Parent by Proxy: Jack Benny, Paulette Goddard, Frank Nelson Tight Shoes: Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, George Tobias A Woman's Face: Bette Davis, Osa Massen, Warren William, Conrad Veldt Paulette Goddard was born Pauline Goddard Levy in 1910 in Whitestone Landing, Queens, New York, the only child of Joseph Russell Levy, who was Jewish, and Alta Mae (née Goddard) Levy, who was Episcopalian and of English heritage.[2] Her parents divorced while she was young, and she was raised by her mother. Her father virtually vanished from her life, only to resurface later in the 1930s after she became a star. At first, their newfound relationship seemed genial and they attended film premières together, but later he sued her over a magazine article in which she purportedly claimed he abandoned her when she was young. They never reconciled. On his death, he left her one dollar in his will. She remained very close to her mother, however, as both had struggled through those early years, with her great uncle, Charles Goddard (her grandfather's brother) assisting. He helped his great-niece find jobs as a fashion model, and with the Ziegfeld Follies as one of the heavily decorated Ziegfeld Girls from 1924 to 1928. She reportedly attended Washington Irving High School in Manhattan at the same time as fellow future film star Claire Trevor. Her stage debut was in the Ziegfeld revue No Foolin in 1926, and she played a small role in Rio Rita.[3] The next year she made her stage acting debut in The Unconquerable Male. She changed her first name to Paulette and took her mother's maiden name as her own surname. She married an older, wealthy businessman, lumber tycoon Edgar James, in 1926 or 1927, and moved to North Carolina. Goddard returned to Hollywood in 1929, and she and James later divorced. Upon her return to Hollywood, with her mother, Goddard appeared in small roles in The Girl Habit (1931) and The Mouthpiece (1932). She signed a contract with Hal Roach Studios, and appeared in films such as The Kid from Spain and Laurel and Hardy's Pack Up Your Troubles (both 1932). In 1932, she met Charlie Chaplin. Goddard was considering investing the money from her divorce settlement in a film venture but Chaplin intervened when he discovered the deal was fraudulent, and bought out her contract from Roach. Chaplin began planning a film with Goddard that was released in 1936 as Modern Times, the first film in which she had a credited role.[3] In the interim, Goddard appeared in a few films for Samuel Goldwyn Productions. Along with such actresses as Betty Grable, Lucille Ball, and Ann Sothern, Goddard became a "Goldwyn Girl" in films such as Roman Scandals (1933) and Kid Millions (1934). During this time she lived with Chaplin in his Beverly Hills home. Their marital status was a source of controversy and speculation. During most of their time together, both refused to comment on the matter.[4] Chaplin maintained they were married in China in 1936, but to private associates and family, he reportedly claimed they were never legally married, except in common law. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulette_Goddard

• published: 01 Dec 2012
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