Best French Actress in a Leading Role 1930-1939
The seven best performances of actresses French or foreign, by year (1930-1939), who played in films mainly French.
Some films are foreign productions shot in French with French actress and French, but with major foreign actress original
Some films are foreign productions shot in French with French actress and French, but with major foreign actress original
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- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mary Louise Brooks, also known by her childhood name of Brooksie, was born in the Midwestern town of Cherryvale, Kansas, on November 14, 1906. She began dancing at an early age with the Denishawn Dancers (which was how she left Kansas and went to New York) and then with George White's Scandals before joining the Ziegfeld Follies, but became one of the most fascinating and alluring personalities ever to grace the silver screen. She was always compared to her Lulu role in Pandora's Box (1929), which was filmed in 1928. Her performances in A Girl in Every Port (1928) and Beggars of Life (1928), both filmed in 1928, proved to all concerned that Louise had real talent. She became known, mostly, for her bobbed hair style. Thousands of women were attracted to that style and adopted it as their own. As you will note by her photographs, she was no doubt the trend setter of the 1920s with her Buster Brown-Page Boy type hair cut, much like today's women imitate stars. Because of her dark haired look and being the beautiful woman that she was, plus being a modern female, she was not especially popular among Hollywood's clientele. She just did not go along with the norms of the film society. Louise really came into her own when she left Hollywood for Europe. There she appeared in a few German productions which were very well made and continued to prove she was an actress with an enduring talent. Until she ended her career in film in 1938, she had made only 25 movies. After that, she spent most of her time reading and painting. She also became an accomplished writer, authoring a number of books, including her autobiography. On August 8, 1985, Louise died of a heart attack in Rochester, New York. She was 78 years old.1930 Prix de Beauté d'Augusto Genina- Actress
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
Lilian Harvey was born on January 19th, 1906 in London. Her mother was English and her father was German. When she was eight her family moved to Berlin shortly before the outbreak of WW1. She spent much of the war at school in Switzerland where she broadened her knowledge of languages and classical dance.
After graduating high school in Berlin, she worked in theatre revues before debuting in her first film "Der Fluch" for Robert Land. After many roles in silent films, UFA found great use for her acting, dancing and language skills in many famous light operettas made with the advent of sound. These highly popular films (usually co-starring Willy Fritsch, with whom she became irrevocably associated in the public's mind as the romantic dream-team of the European cinema) were usually made in three different languages at once. The cast would be switched around her for the various takes in German, French and English (Laurence Olivier had his first film role in one of her vehicles).
Her most successful film, 1931's "Der Kongress Tanzt"/"Le congress s'amuse"/"Congress Dances" led to a contract in Hollywood with the Fox Film Company. She dissolved this contract after a few pictures, walking out on a role that was filled by then-unknown Alice Faye and returning to UFA to be with director Paul Martin, with whom she was romantically involved. The Nazi regime had come to power in her absence and Lilian Harvey found it difficult to work under Goebbels.
She was instrumental in helping those persecuted by the Nazis escape until her film popularity waned and she was forced to escape as well. She eventually landed in the USA and spent most of WW2 in Los Angeles working as a volunteer nurse. Her former directors and co-workers like Michael Curtiz and Billy Wilder remained social contacts, but the stigma of having been UFA's biggest star of the early thirties kept her from reigniting her own film career. She did theatre work and continued to work on European stages after the war. She received war reparations in the early sixties and lived on the Riviera until her death on July 27th, 1968.1930 Les Chemins du Paradis de Wilhelm Thiele- Pola Illéry was an exotic silent film star in France and Romania during the 1920s and made a modest transition to sound films in the 1930s. She was known for portraying sexually liberated women and was considered the most glamorous film star in Romania. After she left films feeling she achieved her time in the spotlight she fled to America in 1939 with the rise of Nazism. After moving between New York and Maryland she settled in Pennsylvania and spent her life living modestly with the family she had created and raised until her death from old age.1930 Sous les toits de Paris de René Clair
- Sandra Milovanoff was born on 23 June 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russian Empire [now Russia]. She was an actress, known for Le gamin de Paris (1923), Les misérables (1925) and Les deux gamines (1921). She was married to Nikitin, Maurice de Moolek and Joseph Mejinsky. She died on 8 May 1957 in Paris, France.1930 Dans la nuit de Charles Vanel
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1930 Accusée, levez-vous! de Maurice Tourneur- Dita Parlo was born on 4 September 1906 in Stettin, Pomerania, Germany [now Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for The Grand Illusion (1937), L'Atalante (1934) and Melody of the Heart (1929). She was married to Frank Guetal. She died on 12 December 1971 in Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1930 Au bonheur des dames de Julien Duvivier
