Ronald Colman filmography

Ronald Colman in a publicity still for The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).

Ronald Colman began his career as an actor on the stage following his service in the British Army during World War I. He made his film debut in an unreleased two-reeler titled The Live Wire (1917). After achieving minor success on the stage and in British films, he immigrated to the United States in 1920. There he continued his acting with only moderate success until he was offered the lead opposite Lillian Gish in The White Sister (1923). The film's popularity and critical acclaimed led to Colman becoming a major star and also a romantic idol of the silent cinema. As a contract player for Samuel Goldwyn, Colman was cast (frequently on loan-out) as leading man to many of the top actress as the silent era. In five of his silents he formed a romantic team with Hungarian actress Vilma Bánky.

Colman made a successful transition to sound with his first talking feature, Bulldog Drummond (1929) followed by Raffles (1930) and the much underrated The Unholy Garden (1931). After leaving Goldwyn in 1933, Colman continued his career as a free-lance performer and starred in a succession of critically acclaimed films (A Tale of Two Cities, Under Two Flags, Lost Horizon, The Prisoner of Zenda, If I Were King, and The Light That Failed). In 1948 Colman won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Double Life.

The filmography below lists all of Colman's films and is sub-divided into four sections: His British silent films, his American silents, his sound films, and a listing of short films in which he appeared as himself. In addition to his film appearances, Colman's television credits are also listed.

Filmography

British silents

Year Title Role Director Co-stars Notes
1917 The Live Wire The Young Man George Dewhurst Phyllis Titmuss Two reels
Never released; now lost[1]
1919 The Toilers Bob George Dewhurst Manora Thew Two reels survive[2]
A Daughter of Eve Bit Part Walter West Violet Hopson Lost,[3] Uncredited
Sheba Bit Part Cecil M. Hepworth Alma Taylor Lost,[4] Uncredited
Snow in the Desert Rupert Sylvester Walter West Violet Hopson Lost[5]
1920 A Son of David Maurice Phillips Hay Plumb Poppy Wyndham Lost[6]
Anna the Adventuress Brendan Cecil M. Hepworth Alma Taylor Lost[7]
The Black Spider Vicomte de Beaurais William J. Humphrey Lydia Kyasht Lost[8]

American silents

Year Title Role Director Co-stars Notes
1921 Handcuffs or Kisses Lodyard George Archainbaud Elaine Hammerstein, Julia Swayne Gordon
1923 The White Sister Capt. Giovanni Severini Henry King Lillian Gish Extant
The Eternal City Extra George Fitzmaurice Barbara La Marr, Bert Lytell Lost,[9] Uncredited
1924 Twenty Dollars a Week Chester Reeves Hamon F. Weight George Arliss
Tarnish Emmet Carr George Fitzmaurice May McAvoy, Marie Prevost (*Extant;..George Eastman House, Rochester, New York)
Her Night of Romance Paul Menford Sidney Franklin Constance Talmadge, Jean Hersholt Extant
Romola Carlo Bucellini Henry King Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, William Powell Extant
1925 A Thief in Paradise Maurice Blake George Fitzmaurice Doris Kenyon, Aileen Pringle Lost[10]
The Sporting Venus Donald MacAllan Marshall Neilan Blanche Sweet, Lew Cody Extant
His Supreme Moment John Douglas George Fitzmaurice Blanche Sweet, Belle Bennett, Ned Sparks Technicolor sequences;
Lost[11]
Her Sister from Paris Joseph Weyringer Sidney Franklin Constance Talmadge
The Dark Angel Captain Alan Trent George Fitzmaurice Vilma Bánky, Wyndham Standing Lost[12]
Stella Dallas Stephen Dallas Henry King Belle Bennett, Alice Joyce, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Lois Moran, Jean Hersholt Extant
Lady Windermere's Fan Lord Darlington Ernst Lubitsch May McAvoy, Bert Lytell Extant
1926 Kiki Victor Renal Clarence Brown Norma Talmadge, Gertrude Astor Extant
Beau Geste Michael "Beau" Geste Herbert Brenon Neil Hamilton, Ralph Forbes, Noah Beery, Alice Joyce, Mary Brian, William Powell Extant
The Winning of Barbara Worth Willard Holmes Henry King Vilma Bánky, Gary Cooper Extant
1927 The Night of Love Montero George Fitzmaurice Vilma Bánky, Montagu Love
The Magic Flame Tito the Clown
/ The Count
Henry King Vilma Bánky, Gustav von Seyffertitz Survives incomplete[13]
1928 Two Lovers Mark Van Rycke Fred Niblo Vilma Bánky, Noah Beery Survives incomplete[14]
1929 The Rescue Tom Lingard Herbert Brenon Lily Damita Survives incomplete[15]

