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Juanita Moore (1914-2014) was an American actress whose film career spanned nearly seven decades. She is best remembered for her groundbreaking role in the Lana Turner film “Imitation of Life” (1959) which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (feature image: Lana Tuner, left, with Juanita Moore in “Imitation of Life”). Ms. Moore’s work in this film, and throughout her entire career, was a testament to her talent, determination, and ability to break barriers in Hollywood, especially for African-American actresses.
She was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, and moved to Los Angeles at a young age with her family. She developed an interest in acting early on, but opportunities for African-Americans in the film industry were limited. In the 1930s, 1940s, and early 1950s, she played numerous small film roles in major productions—although her roles were mostly uncredited—often portraying dancers, maids or other stereotypical characters, a common experience for African-American actresses at the time. However, she continued to hone her craft in theater, becoming a member of the prestigious Ebony Showcase Theatre in Los Angeles. It was the first Black-owned theater in the United States, and provided a platform for African-American actors to perform in a variety of roles that were often denied to them in Hollywood.
Lobby card, “The Girl Can’t Help It” (1956) | Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television ArchiveThe first film that mentioned her in the end credits was Vincent Sherman’s “Affair in Trinidad” (1952), starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, and the first film to include her name on the film poster was “The Girl Can’t Help It” (1956), starring Tom Ewell and Jayne Mansfield. Her big break came in 1959 when she was cast in Douglas Sirk’s final Hollywood film “Imitation of Life.” The film is a poignant drama based on the 1933 novel of the same name by Fannie Hurst, and a remake of John M. Stahl’s 1934 version, but Sirk’s adaptation is particularly notable for its exploration of race, identity, and motherhood, which resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike.
The film starred Lana Turner as a career-driven actress and featured Ms. Moore as Annie Johnson, a good-hearted Black woman whose light-skinned daughter, played by Susan Kohner, rejects her in order to pass as white—similar to Elia Kazan’s “Pinky” (1949) with Jeanne Crain as a young Black woman passing for white (also with Ms. Moore in a small role). Ms. Moore’s portrayal of Annie was heart-wrenching and dignified, capturing the complexities of a mother’s love in the face of societal rejection.
“Imitation of Life” posters of the 1934 and 1959 film versionThe film was a commercial success and is now regarded as a classic. Ms. Moore’s dignified portrayal of a mother enduring the heartbreak of her daughter’s rejection while maintaining an unwavering love for her is powerful and moving. She portrayed her role with a depth rarely afforded to Black characters in Hollywood at the time—a three-dimensional character central to the film’s narrative. For her work, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, making her only the fifth African-American to be nominated for an Oscar, and the third in the Supporting Actress category. Though she did not win, the nomination itself was a significant milestone that helped pave the way for future generations of African-American actresses such as Cicely Tyson and Diahann Carroll.
Tyson starred in TV series like “East Side/West Side” (1963-1964) in which she played a social worker, making her the first Black actress to have a recurring role in a dramatic TV series. Later she became known for her powerful performances in films like “Sounder” (1972) which earned her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, and “The Help” (2011). Diahann Carroll made history as the first Black actress to star in her own TV series, “Julia” (1968-1971), playing a non-stereotypical role—a nurse. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in John Berry’s “Claudine” (1974).
Posters for “Sounder” (1972) and “Claudine” (1974)“Imitation of Life” was the sixth highest-grossing film of 1959 and Universal’s most successful film that year. Over the years, it became a classic of Hollywood cinema. In 2015, BBC ranked the film as the 37th greatest American movie ever made, based on a survey of film critics. The film’s emotional depth, strong performances, and enduring relevance make it a landmark in American cinema. The film also made actress Sandra Dee a teenage star; in the film, she played Lana Turner’s daughter.
Despite the critical acclaim—in its February 4, 1959, film review, Variety described Ms. Moore as ‘a find in the Negro character actress field’—she found that substantial roles in Hollywood remained elusive. She continued to work in film and television throughout the 1960s and beyond, often in guest roles on television series. She also remained active in theater, which she considered her true artistic home.
Moore was not just an actress but also an advocate for civil rights and an active participant in the struggle for equality in Hollywood. She was a member of the Negro Actors Guild of America and worked tirelessly to create more opportunities for African-Americans in the entertainment industry.
Ms. Moore passed away on January 1, 2014, at 99. Her legacy is one of perseverance and talent in the face of adversity. As a trailblazer for African-American actresses, her work remains a powerful reminder of the importance of representation and the ongoing struggle for equality in Hollywood.
Terry Burnham, Ann Robinson, Susan Kohner, Juanita Moore during their Q&A at the Egyptian in Hollywood, April 2004 | Film TalkI met Ms. Moore in April 2004 at the American Cinematheque when “Imitation of Life” was screened at the Egyptian, followed by a Q&A with four actresses who appeared in the film: Ms. Moore, Susan Kohner, Terry Burnham (who played Susie, the Sandra Dee character, at age six), and Ann Robinson (she played a showgirl). My dear friend and Hollywood casting director/film archivist Marvin Paige, whose Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television Archive was one of the largest in the world, introduced me to her, and I had the opportunity to sit down with her and talk about “Imitation of Life.”
Ms. Moore, how did you get the part of Annie for “Imitation of Life”?
Initially they wanted Mahalia Jackson or Pearl Bailey, but I sent a photograph of mine to [producer] Ross Hunter, and he liked my face and the way I looked. He later told me he wanted to see ‘the person that goes with that face.’ So he called my agent, we talked about the film, and he had me on camera with three or four young girls who would play my daughter. That’s when they decided to cast Susan Kohner; they really liked her. We still keep in touch, you know. So I got the part, and he told me he’d put his neck out for me. ‘If you’re no good, the picture won’t be any good,’ he said. But people like Lana [Turner] helped me so much. Fortunately, the film became a hit because it made more money than any other film Universal had made at that time.
Were you under contract at Universal?
No, I wasn’t. I freelanced. I don’t know anybody who did, other than Hattie McDaniel who signed with MGM, and Lena Horne who worked at 20th Century Fox. I knew Hattie McDaniel very well. In those days, Blacks didn’t live near Western Avenue and Washington Boulevard, but she bought this beautiful mansion at West Adam Heights, just off Western and Washington. She was so great in “Gone With the Wind” [1939] because she talked that talk and walked that walk, even though she was not a Southerner. She was always so nice.
Juanita Moore with Hollywood casting agent Marvin Paige, April 2004 | Film Talk“Imitation of Life” earned you an Academy Award. Was that the recognition you deserved?
I was doing a play in London when my husband called to tell me that I was nominated. Susan was nominated too, and Shelley Winters won for “The Diary of Anne Frank.” But I don’t know if my nomination helped my career; after all, I didn’t work for a whole year after that. Ross [Hunter] brought me back with “Tammy Tell Me True” [1961], also with John Gavin and Sandra Dee. So, in the end, no, I don’t think it helped me.
Lana Turner | Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television ArchiveWhat was it like to work with Lana Turner?
Lana was not only a star. She was also wonderful, talented and intelligent. After the film, she’d call me occasionally, and we remained friends until she died. I did a scene with her that took us twenty-three takes to get it right, but she was so patient with me. She stood there and put up with me the whole time. She knew all the tricks of the camera, and she would say, ‘Juanita, you move over here, and you do this or that.’ She’d tell me what side of my face I had to show to the camera or when to show my teeth—at that time, I had beautiful teeth. Little things like that. Most stars don’t do that. She was always such a pro; she knew better than anyone how to come down the stairs with her gorgeous gowns, turn around, or sit down. She was great with the camera, and she always looked good in front of the camera. She was most unusual because, at that time, to allow me—a black face—all that footage and attention in the picture, that made her even more special. She was always on the set and didn’t spend all of her time in her dressing room to get her hair done. She stayed in character; that helped her, and it helped me too. With another scene we did—my death scene—Lana couldn’t stop crying, maybe because the film was made at the time when her daughter [Cheryl Crane] supposedly had killed that man [Johnny Stompanato, during a domestic struggle in their home]. Lana was known for her little pranks and jokes, but that took her spirit away, so she just kept on crying. When she came back on the set three days later, her face was all swollen. But I think it made her stronger because when she came back she didn’t cry anymore. I think she never found anybody that loved her for her—not for Lana Turner. She deserved better but she always seemed to pick worse. Nobody would hire her when we made the movie, and nobody would invest in her, but she was very wise and took a percentage of the profit. Ross had told me that. They shot that scene [the death scene] very early on, I never understood why they did that; there must have been some reason.
The film is a screen classic, isn’t it?
They play it very often, but I don’t get any money for it [laughs]. I should tell you that Blacks liked the film when it first came out. That surprised me because they hated the original version. I think they saw the relationship in the story that I also saw.
Are there any Black performers that were neglected back then?
Sure. Dorothy Dandridge. I think the business killed Dorothy Dandridge. They build you up, and then nothing happens. I don’t think Dorothy could handle that.
Hollywood, California
April 8, 2004
“Imitation of Life” (1959, trailer)
FILMS
SO THIS IS AFRICA (1933) DIR Edward F. Cline EXEC PROD Harry Cohn SCR Norman Krasna CAM Leonard Smith ED Maurice Wright CAST Robert Woolsey, Bert Wheeler, Raquel Torres, Esther Muir, Berton Churchill, Spencer Carters, Henry Armetta, Juanita Moore (Dancer [uncredited])
ROMAN SCANDALS (1933) DIR Frank Tuttle PROD Samuel Goldwyn SCR (adaptation by William Anthony McGuire; original story by George S. Kaufman, Robert E. Sherwood) CAM Gregg Toland, Ray June ED Stuart Heisler, Sherman Todd MUS Alfred Newman CAST Eddie Cantor, Ruth Etting, Gloria Stuart, Edward Arnold, David Manners, Verree Teasdale, Alan Mowbray, Jack Rutherford, The Goldwyn Girls, Billy Barty, Jane Darwell, Paulette Goddard, Juanita Moore (Dancer [uncredited])
MURDER AT THE VANITIES (1934) DIR Mitchell Leisen PROD E. Lloyd Sheldon SCR Carey Wilson, Joseph Gollomb (Broadway revue “Earl Carroll’s Vanities” [1923] by Earl Carroll, Rufus King) CAM Leo Tover ED William Shea MUS Howard Jackson, Milan Roder, William E. Lynch CAST Carl Brisson, Victor McLaglen, Jack Oakie, Kitty Carlisle, Duke Ellington, Dorothy Stickney, Gertrude Mitchell, Jessie Ralph, Charles Middleton, Lucille Ball, Alan Ladd, Mitchell Leisen, Juanita Moore (Black Dancer in Duke Ellington’s Ebony Rhapsody [uncredired]), Ann Sheridan
CLEOPATRA (1934) DIR – PROD Cecil B. DeMille SCR Vincent Lawrence, Waidemar Young (historical material by Bartlett Cormack) CAM Victor Milner ED Anne Bauchens MUS Rudolph G. Kopp CAST Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Henry Wilcoxon, Joseph Schildkraut, Ian Keith, Gertrude Michael, C. Aubrey Smith, Irving Pichel, Arthur Hohl, Edwin Maxwell, William Farnum, Agnes de Mille, John Carradine, Mary McLaren, Juanita Moore (Dancer/Slave Girl [uncredited]), David Niven
THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936 (1935) DIR Norman Taurog PROD Benjamin Glazer SCR Ralph Spence, Walter DeLeon, Francis Martin CAM Leo Tover ED Ellsworth Hoagland MUS John Leipold CAST Jack Oakie, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Lyda Roberti, Wendy Barrie, Henry Wadsworth, Bing Crosby, Amos’n Andy, Ethel Merman, Ray Noble and His Band, Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles, Bill Robinson, Akim Tamiroff, Dorothy Dandridge, Vivien Dandridge, Glenn Miller, Juanita Moore (Dancer [uncredited]), The Nicholas Brothers
SHOW BOAT (1936) DIR James Whale PROD Carl Laemmle Jr. SCR Oscar Hammersmith II (novel “Show Boat” [1926] by Edna Ferber; stage play “Show Boat” [1927] by Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) CAM John J. Mescall ED Ted J. Kent, Bernard W. Burton CAST Irene Dunne, Allan Jones, Charles Winninger, Paul Robeson, Helen Morgan, Helen Westley, Queenie Smith, Sammy White, Donald Cook, Hattie McDaniel, Charles Middleton, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Juanita Moore (Dancer [uncredited]), Dennis O’Keefe, Bobs Watson
DOUBLE DEAL (1939) DIR Arthur Dreifuss PROD Dixon R. Harwin SCR Arthur Hoeri (also story) CAM Mack Stengler ED Carl Pierson MUS Ross DiMaggio CAST Monte Hawley, Jeni Le Gon, Florence O’Brien, Edward Thompson, Shelton Brooks, F.E. Miller, Freddie Jackson, Macao Bruce Sheffield, Juanita Moore (Nightclub Patron [uncredited])
BROKEN STRINGS (1940) DIR Bernard B. Ray PROD Lewie C. Borden SCR (story by Bernard B. Ray) CAM Mack Stengler ED Fred Bain CAST Clarence Muse, Sybil Lewis, William Washington, Tommie Moore, Matthew ‘Stymie’ Beard, Pete Webster, Edward Thompson, Juanita Moore (Nightclub Patron [uncredited])
BELLE STARR (1941) DIR Irving Cummings PROD Kenneth Macgowan SCR Lamar Trotti (story by Cameron Rogers, Niven Busch) CAM Ernest Palmer, Ray Rennahan ED Robert L. Simpson MUS Alfred Newman CAST Randolph Scott, Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, John Shepperd [Shepperd Strudwick], Elizabeth Patterson, Chill Wills, Louise Beavers, Olin Howland, Charles Middleton, Juanita Moore (Slave [uncredited])
STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM (1942) DIR George Marshall PROD Joseph Sistrom SCR Harry Tugend (sketches by Melvin Frank, Norman Panama, George S. Kaufman, Arthur A. Ross) CAM Leo Tover, Theodor Sparkuhi, John F. Seitz ED Paul Weatherwax MUS Robert Emmett Dolan CAST Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray, Franchot Tone, Ray Milland, Victor Moore, Dorothy Lamour, Paulette Goddard, Vera Zorina, Mary Martin, Dick Powell, Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Veronica Lake, Alan Ladd, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, William Bendix, Macdonald Carey, Walter Abel, Susan Hayward, Marjorie Reynolds, Lynne Overman, Sterling Holloway, Cecil B. DeMille, Preston Sturges, Albert Dekker, Eva Gabor, Cecil Kellaway, Juanita Moore (Dancer [uncredited]), Robert Preston, Anne Revere, Woody Strode
CABIN IN THE SKY (1943) DIR Vincente Minnelli PROD Arthur Freed SCR Joseph Schrank (book “Cabin in the Sky” by Lynn Root; Broadway musical “Cabin in the Sky” [1940], music by Vernon Duke, lyrics by John Latouche) CAM Sidney Wagner ED Harold F. Kress MUS Roger Edens, George Bassman CAST Ethel Waters, Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Rex Ingram, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, Kenneth Spencer, Oscar Polk, Willie Best, Butterfly McQueen, Juanita Moore (Nightclub Patron/Churchgoer [uncredited])
A SONG IS BORN (1948) DIR Howard Hawks PROD Samuel Goldwyn SCR (story “From A to Z” by Billy Wilder, Thomas Moore) CAM Gregg Toland ED Daniel Mandell MUS Hugo Friedhofer, Emil Newman CAST Danny Kaye, Virginia Mayo, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Barnet, Lionel Hampton, Mel Powell, Steve Cochran, Sidney Blackmer, J. Edward Bromberg, Esther Dale, Bess Flowers, Juanita Moore (Woman at Chocolate Club [uncredited])
PINKY (1949) DIR Elia Kazan PROD Darryl F. Zanuck SCR Philip Dunne, Dudley Nichols (novel “Quality” [1946] by Cid Ricketts Sumner) CAM Joseph MacDonald ED Harmon Jones MUS Alfred Newman CAST Jeanne Crain, Ethel Barrymore, Ethel Waters, William Lundigan, Basil Ruysdael, Kenny Washington, Juanita Moore (Nurse [uncredited])
TARZAN’S PERIL (1951) DIR Byron Haskin PROD Sol Lesser SCR Samuel Newman, Frances Swann (characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs) CAM Karl Struss ED Jack Murray MUS Michel Michelet CAST Lex Barker, Virginia Huston, George Macready, Douglas Fowley, Glenn Anders, Dorothy Dandridge, Alan Napier, Frederick O’Neal, Edward Ashley, Juanita Moore (Native Woman [uncredited])
NO QUESTIONS ASKED (1951) DIR Harold F. Kress PROD Nicholas Nayfack SCR Sidney Sheldon (story by Berne Giler) CAM Harold Lipstein ED Joseph Dervin MUS Leith Stevens CAST Barry Sullivan, Arlene Dahl, George Murphy, Jean Hagen, Richard Anderson, Moroni Olsen, Danny Dayton, Dick Simmons, Howard Petrie, William Reynolds, Bess Flowers, Juanita Moore (Maid in Lounge [uncredited])
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) DIR Robert Wise PROD Julian Blaustein SCR Edmund H. North (story by Harry Bates) CAM Leo Tover ED William Reynolds MUS Bernard Herrmann CAST Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe, Billy Gray, Frances Bavier, Lock Martin, Louis Jean Heydt, Juanita Moore (Woman Looking at Spaceship [uncredited])
LYDIA BAILEY (1952) DIR Jean Negulesco PROD Jules Schermer SCR Philip Dunne, Michael Blankfort (novel “Lydia Bailey” [1947] by Kenneth Roberts) CAM Harry Jackson ED Dorothy Spencer MUS Hugo Friedhofer CAST Dale Robertson, Anne Francis, Charles Korvin, William Marshall, Luis Van Rooten, Adeline De Walt Reynolds, Angos Perez, Robert Evans, Juanita Moore (Marie [uncredited])
SKIRTS AHOY! (1952) DIR Sidney Lanfield PROD Joe Pasternak SCR Isobel Lennart CAM William C. Mellor ED Cotton Warburton MUS George Stoll, Albert Sendrey, Pete Rugolo CAST Esther Williams, Joan Evans, Vivian Blaine, Barry Sullivan, Keefe Brasselle, Billy Eckstine, The De Marco Sisters, Dean Miller, Kathleen Freeman, Paul Harvey, Juanita Moore (Black Drill Team Member [uncredited]), Debbie Reynolds, Bobby Van, Keenan Wynn
AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD (1952) DIR Vincent Sherman PROD Vincent Sherman, Rita Hayworth SCR Oscar Saul, James Gunn (story by Virginia Van Upp, Berne Giler) CAM Joseph Walker ED Viola Lawrence MUS George Duning CAST Rita Hayworth, Glenn Ford, Alexander Scourby, Valerie Bettis, Torin Thatcher, Howard Wendell, Karel Stepanek, George Voskovec, Juanita Moore (Dominique), Ralph Moody
THE IRON MISTRESS (1952) DIR Gordon Douglas PROD Henry Blanke SCR James R. Webb (novel “The Iron Mistress” [1951] by Paul I. Wellman) CAM John F. Seitz ED Alan Crosland Jr. MUS Max Steiner CAST Alan Ladd, Virginia Mayo, Joseph Calleia, Phullis Kirk, Alf Kjellin, Douglas Dick, Anthony Caruso, Nedrick Young, George Voskovec, Juanita Moore (Juanita)
THE ROYAL AFRICAN RIFLES (1953) DIR Lesley Selander PROD Richard V. Heermance SCR Daniel B. Ullman CAM Ellis W. Carter ED Walter Hannemann MUS Paul Dunlap CAST Louis Hayward, Veronica Hurst, Michael Pate, Angela Greene, Steven Geray, Roy Glenn, Bruce Lester, Barry Bernard, Juanita Moore (Elderly Woman), Woody Strode
WITNESS TO MURDER (1955) DIR Roy Rowland PROD – SCR Chester Erskine CAM John Alton ED John G. Stephens MUS Herschel Burke Gilbert CAST Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, Gary Merrill, Jesse White, Harry Shannon, Claire Carleton, Lewis Martin, Dick Elliott, Harry Tyler, Juanita Moore (Negress), Adeline De Walt Reynolds, Claude Akins
THE GAMBLER FROM NATCHEZ (1954) DIR Henry Levin PROD Leonard Goldstein SCR Gerald Drayson Adams, Irving Wallace (story by Gerald Drayson Adams) CAM Lloyd Ahern Sr. ED William B. Murphy MUS Lionel Newman CAST Dale Robertson, Debra Paget, Thomas Gomez, Lisa Daniels, Kevin McCarthy, Douglas Dick, John Wengraf, Donald Randolph, Henri Letondal, Woody Strode, Juanita Moore (Yvette’s Maid [uncredited])
WOMEN’S PRISON (1955) DIR Lewis Seiler PROD Bryan Foy SCR Jack DeWitt, Crane Wilbur (story by Jack DeWitt) CAM Lester White ED Henry Batista CAST Ida Lupino, Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter, Phyllis Thaxter, Howard Duff, Warren Stevens, Gertrude Michael, Mae Clarke, Juanita Moore (Polly Jones), Eddie Foy III
LORD OF THE JUNGLE (1955) DIR – PROD – SCR Ford Beebe CAM Harry Neumann ED Neil Brunnenkant MUS Marlin Skiles CAST Johnny Sheffield, Wayne Morris, Nancy Hale, Paul Picerni, William Phipps, Leonard Mude, Smoki Whitfield, Joel Fluellen, Harry Lauter, Juanita Moore (Molu’s Wife [uncredited])
NOT AS A STRANGER (1955) DIR – PROD Stanley Kramer SCR Edna Anhalt, Edward Anhalt (novel “Not As a Stranger” [1954] by Morton Thompson) CAM Franz Planer ED Frederic Knudtson MUS George Antheil CAST Olivia de Havilland, Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, Gloria Grahame, Broderick Crawford, Charles Bickford, Myron McCormick, Lon Chaney Jr., Jesse White, Harry Morgan, Lee Marvin, Whit Bissell, Mae Clarke, Juanita Moore (Clara Bassett [uncredited]), Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer
RANSOM! (1956) DIR Alex Segal PROD Nicholas Nayfack SCR Cyril Hume, Richard Maibaum CAM Arthur E. Arling ED Ferris Webster MUS Jeff Alexander CAST Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen, Juano Hernandez, Robert Keith, Richard Gaines, Mabel Albertson, Alexander Scourby, Juanita Moore (Shirley Lorraine)
THE OPPOSITE SEX (1956) DIR David Miller PROD Joe Pasternak SCR Fay Kanin, Michael Kanin (play “The Women” [1936] by Clare Boothe Luce) CAM Robert J. Bronner ED John McSweeney Jr. MUS Robert Van Eps, George Stoll CAST June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Sheridan, Ann Miller, Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Richards, Agnes Moorehead, Charlotte Greenwood, Joan Blondell, Sam Levene, Carolyn Jones, Dick Shawn, Jim Backus, Bess Flowers, Juanita Moore (Power Room Attendant [uncredited])
THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT (1956) DIR – PROD Frank Tashlin PROD SCR Frank Tashlin, Herbert Baker (short story “Do Re Mi” [1955] by Garson Kanin) CAM Leon Shamroy ED James B. Clark MUS Lionel Newman, Leigh Harline CAST Tom Ewell, Jayne Mansfield, Edmond O’Brien, Julie London, Ray Anthony, Barry Gordon, Henry Jones, John Emery, Juanita Moore (Hilda), Fats Domino, The Platters, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran
SOMETHING OF VALUE (1957) DIR Richard Brooks PROD Pandro S. Berman SCR Richard Brooks (book “Something of Value” [1955] by Robert C. Ruark) CAM Russell Harlan ED Ferris Webster MUS Miklós Rózsa CAST Rock Hudson, Dana Wynter, Sidney Poitier, Wendy Hiller, Juano Hernandez, William Marshall, Robert Beatty, Walter Fitzgerald, Michael Pate, Ivan Dixon, Juanita Moore (Tribal Woman [uncredited])
BAND OF ANGELS (1957) DIR Raoul Walsh SCR Ben Roberts, Ivan Goff, John Twist (novel “Band of Angels” [1955] by Robert Penn Warren) CAM Lucien Ballard ED Folmar Blangsted MUS Max Steiner CAST Clark Gable, Yvonne De Carlo, Sidney Poitier, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Rex Reason, Patric Knowles, Torin Thatcher, Andrea King, Ann Doran, Juanita Moore (Budge [uncredited])
THE HELEN MORGAN STORY (1957) DIR Michael Curtiz PROD Martin Rackin SCR Oscar Saul, Dean Riesner, Stephen Longstreet, Nelson Gidding CAM Ted D. McCord ED Frank Bracht MUS Ray Heindorf CAST Ann Blyth, Paul Newman, Richard Carlson, Gene Evans, Alan King, Cara Williams, Virginia Vincent, Walter Woolf King, Dorothy Green, Rudy Vallee, Bess Flowers, Juanita Moore (Lacey—Backstage Maid [uncredited])
BOMBERS B-52 (1957) DIR Gordon Douglas PROD Richard Whorf SCR Irving Wallace (story by Sam Rolfe) CAM William Clothier ED Thomas Reilly MUS Leonard Rosenman CAST Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Marsha Hunt, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Don Kelly, Nelson Leigh, Robert Nichols, Juanita Moore (Clarissa [uncredited]), Stuart Whitman
THE GREEN-EYED BLONDE (1957) DIR Bernard Girard PROD Martin Melcher SCR Dalton Trumbo, Sally Stubblefield CAM Eddie Fitzgerald ED Thomas Reilly MUS Leith Stevens CAST Susan Oliver, Melinda Casey, Beverly Long, Norma Jean Nilsson, Tommie Moore, Carla Merey, Sallie Brophy, Jean Inness, Juanita Moore (Miss Randall)
IMITATION OF LIFE (1959) DIR Douglas Sirk PROD Ross Hunter SCR Allan Scott, Eleanore Griffin (novel “Imitation of Life” [1933] by Fannie Hurst) CAM Russell Metty ED Milton Carruth MUS Frank Skinner CAST Lana Turner, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Dan O’Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda, Juanita Moore (Annie Johnson), Karin Dicker, Terry Burnham, Ann Robinson, Troy Donahue, Jack Weston, Mahalia Jackson, Bess Flowers
TAMMY TELL ME TRUE (1961) DIR Harry Keller PROD Ross Hunter SCR Oscar Brodney (novel “Tammy Tell Me True” [1959] by Cid Ricketts Sumner) CAM Clifford Stine ED Otto Ludwig MUS Percy Faith CAST Sandra Dee, John Gavin, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey, Julia Meade, Cecil Kellaway, Beulah Bondi, Edgar Buchanan, Gigi Perreau, Juanita Moore (Della), Stefanie Powers
WALK ON THE WILD SIDE (1962) DIR Edward Dmytryk PROD Charles K. Feldman SCR John Fante, Edmund Morris (novel “A Walk on the Wild Side” [1956] by Nelson Algren) CAM Joseph Macdonald ED Harry Gerstad MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST Laurence Harvey, Capucine, Jane Fonda, Anne Baxter, Barbara Stanwyck, Joanna Moore, Richard Rust, Karl Swenson, Don ‘Red’ Barry, Juanita Moore (Mama)
A CHILD IS WAITING (1963) DIR John Cassavetes PROD Stanley Kramer SCR Abby Mann (also story) CAM Joseph LaShelle ED Robert C. Jones, Gene Fowler Jr. MUS Ernest Gold CAST Burt Lancaster, Judy Garland, Gena Rowlands, Steven Hill, Paul Stewart, Gloria McGehee, Lawrence Tierney, Bruce Ritchey, John Marley, Jim Backus, Juanita Moore (Julius’ Mother), John Cassavetes
PAPA’S DELICATE CONDITION (1963) DIR George Marshall PROD Jack Rose SCR Jack Rose (memoir “Papa’s Delicate Condition” [1952] by Corinne Griffith) CAM Loyal Griggs ED Frank P. Keller MUS Joseph J. Lilley CAST Jackie Gleason, Glynis Johns, Charlie Ruggles, Laurel Goodwin, Linda Bruhl, Ned Glass, Murray Hamilton, Elisha Cook Jr., Charles Lane, Juanita Moore (Ellie)
THE SINGING NUN (1966) DIR Henry Koster PROD John Beck SCR John Furia Jr., Sally Benson (story by John Furia Jr.) CAM Milton R. Krasner ED Rita Roland CAST Debbie Reynolds, Ricardo Montalban, Greer Garson, Agnes Moorehead, Chad Everett, Katharine Ross, Ed Sullivan, Juanita Moore (Sister Mary), Tom Drake, Minta Durfee
ROSIE! (1967) DIR David Lowell Rich PROD Jacque Mapes SCR Samuel Taylor (play “A Very Rich Woman” [1965] by Ruth Gordon, Philippe Hériat) CAM Clifford Stine ED Stuart Gilmore MUS Lyn Murray CAST Rosalind Russell, Sandra Dee, Brian Aherne, Audrey Meadows, James Farentino, Leslie Nielsen, Vanessa Brown, Juanita Moore (Nurse), Margaret Hamilton, Reginald Owen, Virginia Grey, Ann Doran
UPTIGHT (1968) DIR – PROD Jules Dassin SCR Jules Dassin, Ruby Dee, Julian Mayfield (novel “The Informer” [1925] by Liam O’Flaherty) CAM Boris Kaufman ED Robert Lawrence MUS Booker T. Jones CAST Raymond St. Jacques, Ruby Dee, Frank Silvera, Roscoe Lee Browne, Julian Mayfield, Janet MacLachlan, Max Julien, Juanita Moore (Mama Wells), Richard Williams
ANGELITOS NEGROS (1970) DIR – SCR Joselito Rodriguez CAM Eduardo Rojo ED Raul J. Casso MUS Enrico C. Cabiati CAST Manuel Lopez Ochoa, Martha Rangel, Titina Romay, Juanita Moore (Nana Mercé), Juanita Hernandez Mejia, Neftali Lopez, Norma Jiménez Pons, Carlos Martinez Baena, Juanita Hernández R.
