Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (; 1 May 1917 – 17 October 2017) was a French actress of stage, television and film, as well as a singer and dancer.
Beginning in 1931, she appeared in more than 110 films. She was one of France's great movie stars and her eight-decade career was among the longest in film history.
Life and career
Darrieux was born on 1 May 1917 in Bordeaux, France, during World War I, the daughter of Marie-Louise (Witkowski) and Jean Darrieux, a medical doctor who was serving in the French Army. Her mother was born in Algeria. Her father died when she was seven years old.
Raised in Paris, she studied the cello at the Conservatoire de Musique. At 14, she won a part in the musical film Le Bal (1931). Her beauty combined with her singing and dancing ability led to numerous other offers; the film Mayerling (1936) brought her to prominence.
In 1935, Darrieux married director/screenwriter Henri Decoin, who encouraged her to try Hollywood. She signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios to star in The Rage of Paris (1938) opposite Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Afterwards, she elected to return to Paris.
Under the German occupation of France during World War II, Darrieux continued to perform, a decision that was severely criticized by her compatriots. However, it is reported that her brother had been threatened with deportation by Alfred Greven, the German manager of Continental, the only film production company permitted in occupied France. She received a divorce and then fell in love with Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican Republic diplomat and notorious womanizer. They married in 1942 in Vichy in a ceremony attended by other diplomats that resided in the city at the time. His anti-Nazi opinions resulted in his forced residence in Germany. In exchange for Rubirosa's freedom, Darrieux agreed to make a promotional trip in Berlin. The couple lived in Switzerland until the end of the war, and divorced in 1947. She married scriptwriter Georges Mitsikidès in 1948, and they lived together until his death in 1991.
In 1950, the actress starred in Max Ophüls' La Ronde. When he was interviewed for the Criterion edition of his father's masterpiece, Marcel Ophüls described her as his father's favorite performer, and her performance is notable for its deft mixture of sensuality and ironic hauteur. Darrieux appeared in the MGM musical Rich, Young and Pretty (1951). Joseph L. Mankiewicz lured her back to Hollywood to star in 5 Fingers (1952) with James Mason. Upon returning to France, she appeared in Max Ophüls' The Earrings of Madame de... (1953) with Charles Boyer, and The Red and the Black (1954) with Gérard Philippe. She starred in Lady Chatterley's Lover (1955), whose theme of uninhibited sexuality led to its being proscribed by Catholic censors in the United States. She played a supporting role in her last American film, United Artists' epic Alexander the Great (1956) starring Richard Burton and Claire Bloom.
At the request of director Lewis Gilbert, Darrieux worked in England to shoot The Greengage Summer (1961) with Kenneth More. In 1963, she starred in the romantic comedy La Robe Mauve de Valentine at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. The play was adapted from the novel by Françoise Sagan.
In Jacques Demy's film musical The Young Girls of Rochefort (1966) her role was the only one in which a principal actor in any of Demy's film-musicals sang his or her own musical parts. (All other actors had a separate person dub their singing parts.) During the 1960s, she also was a concert singer.
In 1970, Darrieux replaced Katharine Hepburn in the Broadway musical Coco, based on the life of Coco Chanel, but the play, essentially a showcase for Hepburn, soon folded without her. In 1971 and 1972 she also appeared in the short-lived productions of Ambassador. She worked again with Demy for his film Une chambre en ville (1982), an opera-like musical melodrama reminiscent of the director's earlier work The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, 1964). Once again, Darrieux provided her own vocals for her songs.
Honors For her long service to the motion picture industry, in 1985 she was given an Honorary César Award. She continued to work, her career spanning eight decades, most recently providing the voice of the protagonist's grandmother in the animated feature Persepolis (2007), which deals with the impact of the Islamic revolution on a girl's life as she grows to adulthood in Iran.
Death Danielle Darrieux died on 17 October 2017, due to injuries from a fall, five months after turning 100 that May.
