Day 27 of Colourisation Project – June 3

Born on this day in 1910, American actress, Paulette Goddard was a child fashion model and performer. She made her stage debut at the age of 13 and performed in several Broadway productions as a Ziegfeld Girl. By age 16 she was married to Edgar James, a man of considerable wealth. This marriage was short-lived and after two years they divorced. In 1936 she wed Charlie Chaplin in secret. Again, this marriage lasted only 4 years. Her 3rd marriage also short-lived, was to Burgess Meredith, well known for his role of “Penguin” in the 1966 TV series, Batman. 

By the 1940s Goddard had become a major star at Paramount Studio. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in 1943’s So Proudly We Hail!  However after after a decade of constant work she was dropped by Paramount in 1949. A couple of B grade movies later, Goddard left the states and headed for Europe where she basically retired from films. She finally married and settled down with German novelist Erich Maria Remarque in 1958.

In 1964, she attempted a comeback in films with a supporting role in the Italian film Time of Indifference. This was her last performance on the silver screen.

Goddard had amassed great wealth in her time and became philanthropic.  She awarded $3 million in scholarships to three hundred film and theater students at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Goddard, died in 1990 bequeathing US$20 million to New York University (NYU). 

         Publicity shot of Paulette Goddard, unknown date.  Colourised by Loredana Crupi

“I lived in Hollywood long enough to learn to play tennis and become a star, but I never felt it was my home. I was never looking for a home, as a matter of fact.”  Paulette Goddard