- Nadia Sibirskaïa was born on 11 September 1901 in Redon, Ille-et-Vilaine, France. She was an actress, known for Sapho (1934), Les vagabonds magnifiques (1931) and The Kidnapping (1934). She was married to Dimitri Kirsanoff. She died on 14 July 1980 in Dinard, Ille-et-Vilaine, France.1930 La Petite Lise de Jean Grémillon
Best French Actress 1930 - Actress
- Soundtrack
At age 16, Annabella was chosen by Abel Gance to appear in Napoleon (1927). In the 30s, she became a star of French movies. She made movies in numerous other countries, before being called to Hollywood in 1938, where she met and married Tyrone Power. She remained in the USA until 1947. Then she attempted a comeback in France. She retired from show business in 1954.1931 Le Million de René Clair- Orane Demazis was born on 4 September 1894 in Oran, Oran, France [now Algeria]. She was an actress, known for Angele (1934), Marius (1931) and Les Misérables (1934). She died on 25 December 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1931 Marius d'Alexander Korda
- Huguette Duflos was born on 24 August 1887 in Limoges, Haute-Vienne, Limousin, France. She was an actress, known for Les mystères de Paris (1922), Le procès de Mary Dugan (1931) and Maman Colibri (1937). She was married to Raphaël Duflos. She died on 12 April 1982 in Paris, France.1931 Le Mystère de la chambre jaune et Le Parfum de la dame en noir de Marcel L'Herbier
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Florelle was born on 9 August 1898 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France. She was an actress, known for The Threepenny Opera (1931), Liliom (1934) and La dame de chez Maxim's (1933). She was married to Marcel Foucret. She died on 28 September 1974 in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France.1931 L'Opéra de Quat'sous de Georg Wilhelm Pabst- Actress
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
Lilian Harvey was born on January 19th, 1906 in London. Her mother was English and her father was German. When she was eight her family moved to Berlin shortly before the outbreak of WW1. She spent much of the war at school in Switzerland where she broadened her knowledge of languages and classical dance.
After graduating high school in Berlin, she worked in theatre revues before debuting in her first film "Der Fluch" for Robert Land. After many roles in silent films, UFA found great use for her acting, dancing and language skills in many famous light operettas made with the advent of sound. These highly popular films (usually co-starring Willy Fritsch, with whom she became irrevocably associated in the public's mind as the romantic dream-team of the European cinema) were usually made in three different languages at once. The cast would be switched around her for the various takes in German, French and English (Laurence Olivier had his first film role in one of her vehicles).
Her most successful film, 1931's "Der Kongress Tanzt"/"Le congress s'amuse"/"Congress Dances" led to a contract in Hollywood with the Fox Film Company. She dissolved this contract after a few pictures, walking out on a role that was filled by then-unknown Alice Faye and returning to UFA to be with director Paul Martin, with whom she was romantically involved. The Nazi regime had come to power in her absence and Lilian Harvey found it difficult to work under Goebbels.
She was instrumental in helping those persecuted by the Nazis escape until her film popularity waned and she was forced to escape as well. She eventually landed in the USA and spent most of WW2 in Los Angeles working as a volunteer nurse. Her former directors and co-workers like Michael Curtiz and Billy Wilder remained social contacts, but the stigma of having been UFA's biggest star of the early thirties kept her from reigniting her own film career. She did theatre work and continued to work on European stages after the war. She received war reparations in the early sixties and lived on the Riviera until her death on July 27th, 1968.1931 Le Congrès s'amuse d'Erik Charell- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1931 Faubourg Montmartre de Raymond Bernard
Best French Actress 1931- Actress
- Soundtrack
Madeleine Renaud was born on 21 February 1900 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. She was an actress, known for Remorques (1941), The Longest Day (1962) and Hélène (1936). She was married to Jean-Louis Barrault and Charles Granval. She died on 23 September 1994 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France.1931 Jean de la lune de Jean Choux- Actress
- Soundtrack
At age 16, Annabella was chosen by Abel Gance to appear in Napoleon (1927). In the 30s, she became a star of French movies. She made movies in numerous other countries, before being called to Hollywood in 1938, where she met and married Tyrone Power. She remained in the USA until 1947. Then she attempted a comeback in France. She retired from show business in 1954.1932 Marie, légende hongroise de Pal Féjös
Best French Actress 1932- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marcelle Chantal was born on 9 February 1901 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Fantômas contre Fantômas (1949), Chéri (1950) and Jeunes filles en détresse (1939). She died on 11 March 1960 in Paris, France.1932 Au nom de la loi de Maurice Tourneur- Orane Demazis was born on 4 September 1894 in Oran, Oran, France [now Algeria]. She was an actress, known for Angele (1934), Marius (1931) and Les Misérables (1934). She died on 25 December 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1932 Fanny de Marc Allégret
- Tania Fédor was born on 3 November 1905 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. She was an actress, known for Le petit café (1931), Fantômas (1932) and La tour de Nesle (1937). She died on 1 December 1985 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.1932 Fantômas de Pal Féjös
