Genevieve Tobin (November 29, 1899 – July 31, 1995) was an American actress.

Early years

Tobin was born in New York City.

Career

Tobin's stage debut came in 1912 in ''Disraeli''. She appeared in a few films as a child and formed a double act with her sister Vivian. Their brother, George, also had a brief acting career. Following her education in Paris and New York, Tobin concentrated on a stage career in New York. Although she was seen most often in comedies, she also played the role of Cordelia in a Broadway production of ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' in 1923. Popular with audiences, she was often praised by critics for her appearance and style rather than for her talent, but in 1929, she achieved a significant success in the play '' Fifty Million Frenchmen''. She introduced and popularized the

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

song "You Do Something to Me", and the success of the role led her back to Hollywood, where she performed regularly in comedy films from the early 1930s. Genevieve Tobin in The Petrified Forest trailer

Genevieve Tobin in The Petrified Forest trailer

She played supporting roles opposite such performers as

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American soprano and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 film) ...

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Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert (koʊlˈbɛər/ kohl-BAIR, born Émilie "Lily" Claudette Chauchoin (ʃoʃwɛ̃/ show-shwan); September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway theater, Broadway productions dur ...

Joan Blondell Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, estab ...

, and

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

, but occasionally played starring roles, in films such as ''Golden Harvest'' (1933) and ''Easy to Love'' (1934). She played secretary

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to Warren William's

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in '' The Case of the Lucky Legs'' (1935). One of her performances was as the bored wife of a wealthy businessman in the drama '' The Petrified Forest'' (1936), starring

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director, producer and writer.Obituary, '' Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' an ...

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, and

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. She married director

William Keighley William Jackson Keighley (August 4, 1889 – June 24, 1984) was an American stage actor and Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood film director. Career After graduating from the Ludlum School of Dramatic Art, Keighley began acting at the age of ...

in 1938 and made only a few more films; her final film before retirement was '' No Time for Comedy'' (1940), with

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and

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, model, comedian, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in ...

. She remained married to Keighley until his death in 1984. Easy to Love lobby card 2

Partial filmography

* ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1910, short) - Eva * ''

The Country Cousin ''The Country Cousin'' is a Walt Disney animated short film released on October 31, 1936, by United Artists. The winner of an Oscar at the 9th Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film, the film was produced by Walt Disney, directed by Wilfred ...

'' (1919) - Eleanor Howitt * '' No Mother to Guide Her'' (1923) - Mary Boyd * ''

Free Love Free love is a social movement that accepts all forms of love. The movement's initial goal was to separate the State (polity), state from sexual and romantic matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery. It stated that such issues we ...

'' (1930) - Mary * ''

A Lady Surrenders A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''English alphabet#Letter names, a'' (pronounced ), plural ...

'' (1930) - Hope Ferrier * ''

Seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...

'' (1931) - Myra Deane * ''

The Gay Diplomat ''The Gay Diplomat'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film. Directed by Richard Boleslawski for RKO Radio Pictures, it starred Ivan Lebedeff, Genevieve Tobin and Betty Compson. Plot Captain Orloff is a Russian military officer who is sent to Buchare ...

'' (1931) - Countess Diana Dorchy * '' One Hour with You'' (1932) - Mitzi Olivier * ''

The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood ''The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Francis Dillon and written by Howard J. Green. The film stars George Sidney, Charles Murray, June Clyde, Norman Foster, Esther Howard, and Emma ...

'' (1932) - Herself * '' Hollywood Speaks'' (1932) - Gertie Smith / Greta Swan * '' Perfect Understanding'' (1933) - Kitty Drayton * '' Pleasure Cruise'' (1933) - Shirley Poole * '' Infernal Machine'' (1933) - Elinor Green * '' The Wrecker'' (1933) - Mary Regan * '' Goodbye Again'' (1933) - Julie Wilson * '' Golden Harvest'' (1933) - Cynthia Flint * '' I Loved a Woman'' (1933) - Martha Lane * '' Easy to Love'' (1934) - Carol * '' Dark Hazard'' (1934) - Marge Mayhew Turner * '' The Ninth Guest'' (1934) - Jean Trent * '' Success at Any Price'' (1934) - Agnes * '' Uncertain Lady'' (1934) - Doris Crane * '' Kiss and Make-Up'' (1934) - Eve Caron * '' By Your Leave'' (1934) - Ellen Smith * '' The Woman in Red'' (1935) - Mrs. 'Nicko' Nicholas * '' Here's to Romance'' (1935) - Kathleen Gerard * '' The Goose and the Gander'' (1935) - Betty * '' The Case of the Lucky Legs'' (1935) - Della Street * '' Broadway Hostess'' (1935) - Iris * '' The Petrified Forest'' (1936) - Mrs. Chisholm * '' Snowed Under'' (1936) - Alice Merritt * '' The Man in the Mirror'' (1936) - Helen * '' The Great Gambini'' (1937) - Nancy Randall * '' The Call of the Ring'' (1937) - Pauline Corbin * '' Kate Plus Ten'' (1938) - Kate Westhanger * '' Dramatic School'' (1938) - Gina Bertier * ''

Zaza Zaza may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Zaza (play), ''Zaza'' (play), written by French playwrights Pierre Berton and Charles Simon * Zaza (1915 film), ''Zaza'' (1915 film), a film directed by Edwin S. Porter * Zaza (1923 film), ''Zaza'' (1 ...

'' (1939) - Florianne * '' Yes, My Darling Daughter'' (1939) - Connie Nevins * '' Our Neighbors - The Carters'' (1939) - Gloria Hastings * '' No Time for Comedy'' (1940) - Amanda Swift

References

*Chaneles, Sol; Albert Wolsky (1974). ''The Movie Makers'' Octopus Books, p 97.
''The New York Times'' - Movies, accessed June 8, 2007

External links

* *
Photographs of Genevieve Tobin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tobin, Genevieve American film actresses American stage actresses 1899 births 1995 deaths Actresses from New York City American child actresses 20th-century American actresses