After his wife's death in 1937, Coburn relocated to Los Angeles, California and began film work. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a retired millionaire playing Cupid in "The More the Merrier" in 1943. He was also nominated for "The Devil and Miss Jones" in 1941 and "The Green Years" in 1946. Other notable film credits include "Of Human Hearts" (1938), "The Lady Eve" (1941), "Kings Row" (1942), "The Constant Nymph" (1943), "Heaven Can Wait" (1943), "Wilson" (1944), "Impact" (1949), "The Paradine Case" (1947), "Everybody Does It" (1950), "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" (1952), "Monkey Business" (1952), "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (1953), and "John Paul Jones" (1959). He usually played comedic parts, but his roles in "Kings Row" and "Wilson" showed his dramatic versatility.