Simone Simon
Encyclopedia
Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon (23 April 1910 – 22 February 2005) was a French film actress who began her film career in 1931.
, Pas-de-Calais (some sources say Marseille) France, she was the daughter of Henri Louis Firmin Champmoynat, a French engineer, airplane pilot in World War II, who died in a concentration camp, and Erma Maria Domenica Giorcelli, an Italian
housewife. Before settling and growing up in Marseille
, Simon lived in Madagascar
, Budapest
, Turin
and Berlin
. She went to Paris
in 1931 and worked briefly as a singer, model and fashion designer. She also at one point decided that she wanted to become a sculptress
.
Simon worked chiefly for the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
, and then managed to get more serious work with Sacha Guitry
in Ô mon bel inconnu.
, which ended her plans on becoming a fashion designer. She made her screen debut in Le chanteur inconnu (The Unknown Singer, 1931), and quickly established herself as one of the country's most successful film actresses. Simon later told a reporter that she had no acting experience when making her first screen test for The Unknown Singer. In 1932, she was given more important roles and she rose to fame after starring in Marc Allégret
's Lac aux dames (Ladies Lake, 1934), which was in her own opinion her first serious role since The Unknown Singer. In later interviews, Simon expressed her gratitude towards Allégret, feeling that he was responsible for her glory.
After seeing her in Ladies Lake, Darryl F. Zanuck
brought her to Hollywood in August 1935 with a widespread publicity campaign. Before deciding to accept an American contract, Simon decided to first complete two more films for Allégret, Les yeux noirs (Black Eyes, 1935) and Les beaux jours (1935). It was usual for foreign actresses to receive months of preparation before working, but Simon was given only a few weeks of English lessons before she was told to report on set. Meanwhile, the studio had trouble finding her a suitable role. She was scheduled to make her American film debut in A Message to Garcia
(1936), playing a Spanish girl, but was replaced by Rita Hayworth
. In mid-1935, she was cast in the female lead in Under Two Flags (1936), but was discharged during production.
Although it was reported that she withdrew due to illness, it was later revealed that Zanuck fired her after twelve days of shooting because of her temperamental behavior, which displeased the film's director Frank Lloyd
. Simon herself claimed in a 1936 interview that she fell ill after weeks of tests and rehearsing for the film. She admitted, though, that in the early stage of production she was temperamental, insisting that she was inspired to behave that way after a conversation with Marlene Dietrich
, who told her that "a star is only as important as she makes herself out to be." She dismissed any further claims of her being rude or difficult to work with, explaining to the press that she was initially not used to the American lifestyle, which was in her view more extroverted than the French way of living. Her poor health caused her to be hospitalized, during which she became convinced to give up her American contract.
Shortly after she had decided to return to France, the studio assigned her to a third billing role in Girls' Dormitory
(1936). Simon was attracted to the story and saw "great possibilities" in her character. Reportedly, she again showed a temperament, which led to difficulties with Ruth Chatterton
, the film's star, who felt that Simon was receiving more attention. Simon confessed that she was nervous during production, because studio executives were closely watching her every step. Although thought to be one of the highlights of the year, Girls' Dormitory was soon forgotten by the public, making Simon's American film debut less than impressive. Nonetheless, Simon was hailed a sensation and critics applauded her performance. Furthermore, magazines reported that it brought the actress overnight fame. Shortly after the film's release she was cast in White Hunter, a B movie
that would reunite her with producer Irving Cummings
. During filming, she was again striken by a flu, and she ultimately had to be replaced by actress June Lang
.
Instead, the studio rushed her in the romantic comedy Ladies in Love
(1936), which was filmed in mid-1936. She shared the female lead with Janet Gaynor
, Loretta Young
and Constance Bennett
, some of whom objected to the large number of scenes that Simon was getting. It was a heavyweight lineup in which Simon's role left her little chance to compete effectively. Trying to avoid quarrels, she hired an assistant to prevent her from making headlines with her behavior. Despite a big build-up, which included a weekly salary even though her first American film was released over a year after her arrival in the country, Simon's films for 20th Century Fox
were only moderately successful. Among others, she was cast in the Janet Gaynor role in the 1937 remake
of the silent classic Seventh Heaven (1927), which co-starred James Stewart
and flopped. Afterwards, she was cast in Danger – Love at Work (1937), but due to her heavy French accent she had to be replaced by Ann Sothern
. Failing in finding her appropriate roles, the studio allowed her to go on an eight-week vacation to France, and following her return in June 1937, she was assigned to Suez
(1938), but the project was shelved and she was eventually replaced.