Filmography Year Title Role Director Notes1931Le BalAntoinetteWilhelm ThieleCoquecigroleCoquecigroleAndré Berthomieu1932The Lacquered BoxHenriette StenayJean Kemm PanurgeRégineMichel Bernheim1933Honeymoon TripMinor RoleGermain Fried and Erich SchmidtDream CastleBéatrixGéza von Bolváry1934Volga in FlamesMachaVictor TourjanskyThe Crisis is OverNicole NadinRobert SiodmakMauvaise GraineJeannetteBilly Wilder and Alexander EswayOne Night's SecretMinor RoleFélix GandéraUncreditedMy Heart Is Calling YouNicole NadinCarmine Gallone and Serge VéberL'auberge du Petit-DragonJean de LimurDédéDeniseRené GuissartGold in the StreetGabyCurtis Bernhardt1935Le contrôleur des wagons-litsAnnie BourguetRichard EichbergMad GirlLucieLéo JoannonJ'aime toutes les femmesDanielleKarel Lamač and Henri DecoinThe Green DominoHélène / Marianne de RichmondHerbert Selpin and Henri Decoin1936Mademoiselle MozartDeniseYvan NoéMayerlingMaria VetseraAnatole LitvakTaras BulbaMarinaAlexis GranowskyWomen's ClubClaire DerouveJacques DevalCounsel for RomanceJacqueline ServalJean Boyer and Raoul PloquinPort ArthurYoukiNicolas Farkas1937My Mother Is a MissJacqueline LetournelHenri DecoinAbused ConfidenceLydiaHenri Decoin1938The Rage of ParisNicole de CortillionHenry Koster KatiaKatia DolgoronskyMaurice TourneurReturn at DawnAnita AmmerHenri Decoin1940Beating HeartArletteHenri Decoin1941Her First AffairMicheline ChevasseHenri Decoin1942CapricesLiseLéo JoannonTwisted MistressLilian RanderAndré Cayatte1947BethsabéeArabella DalvertLéonide Moguy1948Ruy BlasQueen of SpainPierre Billon1949Jean de la LuneMarceline - une jeune femme charmante mais volageMarcel AchardKeep an Eye on AmeliaAmélie d'AvranchesClaude Autant-Lara1950La RondeEmma BreitkopfMax OphülsRomanzo d'amoreArchduchess Louise of AustriaDuilio Coletti1951Rich, Young and PrettyMarie DevaronneNorman TaurogLa maison BonnadieuGabrielle BonnadieuCarlo Rim1952The Truth About Bebe DongeElisabeth "Bébé" DongeHenri DecoinHouse of PleasureMadame RosaMax Ophüls(segment "La Maison Tellier")5 FingersCountess Anna StaviskaJoseph L. MankiewiczAdorable CreaturesChristineChristian-Jaque1953 Good Lord Without ConfessionJanine FréjoulClaude Autant-LaraThe Earrings of Madame de...Countess LouiseMax Ophüls1954El toreroGeneviève DupréRené WheelerService EntranceBéatrice BerthierCarlo RimLe Rouge et le NoirMadame de RénalClaude Autant-LaraOne Step to EternityConstance Andrieux dite PoussyHenri Decoin1955NapoléonEléonore Denuelle de La PlaigneSacha GuitryThe Affair of the Poisons Madame de MontespanHenri DecoinLady Chatterley's LoverConstance ChatterleyMarc Allégret1956If Paris Were Told to UsAgnès SorelSacha GuitryAlexander the GreatOlympiasRobert Rossen The Wages of SinIsabelle LindstromDenys de La Patellière1957 Typhoon Over NagasakiFrançoise FabreYves CiampiLovers of ParisCaroline HédouinJulien Duvivier1958 Seventh HeavenBrigitte de LédouvilleRaymond BernardLe désordre et la nuitThérèse MarkenGilles Grangier Life TogetherMonique LebeautClément DuhourSunday EncounterCatherine BréventMarc