In 1940, Colbert was offered a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures that would have paid her $200,000 a year; she declined the offer after learning she could command $150,000 per film as a freelance artist. She secured roles in several prestigious films and this period marked the height of her earning power. As a supporting role, Colbert co-starred with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy in Boom Town, released by MGM in 1940 and was the highest-grossing picture of the year in the United States. However, Colbert once often said that Arise, My Love (1940) was her favorite of all her movies. Quirk, p. 115. It won the Academy Award for Best Story.
In 1940, Colbert was offered a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures that would have paid her $200,000 a year; she declined the offer after learning she could command $150,000 per film as a freelance artist She secured roles in several prestigious films and this period marked the height of her earning power. As a supporting role, Colbert co-starred with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy in Boom Town, released by MGM in 1940 and was the highest-grossing picture of the year in the United States. However, Colbert once often said that Arise, My Love (1940) was her favorite of all her movies. Quirk, p. 115. It won the Academy Award for Best Story.