Ronald Colman

Ronald Colman

Nascimento : 1891-02-09, Richmond, Surrey, England, UK

Morte : 1958-05-19

História

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.

Perfil

Ronald Colman

Filmes

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
Himself (archive footage)
The life and work of Samuel Goldwyn, a Polish-born glove salesman who became one of Hollywood's greatest independent producers, is remembered in this classy documentary created for the PBS American Masters series. Based on A. Scott Berg's acclaimed biography, the film includes new interviews with Goldwyn's surviving family members as well as vintage interviews with such luminaries as Bette Davis, John Huston, Laurence Olivier and others.
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
(archive footage)
This documentary revisits the making of Gone with the Wind via archival footage, screen tests, insightful interviews and rare film footage.
Era Uma Vez em Hollywood, parte II
(archive footage)
É a sequência de Era Uma Vez em Hollywood, de 1974. A produção mostra uma retrospectiva dos principais filmes produzidos pela MGM dentre os períodos de 1930 a 1950. Neste segundo documentário, arquivistas destacaram números musicais pouco conhecidos dos arquivos da MGM, e também tributos a alguns dos times de comédia mais famosos da MGM, como os Irmãos Marx, e Laurel e Hardy, duplas românticas como Spencer Tracy e Katharine Hepburn, e uma montagem de estrelas icônicas como Clark Gable, Mickey Rooney, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, James Stewart, Lana Turner e Greta Garbo. Gene Kelly e Fred Astaire apresentam o filme e Kelly dirigiu as cenas introdutórias, como a volta dele à Paris, na qual foi rodada dois dos filmes mais famosos da MGM "Sinfonia de Paris" e "Gigi".
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
'A Tale of Two Cities' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Henry Fonda hosts this retrospective on the career and films of iconic filmmaker David O. Selznick, who epitomized the era of the auteur producer in the 30s and 40s.
The Story of Mankind
The Spirit of Man
The devil and the spirit of mankind argue as to whether or not humanity is ultimately good or evil.
A Volta ao Mundo em Oitenta Dias
Railway Official
Em 1872, o nobre inglês Phileas Fogg (David Niven) aposta vinte mil libras com seus colegas do Clube Reformatório de Londres de que ele consegue dar a volta no planeta em exatamente oitenta dias. Ao lado do engenhoso Valet Passepartout (Mario Moreno), ele busca cumprir o seu objetivo com aventuras em todos os continentes, acaba conhecendo e se encantando pela bela viúva Aouda (Shirley MacLaine), ao mesmo tempo que, em uma conspiração, é acusado de ter roubado o dinheiro que investiu na aposta.
Champanhe Para César
Beauregard Bottomley
When jobless genius Beauregard Bottomley interviews with Burnbridge Waters for a position at Waters' soap company, the owner rudely turns Bottomley down. As revenge, Bottomley enters a TV quiz show that Waters' company sponsors, with the goal of winning until he bankrupts the businessman. When Bottomley keeps acing the questions, becoming a media sensation, Waters desperately calls on vixen Flame O'Neal to uncover Bottomley's area of weakness.
The Art Director
A film's art director is in charge of the set, from conception to construction to furnishing. This short film walks the viewer through art directors' responsibilities and the demands on their talents. They read a script carefully and design a set to capture the time and place, the social strata, and the mood. They must be scholars of the history of architecture, furnishings, and fashion. They choose the colors on a set in anticipation of the lighting and the mood. Their work also sets styles, from Art Deco in the 20's to 30s modernism. Then it's on to the next project.
Fatalidade
Anthony John
A Shakespearian actor starring as Othello opposite his wife finds the character's jealous rage taking over his mind off-stage.
Tenho Direito ao Amor
George Apley
George and Catherine Apley of Boston lead a proper life in the proper social circle, as did the Apleys before them. When grown daughter Eleanor falls in love with Howard (from New York!), and son John with Myrtle (from Worcester!), the ordered life of the Apley home on Beacon Street is threatened, as is the hoped-for union of John and Apley-cousin Agnes.
Kismet
Hafiz
Hafiz, a rascally beggar on the periphery of the court of Baghdad, schemes to marry his daughter to royalty and to win the heart of the queen of the castle himself.