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Florelle was born on 9 August 1898 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France. She was an actress, known for The Threepenny Opera (1931), Liliom (1934) and La dame de chez Maxim's (1933). She was married to Marcel Foucret. She died on 28 September 1974 in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France.1932 Tumultes de Robert Siodmak- Born in Berlin, Germany. After her role in Metropolis (1927) she made a string of movies in which she almost always had the starring role, easily making the transition to sound films. Her last film was An Ideal Spouse (1935) which was released in 1935. She died on June 11th 1996 of heart failure in Ascona, Switzerland.1932 L'Atlantide de Georg Wilhelm Pabst
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Käthe von Nagy wanted to get married at the age of 16, therefore, her parents put her in the Santa Chrisitana Convent, near Vienna. After that, she worked in her father's office and besides started to secretly write short stories for newspapers. In Budapest, she studied acting, dancing and singing, but her parents were not very happy. In 1926, she went to Berlin to make movies. She got a small part in the film _Männer von der Ehe (1927)_ and _Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume (1927)_ "Vienna, City of My Dreams". In 1930, she went into talkies with Der Andere (1930). She also made the French version of "Bomben auf Monte Carlo" (1931). In the German film, Anna Sten played the part. In 1938, she played in "Finale" ("Die Unruhigen Mädchen", "Les Sourires de Vienne"). After that she made 6 films in France. Her last one was Die Försterchristl (1952), alongside Johanna Matz. She died of cancer in Hollywood.1932 A moi le jour, à toi la nuit de Ludwig Berger- Actress
- Soundtrack
At age 16, Annabella was chosen by Abel Gance to appear in Napoleon (1927). In the 30s, she became a star of French movies. She made movies in numerous other countries, before being called to Hollywood in 1938, where she met and married Tyrone Power. She remained in the USA until 1947. Then she attempted a comeback in France. She retired from show business in 1954.1933 Quatorze juillet de René Clair- Actress
- Soundtrack
Florelle was born on 9 August 1898 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France. She was an actress, known for The Threepenny Opera (1931), Liliom (1934) and La dame de chez Maxim's (1933). She was married to Marcel Foucret. She died on 28 September 1974 in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France.1933 La Dame de chez Maxim's d'Alexander Korda- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1933 Le Maître de forges de Fernand Rivers et Abel Gance- Line Noro was born on 22 February 1900 in Houdelaincourt, Meuse, Lorraine, France. She was an actress, known for L'assommoir (1933), I Accuse (1938) and The Well-Digger's Daughter (1940). She died on 4 November 1985 in Paris, France.1933 Mater Dolorosa d'Abel Gance
- Madeleine Ozeray was born on 13 September 1908 in Bouillon-sur-Semois, Belgium. She was an actress, known for Liliom (1934), La guerre des valses (1933) and Le père Chopin (1945). She died on 29 March 1989 in Paris, France.1933 Dans les rues de Victor Trivas
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Madeleine Renaud was born on 21 February 1900 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. She was an actress, known for Remorques (1941), The Longest Day (1962) and Hélène (1936). She was married to Jean-Louis Barrault and Charles Granval. She died on 23 September 1994 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France.1933 La Maternelle de Jean-Benoit Lévy
Best French Actress 1933- Valentine Tessier was born on 5 August 1892 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Lucrèce Borgia (1953), Madame Bovary (1934) and Jérôme Perreau héros des barricades (1935). She died on 11 August 1981 in Vallauris, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1933 Madame Bovary de Jean Renoir
- Actress
- Soundtrack
At age 16, Annabella was chosen by Abel Gance to appear in Napoleon (1927). In the 30s, she became a star of French movies. She made movies in numerous other countries, before being called to Hollywood in 1938, where she met and married Tyrone Power. She remained in the USA until 1947. Then she attempted a comeback in France. She retired from show business in 1954.1934 Gardez le sourire de Pal Féjös- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marie Bell was born on 23 December 1900 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. She was an actress, known for Life Dances On (1937), Madame Récamier (1928) and La garçonne (1936). She was married to Jean Chevrier. She died on 14 August 1985 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1934 Le Grand jeu de Jacques Feyder
Best French Actress 1934- Orane Demazis was born on 4 September 1894 in Oran, Oran, France [now Algeria]. She was an actress, known for Angele (1934), Marius (1931) and Les Misérables (1934). She died on 25 December 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1934 Angèle de Marcel Pagnol
- Madeleine Ozeray was born on 13 September 1908 in Bouillon-sur-Semois, Belgium. She was an actress, known for Liliom (1934), La guerre des valses (1933) and Le père Chopin (1945). She died on 29 March 1989 in Paris, France.1934 Liliom de Fritz Lang
- Dita Parlo was born on 4 September 1906 in Stettin, Pomerania, Germany [now Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for The Grand Illusion (1937), L'Atalante (1934) and Melody of the Heart (1929). She was married to Frank Guetal. She died on 12 December 1971 in Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1934 Rapt de Dimitri Kirsanoff