SKIN GAME (1971) DIR Paul Bogart PROD Harry Keller SCR Pierre Marton [Peter Stone] (story by Richard Alan Simmons) CAM Fred J. Koenekamp ED Walter Thompson MUS David Shire CAST James Garner, Lou Gossett, Susan Clark, Brenda Sykes, Edward Asner, Andrew Duggan, Henry Jones, Neva Patterson, Parley Baer, Juanita Moore (Viney), Richard Farnsworth
THE MACK (1973) DIR Michael Campus PROD Harvey Bernhard SCR Robert J. Poole CAM Ralph Woolsey ED Frank C. Decot MUS Willie Hutch CAST Max Julien, Don Gordon, Richard Pryor, Carol Speed, Roger E. Mosley, Dick Williams, William C. Watson, George Murdock, Juanita Moore (Mother), June Wilkinson
FOX STYLE (1973) DIR Clyde Houston PROD Paul R. Picard SCR Clyde Houston, Michael Fox CAM William Roper ED James M. Guthrie MUS Don Zimmers CAST Chuck Daniel, Juanita Moore (Hattie Fox), Denise Denise, Hank Rolike, Richard Lawson, Newell Alexander, Theodore Mitchell, Reuben Collins, Jovita Busch
THOMASINE & BUSHROD (1974) DIR Gordon Parks Jr. PROD Max Julien, Harvey Bernhard SCR Max Julien CAM Lucien Ballard ED Frank C. Decot MUS Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson CAST Max Julien, Vonetta McGee, George Murdock, Glynn Turman, Juanita Moore (Pecolia), Joel Fluellen, Jackson D. Kane, Bud Conlan, Kip Allen, Ben Zeller
THE ZEBRA KILLER (1974) DIR William Girdler PROD Gordon Cornell Layne, Mike Henry SCR William Girdler (story by William Girdler, Gordon Cornell Layne) CAM William L. Asman ED James O’Rourke MUS Jerry Steiner CAST Austin Stoker, James Pickett, Hugh Smith, Charles Kissinger, Valerie Rogers, Tom Brooks, D’Urvilie Martin, Phyliss Kastan, Juanita Moore ([uncredited])
ABBY (1974) DIR William Girdler PROD William Girdler, Gordon Cornell Layne, Mike Henry SCR Gordon Cornell Layne (story by Gordon Cornell Layne, William Girdler) CAM William L. Asman ED Henry Asman, Corky Ehlers MUS Robert O. Ragland CAST William Marshall, Terry Carter, Austin Stoker, Carol Speed, Juanita Moore (Miranda ‘Momma’ Potter), Charles Kissinger, Elliott Moffitt, Nathan Cook, Nancy Lee Owens
DELIVER US FROM EVIL (1975) DIR – PROD – SCR Horace Jackson CAM Alfred Taylor ED Jeff Bushelman CAST Marie O’Henry, Renny Roker, Danny Martin, Kandi Keath, Carl Haynes, Juanita Moore (Mrs. Trindal), Marc Hannibal, Tony Charles
FUGITIVE LOVERS (1975) DIR – ED John Carr PROD Ross Massbaum SCR John Carr, Ross Massbaum CAM Michael Mileham CAST Steve Oliver, Sondra Currie, John Russell, Virginia Mayo, Toni Covington, Roger Galloway, Jeff Morrow, Juanita Moore (Assembly Woman Griffin), Vincent Barbi, Napoleon Whiting, Doodles Weaver
EVERYBODY RIDES THE CAROUSEL (1976, animated) DIR – PROD John Hubley SCR John Hubley, Faith Hubley ED Jeffrey Friedman MUS William Russo CAST (voice only) Lou Jacobi, Meryl Streep, Jack Gilford, Jenny Lumet, Dinah Manoff, John Randolph, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Tulani Bridgewater, Juanita Moore (Stage 8), Henry Edison
PATERNITY (1981) DIR David Steinberg PROD Lawrence Gordon, Hank Moonjean SCR Charlie Peters CAM Bobby Byrne ED Donn Cambern MUS David Shire CAST Burt Reynolds, Beverly D’Angelo, Norman Fell, Paul Dooley, Elizabeth Ashley, Lauren Hutton, Juanita Moore (Celia), Peter Billingsley, Jacqueline Brookes
O’HARA’S WIFE (1982) DIR William Bartman PROD William N. Panzer, Peter S. Davis SCR William Bartman, James Nasella, Joseph Scott Kierland CAM Harry Stradling Jr. ED George Berndt, Jim Bogardt MUS Artie Butler CAST Ed Asner, Mariette Hartley, Jodie Foster, Tom Bosley, Perry Lang, Ray Walston, Allen Williams, Mary Jo Catlett, Nehemiah Persoff, Juanita Moore (Ethel)
AND THEY ARE OFF (1982) DIR – PROD – SCR Theodore H. Kuhns III CAM Paul Lohmann ED Richard G. Haines MUS Bill Conti CAST Adam Roarke, Suzanne Askinson, Bill Allen, Julie Allen, Sherman Allen, José Ferrer, Miguel Ferrer, Rafael Ferrer, Tab Hunter, George Clooney, Juanita Moore (Sadie Johnson), Leigh Christian
TWO MOON JUNCTION (1988) DIR Zalman King PROD Donald P. Borchers SCR Zalman King (story by Zalman King, Macgregor Douglas) CAM Mark Plummer MUS Jonathan Elias ED Marc Grossman CAST Sherilyn Fenn, Richard Tyson, Louise Fletcher, Burl Ives, Kristy McNichol, Martin Hewitt, Juanita Moore (Delilah), Don Galloway, Millie Perkins, Milla Jovovich, Hervé Villechaize
THE STERLING CHASE (1999) DIR Tanya Fenmore PROD Tanya Fenmore, Katrina S. Pavlos, Cynthia Perez-Brown SCR Tanya Fenmore (story by Tanya Fenmore, Jeremy Dauber) CAM David Bridges ED David Codron, Edward R. Abroms MUS Mark Adler CAST Andrea Ferrell, Devon Odessa, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Livingston, Irene Ng, Jack Noseworthy, Nicholle Tom, Alanna Ubach, Juanita Moore (Grandma Jones, voice only)
THE KID (2000) DIR Jon Turteltaub PROD Jon Turteltaub, Christina Steinberg, Hunt Lowry SCR Audrey Wells CAM Peter Menzies Jr. ED David Rennie, Peter Honess MUS Marc Shaiman, Jason White CAST Bruce Willis, Spencer Breslin, Emily Mortimer, Lily Tomlin, Jean Smart, Chi McBride, Daniel von Bargen, Dana Ivey, Juanita Moore (Kenny’s Grandmother), Melissa McCarthy, Cuba Gooding Jr., Matthew Perry
TV FILMS
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING (1969) DIR Richard A. Colla PROD Jo Swerling Jr. TELEPLAY Richard Levinson, William Link CAM Charles Straumer ED Robert L. Kimble MUS Pete Rugolo CAST Burl Ives, Joseph Campanella, James Farentino, Hal Holbrook, Steve Ihnat, Stephen McNally, Richard Ely, Dennis Oliveri, Carrie Snodgress, Juanita Moore (Mrs. Harberson)
CONFESSIONS OF A TOP CRIME BUSTER (1971) DIR Earl Bellamy, Joseph Pevney TELEPLAY Laurence Marks, Ferdinand Leon, Arne Sultan (story by Laurence Marks, Ferdinand Leon, Earl Barret, Bruce Howard) CAM Meredith M. Nicholson ED Henry Batista, David Howe, Stanford Tischler MUS Richard Hazard CAST Don Adams, Rupert Crosse, John Doucette, Dick Van Patten, David Huddleston, Bruce Gordon, Mark Roberts, Juanita Moore (Mrs. Robinson)
A DREAM FOR CHRISTMAS (1973) DIR Ralph Senensky PROD Walter Coblenz TELEPLAY John McGreevey, Max Hodge (story by John McGreevey) CAM Frank V. Phillips ED Gene Fowler Jr., Bill Mosher, Anthony Wollner MUS David Rose CAST Hari Rhodes, Beah Richards, Lynn Hamilton, George Spell, Robert DoQui, Joel Fluellen, Juanita Moore (Fannie Mitchell), Clarence Muse
When I met former child actress Cora Sue Collins at her Beverly Hills apartment in March 2003, she said, ‘Did you ever talk to Ann Gillis? She lives in Belgium.’ I didn’t know that at the time, and so upon my return to my home country after visiting Hollywood for a few weeks, I tried to find out how to get in touch with her.
On the internet I found an address in a place called Kontich, near Antwerp. I went over there and the couple that lived in that particular house, told me she had lived there but moved a couple of years ago. They told me one of their neighbors might be able to help me out. So I went over there, and they got her phone number where I could reach her.
That’s how I got in touch with former Hollywood child actress Ann Gillis who appeared in several Hollywood films from the mid-1930s til the late 1940s. She was born Alma Mabel Conner on February 12, 1927, in Little Rock, Arkansas. When she moved to Los Angeles with her family, her mother pursued opportunities for her in the entertainment industry. At age eight, she found herself in the spotlight, and was landing significant roles in ‘double A films,’ as she describes them, with “The Great Ziegfeld” (1936) with Oscar winner Luise Rainer being the first one.
Her career took off when she began to secure roles in various Hollywood productions. She caught the attention of casting directors who saw her potential as a leading child actress.
At age eleven, she played Becky Thatcher in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1938), a film adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic novel. Her portrayal was well-received, and it cemented her status. Her performance showcased her ability to bring depth and nuance to her characters, even at a young age. The film was a major success and remains one of the most memorable adaptations of Twain’s work.
Margaret Hamilton, May Robson, Tommy Kelly, Cora Sue Collins, Spring Byington, Jackie Moran and Ann Gillis in “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” (1938) | Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television ArchiveThroughout the late 1930s and early 1940s, Ms. Gillis continued to appear in various films, often playing the role of the spirited and sometimes spoiled brats. Her versatility as an actress was evident in films such as “Little Orphan Annie” (1938), where she played the title role, and “Beau Geste” (1939), in which she starred alongside Gary Cooper—one of the many stars she worked with over the years. These roles demonstrated her range and ability to handle comedic and dramatic material.
When she retired from acting, Ms. Gillis largely stayed out of the public eye. She did, however, make one final return to the screen in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968), where she provided the voice of the mother of the character Frank Poole, played by Gary Lockwood.
After her Hollywood career, Ms. Gillis married Paul Ziebold; their union lasted from 1947-1951. She then moved to New York where she met and married Scottish actor Richard Fraser in 1952; he was known for his role as Angela Lansbury’s vengeful brother in “The Picture of Dorian Grey” (1945). They moved to England in 1961. After their divorce in 1970, she moved to Belgium in 1972 and was married to Belgian René Van Hulst from 1991 until his death in 1999.
Ann Gillis in her garden in Belgium, 2004 | Film TalkThe following interview was conducted during our first encounter in 2003 when she also gave me a few stills from her archive; the feature image on top is a publicity still from 1944 from Universal when Ms. Gillis was seventeen. Later on, we stayed in touch and always had lunch in a restaurant close to her residence in Hechtel, Limburg. I remember Ms. Gillis as very kind-hearted and good-natured. It was always a joy to spend time with her and an honor to be included in her circle of acquaintances.
In 2014, Ms. Gillis returned to England and died in a nursing home in Horam, East Sussex, England, on January 31, 2018, at age 90. She was buried on Theobolds Green Woodland Burial Ground in East Sussex. Her tomb says, ‘Ann Conner Ziebold Fraser 12.2.1927 to 31.1.2018 AKA The Hollywood Actress Ann Gillis. As you join the Stars and the Heavens God speed and Rest in Peace.’
Her granddaughter is British actress Katey Ann Fraser.
Ms. Gillis, would you consider “2001: A Space Odyssey” one of the highlights of your career?
No, it was such a horrible experience that I said, ‘I don’t need to do this. If this is how it has become—work in film, I mean—I don’t need to do this.’ So I thought, ‘Finito. No more.’ And I never accepted another part. But when “A Space Odyssey” was first offered to me, I thought it would be a better way to end my film career because in my final Hollywood film, “Big Town After Dark” [1947], I played a gangster’s moll and I got shot in the end.
Why was “2001” such a bad experience?
[Laughs.] When [director] Stanley Kubrick gave me the script, he said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll all get together, make up the dialogue as we get along, and we’ll use that.’ The other mother and the other husband sat with Kubrick, making up the dialogue—hers is not included in the film, I don’t know why, but whatever—and by the end of that morning, he suggested to get me instead. So they called me, they had me dressed, and he said, ‘This is a five-page script. Now go learn the dialogue and we’ll shoot it in an hour.’ So I had one hour to learn five pages. It was not the sort of dialogue like ‘How are you?’ and he answers, and he asks me something and I answer. No. We were talking separately to a screen, sending a television message to our son in space. So when it was time to get on the set—the other man [played by Alan Gifford] helped me with the script, he knew it. We just changed mothers, me being one of them. They had a backdrop behind us, and the two of us were sitting at a table with a screen in front of us. The first seven takes weren’t good because the lights didn’t work or the backdrop didn’t work or somebody coughed—all the things that can happen in film. The eighth take was fine, and I thought, ‘That’s great, it was lovely. Thank you very much.’ Then Kubrick said, ‘You know, Ann, I think it would be good when he says this and you say that instead, and then he can say this.’ So he changed it—every time, from take eight to take twenty-one, and then he printed all of them. He had a blank check, he could spend as much money as he wanted. Can you imagine? To print twenty-one takes, and most of them were no good. He kept getting a new idea for everything. It was a very uncomfortable experience for me.
Did you ever have any uncomfortable situations in Hollywood?
Only once, when I was doing a test at Warner Bros. Joan Leslie was up for the same part, and she sat on the director’s lap while I did my test. I knew I wouldn’t get it, but I thought that was not polite. Maybe I wouldn’t have gotten it anyway because I was typecast after “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” [1938].
Ann Gillis with actor and humorist Robert Benchley. Publicity still from 1940 | Ann GillisHow would you compare “2001: A Space Odyssey” to the films you made in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s?
In Hollywood, everybody was marvellous to you. The only problem was that you were never introduced to anybody properly. This was Sam, this was Leo, and that was Harry. When you ran into them several years later, they would say, ‘You don’t remember me, do you?’ [Laughs.] I never knew their last names. Every time you made a new film, you met so many new people that you were supposed to remember, and I couldn’t—also because I began working in Hollywood when I was eight and went on to work there until I was nineteen. But in Hollywood, I was always taken care of. I smiled at people, I was always polite, and always said ‘Thank you’—that sort of thing. I remember the crew always like me a lot.
When did you first get noticed?
In the mid-1930s, every studio was trying to have another Shirley Temple, and I had a very nice part in “The Great Ziegfeld” [1936] when Ziegfeld [played by William Powell] came back to his father and he was giving a piano lesson to a little girl, supposedly age six while I was nine—but okay. He told his father he was going into the theatrical business; he talked to this little girl who was sitting on his lap and gave her something. It was one of those public relations parts, it didn’t mean anything, but I played somebody in a big double A film, and I was let in because of Shirley Temple. The studio needed that. If you take “The Singing Cowboy” [1936], made by Republic, they were delighted to have somebody who had just made this film at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The smaller studios immediately hired you if you had made a double A movie. And so it went on like that; one film led to another.
Ann Gillis with William Powell in “The Great Ziegfeld” (1936) | Ann GillisDo you remember how you got the part in “The Great Ziegfeld”?
The film was made in November 1935, and I only got the part by accident. My mother had put me in a theatrical school—which is always helpful—and there was an agent who knew they were looking for a little red-headed girl to play Billie Burke as a child in “The Great Ziegfeld.” So she approached me and my mother and drove us to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where we met the casting director that day. And I took the test that same day, I think. I did not get the Billie Burke part, but another part where I had this conversation with William Powell—such a darling man. I made $50 a day.
Career-wise, I suppose “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” [1938] was a major step forward because you played one of the leading roles…
…you have to know that, in the beginning, it was a very small part, but from the comics they had, they put more of my part into the film. [Producer] David O. Selznick had three girls under contract for the part of Becky Thatcher—I was one of them—and then he kept on casting for the part of Tom Sawyer until he found the right boy [Tommy Kelly]. He could write all night long and he’d have a new script ready for the afternoon shooting, and in the afternoon they got the script for the next morning shooting. You had to be on your toes all the time to know what was going on, especially since I never got any help from [director] Norman Taurog who was brought in at the very last minute. Originally, the cast members were all amateurs, except me; I was the only one who had done about ten films.
You appeared in several screen classics, such as “The Great Ziegfeld,” “The Garden of Allah” [1936], “Beau Geste” [1939], “All This, and Heaven Too” [1940], “Since You Went Away” [1944], and you provided the voice of the adult Faline in Disney’s animated feature “Bambi” [1942]. Can you tell something about that?
When I did “Bambi” I sat in one of those large empty rooms made for sound recording, with holes in the walls and all that. I sat on a high stool with a microphone in front of me and the director was three miles away behind a glass wall. He’d say, ‘Now you say this line,’ and I would say it several times. Or he’d say, ‘Let’s try it this way.’ And it would go one all day, or two days—I don’t remember. But it was weird because you worked by yourself; you didn’t see any other actor, and you didn’t really see the director. But I enjoyed doing it.
William Powell with Ann Gillis in a clip from “The Great Ziegfeld” (1936)
In “Edison, The Man” [1940], you worked with Spencer Tracy. Everybody always speaks very highly of him. You too?
Sure because he was a lovely man, very patient and very interesting. And so was the director, Clarence Brown. He was a darling and very underestimated director, just like Curtis Reinhardt. I also liked Michael Curtiz [“Janie,” 1944] because he was straight: if he liked you, you knew it, and if he didn’t like you, he’d tell you. His English was terrible, but it was funny. He liked me because I was always on time and I knew my lines. In between films I would be called in to make complementary tests for other actors, knowing that I wouldn’t be up for the role. They did that because they knew I was reliable. If they gave me a script, I would have it.
“Since You Went Away,” about a family suffering through World War 2, was your third and final film for David O. Selznick and became another film classic you appeared in. How do you remember that film?
My character’s name was Becky and I only had one scene dancing and making a couple of comments. During the dancing, we had to come back a couple of times because Joseph Cotten was so drunk that we had to do it again. There was a lot of stress on that set. Jennifer Jones was married to Robert Walker [both played leading roles in the film], and she was having an affair with David O. Selznick. Walker was under stress, Jennifer was certainly under stress, and Joseph Cotten was in the middle of it all. He just couldn’t stand it.
Was it easy to combine work and school at such a young age?
