Janie Marèse
Encyclopedia
Janie Marèse was a French
actress who appeared in four shorts and three feature-length films, most notably Jean Renoir
's second sound film La Chienne
, before her premature death, aged 23, in a road accident.
-directed adaptation of Mam'zelle Nitouche
.
Marèse's break came when she was offered the leading role (originally intended for Catherine Hessling
) in Renoir's La Chienne (The Bitch), in which she played Lulu, a prostitute who connives with her pimp and lover (Georges Flamant) to exploit financially an unhappily-married man (Michel Simon
) who has fallen in love with her. Marèse's performance was well-received and seemed to mark the start of a potentially successful career.
in a car driven by her co-star Georges Flamant when Flamant lost control of the vehicle, which overturned, killing Marèse instantly. Flamant survived the accident. The French media, shocked by the untimely death of a promising young talent, subsequently vilified Flamant (he was labelled "un assassin" by some newspapers) to the extent that his career was seriously damaged by negative public perception.
Short films
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
actress who appeared in four shorts and three feature-length films, most notably Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
's second sound film La Chienne
La Chienne
La Chienne is a French film by director Jean Renoir. It is the second sound film by the director and the twelfth of his career.The literal English translation of the film's title is "The Bitch", although the movie was never released under this title...
, before her premature death, aged 23, in a road accident.
Career
Marèse made her first screen appearance in a 1929 short C'est par amour pour vous Madame. Her first full-length feature was Amours viennoises in 1930, followed by the Marc AllégretMarc Allégret
Marc Allégret was a French screenwriter and film director.Born in Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, he was the elder brother of Yves Allégret. Marc was educated to be a lawyer. Allégret became André Gide's lover when he was fifteen and Gide was forty-seven...
-directed adaptation of Mam'zelle Nitouche
Mam'zelle Nitouche
Mam'zelle Nitouche is a vaudeville-opérette by Hervé. The libretto was by Henri Meilhac and Albert Millaud.-Performance history:It was first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris on 26 January 1883.- Roles :-Synopsis:...
.
Marèse's break came when she was offered the leading role (originally intended for Catherine Hessling
Catherine Hessling
Catherine Hessling was a French actress and the first wife of film director Jean Renoir...
) in Renoir's La Chienne (The Bitch), in which she played Lulu, a prostitute who connives with her pimp and lover (Georges Flamant) to exploit financially an unhappily-married man (Michel Simon
Michel Simon
Michel Simon , was a Swiss actor. The actor François Simon is his son.-Early years:...
) who has fallen in love with her. Marèse's performance was well-received and seemed to mark the start of a potentially successful career.
Death
Shortly after the completion of La Chienne, Marèse was travelling on the French RivieraFrench Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
in a car driven by her co-star Georges Flamant when Flamant lost control of the vehicle, which overturned, killing Marèse instantly. Flamant survived the accident. The French media, shocked by the untimely death of a promising young talent, subsequently vilified Flamant (he was labelled "un assassin" by some newspapers) to the extent that his career was seriously damaged by negative public perception.
Filmography
Feature films- 1930: Amours viennoises - dir. Jean ChouxJean ChouxJean Choux was a French film director and producer.-Filmography:*1925 : La Vocation d'André Carel*1926 : La Terre qui meurt*1927 : Le Baiser qui tue*1928 : Espionnage ou la guerre sans armes*1929 : Chacun porte sa croix...
and Robert Land - 1931: Mam'zelle Nitouche - dir. Marc AllégretMarc AllégretMarc Allégret was a French screenwriter and film director.Born in Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, he was the elder brother of Yves Allégret. Marc was educated to be a lawyer. Allégret became André Gide's lover when he was fifteen and Gide was forty-seven...
- 1931: La ChienneLa ChienneLa Chienne is a French film by director Jean Renoir. It is the second sound film by the director and the twelfth of his career.The literal English translation of the film's title is "The Bitch", although the movie was never released under this title...
- dir. Jean RenoirJean RenoirJean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
Short films
- 1929: C'est par amour pour vous Madame - dir. Henri Lepage
- 1931: Les Quatre Jambes - dir. Marc Allégret
- 1931: Isolons-nous Gustave - dir. Marc Allégret
- 1931: Le Collier - dir. Marc Allégret