Colin Clive

Clive was born in Saint-Malo, France, to an English colonel, Colin Philip Greig, and his wife, Caroline Margaret Lugard Clive, a member of the aristocratic Clive family. In a 1935 interview, Clive stated his mother had moved to France to escape the tumult of the ongoing Second Boer War.{{Cite web |title=Colin Clive — Clive of England (1935) 🇺🇸 |url=https://vintoz.com/blogs/vintage-movie-resources/colin-clive-clive-of-england |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Vintoz |language=en}} His family had intended for Clive to embark on a military career, and he attended Stonyhurst College and subsequently the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he broke both knees after being thrown from and crushed by a horse. Recuperating from his injuries, Clive decided to become an actor."Colin Clive," The Stage (1 July 1937), p. 7. [obituary]{{Cite web |title=Colin Clive — Clive of England (1935) 🇺🇸 |url=https://vintoz.com/blogs/vintage-movie-resources/colin-clive-clive-of-england |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Vintoz |language=en}} He was a member of the Hull Repertory Theatre Company for three years.

Clive created the role of Steve Baker, the white husband of racially mixed Julie LaVerne, in the first London production of Show Boat; the production featured Cedric Hardwicke and Paul Robeson. Clive first worked with James Whale in the Savoy Theatre production of Journey's End and subsequently joined the British community in Hollywood, repeating his stage role in the film version.{{sfn|Wearing|1984|p=1087}}

Clive's first screen role, in Journey's End (1930), was also directed by James Whale. Clive played the tormented alcoholic Captain Stanhope, a character that (much like Clive's other roles) mirrored his personal life.

He was an in-demand leading man for several major film actresses of the era, including Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Corinne Griffith, and Jean Arthur. He starred as Edward Rochester in the 1934 adaptation of Jane Eyre opposite Virginia Bruce. He was a descendant of Robert Clive and appeared in a starring role in Clive of India (1935), a biopic of his ancestor. Clive remarked that he was disappointed he did not get to portray his own ancestor in the film.{{Cite web |title=Colin Clive — Clive of England (1935) 🇺🇸 |url=https://vintoz.com/blogs/vintage-movie-resources/colin-clive-clive-of-england |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Vintoz |language=en}}

Colin Clive, together with Leo G. Carroll, starred in a radio play titled The Other Place. It was written by John L. Balderston for the radio program The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour hosted by Rudy Vallee. It was aired on 14 November 1935.{{Cite web|last=Jp|date=2012-04-09|title=The Twilight Zone Vortex: "A Nice Place to Visit"|url=http://twilightzonevortex.blogspot.com/2012/04/nice-place-to-visit.html|access-date=2021-05-03|website=The Twilight Zone Vortex}}

In a 1935 interview with Film Weekly, Clive stated that he hated horror films and preferred more serious dramatic roles, only appearing in horror for financial reasons and because his performances were popular with audiences.{{Cite web |date=2021-02-04 |title=The Classic Horror Film Board-Colin Clive: "I hate horror films!" |url=https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum/colin-clive-i-hate-horror-films-t80584.html |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=The Classic Horror Film Board |language=en-us}}

When his agent discovered that Clive was only accruing 30% of his actual income due to paying taxes in both the United States and the United Kingdom, Clive refused to obtain American citizenship, which would have removed British taxes, fearing that it would prevent him from serving in the British army if a war broke out.{{Cite web |title=Colin Clive — Clive of England (1935) 🇺🇸 |url=https://vintoz.com/blogs/vintage-movie-resources/colin-clive-clive-of-england |access-date=2025-03-01 |website=Vintoz |language=en}}

Author Ayn Rand wrote Clive a fan letter in 1934 after seeing a stage performance of Journey’s End, praising Clive’s performance and character. Clive responded that he was very touched by the letter and would always keep it.{{Cite web |title=Arrival in America to We the Living |url=https://aynrand.org/archives/chapters/chapter-1/#item-5816 |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=AynRand.org |language=en}}

Clive was married to Jeanne de Casalis{{Cite web |date= |title=Colin Clive - Family & Companions |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/35732%7C33584/Colin-Clive#family-companions |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402105908/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/35732%7C33584/Colin-Clive#family-companions |archive-date=2023-04-02 |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=Turner Classic Movies}} in June 1929. By 1935, Clive and Casalis had been living separately, with Clive in Los Angeles County and Casalis in London.{{Cite web |title=Colin Clive — Clive of England (1935) 🇺🇸 |url=https://vintoz.com/blogs/vintage-movie-resources/colin-clive-clive-of-england |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=Vintoz |language=en}}