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Madeleine Renaud was born on 21 February 1900 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. She was an actress, known for Remorques (1941), The Longest Day (1962) and Hélène (1936). She was married to Jean-Louis Barrault and Charles Granval. She died on 23 September 1994 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France.1934 Maria Chapdelaine de Julien Duvivier- Actress
- Soundtrack
Magda Schneider was born on 17 May 1909 in Augsburg, Germany and a singer, stage and film actress. After her graduation at a monastery school, she studied stenography and office management at a business school, but also attended ballet lessons and art courses at the Augsburg School of Music. Six months later, she gave her stage debut as soubrette at the Gärtnerplatz- Theater in Munich and was discovered by Ernst Marischka, who offered her a role at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. After her film debut Boykott (1930), she was type casted as the simple girl, dreaming of a happy life in movies such as Zwei in einem Auto (1932) or Ein Mädel wirbelt durch die Welt (1934). In 1933, she got to know Wolf Albach-Retty, whom she married four years later. Their children Rosemarie (aka Romy Schneider) and Wolf-Dieter were born in 1938 and 1941, but they divorced in 1945. After World War II, she appeared on stage and screen again, but was better known as ambitious mother, who urged on the career of her daughter Romy. In the 1950s, she played her mother or aunt in several movies such as Wenn der weiße Flieder wieder blüht (1953) or Sissi (1955). In the last years of her life, she had to bear the death of her grandson David in 1981 and her daughter Romy in 1982. She died on 30 July 1996 in Berchtesgaden, Germany.1934 Libelei (Une histoire d'amour) de Max Ophüls- Actress
- Soundtrack
At age 16, Annabella was chosen by Abel Gance to appear in Napoleon (1927). In the 30s, she became a star of French movies. She made movies in numerous other countries, before being called to Hollywood in 1938, where she met and married Tyrone Power. She remained in the USA until 1947. Then she attempted a comeback in France. She retired from show business in 1954.1935 La Bandéra de Julien Duvivier- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Simone Berriau was born on 21 July 1896 in Touques, Calvados, France. She was an actress and producer, known for La tendre ennemie (1936), Soyez les bienvenus (1942) and À nous deux, madame la vie (1937). She was married to Yves Mirande. She died on 26 February 1984 in Paris, France.1935 Divine de Max Ophüls- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jeanne Boitel was born on 4 January 1904 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. She was an actress, known for Chotard and Company (1933), Let's Go Up the Champs-Élysées (1938) and Inspector Maigret (1958). She was married to Jacques Jaujard. She died on 7 August 1987 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France.1935 Remous d'Edmond T. Gréville- Actress
- Soundtrack
Florelle was born on 9 August 1898 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France. She was an actress, known for The Threepenny Opera (1931), Liliom (1934) and La dame de chez Maxim's (1933). She was married to Marcel Foucret. She died on 28 September 1974 in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France.1935 Amants et voleurs de Raymond Bernard- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1935 Le Bonheur de Marcel L'Herbier- Actress
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Françoise Rosay was born on 19 April 1891 in Paris, France. She was an actress and writer, known for Carnival in Flanders (1935), The Halfway House (1944) and Nobody's Children (1951). She was married to Jacques Feyder. She died on 28 March 1974 in Montgeron, Essonne, France.1935 La Kermesse héroïque de Jacques Feyder
Best French Actress 1935
1935 Pension Mimosas de Jacques Feyder- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marie Bell was born on 23 December 1900 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. She was an actress, known for Life Dances On (1937), Madame Récamier (1928) and La garçonne (1936). She was married to Jean Chevrier. She died on 14 August 1985 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1936 La Garçonne de Jean de Limur- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Simone Berriau was born on 21 July 1896 in Touques, Calvados, France. She was an actress and producer, known for La tendre ennemie (1936), Soyez les bienvenus (1942) and À nous deux, madame la vie (1937). She was married to Yves Mirande. She died on 26 February 1984 in Paris, France.1936 La Tendre ennemie de Max Ophüls- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Danielle Darrieux was born in 1917 in Bordeaux, France, to Marie-Louise (Witkowski) and Germain Jean Darrieux, a physician. She was raised in Paris. She was only fourteen when she auditioned for a secondary role in Le bal (1931): she got the part, and the producer offered her a five-year contract. She had her first romantic lead in La crise est finie (1934) and scored an international hit with the historical drama Mayerling (1936) in which she played Marie Vetsera opposite Charles Boyer. In 1938, she went to Hollywood to appear in the fine comedy The Rage of Paris (1938) but quickly returned to Paris.
Darrieux remained in France during the Occupation and was one of the leading actresses during this period, starring in major hits such as Premier Rendez-Vous (1941). In 1945, she appeared both on stage (in "Tristan et Isolde") and on screen (in Au petit bonheur (1946)). In the next three decades, she found several important roles, in films like La Ronde (1950), The Earrings of Madame De... (1953) -- in which she gave her best performance, as a society lady torn between her husband and her lover -- and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967).
