Danielle Darrieux

French film star Danielle Darrieux, captured here in a 1938 glamour sitting by photographer Ray Jones. Darrieux was born in Bordeaux, France on May 1, 1917. 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. 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 opposite Charles Boyer. In 1938, she went to Hollywood to appear in the romantic comedy "The Rage of Paris" (1938) opposite Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. but soon after 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 "Happy Go Lucky" (1946). Joseph L. Mankiewicz lured her back to Hollywood to star in "5 Fingers" (1952) with James Mason. Upon returning to France yet again, 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. Darrieux played a supporting role in her last American film, United Artists' epic "Alexander the Great" (1956) starring Richard Burton. For her long service to the motion picture industry, in 1985 she was given an Honorary César Award and she still continued to work, her career spanning eight decades. Danielle Darrieux died on 17 October 2017 at the age of 100, due to complications from a fall.

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