February 9, 1891 – May 19, 1958
Originally from the United Kingdom, Ronald Colman started his Hollywood career in 1923 after having been on the London and New York stage. His first film was The White Sister, in which he played opposite Lillian Gish. He would become a highly popular silent film actor, who starred in many romantic and adventure roles, often doing his own stunts. While his silent film career was very successful, his cross-over into “talkies” would make him even more popular due to his “bewitching, finely-modulated, resonant voice.”
In 1930, he was nominated for two Academy Awards for his work in Condemned and Bulldog Drummond. Colman would go on to star in such films as, Raffles, A Tale of Two Cities, The Prisoner of Zenda, Lost Horizon and The Talk of the Town. In 1948 Colman would win Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his role in A Double Life.
During his film career, Colman and his second wife, Benita Hume, appeared on the radio. They were frequent guests on The Jack Benny Program and the Colmans also had their own radio show, The Halls of Ivy, from 1950 to 1952. It centered around Colman’s character who was the president of an American college in the Midwest. The Halls of Ivy was then made into a television show and aired from 1954 to 1955.
Left to Right: Benita Hume, Jack Benny, Ronald Colman
Awesome! I definitely need to see more of his films. RIP, Ronald!