In 1970, she replaced Katharine Hepburn on Broadway in "Coco." Afterwards, she made occasional screen and stage appearances. But she made a triumphant comeback in 2002, playing Catherine Deneuve's mother in the international hit 8 Women (2002).
She died on October 17, 2017 in Bois-le-Roi, Eure, France. She was 100.1936 Mayerling d'Anatole Litvak
Best French Actress 1936- Orane Demazis was born on 4 September 1894 in Oran, Oran, France [now Algeria]. She was an actress, known for Angele (1934), Marius (1931) and Les Misérables (1934). She died on 25 December 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1936 César de Marcel Pagnol
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Florelle was born on 9 August 1898 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, Vendée, France. She was an actress, known for The Threepenny Opera (1931), Liliom (1934) and La dame de chez Maxim's (1933). She was married to Marcel Foucret. She died on 28 September 1974 in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France.1936 Le Crime de Monsieur Lange de Jean Renoir- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1936 Samson de Maurice Tourneur- Actress
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Françoise Rosay was born on 19 April 1891 in Paris, France. She was an actress and writer, known for Carnival in Flanders (1935), The Halfway House (1944) and Nobody's Children (1951). She was married to Jacques Feyder. She died on 28 March 1974 in Montgeron, Essonne, France.1936 Jenny de Marcel Carné- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mireille Balin was one the most glamorous and best loved actresses of pre-war French cinema. She appeared in two of the best remembered French films of the 1930s: Pépé le Moko (1937) and Lady Killer (1937), both opposite Jean Gabin. After the German occupation of France and her separation from her long-time fiancé, the singer/actor Tino Rossi in 1942, she starred in several films and became the idol of the Paris High Society where she met the love of her life, Birl Desbok, an officer in the Wehrmacht. In the summer of 1944, as Paris was about to be liberated, she and Desbok fled Paris and tried to reach the Italian border but on September 28th, 1944 they were arrested by the FFI in Beausoleil (near Nice). Separated from Desbok, who was probably executed (she never knew what really happened to him), she was beaten and raped before being taken to Nice prison. She was soon transferred to Fresnes prison (near Paris) where she stayed until her release on bail on 3rd January 1945. She was forbidden to work for a year but once this restriction lifted, she went back to the studios to appear in what proved to be her last film La dernière chevauchée (1947), her frail constitution prevented her from appearing in any other films. She died in 1968, forgotten and broke.1937 Gueule d'amour de Jean Grémillon- Actress
- Soundtrack
Marie Bell was born on 23 December 1900 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. She was an actress, known for Life Dances On (1937), Madame Récamier (1928) and La garçonne (1936). She was married to Jean Chevrier. She died on 14 August 1985 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1937 Un carnet de bal de Julien Duvivier- Orane Demazis was born on 4 September 1894 in Oran, Oran, France [now Algeria]. She was an actress, known for Angele (1934), Marius (1931) and Les Misérables (1934). She died on 25 December 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1937 Regain de Marcel Pagnol
Best French Actress 1937 - Actress
- Soundtrack
Isa Miranda was one of the most significant actresses in Europe from the 1930s-'50s. Her remarkable talent expressed itself both in cinema and theater. She reached international popularity in the 1930s, especially in France, Germany and Austria, and became the only international movie star produced by the fascist cinema. In the 1950s, when her film career began declining, she played on stage in Italy, the US ("Mike McCauley", 1951), France ("Le serpent à sonettes", 1953) and England ("Orpheus Descending" by Tennessee Williams, 1959), receiving positive reviews everywhere. In the 1960s she started a TV career in England, appearing in many made-for-TV movies. She was a versatile actress, exceedingly sensible, a charming woman, and unjustly forgotten at the end of her life even by those who should have remembered her.1937 L'Homme de nulle part de Pierre Chenal- Madeleine Ozeray was born on 13 September 1908 in Bouillon-sur-Semois, Belgium. She was an actress, known for Liliom (1934), La guerre des valses (1933) and Le père Chopin (1945). She died on 29 March 1989 in Paris, France.1937 Le Coupable de Raymond Bernard
- Dita Parlo was born on 4 September 1906 in Stettin, Pomerania, Germany [now Szczecin, Zachodniopomorskie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for The Grand Illusion (1937), L'Atalante (1934) and Melody of the Heart (1929). She was married to Frank Guetal. She died on 12 December 1971 in Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France.1937 Mademoiselle Docteur de Georg Wilhelm Pabst