There was very often a table on the stage. They were very explicit about the hours. Between takes, you had to study three hours every day, and the teachers had to mark down every minute. When you weren’t working, you were studying—or you had to relax, learn your lines for the nest day, get your hair fixed or you were in makeup. I remember Virginia Bruce and how gorgeous she was; she had the most beautiful skin that she even refused makeup. But we did a lot of studying. In those days we worked six days a week, so we really worked a lot, and the hours were long.
When did you have to be at the studio in the morning?
We lived in Beverly Hills on Benedict Canyon, and when I worked at Warner Bros., I had to be there at 06:30 AM. You had to be ready to shoot at 08:30 AM—something like that. And we very often worked until seven o’clock in the evening. Those were very long days.
Ann Gillis played Annie in Paramount’s “Little Orphan Annie” (1938) with Robert Kent and June Travis | Ann GillisWhat about the studio heads?
I was terrified of David O. Selznick [laughs]. He was like a big shark, so to speak. He was always very nice to me; I was just terrified because I was so young. But later, when I wasn’t working in film anymore, I went to the theater one day and went down in the elevator, and behind me was Selznick. I knew it was him, but I didn’t think he would remember who I was. So I wasn’t about to say, ‘Hello, I’m Ann Gillis. Do you remember me?’ But in the end, I did say hello to him, saying, ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize you. I don’t know if you recognize me, it’s me, Ann Gillis’—grown up and so forth. I also remember his father-in-law, Louis B. Mayer; I had met him a couple of times. He seemed all right; he was like a perfectly nice grandpa. Harry Cohn at Columbia… let’s just say he was not very well-liked because he could be very rude. He called me in one day, so I went into his office, and he said, ‘Ann, are you Jewish?’ I said, ‘No, sir. I’m Irish.’ ‘You photograph Jewish. Turn around.’ So I turned around. Then he said, ‘Okay. That’s enough. Goodbye.’ I didn’t get the part [laughs]. I think Jane Withers got it, but I don’t remember what film it was.
Did your film career result in lasting friendships with people you worked with?
No, absolutely not. My mother kept me away from the Hollywood bunch as much as possible. I made lasting friends when I was older; one of them was Ona Munson who played Belle Watling in “Gone With the Wind” [1939]. We did “The Cheaters” [1945] together. She was a great lady.
Your Hollywood career ended abruptly in 1947. What happened?
I got married, and my husband [Paul Ziebold] didn’t want me to work. When the marriage broke up [in 1951], I went to New York, and did some television. In those days it was live television, coast to coast.
Did you ever miss Hollywood?
No. My mother was mad about movies, and she was a very good actress. I once got a script in the afternoon, and I went to my mother and asked, ‘The script says I gotta have hysterics. What’s that?’ Try to explain that to a ten-year-old. We went to the studio, and she showed me what hysterics were. She scared the hell out of me, I can tell you—crying, screaming, howling, and laughing and crying at the same time. I was pretty horrified. She said, ‘Okay, now go to the set.’ So all I did then was imitate my mother.
“The Time of Their Lives” [1946] starring Abbott and Costello was one of your final films in Hollywood. They were very successful at the time, weren’t they?
Absolutely. And that was the only Abbott and Costello movie where they had a real script. It was originally written for Cary Grant. Can you imagine? And then they rewrote it for Abbott and Costello. They were a couple of characters [laughs]. They were very sweet and very successful; they were among the biggest stars of the 1940s.
Hechtel, Limburg (Belgium)
April 2003
FILMS
MEN IN WHITE (1934) DIR Richard Boleslawski PROD Monta Bell SCR Waldemar Young (play “Men In White” [1934] by Sidney Kingsley) CAM George J. Folsey ED Frank Sullivan MUS William Axt CAST Clark Gable, Myrna Loy, Jean Hersholt, Elizabeth Allan, Otto Kruger, C. Henry Gordon, Russell Hardie, Wallace Ford, Ann Gillis (Flower Girl [uncredited])
THE GREAT ZIEGFELD (MGM, 1936) DIR Robert Z. Leonard PROD Hunt Stromberg SCR William Anthony McGuire (suggested by the life of Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.) CAM Oliver T. Marsh ED William S Gray MUS Arthur Lange CAST William Powell, Myrna Loy, Luise Rainer, Frank Morgan, Fanny Brice, Virginia Bruce, Reginald Owen, Ray Bolger, Jean Chatburn, Gertrude Astor, William Demarest, Ann Gillis (Mary Lou [Jean Chatburn] as a Child).
SINGING COWBOY (1936) DIR Mack V. Wright PROD Nat Levine SCR Dorrell McGowan, Stuart E. McGowan (original story by Tom Gibson) CAM William Nobles, Edgar Lyons ED Lester Orlebeck CAST Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, Lois Wilde, Lon Chaney Jr., Ann Gillis (Lou Ann Stevens), Earle Hodgins, Harvey Clark, John Van Pelt
UNDER YOUR SPELL (1936) DIR Otto Preminger PROD John Stone SCR Saul Elkins, Frances Hyland (story by Sy Bartlett, Bernice Mason) CAM Sidney Wagner ED Fred Allen MUS Charles Maxwell, Arthur Lange CAST Lawrence Tibbett, Wendy Barrie, Gregory Ratoff, Arthur Treacher, Gregory Gaye, Berton Churchill, Jed Prouty, Claudia Coleman, Madge Bellamy, Ann Gillis (Gwendolyn [uncredited])
THE MAN I MARRY (1936) DIR Ralph Murphy PROD Val Paul SCR Harry Clork, M. Coates Webster CAM Joseph A. Valentine ED Bernard W. Burton MUS Charles Previn CAST Doris Nolan, Michael Whalen, Charles ‘Chic’ Sale, Nigel Bruce, Richard ‘Skeets’ Gallagher, Marjorie Gateson, Cliff Edwards, Gerald Oliver Smith, Ann Gillis (Little Girl [uncredited])
THE GARDEN OF ALLAH (1936) DIR Richard Boleslawski PROD David O. Selznick SCR Lynn Riggs, W.P. Lipscomb (novel “The Garden of Allah” [1904] by Robert Hichens) CAM Harold Rosson, Virgil Miller, W. Howard Greene ED Hal C. Kern, Anson Stevenson MUS Max Steiner CAST Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer, Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith, Tilly Lisch, John Carradine, Joseph Schildkraut, Alan Marshall, Lucile Watson, Ann Gillis (Convent Girl 2 [uncredited])
KING OF HOCKEY (1936) DIR Noel M. Smith PROD Bryan Foy SCR George Bricker CAM L. William O’Connell ED Harold McLernon MUS Howard Jackson CAST Dick Purcell, Anne Nagel, Marie Wilson, Wayne Morris, George E. Stone, Joseph Crehan, Ann Gillis (Peggy ‘Princess’ O’Rourke), Gordon Hart, Dora Clement, Harry Davenport
POSTAL INSPECTOR (1936) DIR Otto Brower EXEC PROD Charles R. Rogers SCR Horace McCoy (story by Horace McCoy, Robert Presnell Sr.) CAM George Robinson ED Philip Cahn MUS Clifford Vaughan CAST Ricardo Cortez, Patricia Ellis, Michael Loring, Bela Lugosi, Wallis Clark, Arthur Loft, David Oliver, Guy Usher, Bill Burrud, Bess Flowers, Ann Gillis (Little Girl [uncredited])
OFF TO THE RACES (1937) DIR Frank R. Strayer PROD Max Golden SCR Helen Logan, Robert Ellis (story by Helen Logan, Robert Ellis) CAM Barney McGill ED Alex Troffey CAST Slim Summerville, Jed Prouty, Shirley Deane, Spring Byington, Russell Gleason, Kenneth Howell, George Ernest, June Carlson, Florence Roberts, Billy Mahan, Ann Gillis (Winnie Mae)
YOU CAN’T BUY LUCK (1937) DIR Lew Landers PROD Maury M. Cohen SCR Martin Mooney, Arthur T. Horman (story by Martin Mooney) CAM J. Roy Hunt ED Jack Hively MUS Roy Webb CAST Onslow Stevens, Helen Mack, Vinton Haworth, Maxine Jennings, Paul Guilfoyle, Frank M. Thomas, Richard Lane, Bess Flowers, Ann Gillis (Peggy [uncredited])
THE CALIFORNIAN (1937) DIR Gus Meins PROD Sol Lesser SCR Gilbert Wright, Gordon Newell (story by Gilbert Wright, Gordon Newell, Harold Bell Wright) CAM Harry Neumann ED Carl Pierson, Arthur Hilton CAST Ricardo Cortez, Marjorie Weaver, Katherine De Mille, Nigel de Brulier, Morgan Wallace, Maurice Black, Ann Gillis (Rosalia [Marjorie Weaver] as a Child)
THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER (1938) DIR Norman Taurog PROD David O. Selznick SCR Jack V.A. Weaver (novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” [1876] by Mark Twain) CAM James Wong Howe ED Margaret Clancey MUS Max Steiner CAST Tommy Kelly, May Robson, Walter Brennan, Victor Jory, David Holt, Jackie Moran, Margaret Hamilton, Cora Sue Collins, Ann Gillis (Becky Thatcher) Spring Byington
PECK’S BAD BOY WITH THE CIRCUS (1938) DIR Edward F. Cline PROD Sol Lesser SCR Robert Neville, Al Martin, David Boehm (characters created by George W. Peck; adaptation by Robert Neville) CAM Jack McKenzie ED Arthur Hilton MUS Victor Young CAST Tommy Kelly, Ann Gillis (Fleurette de Cava), George ‘Spanky’ McFarland, Edgar Kennedy, Benita Hume, Billy Gilbert, Grant Mitchell, Nana Bryant, Louise Beavers, William Demarest
LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE (1938) DIR Ben Holmes PROD John Speaks SCR Budd Schulberg, Samuel Ornitz (comic strip by Harold Gray; story by Samuel Ornitz, Endre Bohem) CAM Frank Redman ED Robert Bischoff MUS Joseph Nussbaum, Louis Forbes, George Bassman CAST Ann Gillis (Annie), Robert Kent, June Travis, J. Farrell MacDonald, J.M. Kerrigan, Margaret Armstrong, Sarah Padden, James Burke
BEAU GESTE (1939) DIR – PROD William A. Wellman SCR Robert Carson (novel by Percival Christopher Wren) CAM Archie Stout, Theodor Sparkuhl ED Thomas Scott MUS Alfred Newman CAST Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward, J. Carrol Naish, Donald O’Connor, James Stephenson, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, Ann Gillis (Isobel Rivers [Susan Hayward] as a Child), Harvey Stephens
THE UNDER-PUP (1939) DIR Richard Wallace PROD Joe Pasternak SCR Grover Jones (story by I.A.R. Wylie) CAM Hal Mohr ED Frank Gross MUS Frank Skinner CAST Robert Cummings, Nan Grey, Gloria Jean, Beulah Bondi, Virginia Weidler, Margaret Lindsay, C. Aubrey Smith, Billy Gilbert, Ann Gillis (Letty Lou), Raymond Walburn, Paul Cavanagh, Samuel S. Hinds, Dickie Moore, Cecil Kellaway, Jean Porter
EDISON, THE MAN (1940) DIR Clarence Brown PROD John W. Considine Jr. SCR Talbot Jennings, Bradbury Foote (original story by Dore Schary, Hugo Butler) CAM Harold Rosson ED Frederick Y. Smith MUS Herbert Stothart CAST Spencer Tracy, Rita Johnson, Lynne Overman, Charles Coburn, Gene Lockhart, Henry Travers, Felix Bressart, Peter Godfrey, Ann Gillis (Nancy Gray)
MY LOVE CAME BACK (1940) DIR Curtis Bernhardt EXEC PROD Hal B. Wallis SCR Robert Buckner, Ivan Goff, Earl Baldwin (story by Walter Reisch) CAM James Wong Howe, Charles Rosher ED Rudi Fehr MUS Heinz Roemheld CAST Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, Jane Wyman, Charles Winninger, Spring Byington, Grant Mitchell, Ann Gillis (Valerie Malette), S. Z. Sakall
ALL THIS, AND HEAVEN TOO (1940) DIR – PROD Anatole Litvak SCR Casey Robinson (novel “All This, And Heaven Too” [1938] by Rachel Field) CAM Ernest Haller ED Warren Low MUS Max Steiner CAST Bette Davis, Charles Boyer, Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara O’Neil, Virginia Weidler, Helen Westley, Walter Hampden, Henry Daniell, Harry Davenport, June Lockhart, Ann Gillis (Emily Schuyler), Cora Sue Collins
LITTLE MEN (1940) DIR Norman Z. McLeod PROD Gene Towne SCR Arthur Caesar, Mark Kelly (novel “Little Men” [1871] by Louisa May Alcott) CAM Nicholas Musuraca ED Heorge Hively MUS Roy Webb CAST Kay Francis, Jack Oakie, George Bancroft, Jimmy Lydon, Ann Gillis (Nan), Carl Esmond, Richard Nichols, Casey Johnson, William Demarest
NICE GIRL? (1941) DIR William A. Seiter PROD Joe Pasternak SCR Gladys Lehman, Richard Connell (play “Nice Girl?” by Phyllis Duganne) CAM Joseph A. Valentine ED Bernard W. Burton MUS Frank Skinner CAST Deanna Durbin, Franchot Tone, Walter Brennan, Robert Stack, Robert Benchley, Helen Broderick, Ann Gillis (Nancy Dana), Tommy Kelly
GLAMOUR BOY (1941) DIR Ralph Murphy PROD Sol C. Siegel SCR Val Burton, Bradford Ropes CAM Daniel L. Fapp ED William Shea MUS Victor Young CAST Jackie Cooper, Susanna Foster, Walter Abel, Darryl Hickman, Ann Gillis (Brenda Lee), William Demarest, Marcia Mae Jones, Frank Coghlan Jr.
MR. DYNAMITE (1941) DIR John Rawlins ASSOC PROD Marshall Grant SCR Stanley Crea Rubin (also story) CAM John W. Boyle ED Ted J. Kent CAST Lloyd Nolan, Irene Hervey, J. Carrol Naish, Robert Armstrong, Frank Gaby, Elisabeth Risdon, Ann Gillis (Joey, a.k.a. Abigail), Shemp Howard, Cliff Nazarro, Monte Brewer
TOUGH AS THEY COME (1942) DIR William Nigh ASSOC PROD Ken Goldsmith SCR Brenda Weisberg, Lewis Amster (story by Lewis Amster, Albert Bein) CAM Elwood Bredell ED Bernard W. Burton CAST Billy Halop, Paul Kelly, Helen Parrish, Ann Gillis (Frankie Taylor), Huntz Hall, Bernard Punsly, Gabriel Dell, Virginia Brissac
MEET THE STEWARTS (1942) DIR Alfred E. Green PROD Robert Sparks SCR Karen DeWolf (story by Elizabeth Dunn) CAM Henry Freulich ED Al Clark MUS Leo Shuken CAST William Holden, Frances Dee, Grant Mitchell, Ann Gillis (Jane Goodwin), Roger Clark, Marjorie Gateson, Anne Revere, Margaret Hamilton
BAMBI (1942, animated) DIR David Hand PROD Walt Disney SCR (story by Felix Salten) ED Thomas Scott MUS Edward H. Plumb, Frank Churchill, Leigh Harline CAST (voice only) Donnie Dunagan, Sterling Holloway, Bobby Stewart, John Sutherland, Paula Winslowe, Ann Gillis (Adult Faline [uncredited])
‘NEATH BROOKLYN BRIDGE (1942) DIR Wallace Fox PROD Sam Katzman, Jack Dietz SCR Harvey Gates (also orginal story) CAM Mack Stengler ED Carl Pierson CAST Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Noah Beery Jr., Ann Gillis (Sylvia), Marc Lawrence, Dave O’Brien, Ernest Morrison
MAN FROM MUSIC MOUNTAIN (1943) DIR Joseph Kane PROD Harry Grey SCR Bradford Ropes, J. Benton Cheney CAM William Bradford ED Tony Martinelli CAST Roy Rogers, Trigger, Bob Nolan, Ruth Terry, Pal Kelly, Ann Gillis (Penny Winters), George Cleveland, Pat Brady, Renie Riano, Paul Harvey
STAGE DOOR CANTEEN (1943) DIR Frank Borzage PROD Frank Borzage, Sol Lesser SCR Delmer Daves CAM Harry J. Wild MUS Freddie Rich CAST William Terry, Cheryl Walker, Judith Anderson, Kenny Baker, Tallulah Bankhead, Ralph Bellamy, Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Ray Bolger, Ina Claire, Gracie Fields, Lynn Fontanne, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Jean Hersholt, George Jessel, Alfred Lunt, Harpo Marx, Ethel Merman, Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, George Raft, Martha Scott, Ethel Waters, Johnny Weissmuller, Ed Wynn, Henry Armetta, Helen Broderick, Jane Darwell, William Demarest, Virginia Field, Ann Gillis (Ann Gillis), Virginia Grey, Sam Jaffe, Allen Jenkins, Otto Kruger, Helen Menken, Peggy Moran, Dame May Whitty, Count Basie, Xavier Cugat, Benny Goodman, Marjorie Riordan, Jean Louis Heydt, Gertrude Lawrence, Peggy Lee, Django Reinhardt, Ruth Roman
SINCE YOU WENT AWAY (1944) DIR John Cromwell PROD David O. Selznick SCR David O. Selznick (book “Since You Went Away…: Letters to a Soldier from His Wife” [1943] and adaptation by Margaret Buell Wilder) CAM Lee Garmes, Stanley Cortez ED Hal C. Kern MUS Max Steiner CAST Claudette Colbert, Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple, Monty Woolley, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Walker, Hattie McDaniel, Agnes Moorehead, Alla Nazimova, Keenan Wynn, Guy Madison, Dorothy Dandridge, John Derek, Rhonda Fleming, Ann Gillis (Becky Anderson [uncredited]), Andrew V. McLaglen, Terry Moore, Ruth Roman
JANIE (1944) DIR Michael Curtiz PROD Alex Gottlieb SCR Agnes Christine Johnston, Charles Hoffman (play “Janie” [1942] by Josephine Bentham, Herschel V. Williams Jr.) CAM Carl E. Guthrie ED Owen Marks MUS Heinz Roemheld CAST Joyce Reynolds, Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Robert Benchley, Alan Hale, Hattie McDaniel, Jackie Moran, Ann Gillis (Paula Rainey), Colleen Townsend, Julie London, Andy Williams
A WAVE, A WAC AND A MARINE (1944) DIR Phil Karlson PROD Edward Sherman SCR Hal Fimberg CAM Maury Gertsman ED William Austin MUS Freddie Rich CAST Elyse Knox, Ann Gillis (Judy), Sally Eilers, Richard Lane, Marjorie Woodworth, Ramsay Ames, Henry Youngman, Charles ‘Red’ Marshall, Freddie Rich, Connie Haines, Mel Blanc
IN SOCIETY (1944) DIR Jean Yarbrough PROD Edmund L. Hartmann SCR Edmund L. Hartmann, John Grant, Hal Fimberg (story by Howard Snyder, Hugh Wedlock Jr.) CAM Jerome Ash ED Philip Cahn MUS Frank Skinner CAST Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Arthur Treacher, Marion Hutton, Kirby Grant, Thomas Gomez, Ann Gillis (Gloria Winthrop), George Dolenz, Will Osborne, Margaret Irving, Bess Flowers
THE CHEATERS (1945) DIR – ASSOC PROD Joseph Kane SCR Frances Hyland (original story by Frances Hyland, Albert Ray) CAM Reggie Lanning ED Richard L. Van Enger MUS Walter Scharf CAST Joseph Schildkraut, Billie Burke, Eugene Pallette, Ona Munson, Raymond Walburn, Ann Gillis (Angela Pidgeon), Ruth Terry, Robert Livingston, David Bolt
JANIE GETS MARRIED (1946) DIR Vincent Sherman PROD Alex Gottlieb SCR Agnes Christine Johnston (characters created by Josephine Bentham, Herschel V. Williams Jr.) CAM Carl E. Guthrie ED Christian Nyby MUS Frederick Hollander [Friedrich Hollaender] CAST Joan Leslie, Robert Hutton, Edward Arnold, Ann Harding, Dorothy Malone, Hattie McDaniel, Robert Benchley, Hattie McDaniel, Margaret Hamilton, Ann Gillis (Paula Rainey), Mel Tormé
THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (1946) DIR Charles Barton PROD Val Burton SCR Val Burton, Walter DeLeon, Bradford Ropes CAM Charles Van Enger ED Philip Cahn MUS Milton Rosen CAST Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marjorie Reynolds, Binnie Barnes, John Shelton, Gale Sondergaard, Ann Gillis (Nora O’Leary)
SWEETHEART OF SIGMA CHI (1946) DIR Jack Bernhard PROD Jeffrey Bernerd SCR Michael Jacoby (original story by George Waggner) CAM L. William O’Connell ED William Austin CAST Elyse Knox, Ross Hunter, Phil Regan, Phil Brito, Ed Brophy, Ann Gillis (Sue), Tom Harmon, Alan Hale Jr., William Beaudine Jr., Slim Gaillard Trio, Frankie Carle
GAY BLADES (1946) DIR – ASSOC PROD George Blair SCR Albert Beich (magazine story by Jack Goodman, Albert Rice; adaptation by Marcel Klauber) CAM William Bradford ED Tony Martinelli MUS R. Dale Butts CAST Allan Lane, Jean Rogers, Edward Ashley, Frank Albertson, Ann Gillis (Helen Dowell), Robert Armstrong, Paul Harvey, Ray Walker, Jonathan Hale
BIG TOWN AFTER DARK (1947) DIR William C. Thomas PROD William H. Pine, William H. Thomas SCR Whitman Chambers (radio drama “Big Town” [1937-1942] by Daniel Mainwaring, Maxwell Shane) CAM Ellis W. Carter ED Howard A. Smith MUS Darrell Calker CAST Philip Reed, Hillary Brooke, Richard Travis, Ann Gillis (Susan Peabody LaRue), Vince Barnett, Joe Sawyer, Douglas Blackley, Charles Arnt, Robert Kent
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) DIR – PROD Stanley Kubrik SCR Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke (short story “The Sentinel” [1951] by Arthur C. Clarke) CAM Geoffrey Unsworth ED Ray Lovejoy CAST Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack, Robert Beatty, Ann Gillis (Mother of Frank Poole [Gary Lockwood])
Film and television actress Audrey Totter (1917-2013) had a relatively short-lived film career, but created several memorable movie moments, mostly at MGM, from 1944 until the early 1950s. The former radio actress first played small parts in films such as “Main Street After Dark” (1945, her debut film), “The Sailor Takes a Wife” (1945) and “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946), until she got her break in the whodunit “Lady in the Lake” (1947), based on Raymond Chandler’s detective novel, with Robert Montgomery playing Marlowe; he also directed the film.
“Lady in the Lake” is notable for its experimental use of the first-person narrative style because for most of the film the camera serves as the eyes of private detective Philip Marlowe. Ms Totter’s character looks directly into the camera, as if she’s sparring with Marlowe and by extension with the audience. In the film, Robert Montgomery appears only occasionally, reflected in a mirror, so the camera largely focuses on Ms. Totter as a conspiring publisher who hires Marlowe but has secrets of her own.
Yet, “The Set-Up” (1949), directed by Robert Wise, is maybe the most outstanding film in her career. It’s a screen classic in the noir genre, played out in real time, with Robert Ryan as a washed-up boxer who refuses to give up; Ms. Totter delivers a nuanced performance as his supporting yet despairing wife.
“The Set-Up,” lobby card | Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television ArchiveMs. Totter also played hardboiled dames with the same ease, as she did in “Tension” (1949), directed by John Berry who was later blacklisted. In this suspenseful noir thriller she cheats on her husband, played by Richard Basehart, and gets him blamed for the murder of her boyfriend, played by Lloyd Gough. ‘If you haven’t got enough brains to agree with me, then keep your mouth shut!’ she says. “Tension” is one of those diamonds in the rough that you find when you least expect it, but powerhouse performances by Ms. Totter are the file rouge throughout her film career.
In the late 1930s, she began her acting career in radio in Chicago, and she moved to Los Angeles a few years later to work in films. She performed in various film genres, but to film audiences, she gained much attention for her work in film noir and for playing femme fatale characters, as well as tough and complex women. She became a standout actress of her time.
