Meg invite his widowed mother Louisa to move in with them, only to discover the sweet elderly lady is romantically invol...

Everybody Does It

Everybody Does It

1949

as Major Blair

7.8
Acting

Leonard Borland loves his monied wife, but with his wrecking business looking shaky he treasures her all the more. So when she decides to try again to...

The Doctor and the Girl

The Doctor and the Girl

1949

as Dr. John Corday

5.7
Acting

Dr. Michael Corday, a recent graduate of the Harvard Medical School, is the son of Dr. John Corday, an eminent New York City surgeon who has a tendenc...

Yes Sir, That's My Baby

Yes Sir, That's My Baby

1949

as Professor Jason Hartley

4.0
Acting

At a college, a group of ex-GIs clash with their wives about over playing football.

The Gal Who Took the West

The Gal Who Took the West

1949

as General Michael O'Hara

5.6
Acting

In order to gain passage to the West, a woman poses as an opera singer, and causes a feud between two cousins.

Impact

Impact

1949

as Lieutenant Quincy

6.0
Acting

After surviving a murder attempt, an auto magnate goes into hiding so his wife can pay for the crime.

Green Grass of Wyoming

Green Grass of Wyoming

1948

as Beaver Greenway

6.6
Acting

The romance of a rancher's niece and a rival rancher's son parallels that of a stallion and a mare.

B.F.'s Daughter

B.F.'s Daughter

1948

as Burton F. 'B.F.' Fulton

6.3
Acting

Wealthy Polly Fulton marries a progressive scholar whose attitudes toward capitalism and acquired wealth puts their marriage in jeopardy.

The Paradine Case

The Paradine Case

1947

as Sir Simon Flaquer

6.2
Acting

Attorney Anthony Keane agrees to represent Londonite Mrs. Paradine, who has been fingered in her husband's murder. From the start, the married lawyer ...

Lured

Lured

1947

as Harley Temple

6.3
Acting

Sandra Carpenter is a London-based dancer who is distraught to learn that her friend has disappeared. Soon after the disappearance, she's approached b...

The Green Years

The Green Years

1946

as Alexander Gow

6.5
Acting

An orphaned young boy is guided by his great-grandfather and strives to go to university to become a doctor. However, the boy's harsh grandfather stan...

Colonel Effingham's Raid

Colonel Effingham's Raid

1946

as Colonel Will Seaborn Effingham

5.7
Acting

The story takes place in 1940. On the eve of America's entry in World War II, a colonel retired to his small Southern town, and discovers that there i...

Shady Lady

Shady Lady

1945

as Col. John Appleby

5.8
Acting

A crook becomes the victim of a crafty card player who works for the District Attorney.

Over 21

Over 21

1945

as Robert Drexel Gow

5.2
Acting

A woman screenwriter lives in a shabby bungalow in order to be near her husband, a 39-year-old newspaper editor who has just joined the army.

Rhapsody in Blue

Rhapsody in Blue

1945

as Max Dreyfus

6.4
Acting

Fictionalized biography of George Gershwin and his fight to bring serious music to Broadway.

A Royal Scandal

A Royal Scandal

1945

as Nicolai Iiyitch

6.9
Acting

Catherine the Great falls in love with an army officer who is plotting against her.

Together Again

Together Again

1944

as Jonathan Crandall Sr

5.4
Acting

Anne Crandall is the mayor of a small town in Vermont. Her deceased husband had been the mayor for years and when he died, she was left to carry on an...

The Impatient Years

The Impatient Years

1944

as William Smith

6.3
Acting

Standing before a divorce court judge are Sergeant Andy Anderson and Janie Anderson asking him to dissolve their marriage. Janie's father, William Smi...

Wilson

Wilson

1944

as Professor Henry Holmes

5.5
Acting

The political career of Woodrow Wilson is chronicled, beginning with his decision to leave his post at Princeton to run for Governor of New Jersey, an...

Knickerbocker Holiday

Knickerbocker Holiday

1944

as Peter Stuyvesant

5.0
Acting

The wild and woolly early days of New York -- when it was still known as New Amsterdam -- provide the backdrop for this period musical-comedy. In 1650...

My Kingdom for a Cook

My Kingdom for a Cook

1943

as Rudyard Morley

Acting

While visiting Massachusetts, a famous English author (Charles Coburn) faces the wrath of a socialite (Isobel Elsom) after stealing her chef.

Princess O'Rourke

Princess O'Rourke

1943

as Uncle Holman

6.3
Acting

A down-to-earth pilot charms a European princess on vacation in the United States.

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1943

as Hugo Van Cleve

6.9
Acting

Spoiled playboy Henry van Cleve dies and arrives at the entrance to Hell, a final destination he is sure he deserves after living a life of profligacy...

The Constant Nymph

The Constant Nymph

1943

as Charles Creighton

6.0
Acting

The daughter of a musical mentor adores a promising composer, who is quite fond of the adolescent. When her father dies, an uncle arrives with his own...

The More the Merrier

The More the Merrier

1943

as Benjamin Dingle

6.8
Acting

It's World War II and there is a severe housing shortage everywhere - especially in Washington, D.C. where Connie Milligan rents an apartment. Believi...