- From 1923 when she played the lead in Louis Verneuil's "Ma cousine de Varsovie" to 1978 when she played again (and for the last time) "La Mamma", written specially for her by André Roussin, Elvire Popesco (born near Bucharest in 1894) was the undisputed queen of "Théâtre de Boulevard" (light comedies). For 55 years in a row, la Popesco was that ebullient and charming thick-accented foreigner who graced with her cheerful energy dozens of plays by such witty playwrights such as Louis Verneuil, Jacques Deval, Sacha Guitry, Henri Bernstein, André Roussin, Marcel Achard and many others. She seldom ventured into "serious" territory but Jean Cocteau's "La machine infernale" and Frédéric Dard's "La dame de Chicago" are exceptions that help to back up Tristan Bernard's own definition of her personality: "Elvire Popesco is a glass of champagne with tears at the bottom". On the big screen she played the same type of characters as on stage, Burel's incendiary cousin in Carmine Gallone's Ma cousine de Varsovie (1931), the filmed adaptation of her first triumph in Paris; the fiery duchess of Maulévrier in Roger Richebé's hilarious L'habit vert (1937); the boisterous actress Verotchka in Fernand Rivers's La présidente (1938); the cosmopolitan adventuress in Le club des aristocrates (1937)... Even when she appeared in a famous thriller like René Clément's Purple Noon (1960), she was her usual eccentric foreigner self. Though when she was still a young Romananian thespian her dream was to become a great tragedian, she soon realized that if she wanted to succeed in France her accent was a terrible handicap. She made people laugh and she proved wise enough to accept it for a fact. She was wonderful as a result instead of... ridiculous.1937 L'Habit vert de Roger Richebé
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Danielle Darrieux was born in 1917 in Bordeaux, France, to Marie-Louise (Witkowski) and Germain Jean Darrieux, a physician. She was raised in Paris. She was only fourteen when she auditioned for a secondary role in Le bal (1931): she got the part, and the producer offered her a five-year contract. She had her first romantic lead in La crise est finie (1934) and scored an international hit with the historical drama Mayerling (1936) in which she played Marie Vetsera opposite Charles Boyer. In 1938, she went to Hollywood to appear in the fine comedy The Rage of Paris (1938) but quickly returned to Paris.
Darrieux remained in France during the Occupation and was one of the leading actresses during this period, starring in major hits such as Premier Rendez-Vous (1941). In 1945, she appeared both on stage (in "Tristan et Isolde") and on screen (in Au petit bonheur (1946)). In the next three decades, she found several important roles, in films like La Ronde (1950), The Earrings of Madame De... (1953) -- in which she gave her best performance, as a society lady torn between her husband and her lover -- and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967).
In 1970, she replaced Katharine Hepburn on Broadway in "Coco." Afterwards, she made occasional screen and stage appearances. But she made a triumphant comeback in 2002, playing Catherine Deneuve's mother in the international hit 8 Women (2002).
She died on October 17, 2017 in Bois-le-Roi, Eure, France. She was 100.1938 Retour à l'aube de Henri Decoin- Annie Ducaux was born on 10 September 1908 in Besançon, Doubs, France. She was an actress, known for Rendez-vous à Paris (1947), Dreams of Love (1947) and Nuit de mai (1934). She died on 31 December 1996 in Champeaux, Seine-et-Marne, France.1938 Prison sans barreaux de Léonide Moguy
- A classic beauty, blonde French actress Michèle Morgan was one of her country's most popular leading ladies for over five decades. Born Simone Renee Roussel on Leap Year Day (February 29) in 1920, she ran away from home as a teenager and studied acting under René Simon, beginning her film career at 16 working as a film extra to pay for drama classes.
The young actress soon caught the eye of director Marc Allégret, who cast her in Heart of Paris (1937), which clinched her stardom. Her remote, enigmatic features and gloomy allure had audiences comparing her to a young Greta Garbo. She went on to appear elegantly opposite Charles Boyer in the drama Orage (1938) directed by Allegret; opposite Jean Gabin in Moth and the Flame (1938) directed by Marcel Carné, as well as both Coral Reefs (1939) and Remorques (1941). She had her first top-billed roles in L'entraîneuse (1939) and La loi du nord (1939).
Michèle's eventual fled war-torn France for Hollywood and earned roles based purely on her European prestige. She did not stand out among the other female foreign imports of that time, however, such as Ingrid Bergman. Cast in rather routine sultry roles amid WWII surroundings, she received only a modest reception for such US-based films as Joan of Paris (1942) with Paul Henreid; Two Tickets to London (1943) with Alan Curtis; Passage to Marseille (1944) opposite Humphrey Bogart; and the noirish The Chase (1946) starring Robert Cummings.
Michèle succeeded much better at home continuing prolifically in such films as The Proud and the Beautiful (1953), The Moment of Truth (1952), Oasis (1955), The Grand Maneuver (1955), Shadow of the Guillotine (1956) (as Marie Antoinette), Grand Hotel (1959), Bluebeard (1963), Web of Fear (1964), The Diary of an Innocent Boy (1968) and Cat and Mouse (1975). Back in the late 1940's, she received the very first Cannes Film Festival award for "best actress" for her touching performance as the blind heroine in Pastoral Symphony (1946). She also received an honorary Cesar Award in 1992.