Audrey Totter after our interview and lunch at the Motion Picture and Television Home | Film TalkI met Ms. Totter in April 2004 when she was 86 and lived at the Motion Picture and Television Home, a.k.a. the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, a healthcare facility and retirement community less than an hour from Los Angeles, where the film and television industry has been taking care of its own for decades. Casting director and mutual friend Marvin Paige (1927-2013) drove me from his West Toluca Lake home on Landale Street to Woodland Hills, where we had the following conversation with the veteran actress.
After our interview, the three of us had lunch in the restaurant of the Motion Picture and Television Home where Ms. Totter pointed out who sat where; two tables from us was former actress Virginia Grey, who, by that time, rarely left her room. She had made her screen debut in 1927 at age ten. How close could you get to the early beginnings of film history?
With her soft voice, Ms. Totter—at age 86 still looking radiant as ever—recalled her days at MGM and her wonderful life after she virtually retired from the screen in the early 1950s.
Audrey Mary Totter was born on December 20, 1917, in Joliet, Illinois. More than nine years after we met in 2004, she died in Woodland Hills on December 12, 2013, at age 95—a few days shy of her 96th birthday. The cause was complications of congestive heart failure, her daughter Mea Lane said. The death of the versatile and stylish actress marked the end of a significent era in Hollywood, as she was one of the last surviving stars from the golden age of film—and of film noir.
Ms. Totter, how did you end up signing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer?
Metro and 20th Century Fox wanted me at the same time after they had heard me on the radio, but everybody suggested that I go with MGM, so I did. And they were right. I did several screentests for wardrobe before I became a contract player and did my first film at the studio [“Main Street After Dark,” 1945], so by then, I was used to the camera. You also had a coach who helped you when you needed it. At MGM, we all made a lot of friends; it was like a fraternity. We were all young, eager, and happy to get the opportunity to work there.
In “The Set-Up” there is this wonderful scene with the character of Robert Ryan in his final boxing fight. Your character is in the hotel room but can’t stand it any longer and decides to go for a walk. You pass this newspaper stand where the radio is on and you’re able to follow what’s happening. Your performance and that film stand the test of time, don’t they?
Yes, although I think I made other films that were at least as important and interesting, but I never made another film that I enjoyed more than “The Set-Up.” Robert Wise was such a wonderful director, and that was one of his first pictures. I was under contract with Metro then, and RKO wanted to borrow me. So then I asked, ‘Who is the director?’ ‘Robert Wise.’ ‘Who’s that?’ [Laughs.] Then I read the script, which was wonderful, and when I met Mr. Wise, I thought he was wonderful, so I decided to do it. I was very glad that I did. And Robert Ryan was marvelous; he should have won an Academy Award, or he should at least have been nominated. Don’t you think so? But, you see, they were making “Champion” [with Kirk Douglas as the boxer] at that time, and for whatever reason, Mr. [Howard] Hughes—the owner of RKO—thought “Champion” would be more important. So when “The Set-Up” was released, we had no publicity. But the film did very well. Robert Wise was so talented, and both of us knew that it would work.
Do you think today’s audiences still remember Robert Ryan? In Europe, he’s completely forgotten.
His films are still on television, but I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves.
I suppose your most famous film still is “The Postman Always Rings Twice” [1946]. You appeared in only one scene with John Garfield, but it was a very interesting character to play, wasn’t it?
Yes, and that was a very important film for me career-wise, with two big stars like Lana Turner and John Garfield; later I also worked with his daughter Julie [“The Nativity,” 1978]. That car scene put me on the map. When my car breaks down, I step out as John Garfield offers to look under the hood. And then I say, ‘I’m going to wait standing up. It’s a hot day, that’s a leather seat, and I’ve got on a thin skirt’ [laughs].
You worked for several years at MGM, and also at Columbia. Was there a big difference if compare those two studios?
Like night and day. Metro treated all their people really great; actors all had their own private dressing rooms. Mr. [Louis B.] Mayer was like a father to all of us. Columbia was very different, but I was there for only one year. I spent most of my career at MGM.
Clark Gable and Audrey Totter in a publicity still for “Any Number Can Play” | Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television ArchiveOne of your MGM films was “Any Number Can Play” [1949] with Clark Gable. Did you know him before you made that film?
I knew him socially before we did the film. I have a funny story; we were at a dinner party once, and he was sitting next to me. Lana Turner was there too; she always looked gorgeous with all her jewelry. Clark Gable asked me, ‘Are you admiring her jewelry?’ I said, ‘Yes, they’re very beautiful.’ Then he said, ‘You know, you got something much more important: you have jewels inside’ [laughs]. He was a nice man—a gentleman—and he always talked about Carole Lombard [Mr. Gable’s third wife who died in a plane crash in 1942]. He was still very much in love with her, and I don’t think he ever got over her. Most of the women he dated since her death, I think, had a slight resemblance to her—including me.
Were you aware then that you were a part of an important era in film history?
No. We had no idea; we thought we were doing only B pictures, but some are very popular now. “Lady in the Lake,” for example, was a B movie, and it seems to work better when you see it on television. I don’t know why, but it looks great on a smaller screen. Robert Montgomery had tested a lot of actresses, but they all looked at him and not into the camera. But I did. And he asked me, ‘How come you looked at the camera and not at me?’ When I worked for radio, I was used to look at the microphone the whole time. In films, they always tell you to ignore the camera, and for “Lady in the Lake” you had to treat the camera as another actor. Since I was used to playing to the microphone for several years, it was almost natural for me to play to the camera. So that background helped me. To this day, I’m still very fond of that film.
Robert Montgomery, Lloyd Nolan and Audrey Totter in a publicity still for “Lady in the Lake” | Marvin Paige Motion Picture and Television ArchiveDid you live a life filled with glitter and glamor?
Not at all. It was a very nice life and my acting career brings back nothing but fond memories, but in 1952 I sort of put it all aside after I had met Leo Fred, a doctor. I fell in love with him, and we got married in 1953. We were married for forty-two wonderful years until he passed away in 1995, and we have a wonderful daughter who also resides here in Woodland Hills. My career was fun—that’s maybe the best word to describe it, I think—but I decided to give it up when I got married. From then on, I didn’t take any long assignments and did mostly television, playing guest roles and some recurring roles in TV shows [including as Nurse Wilcox on the TV soap opera “Medical Center” from 1972-1976, shot at the old MGM studios]. So a life filled with glitter and glamor? No. My life away from the camera was a very happy one, a life of complete normalcy.
Woodland Hills, California
April 13, 2004
FILMS
MAIN STREET AFTER DARK (1945) DIR Edward L. Cahn PROD Jerry Besler SCR John C. Higgins, Karl Kamb (story by John C. Higgins) CAM Jackson Rose ED Harry Komer MUS George Bassman CAST Edward Arnold, Hume Cronyn, Selena Boyle, Dan Duryea, Audrey Totter (Jessie Belle Dibson), Tom Trout, Dorothy Ruth Morris, Tom Drake
DANGEROUS PARTNERS (1945) DIR Edward L. Cahn PROD Arthur L. Field SCR Marion Parsonnet (novel “Paper Chase” [1942] by Eleanor Perry; adaptation by Edmund L. Hartmann) CAM Karl Freund ED Ferris Webster MUS David Snell CAST James Craig, Signe Hasso, Edmund Gwenn, Audrey Totter (Lili Roegan), Mabel Paige, John Warburton, Henry O’Neill, Grant Withers
BEWITCHED (1945) DIR Arch Oboler PROD Jerry Besler SCR (story “Alter Ego” by Arch Oboler; adaptation by Arch Oboler) CAM Charles Salerno Jr. ED Harry Komer MUS Bronislau Kaper CAST Phyllis Thaxter, Edmund Gwenn, Henry H. Daniels Jr., Horace McNally, Minor Watson, Audrey Totter (Karen [voice only])
ZIEGFELD FOLLIES (1945) DIR Vincente Minnelli, George Sidney, Charles Walters, Roy Del Ruth, Lemuel Ayres, Merrill Pye, Robert Lewis PROD Arthur Freed SCR Peter Barry, David Freedman, Harry Tugend, George White, Robert Alton, Al Lewis, Irving Brecher CAM George Folsey, Charles Rosher ED Albert Akst MUS Lennie Hayton CAST William Powell, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, Gene Kelly, Victor Mature, Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Cyd Charisse, Hume Cronyn, Keenan Wynn, Peter Lawford, Kay Thompson, Audrey Totter (Phone Operator “Number Please”)
THE HIDDEN EYE (1945) DIR Richard Whorf PROD Robert Sisk SCR George Harmon Coxe, Harry Ruskin (story by George Harmon Coxe; characters created by Baynard Kendrick) CAM Lester White ED George Hively MUS David Snell CAST Edward Arnold, Frances Rafferty, Ray Collins, Paul Langton, William ‘Bill’ Phillips, Thomas E. Jackson, Morris Ankrum, Cameron Mitchell, Audrey Totter (Perfume Saleslady [uncredited])
HER HIGHNESS AND THE BELLBOY (1945) DIR Richard Thorpe PROD Joe Pasternak SCR Richard Connell, Gladys Lehman CAM Harry Stadling Sr. ED George Boemler MUS George Stoll CAST Hedy Lamarr, Robert Walker, June Allyson, Carl Esmond, Agnes Moorehead, Rags Ragland, Ludwig Stössel, Audrey Totter (Mildred [uncredited])
ADVENTURE (1945) DIR Victor Fleming PROD Sam Zimbalist SCR Vincent Lawrence, Frederick Hazlitt Brennan (novel “Adventure” by Clyde Brion Davis; adaptation by William H. Wright, Anthony Veiller) CAM Joseph Ruttenberg ED Frank Sullivan MUS Herbert Stothart CAST Clark Gable, Greer Garson, Joan Blondell, Thomas Mitchell, Tom Tully, John Qualen, Richard Haydn, Lina Romay, Harry Davenport, Audrey Totter (Ethel [uncredited])
THE SAILOR TAKES A WIFE (1945) DIR Richard Whorf PROD Edwin H. Knopf SCR Anne Morrison Chapin, Whitfield Cook (play by Chester Erskine) CAM Sidney Wagner ED Cotton Warburton MUS Johnny Green CAST Robert Walker, June Allyson, Hume Cronyn, Audrey Totter (Lisa Borescu), Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson, Reginald Owen, Gerald Oliver Smith, Anna Q. Nilsson
THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1946) DIR Tay Garnett PROD Carey Wilson SCR Niven Busch, Harry Ruskin (novel “The Postman Always Rings Twice” [1934] by James M. Cain) CAM Sidney Wagner ED George White MUS George Bassman CAST Lana Turner, John Garfield, Cecil Kellaway, Hume Cronyn, Leon Ames, Audrey Totter (Madge Gorland), Alan Reed, Jeff York
THE COCKEYED MIRACLE (1946) DIR S. Sylvan Simon PROD Irving Starr SCR Karen DeWolf (play “But Not Goodbye” [1944] by George Seaton) CAM Ray June ED Ben Lewis MUS David Snell CAST Frank Morgan, Keenan Wynn, Cecil Kellaway, Audrey Totter (Jennifer Griggs), Richard Quine, Gladys Cooper, Marshall Thompson, Leon Ames, Jane Green
LADY IN THE LAKE (1946) DIR Robert Montgomery PROD George Haight SCR Steve Fisher (novel “The Lady in the Lake” [1943] by Raymond Chandler) CAM Paul Vogel ED Gene Ruggiero MUS David Snell CAST Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter (Adrienne Fromsett), Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames, Jayne Meadows, Dick Simmons
THE SECRET HEART (1946) DIR Robert Z. Leonard PROD Edwin H. Knopf SCR Anne Morrison Chapin, Whitfield Cook (story and adaptation by Rose Franken, William Brown Meloney) CAM George J. Folsey ED Adrienne Fazan MUS Bronislau Kaper CAST Claudette Colbert, Walter Pidgeon, June Allyson, Lionel Barrymore, Robert Sterling, Marshall Thompson, Elizabeth Patterson, Patricia Medina, Dwayne Hickman, Hume Cronyn, Anna Q. Nilsson, Audrey Totter (Dinner Party Guest, voice only [uncredited])
THE BEGINNING OR THE END (1947) DIR Norman Taurog PROD Samuel Marx SCR Frank Wead (story by Bob Considine) CAM Ray June ED George Boemler MUS Daniele Amfitheatrof CAST Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, Tom Drake, Beverly Tyler, Audrey Totter (Jean O’Leary), Hume Cronyn, Hurd Hatfield, Joseph Calleia, Godfrey Tearle, Richard Haydn, Norman Lloyd, Jimmy Hunt, Peter Lawford, Patricia Medina
THE UNSUSPECTED (1947) DIR Michael Curtiz PROD Michael Curtiz, Charles Hoffman SCR Ranald MacDougall (story by Charlotte Armstrong; adaptation by Bess Meredyth) CAM Elwood Bredell ED Frederick Richards MUS Franz Waxman CAST Joan Caulfield, Claude Rains, Audrey Totter (Althea Keane), Constance Bennett, Hurd Hatfield, Ted North, Fred Clark, Bess Flowers
HIGH WALL (1947) DIR Curtis Bernhardt PROD Robert Lord SCR Lester Cole, Sydney Boehm (story by Alan R. Clark, Bradbury Foote; play by Alan R. Clark, Bradbury Foote) CAM Paul Vogel ED Conrad A. Nervig MUS Bronislau Kaper CAST Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter (Dr. Ann Lorrison), Herbert Marshall, Dorothy Patrick, H.B. Warner, Warner Anderson, Moroni Olsen, John Ridgely
THE SAXON CHARM (1948) DIR Claude Binyon PROD Joseph Sistrom SCR Claude Binyon (novel “The Saxon Charm” [1947] by Frederic Wakeman Sr.) CAM Milton R. Krasner ED Paul Weatherwax MUS Walter Scharf CAST Robert Montgomery, Susan Hayward, John Payne, Audrey Totter (Alma Wragg), Harry Morgan, Harry von Zell, Cara Williams, Chill Wills, Heather Angel
ALIAS NICK BEAL (1949) DIR John Farrow PROD Endre Bohem SCR Jonathan Latimer (story by Mindret Lord) CAM Lionel Lindon MUS Franz Waxman CAST Ray Milland, Audrey Totter (Donna Allen), Thomas Mitchell, George Macready, Fred Clark, Geraldine Wall, Henry O’Neill, Darryl Hickman, Nestor Paiva, Bess Flowers
THE SET-UP (1949) DIR Robert Wise PROD Richard Goldstone SCR Art Cohn (poem “The Set-Up” [1928] by Joseph Moncure March) CAM Milton R. Krasner ED Roland Gross CAST Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter (Julie Thompson), George Tobias, Alan Baxter, Wallace Ford, Percy Helton, Hal Baylor, Darryl Hickman, Kevin O’Morrison
ANY NUMBER CAN PLAY (1949) DIR Mervyn LeRoy PROD Arthur Freed SCR Richard Brooks (novel “Any Number Can Play” [1945] by Edward Harris Heth) CAM Harold Rosson ED Ralph E. Winters MUS Lennie Hayton CAST Clark Gable, Alexis Smith, Wendell Corey, Audrey Totter (Alice Elcott), Frank Morgan, Mary Astor, Lewis Stone, Barry Sullivan, Marjorie Rambeau, Edgar Buchanan, Leon Ames, Darryl Hickman
TENSION (1949) DIR John Berry PROD Robert Sisk SCR Allen Rivkin (story by John D. Klover) CAM Harry Stradling Sr. ED Albert Akst MUS André Previn CAST Richard Basehart, Audrey Totter (Claire Quimby), Cyd Charisse, Barry Sullivan, Lloyd Gough, Tom D’Andrea, William Conrad, Tito Ronaldo, Virginia Brissac
UNDER THE GUN (1951) DIR Ted Tetzlaff PROD Ralph Dietrich SCR George Zuckerman (story by Daniel B. Ullman) CAM Henry Freulich ED Virgil W. Vogel CAST Richard Conte, Audrey Totter (Ruth Williams), John McIntire, Sam Jaffe, Shepperd Strudwick, Gregg Martell, Phillip Pine, Donald Randolph, Royal Dano, Richard Taber
THE BLUE VEIL (1951) DIR Curtis Bernhardt PROD Norman Krasna, Jerry Wald SCR Norman Corwin (story by François Campaux) CAM Franz Planer ED George Amy MUS Franz Waxman CAST Jane Wyman, Charles Laughton, Joan Blondell, Richard Carlson, Agnes Moorehead, Don Taylor, Audrey Totter (Helen Williams), Cyril Cusack, Everett Sloane, Natalie Wood, Everett Sloane, Dan O’Herlihy, Harry Morgan
F.B.I. GIRL (1951) DIR – PROD William Berke SCR Dwight V. Babcock, Richard H. Landau (story by Rupert Hughes) CAM Jack Greenhalgh ED Philip Cahn MUS Darrell Calker CAST Cesar Romero, George Brent, Audrey Totter (Shirley Wayne), Tom Drake, Raymond Burr, Raymond Greenleaf, Margia Dean, Don Garner
THE SELLOUT (1952) DIR Gerald Mayer PROD Nicholas Nayfack SCR Charles Palmer (story by Matthew Rapf) CAM Paul Vogel ED George White MUS David Buttolph CAST Walter Pidgeon, John Hodiak, Audrey Totter (Cleo Bethel), Paula Raymond, Thomas Gomez, Cameron Mitchell, Karl Malden, Everett Sloane, Jonathan Cott
ASSIGNMENT—PARIS (1952) DIR Robert Parrish PROD Samuel Marx, Jerry Besler SCR William Bowers (novel “Trial by Terror” [1952] by Pauline Gallico, Paul Gallico; adaptation by Walter Goetz, Jack Palmer White) CAM Burnett Guffey, Ray Cory ED Charles Nelson MUS George Duning CAST Dana Andrews, Audrey Totter (Sandy Tate), Märta Torén, George Sanders, Sandro Giglio, Donald Randolph, Ben Astar, Willis Bouchey, Earl Lee
MY PAL GUS (1952) DIR Robert Parrish PROD Stanley Rubin SCR Fay Kanin, Michael Kanin CAM Leo Tover ED Robert Fritch MUS Leigh Harline CAST Richard Widmark, Joanne Dru, Audrey Totter (Joyce Jennings), George Winslow, Joan Banks, Regis Toomey, Ludwig Donath, Ann Morrison, Lisa Golm
WOMAN THEY ALMOST LYNCHED (1953) DIR – PROD Allan Dwan SCR Steve Fisher (based on a story in the Saturday Evening Post) CAM Reggie Lanning ED Fred Allen MUS Stanley Wilson CAST John Lund, Brian Donlevy, Audrey Totter (Kate Quantrill), Joan Leslie, Ben Cooper, Nina Varela, Jim Davis, Reed Hadley, Ann Savage
MAN IN THE DARK (1953) DIR Lew Landers PROD Wallace MacDonald SCR Jack Leonard, George Bricker (story by Tom Van Dycke, Henry Altimus; adaptation by William Sackheim) CAM Floyd Crosby ED Viola Lawrence CAST Edmond O’Brien, Audrey Totter (Peg Benedict), Ted de Corsia, Horace McMahon, Nick Dennis, Dayton Lummis, Dan Riss
CRUISIN’ DOWN THE RIVER (1953) DIR Richard Quine PROD Jonie Taps SCR Richard Quine, Blake Edwards CAM Charles Lawton Jr. ED Jerome Thoms MUS George Duning CAST Dick Haymes, Audrey Totter (Sally Jane Jackson), Billy Daniels, Cecil Kellaway, Connie Russell, Douglas Fowley, Larry J. Blake, Bess Flowers
CHAMP FOR A DAY (1953) DIR William A. Seiter SCR Irving Shulman (story “The Disappearance of Dolan” in the Saturday Evening Post by W.G. Fay) CAM John L. Russell ED Fred Allen MUS R. Dale Butts CAST Alex Nicol, Audrey Totter (Peggy Gormley), Charles Winninger, Hope Emerson, Joseph Wiseman, Barry Kelley, Harry Morgan, Jesse White, Grant Withers
MISSION OVER KOREA (1953) DIR Fred F. Sears PROD Robert Cohn SCR Jesse Lasky Jr., Martin Goldsmith, Eugene Ling (story by Richard Tregaskis) CAM Sam Leavitt ED Henry Batista MUS Mischa Bakaleinikoff CAST John Hodiak, John Derek, Audrey Totter (Nurse Lieutenant Kate), Maureen O’Sullivan, Harvey Lembeck, Richard Erdman, Richard Bowers
MASSACRE CANYON (1954) DIR Fred F. Sears PROD Wallace MacDonald SCR David Lang (also story) CAM Lester White ED Aaron Stell CAST Phil Carey, Audrey Totter (Flaxy), Douglas Kennedy, Jeff Donnell, Guinn Williams, Ross Elliott, Ralph Dumke, Mel Welles, Chris Alcaide
WOMEN’S PRISON (1955) DIR Lewis Seiler PROD Bryan Foy SCR Jack Dewitt, Crane Wilbur (story by Jack DeWitt) CAM Lester White ED Henry Batista CAST Ida Lupino, Jan Sterling, Cleo Moore, Audrey Totter (Joan Burton), Phyllis Thaxter, Howard Duff, Warren Stevens, Barry Kelley, Mae Clarke, Juanita Moore
A BULLET FOR JOEY (1955) DIR Lewis Allen PROD David Diamond, Samuel Bischoff SCR Geoffrey Homes [Daniel Mainwaring], A.I. Bezzerides (story by James Benson Nablo) CAM Harry Neumann ED Leon Barsha MUS Harry Sukman CAST Edward G. Robinson, George Raft, Audrey Totter (Joyce Geary), George Dolenz, Peter Van Eyck, Toni Gerry, William Bryant
THE VANISHING AMERICAN (1955) DIR Joseph Kane PROD R. Dale Butts SCR Alan Le May (novel “The Vanishing American” [1925] by Zane Grey) CAM John L. Russell ED Richard L. Van Enger CAST Scott Brady, Audrey Totter (Marion Warner), Forrest Tucker, Gene Lockhart, Jim Davis, Gloria Castillo, Lee Van Cleef, George Keymas, James Millican
GHOST DRIVER (1957) DIR – SCR Richard Einfeld, Merrill G. White PROD Richard Einfeld CAM John M. Nickolaus Jr. ED Merrill G. White MUS Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter CAST James Craig, Audrey Totter (Anne Stevens), Nico Minardos, Pira Louis, Lowell Brown, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Elena Da Vinci, Jorge Treviño
JET ATTACK (1958) DIR Edward L. Cahn PROD Alex Gordon SCR Orville H. Hampton (story by Mark Hanna) CAM Frederick E. West ED Robert S. Eisen MUS Ronald Stein CAST John Agar, Audrey Totter (Tanya Nikova), Gregory Walcott, James Dobson, Leonard Strong, Nicky Blair, Victor Sen Yung, Joseph Hamilton, Guy Prescott, George Cisar, Stella Lynn
MAN OR GUN (1958) DIR Albert C. Gannaway PROD Vance Skarstedt SCR Vance Skarstedt, James J. Cassity CAM Jack A. Marta MUS Ramey Idriss, Gene Garf CAST Macdonald Carey, Audrey Totter (Fran Dare), James Craig, James Gleason, Warren Stevens, Harry Shannon, Jil Jarmyn, Robert Burton, Ken Lynch, Karl Davis
THE CARPETBAGGERS (1964) DIR Edward Dmytryk PROD Joseph E. Levine SCR John Michael Hayes (novel “The Carpetbaggers” [1961] by Harold Robbins) CAM Joseph MacDonald ED Frank Bracht MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST George Peppard, Alan Ladd, Bob Cummings, Martha Hyer, Elizabeth Ashley, Lew Ayres, Martin Balsam, Ralph Taeger, Archie Moore, Caroll Baker, Leif Erickson, Arthur Franz, Audrey Totter (Prostitute), Bess Flowers
HARLOW (1965) DIR Alex Segal PROD Lee Savin, William Sargent Jr. SCR Karl Tunberg CAM Jim Kilgore ED Bill Heath, Leo H. Shreve MUS Nelson Riddle, Al Ham CAST Carol Lynley, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Barry Sullivan, Hurd Hatfield, Lloyd Bochner, Hermione Baddeley, Audrey Totter (Marilyn), John Williams, Michael Dante, Jack Kruschen, Ginger Rogers, Sonny Liston
CHUBASCO (1968) DIR – SCR Allen H. Miner PROD Jimmy Lydon CAM Louis Jennings, Paul Ivano ED John W. Holmes MUS William Lava CAST Richard Egan, Christopher Jones, Susan Strasberg, Ann Sothern, Simon Oakland, Audrey Totter (Theresa Marino), Preston Foster, Peter Whitney, Edward Binns
THE APPLE DUMPLING GANG RIDES AGAIN (1979) DIR Vincent McEveety PROD Ron Miller SCR Don Tait (characters created by Jack M. Bickham) CAM Frank V. Phillips ED Gordon D. Brenner MUS Buddy Baker CAST Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Tim Matheson, Kenneth Mars, Jack Elam, Robert Pine, Harry Morgan, Ruth Buzzi, Audrey Totter (Martha Osten), Richard X. Slattery
TV MOVIES
THE OUTSIDER (1967) DIR Michael Ritchie PROD – SCR Roy Huggins CAM Bud Thackery ED David Rawlins, Carl Pingitore MUS Pete Rugolo CAST Darren McGavin, Sean Garrison, Shirley Knight, Nancy Malone, Edmond O’Brien, Ann Sothern, Joseph Wiseman, Ossie Davis, Audrey Totter (Mrs. Bishop)
THE NATIVITY (1978) DIR Ken Cameron, Bernard L. Kowalski PROD Michael Apted, William P. D’Angelo SCR Michael Apted, Millard Kaufman, Morton S. Fine CAM Gábor Pogány ED Robert Phillips, Jerry Dronsky MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Madeline Stowe, John Shea, Jane Wyatt, Paul Stewart, Audrey Totter (Elizabeth), George Voskovec, Julie Garfield, Jamil Zakkai, John Rhys-Davies
THE GREAT CASH GIVEAWAY GETAWAY (1980) DIR Michael O’Herlihy PROD Robert A. Papazian SCR Philip H. Reisman Jr. CAM Gert Andersen ED Fred A. Chulak MUS John Carl Parker CAST David Kyle, Elissa Leeds, Albert Salmi, Richard Bull, James Keach, Audrey Totter (Judge), Dee Carroll, George Hamilton
THE CITY KILLER (1984) DIR Robert Michael Lewis PROD Stanley Shpetner SCR William Wood CAM Fred J. Koenekamp ED Mel Friedman, Les Green MUS John Rubinstein CAST Heather Locklear, Terence Knox, Gerald McRaney, Peter Mark Richman, John Harkins, Jeff Pomerantz, Jason Bernard, Todd Susman, Jeannetta Arnette, Audrey Totter (Receptionist)
Along with other prominent actresses such as Cécile de France (b. 1975) and Émilie Dequenne (b. 1981), Déborah François (b. 1987) is one of those versatile and renowned Belgian-born actresses to become a star in French-language cinema. At age 18, she made her screen debut in “L’enfant” (2005, a.k.a. “The Child”), directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, playing Sonia, a young mother struggling with poverty and the challenges of raising a child. Her powerhouse performance, marked by its raw authenticity and emotional depth, catapulted her to international recognition and earned her a first nomination for a César Award as Most Promising Actress. “L’enfant” also won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
“L’enfant” (2005, trailer)
Since then, her career as a leading lady—mostly in France—has been going strong. She played a wide variety of screen roles in various genres, from independent dramas to highly successful romantic comedies. In later years, she also appeared in TV series.