In the late 1930s Simon returned to France, dissatisfied with the development of her American film career and the backfiring of its related publicity. There she appeared in the Renoir
film La Bête Humaine
(The Human Beast) in 1938. With the outbreak of World War II
she returned to Hollywood and worked for RKO Radio Pictures
where she achieved her greatest successes in English language cinema with The Devil and Daniel Webster
(1941), Cat People (1942) and The Curse of the Cat People
(1944); the latter two formed part the horror film
series produced by Val Lewton
. These films did not lead to greater success and she languished in mediocre films until the end of the war.
She returned to France to act, and appeared in La Ronde
(Roundabout, 1950). Her film roles were few after this and she made her final film appearance in 1973.
. However, as film historian Gang Mank reports in his audio commentary for the DVD of Cat People the secretary was then on trial for extorting money from her employer, and her word on this matter cannot be taken at face value (the secretary was later convicted, and the terms of her probation required that she never speak of the "gold key" scandal again). In the 1950s, Simon was romantically involved with the French banker and racehorse owner/breeder Alec Weisweiller whose wife Francine was one of Jean Cocteau's
patrons.
She was at one time in a relationship with World War II double agent
Dusko Popov
, codenamed "Tricycle".
Simon died in Paris, France on 22 February 2005, aged 94, from natural causes. The BBC
mistakenly reported her age as 93 by using the wrong year of birth (1911). A few days later, French Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
issued a statement in which he extolled Simon's "charm, her irresistible smile. . . With Simone Simon's passing, we have lost one of the most seductive and most brilliant stars of the French cinema of the first half of the 20th century."
Early life
Born in BéthuneBéthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
, Pas-de-Calais (some sources say Marseille) France, she was the daughter of Henri Louis Firmin Champmoynat, a French engineer, airplane pilot in World War II, who died in a concentration camp, and Erma Maria Domenica Giorcelli, an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
housewife. Before settling and growing up in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, Simon lived in Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. She went to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1931 and worked briefly as a singer, model and fashion designer. She also at one point decided that she wanted to become a sculptress
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
.
Simon worked chiefly for the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is a Parisian theatre which was founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an entrance at the back at 65 Passage Choiseul. In...
, and then managed to get more serious work with Sacha Guitry
Sacha Guitry
Alexandre-Pierre Georges Guitry was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the Boulevard theatre.- Biography :...
in Ô mon bel inconnu.
Career
After being spotted in a restaurant in June 1931, Simon was offered a film contract by director Victor TourjanskyVictor Tourjansky
Victor Tourjansky or Viktor Tourjansky Victor Tourjansky or Viktor Tourjansky Victor Tourjansky or Viktor Tourjansky (4 March 1891 (Kiev) - 13 August 1976 (Munich), born Viatcheslav Tourjansky , was an actor, screenwriter and film director of Russian cinema who emigrated after the Russian...
, which ended her plans on becoming a fashion designer. She made her screen debut in Le chanteur inconnu (The Unknown Singer, 1931), and quickly established herself as one of the country's most successful film actresses. Simon later told a reporter that she had no acting experience when making her first screen test for The Unknown Singer. In 1932, she was given more important roles and she rose to fame after starring in Marc Allégret
Marc 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...
's Lac aux dames (Ladies Lake, 1934), which was in her own opinion her first serious role since The Unknown Singer. In later interviews, Simon expressed her gratitude towards Allégret, feeling that he was responsible for her glory.
After seeing her in Ladies Lake, Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl F. Zanuck
Darryl Francis Zanuck was an American producer, writer, actor, director and studio executive who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors...
brought her to Hollywood in August 1935 with a widespread publicity campaign. Before deciding to accept an American contract, Simon decided to first complete two more films for Allégret, Les yeux noirs (Black Eyes, 1935) and Les beaux jours (1935). It was usual for foreign actresses to receive months of preparation before working, but Simon was given only a few weeks of English lessons before she was told to report on set. Meanwhile, the studio had trouble finding her a suitable role. She was scheduled to make her American film debut in A Message to Garcia
A Message to Garcia (1936 film)
A Message to Garcia is a 1936 movie starring Wallace Beery and Barbara Stanwyck, and directed by George Marshall. The supporting cast includes John Boles and Alan Hale, Sr.. The film is loosely based on an incident during the Spanish-American War. Dell Henderson plays William McKinley but with a...
