Cobina Carolyn Beaudette

Cobina Carolyn Beaudette (Wright) AKA Cobina, Jr.

• Find A Grave Memorial ID # 96538820
• Cobina Wright's IMDB Page
• Starlet was born in the limelight, The Sydney Morning Herald

Cobina Carolyn Wright Jr. was an American actress and model. She was featured on the cover of Life Magazine on February 17, 1941, issue # 2, and a nationally distributed newspaper columnist described her as a debutante who "fought a draw with Brenda Frazier for the glamour girl championship of New York society."

Early Years

Born in New York City, Wright was the daughter of stockbroker William May Wright and singer, actress, and newspaper columnist Cobina Wright Sr. The mother, born Esther Ellen Cobb, created the unusual first name as a variation on her maiden name. Wright grew up in an environment with servants, a yacht, and more on a Long Island estate—all of which was wiped out by the Great Depression.

The mother's plans for the daughter's future led to the parents' divorce, with the father describing as "prostitution" the mother's "grooming [of Cobina Jr.] for a film career capped by a spectacular marriage."

Wright was selected as Miss Manhattan in competition at the 1939 New York World's Fair, and in 1941, Life magazine described her as "a young New Yorker of excellent family but limited means ..."

Career

Although Wright's mother pushed her toward a career in entertainment, achieving success proved to be a challenge. In 1941, newspaper columnist Adela Rogers St. Johns wrote: "I believe that Cobina Wright Jr. had a tougher time getting where she is than almost any other girl in Hollywood. I believe that she faced tougher times and more obstacles and had less help than most girls ... everyone assumed that she had no talent." That situation changed, however, after Wright began performing in vaudeville. By the time she began making films for 20th Century Fox, people were calling her "the good luck girl".

Early in her career, Wright was a singer, initially performing in hotels because her mother would not let her sing in nightclubs. She appeared on Broadway in Lorelei (1938).

By 1938, Wright had signed a film contract with 20th Century Fox. Her films included Small Town Deb (1941), Murder Among Friends (1941), Moon Over Miami (1941), Accent on Love (1941), Charlie Chan in Rio (1941), Week-End in Havana (1941), Right to the Heart (1942), Footlight Serenade (1942), and Something to Shout About (1943).

Caricature on Radio

The second season of The Pepsodent Show, an NBC radio program that starred Bob Hope, introduced two female characters, Brenda and Cobina. Richard Zoglin, in his book Hope: Entertainer of the Century, described the pair as "two shrill-voiced, man-hungry society girls ... the first incarnation of a favorite Hope comedy foil: the homely, sex-starved spinster, obsessed with landing a man." The characters were parodies of Wright Jr. and her friend, debutante Brenda Frazier. Wright Sr. took offense and sued, resulting in the dropping of the characters from the program. Lawrence J. Quirk, in his book Bob Hope: The Road Well Traveled, commented, "The irony in this was that Hope had only chosen the names of Frazier and Wright because in reality they were cultured beauties—the exact opposites of the Brenda and Cobina on the show. In a way, it was a reverse compliment ..." Afterward, Wright Jr. became "a regular guest" on the program.

Personal Life

In 1938, Wright was romantically linked with Prince Philip of Greece, who later married Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The two met in Venice in the year they both turned 17 and enjoyed activities together there for three weeks, after which they spent a week in England "dining, dancing, and walking London's streets, hand in hand."

In November 1941, Wright married Palmer Beaudette, who came from "a wealthy automobile family" in Michigan. Two years later, she left show business to devote her time to raising a family. Beaudette died in 1968. By that time, Wright had become an alcoholic—a condition that was aggravated when she found that "she was left all but penniless" because Beaudette's part of his father's estate reverted to his family after his death. Over time, she dealt successfully with her alcoholism and did volunteer work to help others who were recovering from it. Her efforts included serving on the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Death

Wright died on September 1, 2011 at age 90.
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Cobina Wright came from a wealthy aristocratic family from New York City and started her show business career as a model, being in the top ten at John Robert Powers (the most sought after agency at that time). Bob Hope used her as the basis for character Cobina on his radio program in 1939. She was friends with Dolores and Bob and appeared on his program numerous times.

She is most remembered for Sauce for the Gander.

Spouse

Palmer Thayer Beaudette (3 November 1941 - 7 September 1968)

Trade Mark

The song My Funny Valentine.

Trivia

Retired from films to marry Palmer Thayer Beaudette.

Has three sons and a daughter: Oliver Joseph; William Wright: Palmer Beaudette, Jr.; and Cobina III (aka C.C.). She also has a stepdaughter, Suzanne, from her late husband's prior marriage.

Her mother was notorious social climber and society columnist 'Cobina Wright Sr.' An aggressive and undeterred socialite when it came to clawing her way to fame and success, she pushed Cobina Jr. into a show business career which included singing, modeling and acting.

Her husband, Palmer Thayer Beaudette, was an Army corporal at the time they married in 1941. He butted heads with Cobina's assertive mother about the direction of his wife and her daughter's career. Cobina Jr. retired in 1943.

Palmer was an heir to his own vast fortune. When he died of a heart attack in 1968, Cobina Jr. found that their spacious Carmel Valley home was all she owned. Palmer's share of his father's estate reverted, as per his father's will, back to Palmer's brothers and sisters.

Both Cobina and her late husband were heavy alcoholics. Following his death and her own recovery, she devoted much of her time to volunteering in programs at Beacon House. She also served on the board of the National Council on Alcoholism.

Personal Quotes

It is not just the singing and the acting that I miss--it's the people. I loved all the people I worked with. Cobina Wright, regarding her retirement.

They had 4 children, Palmer Thayer, Oliver Joseph, William Wright and Cobina.