Born: Dec 22, 1885 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died: Mar 08, 1951 in Woodland Hills, California
Occupation: Actor
Active: '30s-'40s
Major Genres: Comedy, Romance
Career Highlights: Big Dan, Second Hand Love, As the Devil Commands
First Major Screen Credit: Big Dan (1923)
Biography
Together with Arthur Treacher, Olaf Hytten and Wilson Benge, Charles Coleman was one of Hollywood's "perfect butlers." On stage, he was Pauline Frederick's leading man for many years. After touring the U.S. and Australia, he settled in Hollywood in 1923. Coleman was virtually always cast as a gentleman's gentleman, often with a streak of effeminacy; representative Charles Coleman assignments include Bachelor Apartment (1931), Diplomaniacs (1933), Three Smart Girls (1937) and Cluny Brown (1946). Charles Coleman is best remembered by film buffs for two classic lines of dialogue. Explaining why he falsely informed his master Charlie Ruggles that he was to dress for a costume ball in Love Me Tonight (1932), Coleman "I did so want to see you in tights!" And when asked by Deanna Durbin in First Love (1939) why butlers are always so dour, Coleman moans "Gay butlers are extremely rare." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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