In 1930 Colbert signed a contract with Paramount Pictures, who were looking for stage actors who could handle dialog in the new "talkies" medium. Colbert's elegant, musical voice was one of her best assets. Some of her early hit movies were "Manslaughter" (1930) and "Honor Among Lovers" (1931), both with Fredric March, "The Smiling Lieutenant" (1931), with Maurice Chevalier and Miriam Hopkins, and "Torch Singer" (1933), with Ricardo Cortez and David Manners.