Helen Hayes, Claudette Colbert, and Ruth Gordon

Helen Hayes, Claudette Colbert, and Ruth Gordon in Hollywood in the early 1930's, during the 'Pre-Code' era (before the 'Hays' code). All three of these celebrated actresses would win an Academy Award (Oscar) for acting in a movie.

Helen Hayes won the Academy Award for Best Actress in the titular role in Edgar Selwyn's Pre-Code American drama film, 'The Sin of Madelon Claudet' (1931), also with Lewis Stone as "Carlo Boretti", Neil Hamilton as "Larry Maynard", Cliff Edwards as "Victor Lebeau", Jean Hersholt as "Dr. Dulac", Marie Prevost as "Rosalie Lebeau", Robert Young as "Dr. Lawrence Claudet", and Karen Morley as "Alice Claudet". The screenplay by Helen Hayes' husband, Charles MacArthur, and Ben Hecht, was adapted from the play 'The Lullaby' by Edward Knoblock. Helen Hayes was mostly active as a Hollywood movie actress in the early 1930's (theatre before and after that). Both Helen Hayes and Ethel Barrymore have been given the title: "The First Lady of the American Theatre".

Claudette Colbert won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as "Ellen 'Ellie' Andrews" in Frank Capra's Pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy, 'It Happened One Night' (1934), with co-star Clark Gable as "Peter Warne", and with Walter Connolly as "Alexander Andrews", Roscoe Karns as "Oscar Shapeley", Jameson Thomas as "King Westley", and Alan Hale as "Danker". Claudette Colbert appeared in movies from 1928 to 1961 (theatre before and after, and television after that too).

Ruth Gordon won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as "Minnie Castevet" in Roman Polanski's horror film adapatation of Ira Levin's 1967 novel of the same name, 'Rosemary's Baby' (1968), also with Mia Farrow as "Rosemary Woodhouse", John Cassavetes as "Guy Woodhouse", Sidney Blackmer as "Steven Marcato / Roman Castevet", Maurice Evans as "Hutch", Ralph Bellamy as "Dr. Abraham Sapirstein", Angela Dorian as "Terry Gionoffrio", Patsy Kelly as "Laura-Louise McBirney", Elisha Cook, Jr. as "Mr. Nicklas", Charles Grodin as "Dr. Hill", in his movie debut, D'Urville Martin as "Diego", and Tony Curtis as "Donald Baumgart". Ruth Gordon appeared in three silent movies in 1915, and then appeared in movies mostly in the 1940's, and then again in the 1960's through the 1970's (with theatre before and in between). Along with her husband Garson Kanin, Ruth Gordon was also an Academy Award nominated Hollywood movie screenwriter. most notably for George Cukor's Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn vehicles 'Adam's Rib' (1949) and 'Pat and Mike' (1952).