THE TRAGIC LIFE OF COLIN CLIVE

Heralded in his day as a gifted performer, Colin Clive was nevertheless plagued with enough personal demons for several people. He was pathologically insecure and suffered from severe stage fright. As a result, he turned to alcohol to deal with his fears. He was also in mortal fear of losing a bad leg due to several injuries.

As the years went on, his alcoholism became worse. He would often be seen sleeping on the set between takes and more than once needed to be held up to deliver his lines. He finally succumbed to alcoholism and tuberculosis on June 25, 1937 at the age of 37.

Mae Clarke remembered him fondly:

Colin Clive was the dearest, kindest (in the real meaning of the word 'kind') man, who gave you importance. He was so wonderful, so clever. When he started acting in a scene, I wanted to stop and just watch... I'd think, 'Here I am, playing scenes with this marvelous actor!' (James) Whale would say, 'Colin's voice is like a pipe organ... I just pull out the stops, and he produces the music.' Colin was electric. I was mesmerized by him; so much so that I hoped it didn't show! When he looked at me, I'd flush. He had a wife back in England, and I had my young man . In fact, I was glad my fiancé was at the premiere that night, to be my good anchor against my stormy waves of fancy for Colin. He was the handsomest man I ever saw, and also the saddest. Colin's sadness was elusive; the sadness you see if you contemplate many of the master painters' and sculptors' conceptions of the face of Christ, the ultimate source in my view of all sadness."

From a book of United Artists actors bios.

Picture Play, July 1935.