ACTOR · BORN 1910 · DIED 1990
Paulette Goddard
- Born
- 3 June 1910, Whitestone Landing, Long Island, New York, USA
- Died
- 23 April 1990
- Known for
- Modern Times (1936), The Great Dictator (1940), The Women (1939), The Cat and the Canary (1939)
30 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
10 Facts About Paulette Goddard's Life and Family
- #001
In the biography "Paulette" by Joe Morella and Edward Z. Epstein, the actress is described as being in an advantageous position on the path to marriage with Clark Gable. As Gable saw her off for a film shoot in Mexico, Goddard asked for a farewell kiss, but Gable refused because of the many journalists and photographers present. Goddard is said to have replied, "All right, that's it. Goodbye, Sugar!" and their romantic relationship ended after this incident. The anecdote offers a striking example of how the private lives of the era's famous stars were shaped under press pressure.
- #006
Paulette Goddard gave major support to New York University (NYU) with a donation of about 20 million dollars, and thanks to this generosity the university named a dormitory building after her. Paulette Goddard Hall is located at 79 Washington Square East in New York City. NYU's Tisch School of the Arts also named its main staircase after her and established various scholarships for students in her honor. These gestures show the importance Goddard placed on art and education.
- #007
Paulette Goddard never had any children, but during her marriage to Charles Chaplin she became the stepmother of Chaplin's two sons, Charles Chaplin Jr. and Sydney Chaplin. In his 1960 memoir "My Father Charlie Chaplin," Charles Jr. describes Goddard throughout the book as a charming, affectionate and intelligent woman. This testimony reveals that Goddard was also a loving figure in the role of stepmother.
- #011
Sources are inconsistent about Paulette Goddard's year and place of birth; some say 1911, others 1914, while her birthplace is given as Whitestone Landing, New York or New York City. The municipal records of Ronco, Switzerland, where she died, give her birth year as 1905. The 1920 United States Census records show her as 9 years old, which points to a birth in 1910. This uncertainty preserves the mystery surrounding Goddard's age.
- #014
In 1975, Paulette Goddard underwent invasive treatment for breast cancer, and by every account the treatment was successful. However, on 23 April 1990, while on respiratory support for emphysema, she died of heart failure; she was 79 years old and died at her home in Ronco, Switzerland. She was buried in the Ronco village cemetery beside her last husband, Erich Maria Remarque, who had died twenty years earlier, and her mother. This ending is a sorrowful close to her long and turbulent life.
- #017
Paulette Goddard never had any children, but in October 1944, while pregnant with the child of her then-husband Burgess Meredith, she suffered a miscarriage. This event forms a painful aspect of her never being able to experience motherhood. This loss in Goddard's private life remained overshadowed by her career successes.
- #018
In her youth, Paulette Goddard traveled on steamships with her mother and swindled wealthy men. This period shows the hardships she experienced early in her life and her struggle to survive. These experiences may have shaped the practical intelligence and courage that formed the basis of the success she later achieved in Hollywood.
- #021
Paulette Goddard's father was of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, while her mother had English ancestry. This ethnic background points to a multicultural identity and family history. Goddard's heritage offers clues about the influence it had on her Hollywood career and personal life.
- #025
On every film set, Paulette Goddard had her own dressing room filled with clothes made specially for her, and she generally wore her own jewelry. This detail shows the importance she placed on comfort and personal style on set. It also exemplifies the privileged lifestyle enjoyed by star actors of the era.
- #026
Paulette Goddard married Charles Chaplin when she was 26 and he was 47. Among Chaplin's four wives, she was the oldest at the time of marriage, the only one in her twenties, and the only wife with whom he had no children. This information highlights Goddard's special place in Chaplin's life and the uniqueness of their relationship.
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