Sound films

Year Title Role Director Co-stars Notes
1929 Bulldog Drummond Capt. Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond F. Richard Jones Claude Allister, Joan Bennett, Montagu Love Nominated Academy Award for Best Actor
Condemned Michel Wesley Ruggles Ann Harding, Louis Wolheim, Dudley Diggs Nominated Academy Award for Best Actor
1930 Raffles Raffles George Fitzmaurice
Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast
Kay Francis, Frederick Kerr, Bramwell Fletcher, Frances Dade
The Devil to Pay! Willie Hale George Fitzmaurice Loretta Young, Frederick Kerr, Myrna Loy
1931 The Unholy Garden Barrington Hunt George Fitzmaurice Fay Wray, Warren Hymer
Arrowsmith Dr. Martin Arrowsmith John Ford Helen Hayes, Richard Bennett, Myrna Loy
1932 Cynara Jim Warlock King Vidor Kay Francis, Phyllis Barry, Henry Stephenson
1933 The Masquerader Sir John Chilcote / John Loder Richard Wallace Elissa Landi
1934 Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back Capt. Hugh "Bulldog" Drummond Roy Del Ruth Loretta Young, Warner Oland, Charles Butterworth, Una Merkel, C. Aubrey Smith
1935 Clive of India Robert Clive Richard Boleslawski Loretta Young, Colin Clive
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo Paul Gaillard Stephen Roberts Joan Bennett, Nigel Bruce, Colin Clive
A Tale of Two Cities Sydney Carton Jack Conway Elizabeth Allan, Edna May Oliver, Reginald Owen, Basil Rathbone, Blanche Yurka
1936 Under Two Flags Sgt. Victor Frank Lloyd Claudette Colbert, Victor McLaglen, Rosalind Russell
1937 Lost Horizon Robert Conway Frank Capra Jane Wyatt, Edward Everett Horton, Thomas Mitchell, Margo, Isabel Jewell, H.B. Warner, Sam Jaffe Seven minutes of film missing, though the soundtrack is intact.
The Prisoner of Zenda Maj. Rudolf Rassendyll
/ King Rudolf V
John Cromwell Madeleine Carroll, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor Presented in sepiatone[16]
1938 If I Were King François Villon Frank Lloyd Frances Dee, Basil Rathbone
1939 The Light That Failed Dick Heldar William Wellman Walter Huston, Ida Lupino
1940 Lucky Partners David Grant Lewis Milestone Ginger Rogers, Jack Carson
1941 My Life with Caroline Anthony Mason Lewis Milestone Anna Lee, Charles Winninger
1942 The Talk of the Town Professor Michael Lightcap George Stevens Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Edgar Buchanan, Glenda Farrell
Random Harvest Charles Rainier Mervyn LeRoy Greer Garson, Philip Dorn, Susan Peters Nominated — Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
1944 Kismet Hafiz William Dieterle Marlene Dietrich, James Craig, Edward Arnold, Joy Ann Page Technicolor
1947 The Late George Apley George Apley Joseph L. Mankiewicz Peggy Cummins, Edna Best
A Double Life Anthony John George Cukor Signe Hasso, Edmund O'Brien, Shelley Winters Academy Award for Best Actor
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor
1950 Champagne for Caesar Beauregard Bottomley Richard Whorf Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, Barbara Britton, Art Linkletter
1956 Around the World in 80 Days Great Indian Peninsular Railway Official Michael Anderson David Niven, Cantinflas, Shirley MacLaine, Robert Newton Todd-AO
EastmanColor
1957 The Story of Mankind The Spirit of Man Irwin Allen Vincent Price, Cedric Hardwicke Technicolor, (Last appearance)

Short film appearances as himself

Year Title Notes
1925 Screen Snapshots Colman appears with Blanche Sweet and director George Fitzmaurice.
1928 Movie Industry Commercial Colman appears with California governor Clement C. Young. Filmed in Technicolor.
1937 Screen Snapshots #9 A behind the scenes look during the shooting of Lost Horizon.
1942 It Happened One Noon Colman, Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and director George Stevens promote the British film The Invaders (1942).
Hearst Metrotone News Colman is seen en route to Washington, D.C., to appear in the "Stars Over America" war campaign.
1949 21st Academy Awards footage Colman presents the Academy Award for Best Actress to Jane Wyman for her performance in Johnny Belinda.
1952 24th Academy Awards footage Filmed in color.
Hearst Metrotone News Colman presents the Academy Award for Best Actress to Vivien Leigh for her performance in A Streetcar Named Desire.
1953 25th Academy Award footage 16mm kinescope.
Hearst Metrotone News At the Academy Awards Colman announces Shirley Booth as the Best Actress winner for her performance in Come Back, Little Sheba.
The Globe Playhouse Colman narrates this documentary short.

[17]

Television

Year Title Role Director Co-stars Network
1952 Four Star Playhouse
Episode: "The Lost Silk Hat"
Gentleman Caller Robert Florey Richard Whorf CBS
1953 The 25th Annual Academy Awards Himself
Presenter: Best Actress
Bill Bennington Bob Hope and Conrad Nagel (MCs), Shirley Booth (Best Actress Award winner) NBC
Four Star Playhouse
Episode: "The Man Who Walked Out on Himself"
John Cameron Robert Florey Francis Pierlot CBS
Four Star Playhouse
Episode: "Ladies in His Mind"
Dr. Matthew Bosnaquent Robert Florey Benita Hume, Patricia Morison, Hillary Brooke CBS
1954 Four Star Playhouse
Episode: "A String of Beads"
Somerset Maugham William Cameron Menzies Angela Lansbury, George Macready, Nigel Bruce CBS
195455 The Halls of Ivy
(39 episodes)
Dr. William Todd Hunter Norman Z. McLeod
William Cameron Menzies
William D. Russell
Benita Hume, Mary Wickes, Ray Collins, Arthur Q. Bryan CBS
1956 Studio 57
Episode: "Perfect Likeness"
Painter Don Weis Kim Hunter Syndicated
The Jack Benny Program
Episode: "The Mistaken Dinner Invitation"
Himself Ralph Levy Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Don Wilson CBS
1957 General Electric Theater
Episode: "The Chess Game"
Mr. Graham Herschel Daughtery Clifford Tatum CBS

[18]

References

Notes

Bibliography

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