Her impressive list of film credits and iconic screen performances includes Denis Dercourt’s psychological thriller “La tourneuse de pages” (2006, a.k.a. “The Page Turner”), with Ms. François giving another gripping performance as a vengeful pianist seeking retribution. There’s also “Le premier jour du reste de ta vie” (2008, a.k.a. “The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”), Rémi Bezançon’s beautifully crafted comedy-drama and a masterpiece that follows a French family over five critical days, exploring the dynamics of love, loss, and reconciliation. Ms. François’s portrayal as the rebellious and introspective Fleur—the youngest of three siblings and a spitfire with a nose for trouble—earned her a César Award as Most Promising Actress.
As one of the most gifted actresses of her generation, she brought her trademark charm and youthful innocence to the character of Rose Pamphyle in “Populaire” (2012), a delightful rom-com set in the late 1950s, with Rose, a small-town girl with a remarkable talent for typing, becoming a secretary with an exceptional typing speed who enters a national speed typing competition, and the world typing competition in New York.
“Populaire” (2012, trailer)
The Irish and Luxembourgish co-production “Never Grow Old” (2019)—among her many other career highlights—was a Western directed by Irish filmmaker Ivan Kavanagh. The film tells the story of Irish undertaker Patrick Tate (played by Emile Hirsch) and his family, who are threatened when their town is taken over by Dutch Albert (role for John Cusack) and his outlaws. “Never Grow Old” was shot in Luxembourg and Ireland, with Ms. François playing Audrey, the wife of Emile Hirsch’s character Patrick Tate.
Last month, Ms. François was a guest of honor at the 39th edition of the Love International Film Festival Mons in Belgium to present her latest feature, “Pauline grandeur nature.” In this Belgian-Swiss co-production, directed by Nadège de Benoit-Luthy, she plays the part of Pauline, a landscaper who juggles between her children and her work, and must fight to find a place in a male environment. When her mother tells her that she plans to live abroad and will no longer look after her children, Pauline gets the opportunity to manage an important construction site. On all fronts, her life is failing. Now the question is if she can bounce back, assert herself, and find her place.
During the Festival, Ms. François and the film crew introduced “Pauline grandeur nature” at the Plaza Arthouse Cinéma; afterward, they held a Q&A. Shortly before the screening of the film, I was able to sit down with Ms. François at the Plaza Arthouse Cinéma for a one-on-one about her craft and her métier as an actress. This conversation was conducted in English, a language she speaks effortlessly and fluently.
Ms. François, do you remember your first encounter with the Dardenne brothers?
Yes, I do. It was during the casting for “L’enfant” (2005) and it was pretty surprising. Usually, directors don’t go to the first round; there were so many of us. I asked them afterward how many girls they had seen, and they told me they had met more than one hundred and twenty girls. So the first time I was in that long and wide room, they were sitting at the very end, watching me walk toward them, and I was very impressed. The first time we were supposed to spend fifteen minutes together, but it was more than twenty minutes. That was a good sign.
That’s twenty years ago. You’ve been around for so long now, and you’re still only in your thirties.
That’s nice of you to notice [laughs]. It may give me a chance to have a very long career—hopefully. Getting old in cinema is a privilege.
Actors often come and go, but you’re here to stay, aren’t you? How do you manage to have such a consistent career and stay a leading lady in French-language cinema for such a long time?
I think that if you love what you do, you can’t get enough. And acting is a very hopeful profession; it’s not boring because you always do something new and meet new people. So it’s a huge advantage to be an actress. Every time, it’s totally different. People work in a very different way. And at the same time, it’s not what it was twenty years ago. I can manage my stress much better now. So that’s very good. I used to be a very anxious person twenty years ago.
Throughout your career, you have received numerous accolades for your performances. Is there a specific type of character that you enjoy portraying? A kind of woman in a particular situation?
Not really. My main goal is to be surprised. I want people to surprise me; that’s why you do this profession. You don’t want to be bored, you don’t want to repeat yourself. This job is different—every day, every time. Once you’ve done a scene, it’s done. You can’t undo it. People can go back on it, they can relive it, but I can’t. So that’s pretty good. I like that. That’s also the difference between theater and cinema. In films, once you’ve done it, it’s done. If necessary, you can do more than one take; you work on a scene for an hour, two hours, maybe a whole afternoon, but the next day—you move on to the next scene.
Déborah François introduces “Pauline grandeur nature” at the Love International Film Festival Mons | Film TalkYou just said that you like to be surprised. That begins when you get to read the screenplay for the first time?
Yes. First, you get to know your character, what she does, who she is, what she’s like, and I like to project myself into the character. That’s something intimate. I need to connect with the character—or not connect. Sometimes you read a script and you don’t connect with the character nor with the story at all. When you’re shooting, you will be surprised by the director’s working method.
Do you have a working method of your own, when you get immersed in your character or when you’re ready to play a scene?
It depends on the character, on the mood of your character, who that person is, if your character is able to do things that you are not… Maybe it can be more technical at some point; sometimes, it’s more emotional. For me, it depends on the focus of the scene. On the other hand, if it’s a very dramatic setting, you need to escape to keep your sanity [laughs] and then I like to talk with the other actors, and laugh. But at the same time, you must be aware of where you are, who you are and where your energy is, so I need to get back to myself—to the real Déborah. But if the scene is really emotional, I think it’s better to stay in that bubble for as long as it takes.
You are a very gifted actress, and you always give the impression that acting is very easy. Is it really that easy?
[Pauzes.] I don’t ask that question myself that way because it’s a tricky question. I’m very passionate about acting. We’re playing with feelings, and some are not that easy, so acting is not always easy. You need to grow and find them which can be difficult, but that is what is expected from you. You’re there to do that. You’re already lucky enough to play that role, so you can’t be lucky enough to make it easy. Sometimes, it must cost you a lot of effort. It’s only fair to the public that you need to work hard to get the job done. But there’s no other job in the world where you have to cry the whole afternoon, and when at the end everyone says, ‘Great! Thank you!’ And I have that job [laughs].
Three films starring Déborah François: “Le premier jour du reste de ta vie” (2008), Dominick Moll’s “La moine” (2011, a.k.a. “The Monk”), “Pauline grandeur nature” (2023)Does one take usually work for you?
It can, but it’s not really up to me. The director may want a different version or a different approach, and usually, it’s risky to do only one take. Sometimes you’re at your best in the beginning, but it can be at the sixth or seventh take. For me, the first take is the one I have been waiting for the whole time. It has been in my mind for so long, and when I arrive on the set, I’m so ready for it. Other times, it’s like you start something and with the first take you simply feel it doesn’t work. The chemistry is not there and you don’t know why, but you feel it. Then you need to look for the right version. And you never know that when you start shooting; that’s part of the fun. Sometimes, you think it will be easy, you try stuff and it doesn’t work. You wonder why, you have to change what you do, or change something technical… It’s full of surprises.
Does your work as a leading actress also give you a responsibility? Is it a weight on your shoulders?
You mean a responsibility to the public?
The expectations are very high, I suppose?
But some people put pressure on themselves, while others don’t. As I said, I used to be anxious; I know I did put pressure on myself, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of my job. Maybe I would have been the same if I worked at the post office, I don’t know. So some people do and some don’t. And in a way, I still put pressure on myself.
Is there an actress or film you saw as a child that triggered you to become an actress?
No, it was not just one. I liked theater most of all. I liked to see the work of those actors. Cinema is further away from you as a spectator; it’s not something you can touch. But when I saw those actors on the stage, I thought, ‘Wow, I want to be that girl.’ That was my first impulse. Those two people over there took me to the theater when I was little [points to a couple seated next to us: her parents]. Them. It’s their fault [laughs].
Love International Film Festival Mons,
March 11, 2024
“Pauline grandeur nature” (2023, trailer)
FILMS
L’ENFANT, a.k.a. THE CHILD (2005) DIR – SCR Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne PROD Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd CAM Alain Marcoen ED Marie-Hélène Dozo CAST Jérémie Renier, Déborah François (Sonia), Jérémie Segard, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet, Anne Gerard, Bernard Marbaix
LA TOURNEUSE DE PAGES, a.k.a. THE PAGE TURNER (2006) DIR Denis Dercourt PROD Michel Saint-Jean SCR Denis Dercourt, Jacques Sotty CAM Jérôme Peyrebrune ED François Gédigier MUS Jérôme Lemonnier CAST Catherine Frot, Déborah François (Mélanie), Pascal Greggory, Clotilde Mollet, Xavier de Guillebon, Christine Citti, Jacques Bonnaffé
LES FOURMIS ROUGES (2007) DIR Stéphan Carpiaux PROD Stéphan Carpiaux, Jean-Luc Van Damme SCR Stéphan Carpiaux, Laurent Denis CAM Philippe Guilbert ED France Duez MUS Frédéric Vercheval CAST Déborah François (Alex), Frédéric Pierrot, Arthur Jugnot, Julie Gayet, Claire Johnston, Franck Sasonoff
L’ÉTÉ INDIEN (2007) DIR – SCR Alain Raoust PROD Bertrand Gore ED Sophie Deseuzes CAST Johan Leysen, Déborah François (Suzanne), Philippe Duclos, Johanna ter Steege, Brigitte Sy, Frédérique Bonnal, Thierry de Peretti, Birgit Ludwig, Laurent Sofiatti, Jean Ségani
LES FEMMES DE L’OMBRE, a.k.a. FEMALE AGENTS (2008) DIR Jean-Paul Salomé PROD Éric Névé SCR Jean-Paul Salomé, Laurent Vachaud CAM Pascal Ridao ED Marie-Pierre Renaud MUS Bruno Coulais CAST Sophie Marceau, Julie Depardieu, Marie Gillain, Déborah François (Gaëlle Lemenech), Maya Sansa, Julien Boisselier, Vincent Rottiers
LE PREMIER JOUR DU RESTE DE TA VIE, a.k.a. THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (2008) DIR – SCR Rémi Bezançon PROD Eric Altmeyer, Nicolas Altmeyer CAM Antoine Monod ED Sophie Reine MUS Sinclair CAST James Gamblin, Zabou Bretman, Déborah François (Fleur Duval), Marc-André Grondin, Pio Marmaï, Roger Dumas, Cécile Cassel, Stanley Weber, Gilles Lelouche
UNMADE BEDS (2009) DIR Alexis Dos Santos PROD Soledad Gatti-Pascual, Bertrand Faivre, Peter Ettedgui SCR Alexis Dos Santos, Marianela Maldonado CAM Jakob Ihre ED Olivier Bugge Coutté CAST Déborah François (Vera), Fernando Tielve, Michel Huisman, Iddo Goldberg, Richard Lintern, Katia Winter, Alexis Dos Santos, Lucy Tillett
FAIS-MOI PLAISIR!, a.k.a. PLEASE, PLEASE ME! (2009) DIR – SCR Emmanuel Mouret PROD Frédéric Niedermeyer CAM Laurent Desmet ED Martial Salomon MUS Jérôme Rebotier, David Hadjadj CAST Emmanuel Mouret, Judith Godrèche, Déborah François (Aneth), Frédérique Bel, Jacques Weber, Dany Brillant, Mikaël Gaudin, Fred Epaud, Frédéric Niedermeyer
MY QUEEN KARO (2009) DIR – SCR Dorothée Van Den Berghe PROD Frank Van Passel, Bert Hamelinck, Kato Maes, Arielle van Gestel CAM Jan Vancaillie ED Marie-Hélène Dozo CAST Anna Franziska Jaeger, Déborah François (Dalia), Matthias Schoenaerts, Maria Kraakman, Samuel du Chatinier, Cezanne Cuypers, Ward Weemhoff, Nico Sturm
LA MOINE, a.k.a. THE MONK (2011) DIR Dominik Moll PROD Michel Saint-Jean SCR Dominik Moll, Anne-Louise Trividic (novel “The Monk” [1796] by Matthew Lewis) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Sylvie Lager, François Gédigier MUS Alberto Iglesias CAST Vincent Cassel, Déborah François (Valerio), Joséphine Japy, Sergi López, Catherine Mouchet, Jordi Dauder, Geraldine Chaplin, Roxane Duran, Javivi, Pierre-Félix Gravière, Frédéric Noaille, Serge Faeuillard
MEMORIES CORNER (2011) DIR – SCR Audrey Fouché PROD Jérôme Vidal CAM Nicolas Gaurin ED Maxime-Claude L’Écuyer CAST Déborah François (Ada Servier), Hiroshi Abe, François Papineau, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Sansei Shiomi, Mitsuko Baishô, Seizô Fukumoto, Yura Arata, Minehiro Minamitani
LES TRIBULATIONS D’UNE CASSIÈRE (2011) DIR Pierre Rambaldi PROD Pierre Rambaldi, Serge de Poucques, Sylvain Goldberg SCR Michel Siksik (novel “Les tribulations d’une cassière” [2008] by Anna Sam) CAM Thomas Hardmeier ED Cyril Besnard MUS Emmanuel Rambaldi CAST Déborah François (Solweig Antoniazi), Elsa Zylberstein, Nicolas Giraud, Gilles Cohen, Firmine Richard, Marc Lavoine, Alice Belaïdi, Jean-Luc Couchard
ZARAFA (2012, animation) DIR Rémi Bezançon, Jean-Christophe Lie PROD Christopher Jankovic, Valérie Schermann SCR Rémi Bezançon, Alexander Abela ED Sophie Reine MUS Laurent Perez Del Mar CAST (voice only) Déborah François (Zafara), Thierry Frémont, Simon Abkarian, Ronit Elkabetz, Mohamed Fellag, Roger Dumas, Vernon Dobtcheff, François-Xavier Demaison, Philippe Morier-Genoud
POPULAIRE (2012) DIR Régis Roinsard PROD Alain Attal SCR Régis Roinsard, Daniel Presley, Romain Compingt CAM Guillaume Schiffman ED Sophie Reine, Laure Gardette MUS Robin Coudert, Emmanuel D’Orlando CAST Romain Duris, Déborah François (Rose Pamphyle), Bérénice Bejo, Shaun Benson, Mélanie Bernier, Nicolas Bedos, Miou-Miou, Eddy Mitchell
UN BEAU DIMANCHE, a.k.a. GOING AWAY (2013) DIR Nicole Garcia PROD Philippe Martin SCR Nicole Garcia, Jacques Fieschi CAM Pierre Milon ED Simon Jacquet MUS Eric Neveux CAST Louise Bourgoin, Pierre Rochefort, Dominique Sanda, Déborah François (Emmanuelle Cambière), Eric Ruf, Benjamin Lavernhe, Mathias Brezot
MAESTRO (2014) DIR Léa Fazer PROD Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer, Isabelle Grellat SCR Léa Fazer, Jocelyn Quivrin CAM Lucas Leconte ED Jean-François Elie MUS Clément Ducol CAST Pio Marmaï, Michael Lonsdale, Déborah François (Gloria), Alice Belaïdi, Nicolas Bridet, Dominique Reymond, Micha Lescot, Scali Delpayrat
FLEUR DE TONNERRE, a.k.a. THE POISONING ANGEL (2016) DIR Stéphanie Pillonca PROD Jean-Pierre Guérin SCR Stéphanie Pillonca, Gustave Kervern (novel “Fleur de tonnerre” [2013] by Jean Teulé) CAM Hugues Poulain ED Kako Kelber MUS Matthieu Gonet, Sylvain Goldberg CAST Déborah François (Hélène Jégado, dite Fleur de Tonnerre), Benjamin Biolay, Jonathan Zaccaï, Catherine Mouchet, Blanche François, Féodor Atkine
CÉZANNE ET MOI (2016) DIR – SCR Danièle Thompson PROD Albert Koski CAM Jean-Marie Dreujou ED Sylvie Landra MUS Eric Neveux CAST Guillaune Canet, Guillaume Gallienne, Alice Pol, Déborah François (Hortense Cézanne), Sabine Azéma, Pierre Yvon, Gérard Meylan, Laurent Stocker, Isabelle Candelier, Freya Mavor
MA FAMILLE T’ADORE DÈJÀ!, a.k.a. MY FAMILY LOVES YOU ALREADY! (2016) DIR Jérôme Commandeur, Alan Corno PROD Dany Boon, Yaël Boon, Eric Hubert, Laurent Storch SCR Jérôme Commandeur, Frédéric Jurie, Kevin Knepper ED Catherine Renault MUS Maxime Desprez, Michaël Tordjman CAST Thierry Lhermitte, Marie-Anne Chazel, Sabine Azéma, Déborah François (Eva), Arthur Dupont, Valérie Karsenti, Jérôme Commandeur, Éric Berger
CHACUN SA VIE, a.k.a. EVERYONE’S LIFE (2017) DIR Claude Lelouch PROD Claude Lelouch, Samuel Hadida, Victor Hadida SCR Claude Lelouch (adaptation by Claude Lelouch, Pierre Uytterhoeven, Valérie Perrin, Grégoire Lacroix) CAM Robert Alazraki ED Stéphane Mazalaigue MUS Francis Lai, Laurent Couson, Dimitri Naiditch CAST Éric Dupond-Moretti, Johnny Hallyday, Nadia Farés, Jean Dujardin, Christophe Lambert, Antoine Duléry, Marianne Denicourt, Rufus, Stéphane De Groodt, Déborah François (Jessica), Mathilde Seigner, Philippe Lellouche, Laurent Couson
LOUE-MOI! (2017) DIR – SCR Coline Assous, Virginie Schwartz PROD Kev Adams, Laurent Hadida, Samuel Hadida, Victor Hadida, Elisa Soussan CAM Mathieu Czernichow ED Nathalie Hubert MUS Alexandre Lier, Sylvain Ohrel, Nicolas Weil CAST Déborah François (Léa Masson), Alison Wheeler, Marc Ruchman, Benjamin Bellecour, Charlotte de Turckheim, Barnard Menez, Lionel Abelanski, Jacques Boudet, Arlé Elmaleh
L’AUTRE CONTINENT, a.k.a. TERRITORY OF LOVE (2018) DIR – SCR Romain Cogitore PROD Vincent Wang, Tom Dercourt CAM Thomas Ozoux ED Romain Cogitore, Florent Vassault MUS Mathieu Lamboley CAST Déborah François (Maria), Paul Hamy, Daniel Martin, Christiane Millet, Vincent Perez, Nanou Garcia, Aviis Zhong, Jürgen Zwingel, Adèle Choubard
NEVER GROW OLD (2019) DIR – SCR Ivan Kavanaugh PROD Jacqueline Kerrin, Nicolas Steil, Dominic Wright CAM Piers McGrail ED Bernard Beets, Dermot Diskin MUS Aza Hand, Gast Waltzing CAST Emile Hirsch, Déborah François (Audrey Tate), John Cusack, Molly McCann, Quinn Topper Marcus, Sam Louwyck, Camille Pistone, Danny Webb, Tim Ahern, Anne Coesens
L’ÈTAT SAUVAGE, a.k.a. SAVAGE STATE (2019) DIR – SCR David Perrault PROD Farès Ladjimi, Sylvain Corbeil CAM Christophe Duchange ED Maxime Pozzi-Garcia MUS Sébastien Perrault CAST Alice Isaaz, Kevin Janssens, Déborah François (Justine), Bruno Todeschini, Constance Dollé, Armelle Abibou, Maryne Bertieaux, Kate Moran
EL PRACTICANTE, a.k.a. THE PARAMEDIC (2020) DIR Carles Torras PROD Carles Torras, Miguel Ruz SCR Hèctor Hernández Vicens, David Desola (original idea by Carles Torras) CAM Juan Sebastián Vasquez ED Elena Ruiz, Emanuele Tiziani MUS Santos Martínez CAST Mario Casas, Déborah François (Vane), Guillermo Pfening, Maria Rodríguez Soto, Celso Bugallo, Raúl Jiménez, Pol Monen
MI SOLEDAD TIENE ALAS, a.k.a. MY LONELINESS HAS WINGS (2023) DIR Mario Casas PROD Núria Valls, Adrián Guerra SCR Mario Casas, Déborah François CAM Edu Canet ED Verónica Callón MUS Zeltia Montes CAST Óscar Casas, Candela González, Farid Bechara, Francisco Boira, Adolfo Parra, Yerlin Ureña Gil, Ángeles Moreno, Nur Olabarria, Rebeca Aliena, Déborah François (Francesca)
PAULINE GRANDEUR NATURE (2023) DIR Nadège de Benoit-Luthy PROD Elena Tatti SCR Nadège de Benoit-Luthy, Géraldine Keiflin, Delphine Lehericey, Catherine Paillé, Nicolas Pleskof CAM Dino Berguglia ED Myriam Rachmuth MUS Félix Fivaz, Mallika Hermand CAST Déborah François (Pauline), Thibault Evrard, Jo Deseure, Baptiste Gilliéron, Jean-Henri Compère, Sophie Breyer, Eva Monti
French-born Roxane Mesquida (b. 1981) is a star in international films and an award-winning actress, most notably for her role in “Méduse” (2022) which earned her kudos at the New York International Women Festival, the Hollywood Gold Awards and the Los Angeles Film Awards. It comes as no surprise that Americans praise her skills as an accomplished actress, since she has resided in Los Angeles for many years.