Allégret1959Marie-OctobreMarie-Hélène Dumoulin (aka "Marie-Octobre")Julien DuvivierEyes of LoveJeanne MoncatelDenys de La Patellière1960Murder at 45 R.P.M.Eve FaugeresÉtienne PérierGabrielle / FrançoiseJacques-Gérard Cornu1961The Greengage SummerMadame ZisiLewis GilbertLong Live Henry IV... Long Live LoveHenriette d'EntraguesClaude Autant-LaraThe Lions Are LooseMarie-Laure Robert-GuichardHenri VerneuilLes bras de la nuitDanielle GarnierJacques GuymontLes petits dramesPaul VecchialiCameo appearance1962Le Crime ne paie pasLucienne MarsaisGérard Oury(segment "L'homme de l'avenue")The Devil and the Ten CommandmentsClarisse ArdanJulien Duvivier(segment "Tes père et mère honoreras")Pourquoi Paris?La prostituéeDenys de La Patellière1963BluebeardBerthe HéonClaude ChabrolBe Careful LadiesHedwigeAndré Hunebelle1964Du grabuge chez les veuvesJudithJacques PoitrenaudPatateEdith RolloRobert Thomas1965Le coup de grâceYolandeJean Cayrol and Claude Durand The Duke's GoldMarie-Gabrielle de M.Jacques Baratier1967Le dimanche de la vieJulia SégovieJean VautrinThe Young Girls of RochefortYvonne GarnierJacques Demy1968L'Homme à la BuickMme DalayracGilles Grangier24 Hours in the Life of a Woman Lady Alice CoplandDominique DeloucheBirds in PeruMadame FernandeRomain Gary1969La maison de campagneLorette BoiselierJean GiraultThe Lonely WomanTeresa / Jaci's motherFrancisco Rovira Beleta1975Divine Marion RenoirDominique Delouche1976L'Année sainteChristinaJean Girault1979Le cavaleurSuzanne TaylorPhilippe de BrocaMissa. k. a. Ein Fall für MadameMissRoger Pigaut6 episodes, (French-German TV miniseries,aired in 1979) 1982Une chambre en villeMargot LangloisJacques Demy1983At the Top of the StairsFrançoise CanavaggiaPaul Vecchiali1986Scene of the CrimegrandmotherAndré TéchinéCorps et biensMadame KrantzBenoît Jacquot1988A Few Days with MeMadame Pasquier (Martial's mother)Claude Sautet1989Bille en têtel'ArquebuseCarlo Cotti1991Le jour des roisArmandeMarie-Claude Treilhou1992Les mamiesLolotteAnnick Lanoë1994JalnaAdeline WhiteoakGérard MarxCanadian-French TV series in 8 episodes2000Tomorrow's Another DayEvaJeanne Labrune20018 WomenMamyFrançois Ozon2003Les Liaisons dangereusesMadame de RosemondeJosée Dayan2 episodes2004Une vie à t'attendreEmilieThierry Klifa2006Oh La La!Odette Saint-GillesAnne Fontaine2007PersepolisgrandmotherVincent Paronnaud and Marjane SatrapiVoiceL'Heure ZéroCamille TressilianPascal Thomas2010Pièce montéeMadeleineDenys Granier-DeferreC'est toi, c'est toutCamilleJacques SantamariaTV movie
Awards Year Awards Category Film Result 1987 César Award Best Supporting Actress Scene of the Crime 2002 Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear – Outstanding Artistic Achievement 8 Women 2002 César Award Best Supporting Actress 8 Women 2002 European Film Awards Best Actress (all the cast) 8 Women 2002 Online Film Critics Society Best Cast 8 Women
References
Bibliography
External links
Danielle Darrieux at filmsdefrance.com Photographs of Danielle Darrieux L'Encinémathèque at Encinémathèque Danielle Darrieux (Aveleyman)