Claudette is a favorite of mine as well, theoldieslover. Well -- since I've seen about three-quarters of her 63 films so far (and that's the most films I've seen of any other single actor), and I own more movies by her than any other actor as well -- I guess you could say that she is my number one favorite.

And I agree--she always looked younger than she was. She could be adorable--with that round face, large eyes, and button nose of hers--but she was also incredibly sexy. Likewise, her personality was a mix of both earthy and classy. While I think Claudette looked her most attractive pre-1944, she always maintained a good figure and aged gracefully throughout her later years. After she retired from film, she was doing Broadway plays at age 60 playing characters who were 40. I don't know why she was so averse to being photographed on her right side of her face--I think she's just as beautiful from that side--but I guess every actor has their insecurities. And considering that their faces appear on two-storey high screens, I suppose that's understandable.

If you're a fan of hers, I recommend the book "Claudette Colbert: She Walked In Beauty" by Bernard F. Dick. I learned a lot about her that I didn't know in that book. For instance, at age 13 she was hit by a truck, which broke her ankle, knee, and back! She spent four months in bed, immobile, and another five months after that walking around with crutches, then a cane. Although nobody could have imagined she'd walk again, Claudette made a full recovery in a year. Back injuries did plague her on and off throughout her life, however, and she even had to give up a few roles she wanted because of it. Still, her accomplishments both on and off the screen are inspiring.

My top five favorite romantic comedies of Claudette's are: Midnight, It's a Wonderful World, No Time For Love, It Happened One Night, and Palm Beach Story. She's also done a lot of great dramas, historical epics, and thrillers.

With regards to Claudette and her looks, my own opinion is that she always looked too much like a mom instead of a girlfriend. Most of the time she had a very frumpy hairdoo and this made her look too formal. So while she always looked the same I would say that at 20 she looked 35 and at 50 she looked 35.

The few times she let her hair down (i.e. where it looked natural), she looked younger and less like someone's mother.

The Palm Beach Story is a great movie and very funny.