She appeared in films opposite Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Cassel and Asia Argento. In France she worked with directors such as Manuel Pradal and best-selling novelist and provocative filmmaker Catherine Breillat, and in the U.S. she collaborated with critically acclaimed director Gregg Araki and Xan (Alexandra) Cassavetes, the daughter of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands. Ms. Mesquida also appeared in three episodes of the highly successful TV series “Gossip Girl” (2007-2012).
During last year’s edition of the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, Ms. Mesquida was a member of the International Jury. On a bright and sunny afternoon in Brussels, the following interview was conducted. We didn’t talk too much about her indepedent, artistic and/or experimental films—you won’t find any mainstream films in her oeuvre—but we rather focused on her life on both sides of the Atlantic which makes her, among today’s French leading ladies, a unique and one-of-a-kind actress in her country of origin.
Several of your films have been festival favorites for quite some time, haven’t they?
I had quite a few movies playing at festivals, and I have been invited to a genre film festival in France, which was the equivalent of the BIFFF. It’s exciting to talk to people who like these movies. That’s when I realized I’ve done many of them [laughs]. Although, they’re rather strange movies, I should say—they’re not really horror movies.
“Méduse” (2022, French-language trailer without subtitles)
You are one of the few French-born film actresses who also lives in the U.S. In the 1920s and 1930s there was this so-called colony of German-speaking actors and directors in Hollywood. Is there maybe also a French-language community in Los Angeles?
Not really. I come from very indie French movies; I have worked a lot with Catherine Breillat, and she’s loved all over the world, more than in her own country. So when I started working with her, she said, ‘You’d better work on your English because you’re going to work in the United States. It’s going to be hard to stay in France.’ And she was right. After three movies with her, I realized that. I was very lucky because I was invited to go to Los Angeles for a photo shoot; one of the films I did with Catherine was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 [“Une vieille maitresse,” a.k.a. “The Last Mistress”]. While I was in Los Angeles, I met Gregg Araki, the amazing American director, and he asked if I was interested in working on his next movie. I was a huge fan, so I was thrilled and couldn’t believe it. Then I began making indie American movies. I didn’t go to Hollywood to be in big Hollywood movies. And I haven’t done that. They were very indie American films. I did there the movies that I would have done in France. Instead of being in big commercial movies, I was true to myself, to the movies I like and the directors I admire. I think it worked in my favor, and that’s why I have done so much stuff there. “Gossip Girl” [three episodes from 2011-2012] is probably the biggest thing I’ve done, and the favorite movie of the creator of “Gossip Girl” is “Fat Girl” [2001, originally titled “À ma soeur!”], the first Catherine Breillat film I did. It’s funny; you wouldn’t realize or think that you can be in a big thing like this after the creator saw you in this indie movie. So for me, the whole thing makes sense [laughs].
Do you still live in Los Angeles now?
After thirteen years in Los Angeles, I just moved to Paris because I have a French movie called “Méduse” [2022] that just came out in France, and so I thought, ‘Okay, I want to use that as an excuse to go back to France and see if I would like it.’ And I have to say, I really enjoy Paris now [laughs]. So I don’t want to return to Los Angeles quite yet. But I love Los Angeles; the city reminds me of Marseille [city in the South of France where she was born], with the nature, the pines, the people, and their friendliness. They are always ready to help.
For many actors or filmmakers, it would be a dream if they could live and work in Hollywood. What was it like for you when you first arrived there?
It was not really a dream for me to go to Hollywood. It wasn’t something I had been thinking about. I wasn’t even thinking about being in movies when I was a child. I grew up in a very small town in southern France and never considered becoming an actor. When I was thirteen, I was walking in the street; a director [Manuel Pradal] saw me and asked, ‘I’m trying to find locations for my movie. Would you be interested in a casting for this movie?’ He took out his camera, started asking me questions and hired me [“Marie baie des anges” a.k.a. “Marie From the Bay of Angels,” 1998]. If I hadn’t met that director at that moment, I don’t think I would have been an actress. Everything just happened. I did a movie with Benoît Jacquot a few years later [“L’école de la chair” a.k.a. “The School of Flesh,” 1998]. It all happened very naturally. Then I worked with Catherine Breillat and Gregg Araki and I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to Los Angeles, shoot the movie, and we’ll see what happens. Maybe I’ll stay there for a year.’ I had a visa and stayed there for thirteen years. I met Quentin Dupieux and worked with him, then again with Gregg Araki on a TV show, then Xan Cassavetes and all these other directors. It just happened naturally; I didn’t force anything.
Living in Los Angeles for so many years must have been quite an experience, I suppose. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to live and work there?
I don’t know if I am the right person to give anyone advice. I wouldn’t even recommend this job to my daughter. It’s very tough. Some friends of mine are amazing actors, and they just don’t work. Nobody hires them. Very often, it’s not about being the best actor, unfortunately. There are so many other things, like social media; they might just take someone who is famous on TikTok, rather than a talented actor. So what I would say is, make sure you have another passion in your life because it can be very frustrating. Nobody has a career when everything is wonderful every day; you have ups and downs. When it’s up, that’s amazing. But when it’s down, it’s so hard. And you never know when—or if—it will go up. I have been acting for twenty-nine years, and I have been lucky to stay pretty constant. But it’s tough; the insecurity of our job can make you very anxious. And I have children. So do I want all that stress about my work that much? No. My children are more important.
You just suggested to have another passion, besides acting. You are a model too, aren’t you?
No, I am not a model [laughs]. I am too short to be a model. People always think I am a model. I mean, I love pictures and I love photography as an artistic medium. That’s why I have worked with a lot of photographers. But I have never been on a catwalk. So I don’t know why people have this image of me being a model.
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
April 21, 2023
FILMS
MARIE BAIE DES ANGES, a.k.a. MARIE FROM THE BAY OF ANGELS (1997) DIR – SCR Manuel Pradal PROD Philippe Rousselet CAM Christophe Pollock ED Valérie Deseine MUS Carlo Crivelli CAST Frédéric Malgras, Vahina Giocante, Nicolas Welbers, Amira Casar, Swan Carpio, Jamie Harris, Andrew Clover, Roxane Mesquida (Mireille)
L’ÉCOLE DE LA CHAIR, a.k.a. THE SCHOOL OF FLESH (1998) DIR Benoît Jacquot PROD Fabienne Vonier SCR Jacques Fieschi (novel “Nikutao no Gakkō” [1963] by Yukio Mishima) CAM Caroline Champetier ED Luc Barnier CAST Isabelle Huppert, Vincent Martinez, Vincent Lindon, Marthe Keller, François Berléand, Danièle Dubroux, Bernard Le Coq, Roxane Mesquida (Marine)
À MA SOEUR! (2001) DIR – SCR Catherine Breillat PROD Jean-François Lepetit CAM Giorgos Arvanitis ED Pascale Chavance CAST Anaïs Reboux, Roxane Mesquida (Elena Pingot), Libero de Rienzo, Arsinée Khanjian, Romain Coupil, Laura Betti, Albert Goldberg, Odette Barrière, Ann Matthijse
SEX IS COMEDY (2002) DIR – SCR Catherine Breillat PROD Jean-François Lepetit CAM Laurent Machuel ED Pascale Chavance CAST Anne Parillaud, Grégoire Colin, Roxane Mesquida (The Actress), Ashley Wanninger, Dominique Colladant, Bart Binnema, Yves Osmu, Elisabete Piecho, Francis Selleck
SEXES TRÈS OPPOSÉS, a.k.a. VERY OPPOSITE SEXES (2002) DIR – SCR Eric Assous PROD David Kodsi CAM Gilles Henry ED Anne Aravecchi MUS Jean-Claude Petit CAST Charlotte de Turckheim, Patrick Chesnais, Elisa Tovati, Antoine Duléry, Jean-Noël Brouté, Roxane Mesquida (Hélène), Véronique Boulanger, Stéphanie Lagarde
LE GRAND VOYAGE, a.k.a. THE GREAT JOURNEY (2004) DIR – SCR Ismaël Ferroukhi PROD Humbert Balsan CAM Katell Djian ED Tina Baz MUS Fowzi Guerdjou CAST Nicolas Calazé, Mohamed Majd, Jacky Nercessian, Ghina Ognianova, Kamel Belghazi, Atik Mohamed, Malika Mesrar El Hadaoui, Roxane Mesquida (voice only)
SHEITAN, a.k.a. SATAN (2006) DIR Kim Chapiron PROD Vincent Cassel, Kim Chapiron, Éric Névé SCR Kim Chapiron, Christian Chapiron CAM Alex Lamarque ED Benjamin Weill MUS Nguyen Lê CAST Vincent Cassel, Olivier Barthélémy, Roxanne Mesquida (Eve), Nico Le Phat Tan, Leïla Bekhti, Laj Ly, Julie-Marie Parmentier, Monica Bellucci
UNE VIEILLE MAÎTRESSE, a.k.a. THE LAST MISTRESS (2007) DIR Catherine Breillat PROD Jean-François Lepetit SCR (novel “Une vieille maîtresse” [1851] by Jules-Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly; adaptation by Catherine Breillat) CAM Giorgos Arvanitis ED Pascale Chavance CAST Asia Argento, Fu’ad Aït Aattou, Roxane Mesquida (Harmangarde), Claude Sarraute, Yolande Moreau, Michel Lonsdale, Anne Parillaud, Jean-Philippe Tesse, Léa Seydoux
LA DÉRIVE (2009) DIR – PROD – SCR – ED Philippe Terrier-Hermann CAM Arnold Pasquier CAST Simon Buret, Andy Gillet, Dimitri Capitain, Charles Delpon, Roxane Mesquida (Antonin’s Sister), Brady Corbet, Christian Tual, Diane de Beauveau
KABOOM (2010) DIR – SCR – ED Gregg Araki PROD Gregg Araki, Pascal Caucheteux, Andrea Sperling CAM Sandra Valde-Hansen MUS Ulrich Schnauss, Robin Guthrie, Vivek Maddala, Mark Peters CAST Thomas Dekker, Haley Bennett, Chris Zylka, Roxane Mesquida (Lorelei), Juno Temple, Andy Fischer-Price, Nicole LaLiberte, Jason Olive, James Duval
RUBBER (2010) DIR – SCR – CAM – ED Quentin Dupieux PROD Julien Berlan MUS Mr. Oizo [Quentin Dupieux], Gaspard Augé CAST Stephen Spinela, Roxane Mesquida (Sheila), Jack Plotnick, Wings Hauser, Ethan Cohn, Charley Koontz, Daniel Quinn, Devin Brochu, Hayley Holmes, Haley Ramm, Cecilia Antoinette
SENNENTUNTSCHI (2010) DIR Michael Steiner PROD Bruno Seemann, Bernd Burgener SCR Michael Steiner, Stephanie Japp CAM Pascal Walder ED Benjamin Fueter, Ueli Christen MUS Adrian Frutiger CAST Roxane Mesquida (Sennentuntschi), Nicholas Ofczarek, Andrea Zogg, Carlos Leal, Joel Basman, Hanspeter Müller, Rebecca Indermaur, Ueli Jäggi
THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE DYING (2012) DIR Kirstin Marcon PROD Alex Cole-Baker SCR Kirstin Marcon (novel “Seraphim Blues” by Steven Gannaway) CAM Crighton Bone ED Peter Roberts MUS Grayson Gilmour CAST Matt Whelan, Roxane Mesquida (Sylvie), Pana Hema-Taylor, Matthew J. Saville, Mandy McNeill, Sophie Henderson, Caren Pistorius, Steven Gannaway
KISS OF THE DAMNED (2012) DIR – SCR Xan Cassavetes PROD Jen Gatien, Alex Orlovsky CAM Tobias Datum ED John F. Lyons, Taylor Gianotas MUS Steven Hufsteter CAST Joséphine de la Baume, Roxane Mesquida (Mimi), Milo Ventimiglia, Caitlin Keats, Anna Mouglalis, Ashley Munns, Michael Rapaport, Ching Valdes-Aran
WRONG COPS (2013) DIR – SCR – MUS – CAM – ED Quentin Dupieux PROD Diane Jassem, Josef Lieck CAST Marx Burnham, Eric Judor, Steve Little, Marilyn Manson, Eric Warehem, Grace Zabriskie, Arden Myrin, Ray Wise, Steve Howey, Daniel Quinn, Eric Roberts, Roxane Mesquida (Special Guest)
RÉALITÉ (2014) DIR – SCR – CAM – ED – MUS Quentin Dupieux PROD Diane Jassem, Kevin Van Der Meiren CAST Jonathan Lambert, Élodie Bouchez, Eric Wareheim, John Glover, Jon Heder, Alain Chabat, Kyla Kenedy, Matt Battaglia, Susan Diol, Erik Passoja, Jonathan Spencer, Roxane Mesquida (Award Hostess)
MALGRÉ LA NUIT (2015) DIR Philippe Grandrieux SCR Philippe Grandrieux, Bertrand Schefer, Rebecca Ziotowski, John-Henry Butterworth CAM Jessica Lee Gagné MUS Ferdinand Grandrieux CAST Kristian Marr, Ariane Labeb, Roxane Mesquida (Lena/Louis’ Girlfriend), Paul Hamy, Johan Leysen, Sam Louwyck, Aurélien Recoing, Gabrielle Lazure
MERCURY IN RETROGRADE (2017) DIR – SCR Michael Glover Smith PROD Michael Glover Smith, Shane Simmons, Kevin W. Wright CAM Jason Chiu ED Frank V. Ross CAST Alana Arenas, Roxane Mesquida (Isabelle), Jack C. Newell, Shane Simmons, Najarra Townsend, Kevin Wehby, Clare Cooney, Amy Geist
BURNING SHADOW (2018) DIR Alexandre Nahon PROD Alexandre Nahon, Ehud Bleiberg, Nicholas Donnermeyer SCR Alexandre Nahon, Brian Swinehart (story by Alexandre Nahon) CAM Kit Pennebaker ED Vincent Tabaillon MUS Sebastien Chenut CAST Matthew Denis Lewis, Roxane Mesquida (Summer), Russell Dennis Lewis, Richard Edson, Julie Delpy, Sal Landi, Charlie Wadhams, Christopher Callen, Stevie Guttman
PLAY OR DIE (2019) DIR Jacques Kluger PROD Jacques Kluger, Sebastien Auscher, Serge de Poucques, Sylvain Goldberg, David Elfersi, Amélie Pimont, Yohann Zveig SCR Jacques Kluger, Amiel Bartana (novel “Puzzle” [2013] by Franck Thilliez) CAM Danny Elsen ED Thomas Vanthuyne, Soline Guyonneau MUS Sylvain Goldberg, Yohann Zveig, Emilien Levistre, Xiaoxi Levistre CAST Charley Palmer Rothwell, Roxane Mesquida (Chloé), Marie Zabukovec, Thomas Mustin, Daphné Huynh, Hippolyte de Poucques, Caroline Donnelly
MÉDUSE (2022) DIR – SCR Sophie Lévy PROD Franck Annese CAM Nicolas Desaintquentin ED Sophie Lévy, Sanabel Cherqaoui MUS Olivier Marguerit CAST Roxane Mesquida (Romane), Arnaud Valois, Anamaria Vartolomei, Pierre Nisse, Léo Dussollier, Maxime Gleizes, Amanda Rubinstein, Mehdi Rahim-Silvioli
For many years, Belgian-born screen actress Cécile de France (48) has been one of France’s leading ladies and most successful actresses in mainstream and arthouse films. She first achieved success in French cinema with hit films such as “L’Art (délicat) de la séduction” (2001) and “Irène” (2002), followed by her international breakthrough film, “High Tension” (2003). Ms. de France has been going strong ever since.
As the recipient of two César Awards, she played numerous memorable and empathic characters over the years, and she was the first star to work with the Dardenne brothers—Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne—when they made “Le gamin au vélo” (2011, a.k.a. “The Kid With a Bike”), another precious gem.
Even though she works in France most of the time, making two to three films a year, and has been living there for many years, she says, je me sens profondément belge. And that’s where she was last October when she attended the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur to introduce her latest film, “Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe,” directed by Martin Provost.
The film focuses on the life and work of French painter Pierre Bonnard and his wife Marthe, played by Vincent Macaigne and Cécile de France. The result is a highly recommended and solid piece of entertainment with powerhouse performances, taking the film d’époque genre to the next level when you see that life can imitate art, and art imitates the human heart.
Cécile de France with Martin Provost at the Festival International du Film Francophone | Film TalkThis interview with Cécile de France was conducted at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur. In Belgium, the film will be playing in theaters from January 10 and is released through Imagine Film Distribution.
Ms. de France, what inspired you to play the part of Marthe?
I was eager to make a film with Martin [Provost] because I have always admired “Séraphine” [2008]. That was a remarkable film, so I wanted to work with this grand portraitiste de femmes who always has this very interesting and tender approach towards mysterious female characters, and Marthe is a very mysterious woman. When I had read the screenplay, I discovered there was something very passionate to tell when she takes you on her journey. Her story begins the day she meets Pierre; it marked the beginning of her transformation as she invented a new name for herself and pretended to be a bourgeois while she was a poor peasant girl. She knew what she wanted and didn’t want, and by changing her name, pretending to be an Italian woman and erasing her past, she tried not to lose the man she loved. It made her life much more complicated than it already was; she suffered and developed asthma like a ghost from the past. That’s very powerful, and it influenced the work of Pierre Bonnard. He painted her face as if she was locked in a solitary and secret world. And when he didn’t paint her face, you saw her three-quarters, vague, or hidden. It seemed interesting to portray a character this enigmatic who kept her secret for so long and transcended her feelings in her paintings, as she became a painter too. And like Séraphine, this was a unique opportunity for me. Marthe was mentally ill, psychotic and phobic, and covering her whole trajectory until she died is very challenging for any actress. You don’t get parts like that every day, so I could not turn down this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The way Marthe paints, with all the movements and gestures she makes with her hands, how did you do that?
Édith Bodron did the paintings for the film, and she taught us—Vincent Macaigne and me—the technique of Pierre and Marthe. It was interesting because it brought me closer to my character; her paintings were totally different from Pierre’s. He was precise and meticulous while she worked with pastels; you need your fingers, which makes her work look more naive and childish. Her paintings are powerful, but the technique is not complicated, so it was very accessible for me. Also, she never took any classes; she never went to the Academy. She used whatever she had at home.
Did you also research her life, or did you prefer to portray her how you think she could have been?
Not the way I thought she was, but the way Martin did. He also gave me several books written about her. To many biographers, she was fascinating; it was apparent she was not the woman she pretended she was. So, it was fascinating to dig into all this information that is available and have a first impression of who she is. And then, it’s important to forget everything and pay close attention to Martin’s view on Marthe. The way he wanted me to portray her is pretty much how she was.
What was it like to play Marthe at various stages in her life?
That was amazing because Kaatje Van Damme did the make-up. I think she’s the best maquilleuse in Belgian and French cinema and beyond. She did everything in a very artistic way with hardly any special effects to enhance her amazing work. The aging process of Marthe looks excellent, and it helped me tremendously. When I was made up and played Marthe as a young woman, or when she was ill, tired, or old, it helped me to bring out the emotions of each stage in her life. It was a great collaboration to create Marthe when she was young, ill, and old.
With each new role, you amaze the audience because, as a viewer, you never know what to expect. Your performances are always astounding and enriching.
That is what I try to find in each role that I play. I always hope to play roles that bring something new, something else, because you don’t want to repeat yourself. I always choose new characters to play that are very different from those I have done before. That’s very amusing; when you change costumes, or they give you a different hairstyle, and you play that other person, that’s always a real treat. But it requires a lot of work; I do most of my work at home—and do it very rigorously—to make sure I’m on the same page with the film director who knows how to tell the story, and then I offer myself to the director like Marthe offers herself to Pierre. In a way, I do the same when working with an enthusiastic film director who has a personal view on the subject and wants to say something substantially. It helps me to reach beyond that point where I wouldn’t get if I were to do it on my own.
Is that the reason why you play characters that speak a universal language? Because even though you mostly appear in French-language films, your characters and how you portray them are universally appealing.
I like the idea that anyone can identify with a character I play—men and women. It’s typically human that film and its universal language allow people to connect across all borders. Language shouldn’t be a restriction; age shouldn’t be a restriction. They unite us if we understand the contradictions in others. There are so many stories to tell, and seeing all those different facets in any human being is very gratifying.
“Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe (2023, trailer)
That’s why you also made films such as “Around the World in Eighty Days” [2004], or “Hereafter” [2010] with Clint Eastwood as your director?
I liked those screenplays a lot and was impressed by those film directors. And Clint Eastwood, well, he is unique. In France and in Belgium, he’s like God. He’s always very warm and friendly, and he trusts his entire cast and crew. He also trusted me, which was very comforting. He made me feel at home. And he usually does only one take because he loves the magic moment of that first take. So as an actor, you want to capture that, and you’d better be prepared [laughs]. But, as I said, he trusts you, so he gives you the freedom to express yourself the way you want to and do it in one take. And if you ask him to do another take, he’ll do it. But since he’s also an actor, he knows how you feel and that you know what to do. So I met all those wonderful people who were very professional and very modest at the same time. I learned a lot from them; watching them at work was very interesting. How they worked, how they collaborated with others… That was a wonderful learning experience.
I thought “Hereafter” would be the start of your career in America.
Later, they sent me other scripts, but those were not what I hoped for. I am very happy to work in France and in Belgium, where there’s a kind of freedom and spontaneity, and the atmosphere is very collaborative, while in the U.S., it’s all more impressive. It’s more like an industry. Here, it’s an industry too, but actors have more freedom to express themselves. Les acteurs peuvent vraiement participer à la création d’une oeuvre cinématographique, more in France than in any other country, I think. People listen to us on how we would like to portray our characters, and I like that a lot. It makes me feel very comfortable [laughs]. So I’m very happy with my films, and I don’t feel the urge to work in America to be happy.
Cécile de France in “Bonnard, Pierre et Marthe” | Carole Bethuel/Imagine Film DistributionI always imagine that you go through the screenplays they send you when you’re at home, and you say ‘yes’ to one screenplay, ‘no’ to another, and ‘maybe’ to a third one. Is that how it works?
That’s exactly how it works; it’s that easy. Mostly it’s ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ There’s no ‘maybe.’ It’s like reading a book: you like it, or you don’t. Choosing a screenplay is the same. If I like it, I would like to start working on it right away; if it’s a ‘no,’ then I think non, merci beaucoup, but I’m not interested [laughs]. The reason why I accept a screenplay or a role is because of all the emotions it triggers. Does the story make me laugh, does it turn me upside down, does it interest me? Those things—so it’s very basic. I don’t pay attention to the structure of the screenplay, for example. It’s not an intellectual process; it’s what I feel when I read it. That’s how I get on board. That motivates me.
Is there one film you saw when you were young that inspired you to become an actress?
Yes. There are several, but if I need to pick one, it would be “Orlando” [1992] with Tilda Swinton. She’s an incredible actress who blew me away with her performance when she, as Orlando, had a very unusual lifetime. With the gift of eternal youth, she lived in four centuries and experienced life through the eyes of both sexes. The transformation and polymorphy in her performance are stunning, and the film is an absolute masterpiece. It’s a film d’époque, and I love those films; they can take you on a journey covering many years.