Married during the war and early post-war years (1942-1949) to American actor/singer William Marshall, Michèle's second husband was handsome Gallic star Henri Vidal and they appeared together in a couple of films, including both the historical drama Fabiola (1949) and romantic drama La belle que voilà (1950), plus The Seven Deadly Sins (1952) (albeit different "sin" segments) and Napoleon (1955). Following Vidal's sudden death of a heart at age 40 in 1959, the actress married a third time one year later to well-known French actor/writer/director Gérard Oury. They had unbilled cameos in A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (1986). She was left a widow in 2006.
Semi-retired by the 1970's, Michèle's last feature film was a small bit in the Marcello Mastroianni film Everybody's Fine (1990). She retired in 1999 after a few sporadic 90's TV parts. She died in her home town of Hauts-de-Seine, France on December 20, 2016, at age 96.1938 Le Quai des brumes de Marcel Carné - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1938 Quadrille de Sacha Guitry- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Strikingly beautiful French leading lady (Miss Paris of 1930) who first appeared on stage at the age of 13 at the Theatre Sarah-Bernhardt, then did some modelling work and a year later joined the chorus line of the Moulin Rouge. She also performed the 'can-can' at the legendary Parisian nightclub Bal Tabarin. Her breakthrough came, when she was signed by the director Jean Renoir for a bit part in the film La Chienne (1931). From the mid-1930s she was given leading roles roles, usually as the femme fatale, best exemplified by Jean Gabin's faithless wife in Duvivier's They Were Five (1936). This established her as a bankable star and she was much in demand for other portrayals of courtesans, kind-hearted prostitutes and alluring exotics. One of her best films was the film noir Panique (1946). She also starred in the title role of Carmen (1944).
Eschewing offers from Hollywood, Viviane continued acting in French and Italian films during the 1950s. When her popularity began to wane she went into production with her then-husband Clément Duhour, but without much success. Suffering considerable financial hardship, Viviane had a lengthy absence from the screen but eventually re-appeared on television in the early 1970s and finished her career with a noteworthy role as Madame Gabrielle in Claude Chabrol's Nada (1974).1938 La Maison du Maltais de Pierre Chenal- Actress
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Françoise Rosay was born on 19 April 1891 in Paris, France. She was an actress and writer, known for Carnival in Flanders (1935), The Halfway House (1944) and Nobody's Children (1951). She was married to Jacques Feyder. She died on 28 March 1974 in Montgeron, Essonne, France.1938 Les Gens du voyage de Jacques Feyder- Actress
- Soundtrack
Diminutive, fiery-tempered Simone Simon was born in France, but spent much of her early childhood in Madagascar, where her father managed a graphite mine. Her schooling was somewhat unsettled, her family moving from city to city (Berlin, Budapest, Turin) before finally establishing themselves in Paris in 1930. Simone started as a dress designer, fashion model and occasional performer in stage musicals. She eventually met the director Marc Allégret, who took her under his wing. Her film debut was in 1931 and she had her first major hit as Jean Gabin's co-star in La Bête Humaine (1938), directed by Jean Renoir.
There were two halves to Simone's history in Hollywood. In 1936, Darryl F. Zanuck signed her to a contract at 20th Century Fox on the strength of a picture she had made two years earlier, Allegret's Ladies Lake (1934). She was launched with an expensive publicity campaign which accentuated her continental allure, particularly, her 'sexy pout'. During her tenure, problems surfaced regarding her command of English and also her limited singing skills. Dissatisfied with the roles she was given, Simone returned to France and 'La Bete Humaine'. She made a second attempt at Hollywood, acting in William Dieterle's The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) as Belle, the devil's handmaiden. The New York Times review of October 17 considered her 'completely out of key'. Simone's best work, however, was to come in the shape of the cult horror classic Cat People (1942). Producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur used her triangular-faced feline qualities to best effect in the story of a girl who obsesses about an ancient Balkan curse turning her into a panther. The film was stylish and subtle, creating imagined rather than actual menace. Simone's performance was commensurate with perfectly studied cat-like mannerisms. During the production of 'Cat People', Simone was under FBI surveillance because of her relationship with MI5 spy Dusko Popov. She made two further, less successful, films at RKO, then returned to France for good. Simone made several films there and worked on the stage. In spite of many affairs and relationships, she never married.1938 La Bête humaine de Jean Renoir
Best French Actress 1938- Actress
- Soundtrack
Before Arlette-Leonie Bathiat went to the movies she was a secretary and had posed several times as a model for different painters and photographers. In 1920 she debuted on stage at a theatre. She only began to work in movies after 1930. After World War II she was condemned to prison for having been the lover of a German official during the ocupation of France. In 1963 she had an accident which left her almost blind. Her most important movies were filmed and directed by Marcel Carné ("Hotel du Nord (1938)" or "Enfants du Paradis, Les (1945)").1939 Circonstances atténuantes de Jean Boyer- Corinne Luchaire was born on 11 February 1921 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for The Last Turning (1939), Prison Without Bars (1938) and Abbandono (1940). She was married to Guy de Voisins-Lavernière. She died on 22 January 1950 in Paris, France.1939 Le Dernier tournant de Pierre Chenal
Best French Actress 1939 - A classic beauty, blonde French actress Michèle Morgan was one of her country's most popular leading ladies for over five decades. Born Simone Renee Roussel on Leap Year Day (February 29) in 1920, she ran away from home as a teenager and studied acting under René Simon, beginning her film career at 16 working as a film extra to pay for drama classes.