Na Noite do Passado
Charles Rainier aka "Smithy"
An amnesiac World War I vet falls in love with a music hall star, only to suffer an accident which restores his original memories but erases his post-War life.
E a Vida Continua
Professor Michael Lightcap
When the Holmes Woolen Mill burns down, political activist Leopold Dilg is jailed for arson and accidental murder. Escaping, Leopold hides out in the home of his childhood sweetheart Nora Shelley... which she has just rented to unsuspecting law professor Michael Lightcap.
Minha Vida com Caroline
Anthony Mason
A man thinks his high-spirited wife is cheating on him.
Boa Sorte
David Grant
Two strangers split a sweepstake prize to go on a fake honeymoon with predictable results.
The Light That Failed
Dick Heldar
A London artist struggles to complete one last painting before going blind.
Se Eu Fora Rei
François Villon
King Louis XI masquerades as a commoner in Paris, seeking out the treachery he is sure lurks in his kingdom. At a local tavern, he overhears the brash poet François Villon extolling why he would be a better king. Annoyed yet intrigued, the King bestows on Villon the title of Grand Constable. Soon Villon begins work and falls for a lovely lady-in-waiting, but then must flee execution when the King turns on him.
O Prisioneiro de Zenda
Major Rudolf Rassendyll / The Prisoner of Zenda
An Englishman who resembles the king of a small European nation gets mixed up in palace intrigue when his look-alike is kidnapped.
Horizonte Perdido
Robert " Bob " Conway
Após a queda de um avião no Himalaia, grupo de pessoas acaba por encontrar uma cidade perdida. O lugar é o paraíso, Shangri-La, onde eles encontram um enorme contraste com a vida urbana que levam. Uma revolução eclodiu na China e o diplomata Robert Conway (Ronald Colman) é forçado a fugir com outros quatro americanos. Mas o avião deles é sequestrado e acabam indo parar no Tibet, precisamente numa comunidade utópica em que seus membros parecem não envelhecer. A obra-prima original, de Frank Capra tinha duração de 132 minutos na época de seu lançamento, em 1937. Durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial, uma nova edição, com 24 minutos a menos, atenuou a mensagem pacifista do filme. Num trabalho de mais de 25 anos para restaurar o filme, foram utilizadas cenas encontradas em várias partes do mundo. Com uma ótima direção de arte, o destaque fica para os cenários de Shangri-la que são considerados os maiores já construídos em Hollywood.
Under Two Flags
Sgt. Victor
Sergeant Victor comes to the French Foreign Legion after taking the blame for his brother's crime. Cigarette falls in love with him though Major Doyle is in love with her. Doyle sends Victor on dangerous assignments to be rid of him. He falls in love with Lady Venetia Cunningham, a visitor to the garrison
A Tale of Two Cities
Sydney Carton
The exciting story of Dr. Manette, who escapes the horrors of the infamous Bastille prison in Paris. The action switches between London and Paris on the eve of the revolution where we witness 'the best of times and the worst of times' - love, hope, the uncaring French Aristocrats and the terror of a revolutionary citizen's army intent on exacting revenge.
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo
Paul Gaillard
A Russian prince goes to Monte Carlo just after World War I with money supplied to him by Parisian Russians. He wins but the casino operators want him to honor the tradition of returning to the tables.
Clive of India
Robert Clive
Fort St. David, Cuddalore, southern India, 1748. While colonial empires battle to seize an enormous territory, rich in spices and precious metals beyond the wildest dreams, and try to gain the favor of the local kings, Robert Clive (1725-1774), a frustrated but talented clerk who works for the East Indian Company and struggles to earn his fortune, makes a bold decision that will change his life forever.
Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back
Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond
Bulldog Drummond finds himself immersed in another adventure when he stumbles upon a corpse in the mysterious London mansion of Prince Achmed. Enlisting the help of his old friend Algy and the beautiful Lola, Drummond uncovers a scheme to ship illegal cargo into the country. He must rely on his cunning to survive when the prince offers a reward for his capture.
The Masquerader
Sir John Chilcote / John Loder