Festival du Film Francophone de Namur
October 3, 2023
FILMS
REGARDE-MOI (EN FACE) (2000) DIR Marco Nicoletti PROD Leonardo De La Fuente SCR Marco Nicoletti, Santiago Amigorena, Jean-Luc Nivaggioni CAM Pierre Cottereau ED Antoine Vareille MUS Arland Wrigley, Jean-Claude Ghrenassia CAST Cécile de France (Dune), Dimitri Radochevitch, Riton Leibman, Nadir Legrand, Gérard Touratier, Simone Guertner, Dramandra Khassar, Xavier Denamur
L’ART (DÉLICAT) DE LA SÉDUCTION (2001) DIR Richard Berry SCR Richard Berry, Fabrice Roger-Lacan (novel “Kurtz” [1998] by Jean-Marc Aubert) CAM Dominique Bouilleret ED Anna Ruiz MUS Stéphane Brossollet, Sébastien Cortella, Éric Serra CAST Patrick Timsit, Richard Berry, Cécile de France (Laure), Alain Chabat, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Ludmila Mikaël, Jessica Forde
TOUTES LES NUITS (2001) DIR Eugène Green PROD Alain Bellon SCR Eugène Green (inspired by the novel “La première éducation sentimentale” [1869] by Gustave Flaubert) CAM Raphaël O’Byrne ED Emmanuelle Baude, Charlotte Teillard D’Eyry MUS Samuel Sixto CAST Alexis Loret, Christelle Prot, Adrien Michaux, Cécile de France (Prostitute with glasses), Eugène Green, Anna Bielecka, Claude Merlin, Xavier Denamur
L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOLE, a.k.a. THE SPANISH APARTMENT and POT LUCK and EURO PUDDING (2002) DIR – SCR Cédric Klapisch PROD Bruno Levy CAM Dominique Colin ED Francine Sandberg CAST Romain Duris, Judith Godrèche, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France (Isabelle), Kelly Reilly, Cristina Brondo, Federico D’Anna, Barnaby Metschurat, Christian Pagh, Cédric Klapisch
IRÈNE (2002) DIR Ivan Calbérac PROD Thierry de Navacelle SCR Ivan Calbérac, Eric Assous, Benoît Labourdette CAM Vincent Mathias ED Diane Logan MUS Laurent Aknin, Muse, Julien Schultheis, Paul Weller CAST Cécile de France (Irène), Bruno Putzulu, Olivier Sitruk, Estelle Larraviz, Agathe de la Boulaye, Patrick Chesnais, Michel Scotto di Carlo, Valérie Moreau, Evelyne Buyle
A+ POLLUX (2002) DIR Luc Pagès PROD Laurent Bénégui SCR Luc Pagès, Maïté Maillé (novel “Le chameau sauvage” [1997] by Philippe Jaenada) CAM Kika Ungaru ED Valérie Pasteau MUS Gérard Torikian CAST Gad Elmaleh, Cécile de France (Pollux Lesiak), Nathalie Boutefeu, Jean-Marie Galey, Marina Golovine, Marilú Marini
MOI CÉSAR, 10 ANS 1/2, 1M39, a.k.a. I, CESAR (2003) DIR Richard Berry PROD Michel Feller SCR Richard Berry, Eric Assous (original idea by Richard Berry) CAM Thomas Hardmeier ED Laurence Briaud, Lisa Pfeiffer MUS Reno Isaac CAST Jules Sitruk, Maria de Medeiros, Jean-Philippe Écoffey, Joséphine Berry, Mabô Kouyaté, Anna Karina, Katrine Boorman, Cécile de France (Samantha), Murray Head, Charley Boorman
KAENA: LA PROPHÉTIE (2003, animated) DIR Chris Delaporte, Pascal Pinon CO-PROD Danis Friedman SCR Chris Delaporte, Kenneth Oppel, Tarik Hamdine (story by Chris Delaporte, Patrick Daher) ED Bénédicte Brunet MUS Leo J. Russlan CAST (voice only, French-language version) Cécile de France (Kaena), Victoria Abril, Michael Lonsdale, Jean Piat, François Senier, Jean-Michel Farcy, Raymond Aquaviva
HAUTE TENSION, a.k.a. HIGH TENSION (2003) DIR Alexandre Aja PROD Alexandre Arcady, Robert Benmussa SCR Alexandre Aja, Grégory Levasseur CAM Maxime Alexandre ED Sophie Vermersch, Al Rundle, Baxter MUS François-Eudes Chanfrault CAST Cécile de France (Marie), Maïwenn, Philippe Nahon, Franck Khalfoun, Andrei Finti, Oana Pellea, Marco Claudiu Pascu
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (2004) DIR Frank Coraci PROD Bill Badalato, Hal Lieberman SCR David Andrew Goldstein, David N. Titcher, David Benullo (novel “Around the World in 80 Days” [1872] by Jules Verne) CAM Phil Meheux ED Tom Lewis MUS Trevor Jones, David A. Stewart CAST Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, Cécile de France (Monique La Roche), Robert Fyfe, Jim Broadbent, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Coraci, Luke Wilson, John Cleese, Kathy Bates
LA CONFIANCE RÈGNE, a.k.a. JUST TRUST (2004) DIR Étienne Chatiliez PROD Charles Gassot SCR Laurent Chouchan (idea by Étienne Chatiliez) CAM Philippe Welt ED Catherine Renault MUS Matthew Herbert CAST Vincent Lindon, Cécile de France (Chrystèle Burrel), Éric Berger, Anne Brochet, Martine Chevalier, Jacques Boudet, Pierre Vernier
LES POUPÉES RUSSES, a.k.a. RUSSIAN DOLLS (2005) DIR – SCR Cédric Klapisch PROD Bruno Levy, Matthew Justice CAM Dominiqie Colin ED Francine Sandberg MUS Loïc Dury, Bruno Epron Mahmoudi, Laurent Levesque, Christophe Minck CAST Romain Duris, Kelly Reilly, Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France (Isabelle), Kevin Bishop, Evguenya Obraztsova, Irene Montalà, Lucy Gordon, Cédric Klapisch
FAUTEUILS D’ORCHESTRE, a.k.a. ORCHESTRA SEATS (2006) DIR Danièle Thompson PROD Christine Gozlan SCR Danièle Thompson, Christopher Thompson CAST Cécile de France (Jessica), Valérie Lemercier, Claude Brasseur, Albert Dupontel, Christopher Thomspon, Laura Morante, Sydney Pollack, Suzanne Flon
QUAND J’ÉTAIS CHANTEUR, a.k.a. THE SINGER (2006) DIR – SCR Xavier Giannoli PROD Edouard Weil, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam CAM Yorick Le Saux ED Martine Giardano MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Gérard Depardieu, Cécile de France (Marion), Mathieu Amalric, Christine Citti, Patrick Pineau, Christophe, Jean-Pierre Gos, Monique Gailleurd, Alain Kruger
MON COLONEL, a.k.a. THE COLONEL (2006) DIR Laurent Herbiet PROD Costa Gavras, Michèle Ray-Gavras, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Salem Brahimi SCR Laurent Herbiet, Jean-Claude Grumberg (story by Costa-Gravras; novel “Mon colonel” [1999] by Francis Zamponi) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Nicole Berckmans MUS Armand Amar CAST Olivier Gourmet, Robinson Stévenin, Cécile de France (Lt. Galois), Charles Aznavour, Guillaume Gallienne, Bruno Solo, Éric Caravaca, Georges Siatidis
MAUVAISE FOI, a.k.a. BAD FAITH (2006) DIR Roschy Dem PROD Philippe Godeau SCR Roschy Dem, Pascal Elbé CAM Jérôme Alméras ED Monica Coleman MUS Souad Massi CAST Cécile de France (Clara Breitmann), Roschy Dem, Pascal Elbé, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Martine Chevallier, Bérangère Bonvoisin, Leïla Bekhti, Naima Lamcharki
BLANCHE NEIGE—LA SUITE, a.k.a. SNOW WHITE: THE SEQUEL (2007, animated) DIR Picha PROD Linda Van Tulden, Steve Walsh, Eric van Beuren SCR Picha, Tony Hendra ED Chantal Hymans MUS Willie Dowling CAST (voice only) Cécile de France (Snow White/Sleeping Beauty/Cinderella), Marie Vincent, Jean-Claude Donda, Gérard Surugue, Benoît Allemane, Marc Alfos, François Barbin, Mona Walravens
J’AURAIS VOULU ÊTRE UN DANSEUR, a.k.a. GONE FOR A DANCE (2007) DIR – SCR Alain Berliner PROD Patrick Quinet CAM Tony Pierce-Roberts ED Laurent Ingels MUS Terry Davies CAST Vincent Elbaz, Cécile de France (Blanche), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Circé Lethem, Pierre Cassignard, Jeanne Balibar, Simone Buret, Franck Monier, Eric Gordon
UN SECRET, a.k.a. A SECRET (2007) DIR Claude Miller PROD Yves Marmion SCR Claude Miller, Natalie Carter (novel “Un secret” [2004] by Philippe Grimbert) CAM Gérard de Battista ED Véronique Lange MUS Zbigniew Preisner CAST Cécile de France (Tania Stirn/Grimbert), Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric, Nathalie Boutefeu, Yves Verhoeven, Yves Jacques
OÙ EST LA MAIN DE L’HOMME SANS TÊTE, a.k.a HAND OF THE HEADLESS MAN (2007) DIR – SCR Guillaume Malandrin, Stéphane Malandrin CO-PROD Marc van Warmerdam CAM Nicolas Guicheteau ED Anne-Laure Guégan MUS Jeff Mercilis CAST Cécile de France (Eva Sanders), Ulrich Tukur, Bouli Lanners, Jacky Lambert, Jan Hammenecker, Géraldine Jacques, Edouard Piessevaux, Harry van Rijthoven
L’INSTINCT DE MORT, a.k.a. MESRINE PART 1: KILLER INSTINCT (2008) DIR Jean-François Richet PROD Thomas Langmann SCR Abdel Raouf Dafri (autobiography “L’instinct de mort” [1977] by Jacques Mesrine; adaptation by Jean-François Richet, Abdel Raouf Dafri) CAM Robert Gantz ED Hervé Schneid, Stéphane Garnier MUS Marco Beltrami, Marcus Trumpp CAST Vincent Cassel, Cécile de France (Jeanne Schneider), Gérard Depardieu, Gilles Lellouche, Ludivine Sagnier, Roy Dupuis, Elena Anaya, Deano Clavet, Leïla Bekhti, Olivier Gourmet, Michel Duchaussoy
SOEUR SOURIRE, a.k.a. SISTER SMILE (2009) DIR Stijn Coninx PROD Marc Sillam, Eric Heumann SCR Stijn Coninx, Ariane Fert, Chris Vander Stappen CAM Yves Vandermeeren ED Philippe Ravoet MUS Bruno Fontaine CAST Cécile de France (Jeannine Deckers), Sandrine Blancke, Chris Lomme, Marie Kremer, Jo Deseure, Jan Decleir, Filip Peeters, Johan Leysen
GARDIENS DE L’ORDRE, a.k.a. OFF LIMITS (2010) DIR Nicolas Boukhrief PROD Sylvie Pialat SCR Nicolas Boukhrief, Dan Sasson CAM Dominique Colin ED Lydia Decobert MUS Nicolas Baby CAST Cécile de France (Julie), Fred Testot, Julien Boisselier, Nicolas Marié, Stéphan Wojtowicz, Nanou Garcia, Stéphane Jobert, Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus
HEREAFTER (2010) DIR – MUS Clint Eastwood PROD Clint Eastwood, Kathleen Kennedy, Robert Lorenz SCR Peter Morgan CAM Tom Stern ED Gary Roach, Joel Cox CAST Matt Damon, Cécile de France (Marie Lelay), Bryce Dallas Howard, Thierry Neuvic, Cyndi Mayo, Lisa Griffiths, Jessica Griffiths, Ferguson Reid, Marthe Keller, Derek Jacobi
LE GAMIN AU VÉLO, a.k.a. THE KID WITH A BIKE (2011) DIR – SCR Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne PROD Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd CAM Alain Marcoen ED Marie-Hélène Dozo CAST Cécile De France (Samantha), Thomas Doret, Jérémie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Egon Di Mateo, Olivier Gourmet, Baptiste Sornin, Samuel De Rijk, Carl Jadot
UN BAISER PAPILLON, a.k.a. A BUTTERFLY KISS (2011) DIR Karine Silla [Karine Silla Pérez] PROD Christine Gozlan CAM Thomas Hardmeier ED Anny Danché MUS Angelo Badalamenti CAST Valéria Golino, Vincent Perez, Elsa Zylberstein, Jalil Lespert, Nicolas Giraud, Cécile de France (Alice), Roxane Depardieu, Iman Perez, Veronica Novak, Serge Hazanavicius, Gérard Depardieu
SUPERSTAR (2012) DIR Xavier Giannoli PROD Edouard Well SCR Xavier Giannoli (novel “L’idole” [2004] by Serge Joncour) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Célia Lafitedupont MUS Sinclair [Mathieu Blanc-Francard] CAST Kad Merad, Cécile de France (Fleur Arnaud), Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Cédric Ben Abdallah, Alberto Sorbelli, Frédéric Boismoreau
MÖBIUS (2013) DIR – SCR Éric Rochant PROD Mathias Rubin, Christophe Cervoni, Eric Juhérian CAM Pierre Novion ED Pascale Fenouillet MUS Jonathan Morali CAST Jean Dujardin, Tim Roth, Cécile De France (Alice), Émilie Dequenne, John Lynch, Maxim Vitorgan, Brad Leland, Branka Katic, Dean Constantin
CASSE-TÊTE CHINOIS, a.k.a. CHINESE PUZZLE (2013) DIR – SCR Cédric Klapisch PROD Cédric Klapisch, Bruno Levy CAM Natasha Braier ED Anne-Sophie Bion MUS Christophe Minck CAST Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cécile De France (Isabelle), Kelly Reilly, Sandrine Holt, Flore Bonaventura, Benoît Jacquot, Zinedine Soualem, Cédric Klapisch
EN ÉQUILIBRE, a.k.a. IN HARMONY (2015) DIR Denis Dercourt PROD Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer SCR Denis Dercourt (book “Sur mes quatre jambes” [2015] by Bernard Sachsé, Véronique Pellerin) CAM Julien Hirsch ED Pauline Gaillard MUS Jérôme Lemonnier CAST Albert Dupontel, Cécile de France (Florence Kernel), Patrick Mille, Carole Franck, Antonin Gabrielli, Philippe Duclos, Bruno Monsaingeon
LA BELLE SAISON, a.k.a. SUMMER TIME (2015) DIR Catherine Corsini PROD Elisabeth Perez SCR Catherine Corsini, Laurette Polmanss CAM Jeanne Lapoirie ED Frédéric Baillehaiche MUS Grégoire Hetzel CAST Cécile de France (Carole), Izïa Higelin, Noémi Lvovsky, Jean-Henri Compère, Loulou Hanssen, Kévin Azaïs, Benjamin Bellecour, Laetitia Dosch, Sarah Suco, Calypso Valois
LE VOYAGE DE FANNY, a.k.a. FANNY’S JOURNEY (2016) DIR Lola Doillon PROD Saga Blanchard, Marie de Lussigny SCR Lola Doillon, Anne Peyrègne (autobiography “Le journal de Fanny” by Fanny Ben-Ami) CAM Pierre Cottereau ED Valérie Deseine MUS Gisèle Gérard-Tolini, David Gubitsch, Sylvain Favre CAST Cécile de France (Madame Forman), Léonie Souchaud, Stéphane De Groodt, Igor van Dessel, Lou Lambrecht, Anaïs Meiringer, Ryan Brodie, Juliane Lepoureau, Fantine Harduin
TERM LIFE (2016) DIR Peter Billingsley PROD Vince Vaughn, Victoria Vaughn, Micah Mason, Michael J. Luisi SCR Andy Lieberman (graphic novel by Andy Lieberman, Nick Thornborrow) CAM Robert Schaefer ED Kevin Stermer, Dan Lebental MUS Dave Porter CAST Vince Vaughn, Hailee Steinfeld, Bill Paxton, Jonathan Banks, Jordi Mollà, Terrence Howard, Jon Favreau, Cécile de France (Lucy [uncredited])
DJANGO (2017) DIR Étienne Comar PROD Étienne Comar, Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missonnier SCR Étienne Comar, Alexis Salatko (novel “Folles de Django” [2013] by Alexis Salatko) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Monica Coleman MUS Warren Ellis CAST Reda Kateb, Cécile de France (Louise de Klerk), Ulrich Brandhoff, Beata Palya, Bimbam Merstein, Gabriel Mirété, Vincent Frade, Xavier Beauvois, Levis Reinhardt
ÔTEZ-MOI D’UN DOUTE, a.k.a. JUST TO BE SURE (2017) DIR Carine Tardieu PROD Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein SCR Carine Tardieu, Michel Leclerc, Raphaële Moussafir CAM Pierre Cottereau ED Christel Dewynter MUS Eric Slabiak CAST François Damiens, Cécile de France (The Doctor, Dr Anna-Erwin’s half-sister), Guy Marchand, André Wilms, Alice de Lencquesaing, Estéban, Lyès Salem
MADEMOISELLE DE JONCQUIÈRES, a.k.a. LADY J (2018) DIR Emmanuel Mouret PROD Frédéric Niedermayer SCR Emmanuel Mouret (novel by Denis Diderot) CAM Laurent Desmet ED Martial Salomon CAST Cécile de France (Madame de la Pommeraye), Edouard Baer, Alice Isaaz, Natalia Dontcheva, Laure Calamy, Manon Kneusé, Arnaud Dupont
REBELLES, a.k.a. REBELS (2019) DIR Allan Mauduit PROD Matthieu Tarot SCR Allan Mauduit, Jérémie Guez CAM Vincent Mathias ED Christophe Pinel MUS Ludovic Bource CAST Cécile de France (Sandra Dréant), Yolande Moreau, Audrey Lamy, Simon Abkarian, Samuel Jouy, Béatrice Agenin, Patrick Ridremont, Tom Lecocq, Valentin Papoudof, Eric Gordon
UN MONDE PLUS GRAND, a.k.a. A BIGGER WORLD (2019) DIR Fabienne Berthaud PROD Carole Scotta, Simon Arnal, Barbara Letellier SCR Fabienne Berthaud, Claire Barré (autobiography “Mon initiation chez les chamanes” [2004] by Corine Sombrun) CAM Nathalie Durand MUS Valentin Hadjadj CAST Cécile de France (Corine), Narantsetseg Dash, Tserendarizav Dashnyam, Ludivine Sagnier, Arieh Worthalter, Catherine Salée, Thomas Coumans
DE SON VIVANT, a.k.a. PEACEFUL (2021) DIR Emmanuelle Bercot PROD François Kraus SCR Emmanuelle Bercot, Marcia Romano CAM Yves Cape MUS Eric Neveux CAST Catherine Deneuve, Benoît Magimel, Cécile de France (Eugénie), Gabriel A. Sara, Oscar Morgan, Lou Lampros, Melissa George, Clément Ducol, Olga Mouak
THE FRENCH DISPATCH (2021) DIR Wes Anderson PROD Wes Anderson, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson SCR Wes Anderson (story by Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Hugo Guinness) CAM Robert D. Yeoman ED Andrew Weisblum MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Christophe Waltz, Cécile de France (Mrs. B.), Liev Schreiber, Willem Dafoe, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Anjelica Huston (voice only)
LES JEUNES AMANTS, a.k.a. THE YOUNG LOVERS (2021) DIR Carine Tardieu PROD Fabrice Goldstein, Antoine Rein, Patrick Sobelman SCR Carine Tardieu, Sólveig Anspach, Agnès de Sacy (original idea by Sólveig Anspach) CAM Elin Kirschfink ED Christel Dewynter MUS Erik Slabiak CAST Fanny Ardant, Melvil Poupaud, Cécile de France (Jeanne Escande), Florence Loiret Caille, Sharif Andoura, Sarah Henochsberg, Martin Laurent, Olenka Ilunga, Manda Touré
ILLUSIONS PERDUES, a.k.a. LOST ILLUSIONS (2021) DIR Xavier Giannoli PROD Sidonie Dumas, Olivier Delbosc SCR Xavier Giannoli (novel “Illusions perdues” [1837] by Honoré de Balzac; adaptation by Jacques Fieschi) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Riwanon Le Beller, Cyril Nakache CAST Benjamin Voisin, Cécile de France (Louise de Bargeton),Vincent Lacoste, Xavier Dolan, Salomé Dewaels, Jeanine Balibar, Gérard Depardieu, André Marcon, Louis-Do De Lencquesaing, Jean-François Stévenin
LA PASSAGÈRE, a.k.a. WILD SEAS (2022) DIR Héloïse Pelloquet PROD Grégoire Sorlat, Pascal Caucheteux, Mélissa Malinbaum SCR Héloïse Pelloquet, Rémi Brachet CAM Augustin Barbaroux ED Clémence Diard MUS Maxence Dussère CAST Cécile de France (Chiara), Félix Lefebvre, Grégoire Monsaingeon, Imane Laurence, Jean-Pierre Couton, Ghislaine Girard, Caroline Ferrus, Ghauvain Pontoizeau
BONNARD, PIERRE ET MARTHE (2023) DIR – SCR Martin Provost PROD Denis Pineau-Valencienne, François Kraus CAM Guillaume Schiffman ED Tina Baz MUS Michael Galasso CAST Cécile de France (Marthe Bonnard), Vincent Macaigne, Stacy Martin, Anouk Grinberg, André Marcon, Hélène Alexandridis, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Peter Van den Begin, Yveline Hamon
SECOND TOUR (2023) DIR – SCR Albert Dupontel PROD Catherine Bozorgan CAM Julien Poupard ED Christophe Pinel MUS Christophe Julien CAST Cécile de France (Mademoiselle Pove), Nicolas Marie, Albert Dupontel, Guillaume Buffet, Bouli Lanners, Nicolas Marié, Christiane Millet, Gilles Gaston-Dreyfus
TV MOVIE
LA BALLE AU BOND (1998) DIR Williams Crépin PROD Stéphane Lhoest SCR Williams Crépin, Alexis Salatko, Emmanuelle Sardou CAM Michel Van Laer CAST Isabel Otero, Jacques Penot, Sophie de la Rochefoucauld, Antoine Cousin-Mazure, Arthur-Rémi Pestel, Nanou Garcia, Florence Crick, Cécile de France
Vicky Krieps is a 39-year-old Luxembourg-born actress and star who has appeared in several European films—most notably Luxembourgish, French and German productions or coproductions—as well as a few American films. Her international breakthrough role was in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film “Phantom Thread” (2017), with Ms. Krieps playing one of the female leads opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, followed by celebrated lead turns in films such as “Bergman Island” (2021) and “Corsage” (2022), the latter earning her a European Film Award as Best Actress.
Her latest films include “Les trois mousquetaires: D’Artagnan,” based on the Alexandre Dumas novel of 1844, and Vigo Mortensen’s “The Dead Don’t Hurt” which was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. In her third feature of the year so far, “The Wall,” directed by Brussels-born filmmaker Philippe Van Leeuw, Ms. Krieps plays Jessica Comly, a maverick and harsh U.S. border patrol agent posted in Tuscon, Arizona, who dislikes migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Her behavior becomes increasingly erratic until one day, she pulls the trigger and shoots a harmless migrant in front of three witnesses: her colleague, who attempts to make the crime look like an accident, a Native American man, played by Mike Wilson, and his grandson. She then has to face these inconvenient witnesses.
“The Wall” (2023, trailer)
During the 6th edition of the Brussels International Film Festival last July, both Vicky Krieps and Mike Wilson talked about “The Wall” during the following roundtable interview.
The film is now playing in theaters in various territories; Belgian distribution is done through O’Brother Film Distribution.
Ms. Krieps, can you talk about the physical aspect of playing your role? One eyebrow is always up. Is that a way of expressing the rage you feel inside? Are those physical elements essential?
[VICKY KRIEPS] First of all, I was trying to convince [director] Philippe Van Leeuw to cast someone else because there are many actors in the world, and it doesn’t have to be me to play the part of Jessica Comley. Many actors come from there. But he convinced me by explaining that he wanted it to be honest like in a fairy tale, which also has characters that don’t feel like they are from there. That is why we believe her, follow her, and want her to be good, but she’s not. That’s how he convinced me, and that’s how I got the part. I knew then what I could bring to it, and I wanted to take it even further. Jessica could be full of tattoos; she could be angry all the time, and she could be exercising and punching walls. But I tried to avoid that because it could be an excuse like, ‘We feel comfortable when we see black and white—this is a good person, that is a bad person.’ So I made her a bit boring and someone who doesn’t look like she’s angry. But yes, she is angry, she’s very angry, but it comes out in these little things. I wanted it to be so small that we think it could be us, that she is us, all of us.
Can a European point of view on an American subject as sensitive as the border shed another light on the subject?
[VICKY KRIEPS, to Mike Wilson] I’ll go first because your answer is longer [laughs]. This is clearly the only way this movie is different than others, and it’s also interesting because Philippe dares to show this point of view from a European angle; he dares to go and fail. After all, the possibility of failure is very high. You would say, ‘Why do you want to do that movie?’ So for Philippe going out there and trying, that’s already something that is humble and selfless because he’s at least trying. The movie brings the problem to light, and maybe it’s interesting that the light comes from a neutral place.
