- Mini Bio
- Name: Pauline Marion Goddard Levy
- Born: 3rd June 1910, Whitestone Landing, Queens, New York, U.S.
- Died: 23rd April 1990, Ronco Sopra Ascona, Ticino, Switzerland
- Occupation: Actress and model
- Stage name: Her stage name Paulette Goddard was first used in 1926 when she appeared as a dancer in Ziegfeld's summer review, No Foolin'
- Marriage resume: Edgar James (28th June 1927 - 9th January 1932) (divorced), Charles Chaplin (1st June 1936 - 4th June 1942) (divorced), Burgess Meredith (21st May 1944 - 8th June 1949) (divorced) and Erich Maria Remarque (25th February 1958 - 25th September 1970) (his death)
- Legacy: Upon her death she bequeathed $20million USD to New York University and in recognition of this they named a students residence in Greenwich village in her honour
- Trivia: She was the personal choice of producer David O. Selznick and favourite to land the role of Scarlett O Hara in the 1939 epic Gone With The Wind, but director George Cukor had doubts about her and eventually she lost out to Vivien Leigh for the role of the century
"He who accepts the unaltered philosophy of another is as ludicrous as he who dons his neighbor's hat, and infinitely more ridiculous"
Paulette Goddard"It's kiss and go with your leading man. You meet them in the morning and go right into a clinch. The filming is over before you know their last names"
Paulette Goddard"Nobody onscreen fascinates me as much as Paulette Goddard. I'm probably her greatest fan , bar none. I see my own pictures six or seven times"
Paulette Goddard"I never tell my age. It doesn't do in a theatrical career. I always say that if a woman will tell her age, she will tell anything"
Paulette Goddard"I'm always slightly embarrassed to meet other actresses of my vintage. We have so little in common. They're all so dedicated"
Paulette Goddard"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"
Paulette Goddard"Leave yourself alone as much as possible. Don't worry. I never do. I'm too busy remembering things"
Paulette Goddard"Actors and actresses who say they never go to see their own pictures are talking through their hats"
Paulette Goddard"Life was easy as a blonde. I didn't have to think, I didn't have to talk. All I had to do was waltz around"
Paulette Goddard"I'm not impressed by the past very much. The past bores me"
Paulette Goddard"I am not temperamental. I just know what I want and if I don't have it, I try to get it"
Paulette Goddard"The future doesn't concern me. I'll just do what comes to mind at the time"
Paulette Goddard"Men no longer prefer blondes; today, gentlemen seem to prefer gentlemen"
Paulette Goddard"I don't accept flowers. I take nothing perishable"
Paulette Goddard"I don't like collecting anything I can't pack"
Paulette GoddardGreat quotes are not where you find great wisdom. It's where you share this knowledge that counts
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Paulette Goddard Biography
Paulette Goddard lifted herself out of a difficult childhood with the raw talent she had at her disposal and a burning ambition to elevate herself and her mother into a better lifestyle than they had endured.
As a young teenager she did seamstress work and was employed as a model for children's clothes for Saks Fifth Avenue and she even donned fashionable hats modeling for Hattie Carnegie. Paulette's heart was set on Hollywood and in 1926 she got a break that was her first step to achieving her dream, her uncle Charles Goddard introduced her to Broadway impresario Florenz Ziegfeld and she was given her first role as a dancer.
This just reinforced her resolve to be successful as an actress and it led her to receive numerous roles as extras in movies the late 1920's. Goddard was too talented to remain unnoticed for too long and Sam Goldwyn gave her her first break in the movie Whoopee in 1930 and she was now mingling in the circles of the Hollywood movers and shakers.
Further roles came her way and then she met Charlie Chaplin who was at the height of his career and he fell head over heels in love. They married in Canton in China and she graced the screen to much acclaim in a few of his movies and she secured a 10 year contract with Paramount Pictures starring alongside the likes of Bob Hope, Fred Astaire, John Wayne and Gary Cooper.
After her third marriage to Burgess Meredith ended in divorce in 1949 Paulette had a brief affair with Clark Gable, then at the time her movie star started to fade she met her 4th husband and the love of her life Erich Maria Remarque whom she remained with until his death.
Great actresses recite great lines but they are also good for one liners off the screen, so here is my compilation of 15 of the best Paulette Goddard quotes
Quotes About Paulette Goddard
Russell Birdwell, the head of Gone With The Wind producers Selznick's publicity department was quoted as saying: "I think she is dynamite that will explode in our very faces if she is given the part"
Burgess Meredith paid her a respectful tribute: "She was a fascinating woman. Paulette was a lively and talented lady, a very bright spot in my life"
Bob Hope was praiseful: "She turned out to be a fine actress. She was everything. She was beautiful. She was perfect"
The critic Pauline Kael described her thus: "She is a stand-out. She's fun"