The young actress soon caught the eye of director Marc Allégret, who cast her in Heart of Paris (1937), which clinched her stardom. Her remote, enigmatic features and gloomy allure had audiences comparing her to a young Greta Garbo. She went on to appear elegantly opposite Charles Boyer in the drama Orage (1938) directed by Allegret; opposite Jean Gabin in Moth and the Flame (1938) directed by Marcel Carné, as well as both Coral Reefs (1939) and Remorques (1941). She had her first top-billed roles in L'entraîneuse (1939) and La loi du nord (1939).
Michèle's eventual fled war-torn France for Hollywood and earned roles based purely on her European prestige. She did not stand out among the other female foreign imports of that time, however, such as Ingrid Bergman. Cast in rather routine sultry roles amid WWII surroundings, she received only a modest reception for such US-based films as Joan of Paris (1942) with Paul Henreid; Two Tickets to London (1943) with Alan Curtis; Passage to Marseille (1944) opposite Humphrey Bogart; and the noirish The Chase (1946) starring Robert Cummings.
Michèle succeeded much better at home continuing prolifically in such films as The Proud and the Beautiful (1953), The Moment of Truth (1952), Oasis (1955), The Grand Maneuver (1955), Shadow of the Guillotine (1956) (as Marie Antoinette), Grand Hotel (1959), Bluebeard (1963), Web of Fear (1964), The Diary of an Innocent Boy (1968) and Cat and Mouse (1975). Back in the late 1940's, she received the very first Cannes Film Festival award for "best actress" for her touching performance as the blind heroine in Pastoral Symphony (1946). She also received an honorary Cesar Award in 1992.
Married during the war and early post-war years (1942-1949) to American actor/singer William Marshall, Michèle's second husband was handsome Gallic star Henri Vidal and they appeared together in a couple of films, including both the historical drama Fabiola (1949) and romantic drama La belle que voilà (1950), plus The Seven Deadly Sins (1952) (albeit different "sin" segments) and Napoleon (1955). Following Vidal's sudden death of a heart at age 40 in 1959, the actress married a third time one year later to well-known French actor/writer/director Gérard Oury. They had unbilled cameos in A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later (1986). She was left a widow in 2006.
Semi-retired by the 1970's, Michèle's last feature film was a small bit in the Marcello Mastroianni film Everybody's Fine (1990). She retired in 1999 after a few sporadic 90's TV parts. She died in her home town of Hauts-de-Seine, France on December 20, 2016, at age 96.1939 Le Récif de corail de Maurice Gleize - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Gaby Morlay was born on 8 June 1893 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Gigi (1949), Jim la houlette, roi des voleurs (1926) and Les amants du pont Saint-Jean (1947). She was married to Max Bonnafous. She died on 4 July 1964 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.1939 Entente cordiale de Marcel L'Herbier- Madeleine Ozeray was born on 13 September 1908 in Bouillon-sur-Semois, Belgium. She was an actress, known for Liliom (1934), La guerre des valses (1933) and Le père Chopin (1945). She died on 29 March 1989 in Paris, France.1939 La Fin du jour de Julien Duvivier
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Strikingly beautiful French leading lady (Miss Paris of 1930) who first appeared on stage at the age of 13 at the Theatre Sarah-Bernhardt, then did some modelling work and a year later joined the chorus line of the Moulin Rouge. She also performed the 'can-can' at the legendary Parisian nightclub Bal Tabarin. Her breakthrough came, when she was signed by the director Jean Renoir for a bit part in the film La Chienne (1931). From the mid-1930s she was given leading roles roles, usually as the femme fatale, best exemplified by Jean Gabin's faithless wife in Duvivier's They Were Five (1936). This established her as a bankable star and she was much in demand for other portrayals of courtesans, kind-hearted prostitutes and alluring exotics. One of her best films was the film noir Panique (1946). She also starred in the title role of Carmen (1944).
Eschewing offers from Hollywood, Viviane continued acting in French and Italian films during the 1950s. When her popularity began to wane she went into production with her then-husband Clément Duhour, but without much success. Suffering considerable financial hardship, Viviane had a lengthy absence from the screen but eventually re-appeared on television in the early 1970s and finished her career with a noteworthy role as Madame Gabrielle in Claude Chabrol's Nada (1974).1939 La Tradition de minuit de Roger Richebé- Annie Vernay was born on 21 November 1921 in Genève-Plainpalais, Switzerland. She was an actress, known for La principessa Tarakanova (1938), Chantons quand même (1940) and The Novel of Werther (1938). She died on 15 August 1941 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.1939 Les Otages de Raymond Bernard