Evening star., 1943-11-11
Only Constant
|COburn Trait
Is His Cigar
BY HAROLD HEFFERNAN,
HOLLYWOOD

Personality parade:
It's never too late to start knock
ing 'em dead" with screen fans
and the gentleman best qualified at
this moment to offer the necessary
proof is a serious and dignifled (off
the set) chap In his mid-sixties.
Fellow by the name Of Charles
Coburn.
Wherever THE More the Merrier'
has been shown, the customers have
come out chuckling over the quaint
hi-jinks set in motion by the whim-
sical antics Of the veteran Coburn.
On the set, while romping through
his funny and physically taxing parts
with the speed and stamina Of a
kid, our hero is known as Charlie. u
But once the lights 60 down and he
retires to his dressing room, 1t be-
comes ''Mr. Coburn."
It's all a great act with him. He
Is definitely not funny of the screen
Instead, he's an austere, shy, studious
man of few words. About the only
resemblance between his "on" and
"off" characters Is the ever present
cigar, which he dry-smokes from
breakfast until bedtime.
X
The deeper side of the man who
Is now rolling them In the aisles with
outstanding performances in top
flight screen comedies centers
around his great love and deep per-
sonal and financial interest in the
atrical groups which prepare young
actors and actresses for careers or
Closest to Charles Coburn is the
Mohawk Drama Festival III the
Mohawk Valley Of New York. Fol
several seasons, Coburn has ap.
peared personally in these shows
doing light comedy one night ane
Shakesperian roles the next.
Coburn is firm in his stand that
"life begins at go" and he cites his
own case as adequate proof. After q
successful stage career that started
in boyhood and carried him through
one Of the most colorful phases OF
the American theater, he recently
found himself getting star billing in
Columbia's MY Kingdom for q
Cook" He'll do several more star
ring films for that studio.
Six years ago Coburn landed in
movietown on the rebound from
seeming professional catastrophe
and a personal bereavement after
the death of his wife and partner.
For years he had been a member
of the firm of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
Coburn. Together they had ap-
peared on the stage, and together
they had founded and developed hi.
beloved Mohawk Drama Festival.
With her death in 1887" Coburn
explained, What was I to do? The
firm name no longer could be used
I was without the partner upon
whom I had depended long and
heavily. I knew of no way to start
a new career. I felt completely lost
Then some odd and exciting
things began happening. A tele-
gram from Hollywood offered a
screen test. I made it and it was
pronounced good. But I turned
down the role because it was a serial
Then came the big surprise. On its
way to the stockpile that camera test
was shown. in a studio projection
room to Director Clarence Brown
who was then trying to find an actor
for the sympathetic role of DR.. Shin
gle In OF Human Hearts I got the
job and have been making pictures
ever since"
When Coburn won stardom and
entered the big money class through
his brilliant portrayal Of that lovable
rascal, Mr.. Dingle, in The More the
Merrier," he was completing so
years in the theater. But he hasn't
the slightest notion of retiring.
THAT would be downright silly
he chuckled. why, I'm just begin
ming to learn this funny picture
business. And while it's tough work
it's lots of fun-more fun than I've
ever had before in my life"
CReleased b. the North American
Newspapsr Alliance. Incl