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

Early years

Tobin was born in New York City on November 29, 1899. Her father, Thomas Tobin, a bank clerk who later became a racetrack bookmaker, was born in Nova Scotia, Canada and her mother, Genevieve, was born in Washington, D.C. She had a sister, Vivian, and a brother, George.

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 ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

'' 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 ''Fifty Million Frenchmen'' is a musical comedy with a book by Herbert Fields and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It opened on Broadway in 1929 and was adapted for a film two years later. The title is a reference to the hit 1927 song "Fifty Milli ...

''. 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 standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

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 prominent supporting roles opposite such performers as

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, and

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

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in ''

The Case of the Lucky Legs ''The Case of the Lucky Legs'' is a 1935 mystery film, the third in a series of Perry Mason films starring Warren William as the famed lawyer. Plot Margie Clune wins the "Lucky Legs" beauty contest concocted by Frank Patton, but has trouble col ...

'' (1935). One of her most successful performances was as the bored wife of a wealthy businessman in the drama ''

The Petrified Forest ''The Petrified Forest'' is a 1936 American film directed by Archie Mayo and based on Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway drama of the same name. The motion picture stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay was written ...

'' (1936), starring

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, and

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. She married director

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in 1938 and made only a few more films; her final film before retirement was ''

No Time for Comedy ''No Time for Comedy'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film based on the play of the same name by S. N. Behrman, starring James Stewart, Rosalind Russell, Genevieve Tobin and Charlie Ruggles. Plot summary Gaylord Esterbrook (Stewart), a reporte ...

'' (1940), with

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and

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. She remained married to Keighley until his death in 1984.

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 J ...

'' (1919) - Eleanor Howitt * ''

No Mother to Guide Her ''No Mother to Guide Her'' is a 1923 American drama film directed by Charles Horan and written by Michael O'Connor. It is based on the 1905 play ''No Mother to Guide Her'' by Lillian Mortimer. The film stars Genevieve Tobin, John Webb Dillion, ...

'' (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 from sexual and romantic matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery. It stated that such issues were the concern ...

'' (1930) - Mary * '' A Lady Surrenders'' (1930) - Hope Ferrier * '' Fires of Youth'' (1931) - Mildred * ''

Seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

'' (1931) - Myra Deane * ''

The Gay Diplomat ''The Gay Diplomat'' is a 1931 American film. Directed by Richard Boleslawski for RKO Radio Pictures, it starred Ivan Lebedeff, Genevieve Tobin and Betty Compson. Synopsis Captain Orloff (Ivan Lebedeff) is a Russian military officer who is sen ...

'' (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 Dunn ...

'' (1932) - Himself * ''

Hollywood Speaks ''Hollywood Speaks'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code comedy film. Cast *Genevieve Tobin as Gertrude Smith, later known as Greta Swan * Pat O'Brien as Jimmy Reed * Lucien Prival as Frederick Landau * Ralf Harolde as Carp *Rita La Roy as Millie Core ...

'' (1932) - Gertie Smith / Greta Swan * '' Perfect Understanding'' (1933) - Kitty Drayton * ''

Pleasure Cruise ''Pleasure Cruise'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and written by Guy Bolton. The film stars Genevieve Tobin, Roland Young, Ralph Forbes, Una O'Connor, Herbert Mundin and Minna Gombell. The film was released o ...

'' (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 ''I Loved a Woman'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama directed by Alfred E. Green, starring Kay Francis, Edward G. Robinson, and Genevieve Tobin. According to producer Hal Wallis' autobiography (with Charles Higham), Robinson and Francis "were ...

'' (1933) - Martha Lane * '' Easy to Love'' (1934) - Carol * ''

Dark Hazard ''Dark Hazard'' is 1934 pre-Code film American drama film starring Edward G. Robinson and directed by Alfred E. Green. It is based on novelby W. R. Burnett. It was produced by First National Pictures and released through Warner Bros. Robinson ...

'' (1934) - Marge Mayhew Turner * ''

The Ninth Guest ''The Ninth Guest'', sometimes abbreviated as ''The 9th Guest'', is a 1934 American pre-Code murder mystery film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Donald Cook and Genevieve Tobin. The film is an adaptation of the 1930 Broadway play ...