A drug-addicted member of Parliament needs to take time off and secretly pull his life together, so he gets his lookalike cousin to agree to temporarily assume his identity.
Cynara
James Warlock
A London barrister's marriage is under strain after his affair with a shopgirl who is out to have him. The story is told in flashback.
Arrowsmith
Dr. Martin Arrowsmith
A medical researcher is sent to a plague outbreak, where he has to decide priorities for the use of a vaccine.
The Unholy Garden
Barrington Hunt
At a hotel in the middle of the Sahara, an old man and his daughter try to keep the location of a hidden treasure from a collection of thieves and criminals staying at the hotel who are determined to get it. A suave gentleman thief arrives at the hotel one day with his own plan to get the loot, but complications ensue when he begins to fall for the daughter.
Governor C.C. Young Hails Greater Talkie Season
Ronald Colman introduces the governor of California, who urges moviegoers to attend the cleaner, wholesome talkie films, rather than those that show the seamy side of life. Doing this will show movie company executives that the public prefers them, and more of them will be produced.
O Diabo Que Pague
Willie Hale
Spendthrift Willie Hale again returns penniless to the family home in London. His father is none too pleased, but Willie smooth-talks him into letting him stay. At the same time he turns the charm on Dorothy Hope, whose father is big in linoleum and who, before Willie's arrival, was about to become engaged to a Russian aristocrat.
Raffles
A.J. Raffles
A distinguished English gentleman has a secret life--he is the notorious jewel thief the press has dubbed "The Amateur Cracksman". When he meets a woman and falls in love he decides to "retire" from that life, but an old friend comes to him with a predicament that entails him committing one last job.
Condemned
Michel
Suave thief Colman is sent to Devil's Island, where he becomes romantically involved with the wife of sadistic warden Digges.
Amante de Emoções
Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond
O Capitão Hugh Drummond, herói de guerra, à procura de aventuras em Londres, é contatado pela bela americana Phyllis. Ela lhe pede que liberte seu tio John Travers, preso ilegalmente em um falso asilo.
The Rescue
Tom Lingard
The English adventurer Tom Lingard gets involved with islanders on a South Seas island, and he also gets involved with Lady Edith and Mr. Travers, a sailing English couple. Tom has an unexpected love affair with Edith and while they are having this affair, Lady Edith husband's boat is destroyed and he is killed.
Two Lovers
Mark van Rycke
Set during the 16th-century Spanish occupation of Flanders, the story concentrates on the fiercely patriotic Mark Van Ryke (Colman). Donning the guise of "Leatherface," a swashbuckling masked avenger, Van Ryke performs his derring-do on behalf of the Prince of Orange (Nigel de Brulier). Naturally, Van Ruke considers beautiful Spanish aristocrat Donna Leonora de Vargas (Vilma Banky) to be a bitter enemy, and the feeling is mutual. To no one's surprise, however, Van Ryke and Donna Leonara eventually fall in love (hence the title). The pulse-pounding climax finds Van Ryke riding hell-for-leather through a rainstorm to warn the Flemish troops about the Spaniards' plans to burn the city of Ghent to the ground. Two Lovers was based on Madame Orczy's novel Leatherface, and adapted for the screen by Alice Duer Miller.
The Magic Flame
Tito the Clown / The Count
The Magic Flame (1927) is a feature film directed by Henry King, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and based on the play Konig Harlekin by Rudolph Lothar. George Barnes was nominated at the 1st Academy Awards for Best Cinematography. The film promoted itself as the Romeo and Juliet of the circus upon its release.
The Night of Love
Montero
Montero, son of a Gypsy leader, is about to take a bride according to primitive ritual, when the Duke de la Garda demands his right as feudal lord--to take the bride to his castle for a night. Rather than accede to the duke's advances, the girl chooses death by her own hand. Montero swears vengeance.....
The Winning of Barbara Worth
Willard Holmes
While building an irrigation system for a Southwestern desert community, an engineer vies with a local cowboy for the affections of a rancher's daughter.
Beau Geste
Michael 'Beau' Geste
