# Colin Clive

Colin Glenn Clive (born Clive-Greig; 20 January 1900 – 25 June 1937) was a British theatre and film actor. Known for portraying individualistic, tumultuous characters which often mirrored his personal life, he is most famous for his role as Dr. Henry Frankenstein in the 1931 film Frankenstein and its 1935 sequel, Bride of Frankenstein. Clive’s maniacal delivery of the words, "It's alive, it's alive!" when Dr. Frankstein confirms his creature is moving, was listed by AFI as one of the 100 greatest movie quotes of all time.

## Early life

Clive was born in Saint-Malo, France, to an English colonel, Colin Philip Greig, and his wife, Caroline Margaret Lugard Clive, a member of the aristocratic Clive family. In a 1935 interview, Clive stated his mother had moved to France to escape the tumult of the ongoing Second Boer War. His family had intended for Clive to embark on a military career, and he attended Stonyhurst College and subsequently the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he broke both knees after being thrown from and crushed by a horse. Recuperating from his injuries, Clive decided to become an actor. He was a member of the Hull Repertory Theatre Company for three years.
Clive created the role of Steve Baker, the white husband of racially mixed Julie LaVerne, in the first London production of Show Boat; the production featured Cedric Hardwicke and Paul Robeson. Clive first worked with James Whale in the Savoy Theatre production of Journey's End and subsequently joined the British community in Hollywood, repeating his stage role in the film version.

## Hollywood

Clive's first screen role, in Journey's End (1930), was also directed by James Whale. Clive played the tormented alcoholic Captain Stanhope, a character that (much like Clive's other roles) mirrored his personal life. He was an in-demand leading man for several major film actresses of the era, including Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Corinne Griffith, and Jean Arthur. He starred as Edward Rochester in the 1934 adaptation of Jane Eyre opposite Virginia Bruce. He was a descendant of Robert Clive and appeared in a starring role in Clive of India (1935), a biopic of his ancestor. Clive remarked that he was disappointed he did not get to portray his own ancestor in the film.
Colin Clive, together with Leo G. Carroll, starred in a radio play titled The Other Place. It was written by John L. Balderston for the radio program The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour hosted by Rudy Vallee. It was aired on 14 November 1935.
In a 1935 interview with Film Weekly, Clive stated that he hated horror films and preferred more serious dramatic roles, only appearing in horror for financial reasons and because his performances were popular with audiences.
When his agent discovered that Clive was only accruing 30% of his actual income due to paying taxes in both the United States and the United Kingdom, Clive refused to obtain American citizenship, which would have removed British taxes, fearing that it would prevent him from serving in the British army if a war broke out.
Author Ayn Rand wrote Clive a fan letter in 1934 after seeing a stage performance of Journey’s End, praising Clive’s performance and character. Clive responded that he was very touched by the letter and would always keep it.

## Personal life

Clive was married to Jeanne de Casalis in June 1929. By 1935, Clive and Casalis had been living separately, with Clive in Los Angeles County and Casalis in London.

## Death

Colin Clive suffered from severe chronic alcoholism and he died from complications of tuberculosis on 25 June 1937 at age 37.
Clive's alcoholism was apparent to his co-stars, as he was often seen napping on set and sometimes was so intoxicated that he had to be held upright for over-the-shoulder shots. Clive was tormented by the medical threat of amputation of his long-damaged leg.
Forrest J Ackerman recalled visiting Clive's body: "I actually saw him in death, lying in a bed at a mortuary where it was possible for the public to view his body. He looked remarkably as he had when lying in bed in The Bride of Frankenstein." Over 300 mourners turned out. One of the pallbearers was Peter Lorre. His cenotaph is located at Chapel of the Pines Crematory.

## Roles
### Stage

* Peter and Paul (September 1925)
* Advertising April (November 1925)
| Date of 1st performance | Title | Author(s) | City | Theatre | Role |
| 1925 March 20 | Rose-Marie | Otto Harbach, Rudolf Friml, Herbert Stothart | London | Drury Lane | Edward Hawley |
| 1926 May 30 | Getting Mother Married | Neil Grant | London | Apollo | Capt. Eric Wilbraham |
| 1927 June 30 | Fire | Arthur Rose | London | Everyman Theatre | St. John Sevening |
| 1928 May 3 | Show Boat | Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern | London | Drury Lane | Steve |
| 1928 November 4 | The Dark Path | Evan John | London | Savoy Theatre | James Havilland |
| 1929 January 21 | Journey's End | R. C. Sherriff | London | Savoy Theatre | Cpt. Stanhope |
| 1929 April 14 | Let's Leave It At That | Jeanne de Casalis, Colin Clive | London | Prince of Wales's Theatre | Michael Stern |
| 1929 April 23 | Shall We Join the Ladies? | J. M. Barrie | London | PalaceTheatre | Mr. Vaile |
| 1930 February 2 | Forty-Seven | Sydney Loch | London | Prince of Wales's Theatre | Forty-Seven |
| 1930 April 22 | Hamlet | William Shakespeare | London | Haymarket Theatre | Laertes |
| 1930 June 30 | The Swan | Ferenc Molnár | London | St. James's Theatre | Dr. Nicholas Agi |
| 1930 December 5 | Overture | William Bolitho | New York | Longacre Theatre | Karl Ritter |
| 1931 May 21 | The Crime at Blossoms | Mordaunt Shairp | London | Playhouse Theatre | Christopher Merryman |
| 1932 July 19 | Escape | John Galsworthy | London | Garrick Theatre | Matt Denant |
| 1932 August 22 | Loyalties | John Galsworthy | London | Garrick Theatre | Ronald Dancy |
| 1932 September 29 | Justice | John Galsworthy | London | Garrick Theatre | William Falder |
| 1933 October 28 | Eight Bells | Percy G. Mandley | New York | Hudson Theatre | Dale |
| 1933 December 26 | The Lake | Dorothy Massingham and Murray MacDonald | New York | Martin Beck Theatre | John Clayne |
| 1935 December 20 | Libel | Edward Wooll | New York | Henry Miller's Theatre | Sir Mark Loddon, Bart. M.P. |

### Film

* Journey's End (1930) as Capt. Denis Stanhope (film debut)
* Frankenstein (1931) as Dr. Henry Frankenstein
* The Stronger Sex (1931) as Warren Barrington
* Lily Christine (1932) as Rupert Harvey
* Christopher Strong (1933) as Sir Christopher Strong
* Looking Forward (1933) as Geoffrey Fielding
* The Key (1934) as Capt. Andrew 'Andy' Kerr
* One More River (1934) as Sir Gerald Corven
* Jane Eyre (1934) as Edward Rochester
* Clive of India (1935) as Capt. Johnstone
* The Right to Live (1935) as Maurice
* Bride of Frankenstein (1935) as Dr. Henry Frankenstein
* The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935) as John Marland
* Mad Love (1935) as Stephen Orlac
* The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1935) as Bertrand Berkeley
* The Widow from Monte Carlo (1936) as Lord Eric Reynolds
* History Is Made at Night (1937) as Bruce Vail
* The Woman I Love (1937) as Capt. Thelis (final role)