Breakdowns of 1942

Breakdowns of 1942

1942

as Self

6.0
Acting

Flubs and bloopers that occurred on the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1942.

George Washington Slept Here

George Washington Slept Here

1942

as Stanley Menninger

6.3
Acting

New Yorkers Bill and Connie Fuller have to move from their apartment. Without Bill's knowledge, Connie purchases a delapidated old farmhouse in Pennsy...

In This Our Life

In This Our Life

1942

as William Fitzroy

6.8
Acting

An unhappy, self-centered woman runs off with her sister's husband, wreaking havoc and ruining the lives of those around her.

Kings Row

Kings Row

1942

as Henry Gordon

7.2
Acting

Five young adults in a small American town face the revelations of secrets that threaten to ruin their hopes and dreams.

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

H.M. Pulham, Esq.

1941

as John Pulham

6.9
Acting

A middle-aged businessman who has lived a conservative life according to the routine conventions of society, still remembers the beautiful young woman...

Unexpected Uncle

Unexpected Uncle

1941

as Seton Mansley

6.5
Acting

An elderly gentleman comes to a young woman's aid by pretending to be her uncle. Comedy.

Our Wife

Our Wife

1941

as Professor Drake

5.7
Acting

A musician's ex-wife wants him back after he finds love and success.

The Devil and Miss Jones

The Devil and Miss Jones

1941

as John P. Merrick/Thomas Higgins

7.7
Acting

The wealthiest man in the world, John P. Merrick, is a private person who likes to stay anonymous. One of his many assets is Neeley's Department Store...

The Lady Eve

The Lady Eve

1941

as 'Colonel' Harrington

7.2
Acting

It's no accident when wealthy Charles falls for Jean. Jean is a con artist with her sights set on Charles' fortune. Matters complicate when Jean start...

Three Faces West

Three Faces West

1940

as Dr. Karl Braun

5.4
Acting

Viennese surgeon Dr. Braun and his daughter Leni come to a small town in North Dakota as refugees from Hitler. When the winds of the Dust Bowl threate...

The Captain Is a Lady

The Captain Is a Lady

1940

as Captain Abe Peabody

6.0
Acting

Because of a bad investment, Captain and Mrs. Peabody are evicted from their home. Mrs. Peabody finds lodging at a retirement home, but as only single...

Florian

Florian

1940

as Dr. Johannes Hofer

1.0
Acting

Set against the backdrop of WWI Europe, a man and woman of different classes are brought together by their love of Lippizan horses.

Edison, the Man

Edison, the Man

1940

as General Powell

6.6
Acting

In flashback, fifty years after inventing the light bulb, an 82-year-old Edison tells his story starting at age twenty-two with his arrival in New Yor...

Road to Singapore

Road to Singapore

1940

as Joshua Mallon IV

6.5
Acting

Two playboys try to forget previous romances in Singapore – until they meet a beautiful dancer.

In Name Only

In Name Only

1939

as Richard Walker

7.0
Acting

A wealthy man falls for a widow but is locked into a loveless marriage with a woman who has contrived to convince his parents she is the ideal wife.

Stanley and Livingstone

Stanley and Livingstone

1939

as Lord Tyce

6.4
Acting

When American newspaperman and adventurer Henry M. Stanley comes back from the western Indian wars, his editor James Gordon Bennett sends him to Afric...

Bachelor Mother

Bachelor Mother

1939

as J. B. Merlin

7.1
Acting

Polly Parrish, a clerk at Merlin's Department Store, is mistakenly presumed to be the mother of a foundling. Outraged at Polly's unmotherly conduct, D...

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

The Story of Alexander Graham Bell

1939

as Gardner Hubbard

6.0
Acting

Alexander Graham Bell falls in love with deaf girl Mabel Hubbard while teaching the deaf and trying to invent means for telegraphing the human voice. ...

Made for Each Other

Made for Each Other

1939

as Judge Joseph M. Doolittle

6.1
Acting

A couple struggle to find happiness after a whirlwind courtship.

Idiot's Delight

Idiot's Delight

1939

as Dr. Hugo Waldersee

6.1
Acting

A group of disparate travelers are thrown together in a posh Alpine hotel when the borders are closed at the start of WWII.

Lord Jeff

Lord Jeff

1938

as Captain Briggs

7.1
Acting

Spoiled child Geoffrey Bramer teams up with a pair of small time crooks to pose as an aristocrat and steal jewelry from exclusive shops. During a a ca...

Yellow Jack

Yellow Jack

1938

as Dr. Finlay

5.6
Acting

A fairly accurate historical account of Walter Reed's search for the cause of "Yellow Jack" or Yellow Fever and those who risked their lives in the pu...

Vivacious Lady

Vivacious Lady

1938

as Mr. Morgan

6.9
Acting

College town life gets turned upside down after a button-down botany professor secretly weds a sizzling night-club singer.

Of Human Hearts

Of Human Hearts

1938

as Dr. Charles Shingle

5.8
Acting

This is a story about family relationships, set in the time before and during the American Civil War. Ethan Wilkins is a poor and honest man who minis...

The People's Enemy

The People's Enemy

1935

as Judge

6.0
Acting

Money was what gangster Vince M. Falcone wanted most and he did lay hands on millions of dollars by fair means or (mostly) foul. But once he became ri...