'' (1934) - Jean Trent * ''

Success at Any Price ''Success at Any Price'' is a 1934 sound film starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Genevieve Tobin, Frank Morgan and silent film star Colleen Moore. It is based on the 1932 play '' Success Story'' by John Howard Lawson. Plot Joe, an amoral capitali ...

'' (1934) - Agnes * ''

Uncertain Lady ''Uncertain Lady'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Karl Freund, written by Daniel Evans, Doris Anderson, Edward A. Curtiss, George O'Neil and Don Ryan, and starring Edward Everett Horton, Genevieve Tobin, Paul Cavanagh, Mary Nash, R ...

'' (1934) - Doris Crane * ''

Kiss and Make-Up ''Kiss and Make-Up'' is a 1934 romantic comedy film starring Cary Grant as a doctor who specializes in making women beautiful. Genevieve Tobin and Helen Mack play his romantic entanglements. The film was based on the play ''Kozmetika'' by (credi ...

'' (1934) - Eve Caron * ''

By Your Leave ''By Your Leave'' is a 1934 American domestic comedy film directed by Lloyd Corrigan from a script by Allan Scott (American screenwriter), Allan Scott, Lewis Foster, and Sam Mintz. The screenplay was based on a play of the same name by Gladys Hur ...

'' (1934) - Ellen Smith * '' The Woman in Red'' (1935) - Mrs. 'Nicko' Nicholas * ''

Here's to Romance ''Here's to Romance'' is a 1935 American musical comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Nino Martini, Genevieve Tobin and Anita Louise.Solomon p. 359 Synopsis The wife of a music teacher, who has been angered by her husband's phi ...

'' (1935) - Kathleen Gerard * ''

The Goose and the Gander ''The Goose and the Gander'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Kay Francis, George Brent and Genevieve Tobin. A woman finds out her ex-husband's new wife is cheating on him and decides to expose he ...

'' (1935) - Betty * ''

'' (1935) - Della Street * ''

Broadway Hostess ''Broadway Hostess'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy musical film directed by Frank McDonald and starring Wini Shaw, Genevieve Tobin and Lyle Talbot. The film was nominated at the 1935 Academy Awards for the short lived Best Dance Directi ...

'' (1935) - Iris * ''

'' (1936) - Mrs. Chisholm * ''

Snowed Under ''Snowed Under'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring George Brent as a playwright who is working under a tight deadline. He becomes snowed-in in his remote cabin with two ex-wives and a girlfriend, played ...

'' (1936) - Alice Merritt * '' The Man in the Mirror'' (1936) - Helen * ''

The Great Gambini ''The Great Gambini'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Charles Vidor and written by Frederick J. Jackson, Frank Partos and Howard Irving Young. The film stars Akim Tamiroff, Marian Marsh, John Trent, Genevieve Tobin, Reginald Den ...

'' (1937) - Nancy Randall * '' The Call of the Ring'' (1937) - Pauline Corbin * ''

Kate Plus Ten ''Kate Plus Ten'' is a 1917 British crime novel written by Edgar Wallace. In 1938, it was made into a film '' Kate Plus Ten''. It was adapted for the film ''The Trygon Factor ''The Trygon Factor'' is a 1966 British-West German crime film d ...

'' (1938) - Kate Westhanger * '' Dramatic School'' (1938) - Gina Bertier * ''

Zaza Zaza may refer to: Ethnic group * Zazas, a group of people in eastern Anatolia (southeastern Turkey) * Zaza–Gorani languages, Indo-Iranian languages ** Zaza language, spoken by the Zazas People Given name * Zaza Sor. Aree (born 1993), Thai k ...

'' (1939) - Florianne * ''

Yes, My Darling Daughter "Yes, My Darling Daughter" is a 1940 song by Jack Lawrence first introduced by Dinah Shore on Eddie Cantor's radio program on October 24, 1940. It was Shore's first solo record, released by Bluebird, and peaked at No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' ma ...

'' (1939) - Connie Nevins * '' Our Neighbors - The Carters'' (1939) - Gloria Hastings * ''

'' (1940) - Amanda Swift (final film role)

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 Warner Bros. contract players