Catharina Anna Petronella Antonia "Kitty" Courbois (13 July 1937 – 11 March 2017) was a Dutch actress. In 2010 she was awarded the Medal of Merit.
Career Kitty Courbois was born into a wigmaker family in Nijmegen, Netherlands. She has six brothers and sisters. Her youngest brother is jazz musician Pierre Courbois.
Her first breakthrough role came in 1961 with a restaging of Tennessee Williams's The Rose Tattoo, directed by Ko van Dijk. Her debut as Rosa Delle Rose was met a positive reception and she was regarded as a talented actor with a bright future.
Courbois appeared in her first theatrical film in the Helden in een schommelstoel segment of the Italian anthology film, Gli eroi di ieri… oggi… domani, by fellow Dutch creatives, director Frans Weisz and writer Remco Campert. This would mark her first collaboration with Weisz. A take on the spaghetti Western, It follows two American cowgirls that end up in Rome and began a love affair with a twist singer, one integrated herself in Italy and one remains firmly American, Courbios played the latter character. It was released in 1964.
In 1969, Courbois starred in the TROS television programme, Kitty in Flipperland also known as Anno Domini '69 alongside Ramses Shaffy, the pop group Zen and the cartoonist of Lucky Luke among others. Courbois was the creative lead on the project, it was based her own ideas which was built around gambling and slot machines which considered herself an enthusiast of. The show ran into production problems and would court controversy. On February 6, during filming that involved fireworks, Courbois sustained minor burns and was brought to a local hospital for treatment. She would resume production afterwards. The programme was cancelled at first by TROS leadership citing the reasons of "the quality not reaching reasonable standards" and "to protect Kitty Courbois". In response, producer Rijk de Gooyer and director Jop Pannekoek gave their notices. Courbois was surprised by the rejection. The programme was ultimately broadcast on its original date of February 21. It was met a negative response by audiences.
She had a supporting role in Paul Verhoeven's Flesh and Blood. In it she was part of a mercenary group under the lead of Rutger Hauer's character. For the role she took horse riding lessons under the guidance of Oeg van den Berg.
Filmography Year Title Role Notes1964 Spuit Elf Juli, het dienstmeisje 1964 Helden in een schommelstoel Cowgirl 1966 A Gangstergirl Gangstermeisje 1967 Liefdesbekentenissen Marina 1972 VD Rooie Mien 1974 Mariken van Nieumeghen Voice1975 Kind van de zon Girl 1975 De laatste trein Coba 1977 The Debut Anne Sanders 1979 Twee vrouwen Sylvia's mother 1979 Tiro Lea Bovenlander 1980 Spetters Doctor 1980 Vrijdag Jeanne 1981 Twee vorstinnen en een vorst Moeder / Mother 1983 An Bloem An Bloem 1983 De mannetjesmaker Olga Müller 1985 Het bittere kruid Moeder Meijer 1985 Flesh and Blood Anna 1985 In het voorbijgaan 1986 Op hoop van zegen Kniertje 1989 Leedvermaak Ada 1990 Vincent & Theo Anna Van Gogh Uncredited1993 Seventh Heaven Hotelhoudster 1993 Belle van Zuylen – Madame de Charrière Mrs. Saurin 1993 De tussentijd Sophie Cambach 1994 Old Tongues Sitske Sake 1995 Last Call Berta Bouwmeester 1998 Scratches in the Table Oma 1999 Duinzicht boven 2000 Cross Fate 2001 Monte Carlo Weduwe van Tuyl van Serooskerken 2001 Qui vive Ada 2003 Polleke Uncredited2005 Het mysterie van de sardine Victoria Koenen 2006 Zeven zonden 2007 Love is All Actrice op crematie 2009 Happy End Ada 2010 Vlees Mother Inspector Mann 2012 Brammetje Baas Moeder Vis 2012 Ballast Didi 2014 Hartenstraat Bep 2016 De Held Iezebel Silverstein (final film role)
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