(1936), playing a Spanish girl, but was replaced by Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
. In mid-1935, she was cast in the female lead in Under Two Flags (1936), but was discharged during production.
Although it was reported that she withdrew due to illness, it was later revealed that Zanuck fired her after twelve days of shooting because of her temperamental behavior, which displeased the film's director Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd
Frank Lloyd was a film director, scriptwriter and producer...
. Simon herself claimed in a 1936 interview that she fell ill after weeks of tests and rehearsing for the film. She admitted, though, that in the early stage of production she was temperamental, insisting that she was inspired to behave that way after a conversation with Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, who told her that "a star is only as important as she makes herself out to be." She dismissed any further claims of her being rude or difficult to work with, explaining to the press that she was initially not used to the American lifestyle, which was in her view more extroverted than the French way of living. Her poor health caused her to be hospitalized, during which she became convinced to give up her American contract.
Shortly after she had decided to return to France, the studio assigned her to a third billing role in Girls' Dormitory
Girls' Dormitory
Girls' Dormitory is a 1936 American romance film directed by Irving Cummings.-Plot:Set in the fictional Montreaux School for Girls in Switzerland, the main focus of the film is Dr. Stephen Dominick, the school's popular director who is secretly admired by teacher Professor Anna Mathe and the...
(1936). Simon was attracted to the story and saw "great possibilities" in her character. Reportedly, she again showed a temperament, which led to difficulties with Ruth Chatterton
Ruth Chatterton
Ruth Chatterton was an American actress, novelist, and early aviatrix.- Early life :Chatterton was born in New York City, on Christmas Eve 1892, to Walter Smith and Lillian Reed Chatterton...
, the film's star, who felt that Simon was receiving more attention. Simon confessed that she was nervous during production, because studio executives were closely watching her every step. Although thought to be one of the highlights of the year, Girls' Dormitory was soon forgotten by the public, making Simon's American film debut less than impressive. Nonetheless, Simon was hailed a sensation and critics applauded her performance. Furthermore, magazines reported that it brought the actress overnight fame. Shortly after the film's release she was cast in White Hunter, a B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
that would reunite her with producer Irving Cummings
Irving Cummings
Irving Cummings , born Irving Camisky in New York City, New York was an American movie actor, director, producer and writer....
. During filming, she was again striken by a flu, and she ultimately had to be replaced by actress June Lang
June Lang
-Early life:Born Winifred June Vlasek in Minneapolis, Minnesota , she originally trained as a dancer in "kiddie reviews" and went to Hollywood at the urging of her mother.-Career:...
.
Instead, the studio rushed her in the romantic comedy Ladies in Love
Ladies in Love
Ladies in Love is a romantic comedy film directed by Edward H. Griffith. Starring Janet Gaynor, Constance Bennett and Loretta Young the film revolves around three roommates in exotic Budapest and their comical romantic adventures. Gaynor, Bennett, and Young were billed above the title, with...
(1936), which was filmed in mid-1936. She shared the female lead with Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor was an American actress and painter.One of the most popular actresses of the silent film era, in 1928 Gaynor became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in three films: Seventh Heaven , Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and Street Angel...
, Loretta Young
Loretta Young
Loretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
and Constance Bennett
Constance Bennett
-Early life:She was born in New York City, the daughter of actor Richard Bennett and actress Adrienne Morrison, whose father was the stage actor Lewis Morrison , a wealthy performer of English and Spanish ancestry...
, some of whom objected to the large number of scenes that Simon was getting. It was a heavyweight lineup in which Simon's role left her little chance to compete effectively. Trying to avoid quarrels, she hired an assistant to prevent her from making headlines with her behavior. Despite a big build-up, which included a weekly salary even though her first American film was released over a year after her arrival in the country, Simon's films for 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
were only moderately successful. Among others, she was cast in the Janet Gaynor role in the 1937 remake
Seventh Heaven (1937 film)
Seventh Heaven is an American romantic drama film released in 1937 by 20th Century Fox and directed by Henry King. The movie stars Simone Simon and James Stewart....
of the silent classic Seventh Heaven (1927), which co-starred James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
and flopped. Afterwards, she was cast in Danger – Love at Work (1937), but due to her heavy French accent she had to be replaced by Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress whose career spanned six decades.-Early life and career:...
. Failing in finding her appropriate roles, the studio allowed her to go on an eight-week vacation to France, and following her return in June 1937, she was assigned to Suez
Suez (film)
Suez is a 1938 film account of the building of the Suez Canal by Ferdinand de Lesseps, played by Tyrone Power. It was so highly fictionalized that de Lesseps' descendants sued for libel....