Colin Clive suffered from severe chronic alcoholism and he died from complications of tuberculosis on 25 June 1937 at age 37.{{cite news|title=Colin Clive, Actor, Dies in Hollywood|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1937/06/26/archives/colin-clive-actor-dies-in-hollywood-star-of-screen-and-stage-37.html|accessdate=26 September 2017|work=The New York Times|date=26 June 1937}}

Clive's alcoholism was apparent to his co-stars. He was often seen napping on set and sometimes was so intoxicated that he had to be held upright for over-the-shoulder shots. Clive was tormented by the medical threat of amputation of his long-damaged leg.{{cite book|title=Hollywood Cauldron: Thirteen Horror Films From the Genre's Golden Age|last=Mank|first=Gregory William|year=2001|publisher=McFarland & Company|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-7864-1112-2|page=150}}

Forrest J Ackerman recalled visiting Clive's body: "I actually saw him in death, lying in a bed at a mortuary where it was possible for the public to view his body. He looked remarkably as he had when lying in bed in The Bride of Frankenstein."{{cite magazine|title=The Bride of Frankenstein|magazine=Famous Monsters of Filmland|publisher=Warren Publishing|location=Santa Rosa, California|volume=4|issue=6|date=February 1963|page=71}} Over 300 mourners turned out. One of the pallbearers was Peter Lorre. His cenotaph is located at Chapel of the Pines Crematory.

File:Colin Clive 14.jpg

• Peter and Paul (September 1925){{cite book|last1=Rowell|first1=George|last2=Jackson|first2=Anthony|last3=Jackson|first3=Tony|title=The Repertory Movement: A History of Regional Theatre in Britain|date=1984|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9780521319195|page=71|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jXymVyaXRkQC&q=o%27niel}}{{cite news|title=Hull Little Theatre - Performers Who Will Be Seen in Next Week's Play|issue=12462|newspaper=Daily Mail|date=12 September 1925|location=Hull, England|page=2}}
• Advertising April (November 1925){{cite news|title=Little Theatre Anti-Climax - Unworthy Finish to Highly Successful Season|issue=12512|newspaper=Daily Mail|date=10 November 1925|location=Hull, England|page=8}}

• Journey's End (1930) as Capt. Dennis Stanhope (film debut){{Cite web |date= |title=Colin Clive - Filmography |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/35732%7C33584/Colin-Clive#filmography |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402105908/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/35732%7C33584/Colin-Clive#filmography |archive-date=2023-04-02 |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=Turner Classic Movies}}
• Frankenstein (1931) as Dr. Henry Frankenstein
• The Stronger Sex (1931) as Warren Barrington
• Lily Christine (1932) as Rupert Harvey
• Christopher Strong (1933) as Sir Christopher Strong
• Looking Forward (1933) as Geoffrey Fielding
• The Key (1934) as Capt. Andrew 'Andy' Kerr
• One More River (1934) as Sir Gerald Corven
• Jane Eyre (1934) as Edward Rochester
• Clive of India (1935) as Capt. Johnstone
• The Right to Live (1935) as Maurice
• Bride of Frankenstein (1935) as Dr. Henry Frankenstein
• The Girl from 10th Avenue (1935) as John Marland
• Mad Love (1935) as Stephen Orlac
• The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1935) as Bertrand Berkeley
• The Widow from Monte Carlo (1936) as Lord Eric Reynolds
• History Is Made at Night (1937) as Bruce Vail
• The Woman I Love (1937) as Capt. Thelis (final role)

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Curtis|first=James|title=James Whale: A New World of Gods and Monsters|location=Boston|publisher=Faber and Faber|date=1998|isbn=9780571192854}}
• {{cite book|last=Wearing|first=J. P.|title=The London Stage: 1920-1929: A calendar of Plays and Players|location=Metuchen, NJ|publisher=Scarecrow Press|date=1984|isbn=9780810817159}}
• {{cite book|last=Wearing|first=J. P.|title=The London Stage: 1930-1939: A calendar of Plays and Players|location=Metuchen, NJ|publisher=Scarecrow Press|date=1990|isbn=9780810823495}}

{{Portal|Biography}}

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• {{IMDb name|0166972}}
• {{IBDB name}}
• {{Find a Grave|21365}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clive, Colin}}

Category:1900 births

Category:1937 deaths

Category:People from Saint-Malo

Category:Actors from Brittany

Category:English male film actors

Category:English male stage actors

Category:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis

Category:Burials at Chapel of the Pines Crematory

Category:People educated at Stonyhurst College

Category:20th-century English male actors

Category:English expatriate male actors in the United States

Category:British expatriates in France

Category:Tuberculosis deaths in California

Category:Alcohol-related deaths in California