Michael "Beau" Geste deixa a Inglaterra em desgraça e se junta à infame Legião Estrangeira Francesa. Ele se reencontra com seus dois irmãos no Norte da África, onde enfrentam maior perigo por parte de seu próprio comandante sádico do que dos rebeldes árabes.
Kiki
Victor Renal
Kiki, a poor young woman who sells newspapers on the street corners of Paris, is able to land a job singing and dancing at a nearby theater. While she is there, she invites herself into the life of the revue's manager, with whom she has fallen in love.
Lady Windermere's Fan
Lord Darlington
A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.
Stella Dallas
Stephen Dallas
An eccentric lower class woman struggles to gain respect in high society after marrying a wealthy man, and the problem gets worse when their daughter starts growing up.
The Dark Angel
Captain Alan Trent
Alan Trent (Ronald Colman), his cousin Gerald Shannon (Wyndham Standing) and neighbor Kitty Vane (Vilma Bánky) have grown up together, as close playmates When World War I starts, both Alan and Gerald enlist in the British Army as officiers, and Kitty sees them off to war. Many months later, Alan and Gerald come back to Kitty, on a short furlow. Alan and Kitty reveal their love for each other. Gerald (who's in love with Kitty, too) congratulates his friends. But before Kitty and Alan can arrange to be married the next day, the furlow is cut short and both men head back to the front lines. Weeks later, Gerald will not give Alan leave to marry Kitty. Still arguing, both men volunteer for a reconiscience raid into enemy lines, where a grenade goes off near Alan and appears to kill him. Gerald and Kitty mourn Alan's death. After the war ends, Gerald and Kitty become engaged to be married.
Her Sister from Paris
Joseph
Helen has a twin sister, who is a famous actress named "La Perry". Helen and her sister decide to trick Helen's husband to prove his love.
A Thief in Paradise
Maurice Blake
Years of failure and bad luck have made Maurice Blake a beachcomber on an island in the Samoas, earning a precarious living by diving for pearls with Philip Jardine, the disinherited son of a San Francisco millionaire. When Philip is killed by a shark, his half caste common-law wife, Rosa, informs Maurice that Philip had been forgiven by his father, and she persuades him to assume Philip's identity and return to the States - The film is now considered a lost film.
His Supreme Moment
John Douglas
John Douglas, a down-on-his-luck engineer, takes his sweetheart, Sara Deeping, to a play starring Carla King, and he falls in love with the actress.
The Sporting Venus
Donald MacAllan
Familiar story of spoiled heiress, Blanche Sweet, who dabbles in romance with commoner Ronald Colman. They roam the highlands together hunting since this is Sweet's "sport." They seem to have an idyllic affair going when into the mix comes an impoverished prince (Lew Cody). He determines to steal away the heiress and pay off his creditors. Indeed, this is the plan he shares with them.
Romola
Carlo Bucellini
In Renaissance Florence, a Florentine trader meets a shipwrecked stranger, who introduces himself as Tito Melema, a young Italianate-Greek scholar. Tito becomes acquainted with several other Florentines, including Nello the barber and a young girl named Tessa. He is also introduced to a blind scholar named Bardo de' Bardi, and his daughter Romola. As Tito becomes settled in Florence, assisting Bardo with classical studies, he falls in love with Romola.
Her Night of Romance
Paul Menford
An impoverished British lord (Paul Menford) impersonates a doctor in order to woo an ailing American heiress (Dorothy Adams). The lord is in it for love, but his business associate (Joe Diamond) smells money.
Tarnish
Emmet Carr
Twenty Dollars a Week
The White Sister
Capt. Giovanni Severi
Angela Chiaromonte is the daughter of a wealthy Italian prince who is killed in a fall from his horse. Though Angela stands to inherit half of a large estate, her older half-sister burns the will and thus inherits everything herself, throwing Angela into poverty. Fortunately, Angela is engaged to marry dashing Captain Giovanni Severi - but he soon is captured by Arabs while on an expedition to Africa. Believing him dead, Angela, dedicating her life to his memory, becomes a nun, unaware that her lover has escaped his captors and is returning to Italy. The dramatic climax takes place against a backdrop of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Anna the Adventuress
Brendan
Two identical sisters are able to switch places, leading to a series of unfortunate incidents.
The Toilers