(1938), but the project was shelved and she was eventually replaced.
In the late 1930s Simon returned to France, dissatisfied with the development of her American film career and the backfiring of its related publicity. There she appeared in the 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...
film La Bête Humaine
La Bête Humaine (film)
La Bête Humaine is a film directed by Jean Renoir, with cinematography by Curt Courant...
(The Human Beast) in 1938. With the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
she returned to Hollywood and worked for RKO Radio Pictures
RKO Pictures
RKO Pictures is an American film production and distribution company. As RKO Radio Pictures Inc., it was one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheum theater chains and Joseph P...
where she achieved her greatest successes in English language cinema with The Devil and Daniel Webster
The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941 film)
The Devil and Daniel Webster is a 1941 fantasy film, adapted by Stephen Vincent Benét and Dan Totheroh from Benét's short story, "The Devil and Daniel Webster". The film's title was changed to All That Money Can Buy to avoid confusion with another film released by RKO that year, The Devil and Miss...
(1941), Cat People (1942) and The Curse of the Cat People
The Curse of the Cat People
The Curse of the Cat People is a 1944 film directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise, and produced by Val Lewton. This film, which was then-film editor Robert Wise's first directing credit, is the sequel to Cat People and has many of the same characters...
(1944); the latter two formed part the horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
series produced by Val Lewton
Val Lewton
Val Lewton was an American film producer and screenwriter, best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s.-Early life:...
. These films did not lead to greater success and she languished in mediocre films until the end of the war.
She returned to France to act, and appeared in La Ronde
La Ronde (1950 film)
La Ronde is a 1950 film directed by Max Ophüls and based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1897 play of the same name. The title means "the round-dance".The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Writing and Best Art Direction...
(Roundabout, 1950). Her film roles were few after this and she made her final film appearance in 1973.
Personal life and death
Simon never married. It was alleged by her secretary that she gave a gold key to her boudoir to any man she was interested in, including George GershwinGeorge Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
. However, as film historian Gang Mank reports in his audio commentary for the DVD of Cat People the secretary was then on trial for extorting money from her employer, and her word on this matter cannot be taken at face value (the secretary was later convicted, and the terms of her probation required that she never speak of the "gold key" scandal again). In the 1950s, Simon was romantically involved with the French banker and racehorse owner/breeder Alec Weisweiller whose wife Francine was one of Jean Cocteau's
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
patrons.
She was at one time in a relationship with World War II double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
Dusko Popov
Dušan Popov
Dušan "Duško" Popov OBE was a double agent working for MI6 during World War II under the cryptonym Tricycle.-Origins of Tricycle:...
, codenamed "Tricycle".
Simon died in Paris, France on 22 February 2005, aged 94, from natural causes. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
mistakenly reported her age as 93 by using the wrong year of birth (1911). A few days later, French Minister of Culture Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres , often known as RDDV, is a French politician, France's Minister of Culture from 2004 to 2007...
issued a statement in which he extolled Simon's "charm, her irresistible smile. . . With Simone Simon's passing, we have lost one of the most seductive and most brilliant stars of the French cinema of the first half of the 20th century."
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 | Durand contre Durand | Eliane | |
| 1931 | Mam'zelle Nitouche | ||
| 1931 | The Unknown Singer | Pierette | Original title: Le chanteur inconnu |
| 1932 | Pour vivre heureux | Jacqueline | |
| 1932 | The Chocolate Girl | Julie | Original title: La petite chocolatière |
| 1932 | A Son from America | Maryse | Original title: Un fils d'Amérique |
| 1932 | King of Hotels | Victoire | Original title: Le roi des palaces |
| 1933 | The Sad Sack | Original title: Tire au flanc | |
| 1933 | Mind the Paint | Amélie Gadarin | Original title: Prenez garde à la peinture |
| 1933 | L'étoile de Valencia | Rita | |
| 1933 | Le voleur | ||
| 1934 | Ladies Lake | Puck | |
| 1935 | Black Eyes | Tania | Original title: Les yeux noirs |
| 1935 | Les beaux jours | Sylvie | |
| 1936 | Girls' Dormitory Girls' Dormitory Girls' Dormitory is a 1936 American romance film directed by Irving Cummings.-Plot:Set in the fictional Montreaux School for Girls in Switzerland, the main focus of the film is Dr. Stephen Dominick, the school's popular director who is secretly admired by teacher Professor Anna Mathe and the... |
Marie Claudel | |
| 1936 | Ladies in Love Ladies in Love Ladies in Love is a romantic comedy film directed by Edward H. Griffith. Starring Janet Gaynor, Constance Bennett and Loretta Young the film revolves around three roommates in exotic Budapest and their comical romantic adventures. Gaynor, Bennett, and Young were billed above the title, with... |
Marie Armand | |
| 1937 | Seventh Heaven Seventh Heaven (1937 film) Seventh Heaven is an American romantic drama film released in 1937 by 20th Century Fox and directed by Henry King. The movie stars Simone Simon and James Stewart.... |
Diane | |
| 1937 | Love and Hisses | Yvett Guerin | |
| 1938 | Josette | Renee LeBlanc | |
| 1938 | La Bête Humaine La Bête Humaine (film) La Bête Humaine is a film directed by Jean Renoir, with cinematography by Curt Courant... |
Séverine Roubaud | Alternative title: The Human Beast Alternative title: Judas Was a Woman |
| 1940 | Love Cavalcade Love Cavalcade Love Cavalcade is a 1940 French film directed by Raymond Bernard and written by Jean Anouilh.-Cast:*Claude Dauphin as Léandre, Hubert & Georges*Michel Simon as Diogène, Monseigneur de Beaupré & Lacouret*Janine Darcey as Julie... |
Juliette | Original title: Cavalcade d'amour |
| 1941 | The Devil and Daniel Webster | Belle | Alternative title: All That Money Can Buy |
| 1942 | Cat People | Irena Dubrovna Reed | |
| 1943 | Tahiti Honey | Suzette 'Susie" Durand | |
| 1944 | Mademoiselle Fifi Mademoiselle Fifi (film) Mademoiselle Fifi is a 1944 RKO period film directed by Robert Wise, in his solo directorial debut. It was written by Josef Mischel and Peter Ruric based on two short stories by Guy de Maupassant, "Mademoiselle Fifi" and "Boule de Suif"... |
Elizabeth Bousset – A Little Laundress | Alternative title: Guy de Maupassant's Mademoiselle Fifi |
| 1944 | The Curse of the Cat People The Curse of the Cat People The Curse of the Cat People is a 1944 film directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise, and produced by Val Lewton. This film, which was then-film editor Robert Wise's first directing credit, is the sequel to Cat People and has many of the same characters... |
Irena Reed, Oliver's dead wife | |
| 1944 | Johnny Doesn't Live Here Any More | Kathie Aumont | Alternative title: And So They Were Married |
| 1946 | Pétrus | Migo | |
| 1947 | Temptation Harbour Temptation Harbour Temptation Harbour is a British black and white crime/drama film directed by Lance Comfort, released in 1947 based on the novel Newhaven-Dieppe by Georges Simenon. The film was made at Welwyn Film Studios.-Synopsis:... |
Camelia | Alternative title: Temptation Harbor |
| 1950 | Women Without Names | Yvonne Dubois | Original title: Donne senza nome |
| 1950 | La Ronde La Ronde (1950 film) La Ronde is a 1950 film directed by Max Ophüls and based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1897 play of the same name. The title means "the round-dance".The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Writing and Best Art Direction... |
Marie, the housemaid | |
| 1951 | Olivia Olivia (film) Olivia is a 1951 French film directed by Jacqueline Audry. It is based on the 1950 semi-autobiographical novel by Dorothy Bussy. It has been called a "landmark of lesbian representation".-Plot:... |
Mlle. Cara | Alternative title: The Pit of Loneliness |
| 1952 | Le Plaisir Le Plaisir Le Plaisir , also known as House of Pleasure, is a French comedy-drama anthology film directed by Max Ophüls adapting three stories by Guy de Maupassant... |
Joséphine – le modèle (segment "Le Modèle") | Alternative title: House of Pleasure |
| 1954 | I tre ladri | Doris Ornano | |
| 1954 | A Double Life | Françoise Dunoyer | Original title: Das zweite Leben |
| 1956 | The Extra Day The Extra Day The Extra Day is a 1956 British comedy film starring Richard Basehart, Simone Simon, George Baker and Sid James. After the final scene of a film is lost by the producers, the cast and extras have to be rounded up for it to be re-shot... |
Michele Blanchard | |
| 1957 | The Woman in Blue | La dame de Meudon | Original title: La femme en bleu |