[MIKE WILSON] I was hesitant to participate in this film. I told Philippe three years ago. I hesitated because you got this other ‘bad guy’ from Europe. Not only is he coming from Europe, but he’s also coming from Nordic Europe, and my perception was, ‘Okay, the further north you are, the more racist you are.’ So why am I accepting Nordic Europeans coming to my land and trying to tell my story? It’s paternalistic, it has the seeds of racism. So I said, ‘Philippe, please convince me to take this role. There’s a whole genre of immigration films. What are you going to do differently, what are you going to say differently, what is the audience going to see differently that hasn’t been told ten times already? So please convince me, Mister Northern European white guy, and how authentic will you portray me? You don’t know jack about where I come from, or about my people. You have this Hollywood perception of what your expectations are.’ When I first read the script, I thought, ‘Hell, no,’ and said, ‘You know, I don’t talk like that. You know better, I don’t talk like that. I expect respect, and part of that respect is being authentic. I will work with you, but if you don’t do that, I won’t be any part of it.’
Does that mean you made adjustments to the screenplay?
[MIKE WILSON] Yes, a lot. Fortunately, Philippe understood, and he allowed me the liberty to make those changes. Initially, in the first draft, I was a human smuggler. I said, ‘Philippe, I’m a human rights activist. I put out water on my reservation for migrants so they don’t die. So I will not be portrayed in fiction as a human smuggler.’ I have a reputation as a human rights activist in Arizona. I will not betray Mike Wilson. So he said, ‘Okay.’ That’s why you see in the film I’m handing food to the migrants who are sitting on the ground. I give them food, and I provide them with water. That’s what I did for twelve years.
Do you still do that now?
[MIKE WILSON] No, not anymore. There’s too much control by the drug cartels. On the Mexican side of the reservation, you have the drug cartels. On the other side is the border patrol. So that is my history as a human rights activist. Let me say something; you’ve seen the film, right? You know the storyline. The character of Jessica is a corrupt border patrol agent. She shoots a migrant, he’s wounded but he’s alive. So she comes up and boom. Me and my grandson we see it. That’s the storyline. This year, on May 18—that’s six weeks ago—three border patrol agents shot and killed a tribal member. Twelve of them showed up with guns, and three of them killed him. He was hit ten times. So what you see is this fictionalized corrupt system. My point is that her character, Agent Comley, pulled the trigger. Who gave her the gun to pull the trigger? Who gave her the bullet to put in the gun? Hatred gave her the gun, racism gave her the bullets. So it was just up to her to pull the trigger—there’s a whole hatred racist system involved. And that’s no longer fiction. That’s the reality. So it’s a story that has to be told. Philippe gave me the liberty to do some edits, but it’s a real-life story, as we found out eighteen months later.
Vicky Krieps at the Brussels international Film Festival | Film TalkIn the film, there are a lot of close-ups of yours, and in the first half of the film, you have very little dialogue. Does that influence your way of acting and the way you portray your character?
[VICKY KRIEPS] I try not to think of how they film me. My character certainly has very little dialogue because I took away most of the dialogue there was. There is nothing to be said; it’s all there, it’s internal and I wanted it to be almost boring to follow what she does. It would be so much worse if I would use this character and make her a sensation, or show you how good I am as an actor, like if I showed you my pirouette. That’s why I tried to make it so silent, so it’s almost really not there. The most dangerous people who think they’re doing the right thing can be your neighbor; they can be yourself—we can all be evil. We build walls, but there’s no wall between me being the evil version of me, and me being the good version of me. My mother comes from the Nazi story, and my father’s father was in the concentration camps, so I am both. In my blood, I have the two sides; I could be the one, and I could be the other. And because I was educated correctly doesn’t mean I’m safe. Only when we accept that we can be the good guy and the bad guy we will open up our hearts to be true, human, and loving human beings. We all have preconceptions, and you can say yes to the movie with all of your obvious preconceptions and doubts, and me saying yes with all of my preconceptions and all of my doubts. Philippe was going through the process of telling people, ‘I want to this movie. Will you give me the money to make it, please?’ You don’t do that because you want to be comfortable or know people will like you. In the end, I don’t know what kind of movie we did, but I do know it’s sincere in a way that everyone came with their doubts, and we do this to help people see a part of this society. There’s a wall between societies, between social classes, they’re putting up walls where you can or can’t live, or after nine pm, you can’t go on the metro. That’s a wall, that’s a frontier. And the film raises a question without telling you what to think. So why do you talk? Because you have a question. If your question is answered, you can go to sleep. If it’s not answered, you go like, ‘Oh, did you see this film? Can we talk about it? It was really weird, and I feel so uncomfortable. And this one guy, did you see what I saw?’ That’s what a movie can do: ask questions.
[MIKE WILSON] And I think, as a romantic, when I first read the script, I was hoping for redemption, I was hoping for sorrow, I was hoping Jessica’s life would turn around. But it never happened. She never redeemed.
[VICKY KRIEPS] My character never changes her mind. She never becomes a good person.
[MIKE WILSON] So not only is she never redeemed, there is also no justice. We forgot that a human being was murdered. There’s no justice for him or his family, but justice must still be served somehow. So when the film ends, there’s no justice for anybody, and there’s no redemption for her, so who wins? Does evil win? Or does goodness win? We don’t know. I don’t think the film wants to give you an answer; it wants to give you a question, so you answer it and decide how you will change. I present the question to you, and that’s all we can ask for.
Vicky Krieps with Mike Wilson, July 2023 | Film TalkDo you have a favorite scene in the film?
[VICKY KRIEPS] To me, the only real human scene about the good side of human beings is the relationship between this child and the horse. That is where we went wrong and could have gone right, with human beings saying, ‘I am human, and you’re a horse.’ The horse is more powerful than the human being. So, what is the relationship between the horse and the human being? The human could say, ‘I accept your strength; I’m weaker, but let me help you with my consciousness. If I ride on top of you, I can see further and tell you where to slow down or stop. I can give you water, and I can take care of you.’ So, the relationship between horses and men symbolizes what human beings could do on this planet.
Were you able, or was it necessary, to do any research?
[VICKY KRIEPS] I come from a privileged, educated white European background and was raised to hate guns. I’m a pacifist; I don’t like guns. But now I play someone who likes to shoot a gun, and it was shocking to see how fast it goes. It’s a little switch in your brain, and then it seems easy. It’s something very primitive in the human brain. ‘I can be powerful, I can dominate physics with a little trigger.’
[MIKE WILSON] She comes from a pacifist background; I come from a militant background. I was in the American army for twenty-two years. My background was in Special Operations. I was a military advisor in El Salvador during the civil war. When I retired, I spiritually demilitarized because my spiritual conversion in El Salvador moved me into the light.
Brussels International Film Festival
July 3, 2023
FILMS
HOUSE OF BOYS (2009) DIR Jean-Claude Schlim PROD Bob Bellion, Jimmy de Brabant SCR Jean-Claude Schlim, Chistian Thiry (story and original idea, Jean-Claude Schlim) CAM Carlo Thiel ED Katharina Schmidt MUS Gast Waltzing CAST Udo Kier, Stephen Fry, Oliver Hoare, Benn Northover, Layke Anderson, Emma Griffiths Malin, Vicky Krieps (Flower Shop Girl)
WER WENN NICHT WIR (2011) DIR Andres Veiel PROD Thomas Kufus SCR Andres Veiel (story by Gerd Koenen) CAM Judith Kaufmann ED Hansjörg Weißbrich MUS Annette Focks, Nikko Weidemann CAST August Diehl, Lena Lauzemis, Alexander Fehling, Thomas Thieme, Imogen Kogge, Michael Wittenborn, Susanne Lothar, Vicky Krieps (Dörte)
HANNA (2011) DIR Joe Wright PROD Scott Nemes, Leslie Holleran, Marty Abelstein SCR Seth Lochhead, David Farr (story by Seth Lochhead) CAM Alwin H. Küchler ED Paul Tothill MUS The Chemical Brothers [Tom Rowlands, Ed Simons] CAST Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps (Johanna Zadek), Paris Arrowsmith, John Macmillan, Tim Beckmann, Paul Birchard
ELLE NE PLEURE PAS, ELLE CHANTE, a.k.a. SHE’S NOT CRYING, SHE’S SINGING (2011) DIR – SCR Philippe de Pierpont PROD Isabelle Truc CAM Alain Marcoen CAST Erika Sainte, Laurent Capelluto, Marijke Pinoy, Jean-François Wolff, Jules Werner, Vicky Krieps (Nurse), Martin De Myttenaere, Galatéa Bellugi, Hervé Piron, Nilton Martins
ANONYMOUS (2011) DIR Roland Emmerich PROD Roland Emmerich, Larry Franco, Robert Leger SCR John Orloff CAM Anna Foerster ED Peter R. Adam MUS Harald Kloser, Thomas Wanker CAST Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Sebastian Armesto, Rafe Spall, David Thewlis, Edward Hogg, Xavier Samuel, Sam Reid, Vicky Krieps (Bessie Vavasour)
FORMENTERA (2011) DIR Ann-Kristin Reyels PROD Titus Kreyenberg SCR Ann-Kristin Reyels, Katrin Milhahn, Antonia Rothe CAM Henner Besuch ED Halina Daugird MUS Henry Reyels, Marco Baumgartner CAST Sabine Timoteo, Thure Lindhardt, Ilse Ritter, Tatja Seibt, Christian Brückner, Jeff Layton, Vicky Krieps (Mara), Franc Bruneau
D’BELLE EPOQUE (2012) DIR – SCR Andy Bausch PROD David Grumbach, Paul Thiltges CAM Carlo Thiel ED Misch Bervard MUS Serge Tonnar, Georges Urwald CAST Gintaré Parulyté, Vicky Krieps (Belle), Marco Lorenzini, Henri Losch, Massimo Brancatelli, Adolf El Assal, Sébastien Fernandes Tasch, Ender Frings
SCHATZRITTER, a.k.a. KING’S TREASURE (2012) DIR Laura Schroeder PROD Bernard Michaux SCR Eileen Byrne, Oliver Kahl, Martin Dolejs, Stefan Schaller (idea by Bernard Michaux) CAM Peter von Haller ED Uta Schmidt MUS Natalia Dittrich CAST Alexandra Neldel, Clemens Schick, Luc Feit, Anton Glas, Thierry Koob, Tun Schon, Lana Welter, Vicky Krieps (Marie Kutter)
ZWEI LEBEN, a.k.a. TWO LIVES (2012) DIR Georg Maas, Judith Kaufmann PROD Axel Helgeland, Rudi Teichmann, Dieter Zeppenfeld SCR Georg Maas, Judith Kaufmann, Christoph Tölle, Ståle Stein Berg (novel by Hannelore Hippe) CAM Judith Kaufmann ED Hansjörg Weißbrich MUS Julian Maas, Christoph Kaiser CAST Juliane Köhler, Ken Duken, Liv Ullmann, Sven Nordin, Julia Bache-Wiig, Rainer Bock, Vicky Krieps (Kathrin Lehnhaber)
DIE VERMESSUNG DER WELT, a.k.a. MEASURING THE WORLD (2012) DIR Detlev Buck PROD Detlev Buck, Claus Boje SCR Detlev Buck (novel “Die Vermessung der Welt” [2005] by Daniel Kehlmann) CAM Slawomir Idziak ED Dirk Grau MUS Enis Rotthoff CAST Florian David Fitz, Albrecht Abraham Schuch, Sebastian Grandes, Baldanpurev Sambuu, Agi Ariunsaichan Dawaachu, Karl Markovics, Vicky Krieps (Johanna Gauss)
UNE HISTOIRE D’AMOUR (2013) DIR Hélène Fillières PROD Matthieu Tharot, Jani Thiltges SCR Hélène Fillières (novel “Sévère” [2010] by Régis Jauffret) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED Philippe Bourgueil MUS Étienne Daho CAST Benoît Poelvoorde, Laetitia Casta, Richard Bohringer, Reda Kateb, Hervé Sogne, Jean-François Stévenin, Vicky Krieps (The Angel)
MÖBIUS (2013) DIR – SCR Éric Rochant PROD Mathias Rubin, Christophe Cervoni, Eric Juhérian CAM Pierre Novion ED Pascale Fenouillet MUS Jonathan Morali CAST Jean Dujardin, Tim Roth, Cécile De France, Émilie Dequenne, John Lynch, Maxim Vitorgan, Brad Leland, Branka Katic, Dean Constantin, Vicky Krieps (Olga)
AVANT L’HIVER, a.k.a. BEFORE THE WINTER CHILL (2013) DIR – SCR Philippe Claudel PROD Romain Rojtman, Yves Marmion CAM Denis Lenoir ED Elisa Aboulker MUS André Dziezuk CAST Daniel Authieul, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leïla Bekhti, Richard Berry, Vicky Krieps (Caroline), Jérôme Varanfrian, Anne Metzler, Laure Killing, Laurent Claret
LA CONFRÉRIE DES LARMES, a.k.a. BROTHERHOOD OF TEARS (2013) DIR Jean-Baptiste Andrea PROD Laurent Baudens, Didar Domehri, Gaël Nouaille SCR Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Gael Malry CAM Jean-Pierre Sauvaire ED Antoine Vareille MUS Laurent Perez Del Mar CAST Jérémie Renier, Audrey Fleurot, Mélusine Mayance, Bouli Lanners, Antoine Basler, Fabrice Michel, Bruno Ricci, Luc Feit, Vicky Krieps (The Red-Headed Woman)
A MOST WANTED MAN (2014) DIR Anton Corbijn PROD Andrea Calderwood, Simon Cornwell, Stephen Cornwell, Gail Egan, Malte Grunert SCR Andrew Bovell (novel “A Most Wanted Man” [2008] by John le Carré) CAM Benoît Delhomme ED Claire Simpson MUS Herbert Grönemeyer CAST Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Homayoun Ershadi, Daniel Brühl, Nina Hoss, Vicky Krieps (Niki)
DAS ZIMMERMÄDCHEN LYNN, a.k.a. THE CHAMBERMAID LYNN (2014) DIR Ingo Haeb PROD Ingmar Trost, Olaf Hirschberg SCR Ingo Haeb (novel “Das Zimmermädchen” [2008] by Markus Orths) CAM Sophie Maintigneux ED Nicole Kortlüke MUS Jakob Ilja CAST Vicky Krieps (Lynn), Lena Lauzemis, Steffen Münster, Christian Aumer, Christine Schorn, Sonja Baum, Lisa Guth, Cornella Dörr
OUTSIDE THE BOX (2015) DIR Philip Koch SCR Philip Koch, Anna Katrin Schneider CAM Markus Eckert ED Max Fey MUS Sophie Trudeau, Jessica Moss CAST Volker Bruch, Stefan Konarske, Vicky Krieps (Yvonne von Geseke), Sascha Alexander Gersak, Lavinia Wilson, Samuel Finzi, Hanns Zischler, Kida Khodr Ramadan
COLONIA (2015) DIR Florian Gallenberger PROD Nicolas Steil, Benjamin Herrmann SCR Florian Gallenberger, Torsten Wenzel CAM Kolja Brandt ED Hansjörg Weißbrich MUS André Dziezuk, Fernando Velázquez CAST Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl, Michael Nyqvist, Richenda Carey, Vicky Krieps (Ursel), Jeanne Werner, Julian Ovenden, August Zirner, Martin Wuttke
FERIEN (2016) DIR Bernadette Knoller PROD Tilman Kolb, Jochen Cremer SCR Bernadette Knoller, Paula Cvjetkovic CAM Anja Läufer ED Jana Dugnus MUS Ryan Robinson, Paul Eisenach CAST Britta Hammelstein, Inga Busch, Detlev Buck, Jerome Hirthammer, Ferdinand von Schirach, Golo Euler, Victoria Trauttmansdorff, Vicky Krieps
WAS HAT UNS BLOß SO RUINIERT, a.k.a. WE USED TO BE COOL (2016) DIR – SCR Marie Kreutzer PROD Alexander Glehr, Franz Novotny CAM Leena Koppe ED Ulrike Kofler MUS Florian Blauensteiner CAST Vicky Krieps (Stella), Marcel Mohab, Pia Hierzegger, Manuel Rubey, Pheline Roggan, Andreas Kiendl, Livia Teppan, Amelie Engstler, Marie Strohmaier, Benninger Tao
LE JEUNE KARL MARX, a.k.a. THE YOUNG KARL MARX (2017) DIR Raoul Peck PROD Raoul Peck, Nicolas Blanc, Rémy Grellety, Robert Guédiguian SCR Raoul Peck, Pascal Bonitzer CAM Kolja Brandt ED Frédérique Broos MUS Alexei Aigui CAST August Diehl, Stefan Konarske, Vicky Krieps (Jenny von Westphalen-Marx), Olivier Gourmet, Hannah Steele, Alexander Scheer, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Michael Brandner
GUTLAND (2017) DIR – SCR Givonda Van Maele PROD Givonda Van Maele, Jean-Louis Schuller, Gilles Chanial CAM Narayan Van Maele ED Stefan Stadenow MUS Dominique Depret CAST Frederick Lau, Vicky Krieps (Lucy Loschetter), Marco Lorenzini, Pit Bukowski, Gerdy Zint, Leo Folschette, Martine Kohn, Davy Mertens, Jean Koch
PHANTOM THREAD (2017) DIR – SCR Paul Thomas Anderson PROD Paul Thomas Anderson, JoAnne Sellar, Daniel Lupi CAM Paul Thomas Anderson [uncredited] ED Dylan Tichenor MUS Jonny Greenwood CAST Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Krieps (Alma), Julie Vollono, Sue Clark, Joan Brown, Harriet Leitch, Dinah Nicholson, Julie Duck, Maryanna Frost
3 TAGE IN QUIBERON, a.k.a. 3 DAYS IN QUIBERON (2018) DIR – SCR Emily Atef PROD Karsten Stöter CAM Thomas W. Kiennast ED Hansjörg Weißbrich MUS Julian Maas, Christoph Kaiser CAST Marie Bäumer, Birgit Minichmayr, Charly Hübner, Robert Gwisdek, Denis Lavant, Yann Grouhel, Christopher Buchholz, Vicky Krieps (Hotel Maid), Vincent Furic
THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB (2018) DIR Fede Álvarez PROD Eli Busch, Elizabeth Cantillon, Berna Levin, Amy Pascal, Scott Rudin, Ole Søndberg, Søren Stærmose SCR Fede Álvarez, Steven Knight, Jay Basu (novel “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” [2015] by David Lagercrantz; characters introduced in the three “Millenium” books by Stieg Larsson) CAM Pedro Luque ED Tatiana S. Riegel MUS Roque Baños CAST Claire Foy, Beau Gadsdon, Sverrir Gudnason, LaKeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Stephen Merchant, Vicky Krieps (Erika Berger), Cameron Britton, Synnøne Macody Lund
THE LAST VERMEER (2019) DIR Dan Friedkin PROD Dan Friedkin, Ryan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Sabine Brian SCR Mark Fergus, John Orloff, Hawk Ostby (book “The Man Who Made Vermeers” [2008] by Jonathan Lopez) CAM Remi Adefarasin ED Victoria Boydell MUS Johan Söderqvist CAST Guy Pearce, Claes Bang, Vicky Krieps (Minna Holmberg), Roland Møller, August Diehl, Karl Johnson, Andrew Havill, Paul Bentall, Olivia Grant
DE NOS FRÈRES BLESSÉS, a.k.a. MY TRAITOR, MY LOVE (2020) DIR Hélier Cisterne PROD Justin Taurand SCR Hélier Cisterne, Katell Quillévéré (novel “De nos frères blessés” [2016] by Joseph Andras) CAM Hichame Alaouie ED Lila Desiles, Thomas Marchand, Marion Monnier MUS Emile Sornin CAST Vincent Lacoste, Vicky Krieps (Hélène Iveton), Jules Langlade, Marc Brunet, Thomas Ducasse, Jeanne Carré
NEBENAN, a.k.a. NEXT DOOR (2021) DIR Daniel Brühl PROD Daniel Brühl, Malte Grunert SCR Daniel Kehlmann (idea by Daniel Brühl) CAM Jens Harant ED Marty Schenk MUS Jakob Grunert, Moritz Friedrich CAST Peter Furth, Daniel Brühl, Rike Eckermann, Aenne Schwarz, Gode Benedix, Vicky Krieps (The New Tennant), Justine Hirschfeld, Luisa-Céline Gaffron
BERGMAN ISLAND (2021) DIR – SCR Mia Hansen-Løve PROD Erik Hemmendorff, Charles Gillibert, Rodrigo Teixeira CAM Denis Lenoir ED Marion Monnier CAST Vicky Krieps (Chris Sanders), Tim Roth, Mia Wasikowska, Anders Danielsen Lie, Hampus Nordenson, Anki Larsson, Kerstin Brunnberg, Melinda Kinnaman, Wouter Hendrickx
SERRE MOI FORT, a.k.a. HOLD ME TIGHT (2021) DIR Mathieu Amalric PROD Felix von Boehm, Laetitia Gonzales, Yaël Fogiel SCR Mathieu Amalric (play “Je reviens de loin” [2003] by Claudine Galea) CAM Christophe Beaucarne ED François Gédigier CAST Vicky Krieps (Clarisse), Arieh Worthalter, Anne-Sophie Bowen-Chatet, Sacha Ardilly, Juliette Benveniste, Aurèle Grzesik, Aurélia Petit, Erwan Ribard
OLD (2021) DIR M. Night Shyamalan PROD M. Night Shyamalan, Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan SCR M. Night Shyamalan (novel “Château de sable” by Pierre-Oscar Lévy, Frederick Peeters) CAM Mike Gioulakis ED Brett M. Reed MUS Trevor Gureckis CAST Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps (Prisca), Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Eliza Scanien, M. Night Shyamalan
BECKETT (2021) DIR Ferdinando Cito Filomarino PROD Luca Guadagnino, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marco Morabito SCR Kevin A. Rice (story by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino) CAM Sayombhu Mekdeeprom ED Walter Fasano MUS Ryuichi Sakamoto CAST John David Washington, Boyd Holbrook, Vicky Krieps (Lena), Alicia Vikander, Michael Stuhlarg, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos
THE SURVIVOR (2021) DIR Barry Levinson PROD Barry Levinson, Scott Pardo, Jason Sosnoff, Aaron L. Gilbert, Matti Leshem SCR Justine Juel Gillmer (autobiography [2003] by Alan Scott Haft) CAM George Steel ED Douglas Crise MUS Hans Zimmer CAST Ben Foster, Vicky Krieps (Miriam Wofsoniker), Billy Magnussen, Peter Sarsgaard, John Leguizamo, Danny DeVito, Saro Emirze, Laurent Papot
CORSAGE (2022) DIR – SCR Marie Kreutzer PROD Alexander Glehr, Johanna Scherz CAM Judith Kaufmann ED Ulrike Kofler MUS Camille CAST Vicky Krieps (Empress Elisabeth of Austria), Florian Teichtmeister, Katharina Lorenz, Jeanne Werner, Alma Hasun, Manuel Rubey, Finnegan Oldfield, Aaron Friesz
PLUS QUE JAMAIS, a.k.a. MORE THAN EVER (2022) DIR Emily Atef PROD Xénia Maingot SCR Emily Atef, Lars Hubrich CAM Yves Cape ED Sandie Bompar, Hansjörg Weißbrich MUS Jon Balke CAST Vicky Krieps (Hélène Mouchet), Gaspard Ulliel, Bjørn Floberg, Sophie Langevin, Valérie Bodson, Jérémy Barbier d’Hiver, Marion Cadeau, Yacine Sif El Islam, Estelle Kerkor
INGEBORG BACHMANN – REISE IN DIE WÜSTE (2023) DIR Margarethe von Trotta PROD Bettina Brokemper, Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Katrin Renz, Bady Minck CAM Martin Gschlacht ED Hansjörg Weißbrich MUS André Mergenthaler CAST Vicky Krieps (Ingeborg Bachmann), Ronald Zehrfeld, Tobias Resch, Basil Eidenbenz, Luna Wedler, Marc Limpach, Renato Carpentieri, Katharina Schmalenberg
LES TROIS MOUSQUETAIRES: D’ARTAGNAN (2023) DIR Martin Bourboulon PROD Dimitri Rassam SCR Alexandre de La Patellière, Matthieu Delaporte (novel “Les trois mousquetaires” [1844] by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Nicolas Bolduc ED Célia Lafitedupont MUS Guillaume Roussel CAST François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Pio Marmaï, Eva Green, Louis Garrel, Vicky Krieps (Anne of Austria), Lyna Khoudri, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
THE DEAD DON’T HURT (2023) DIR – SCR – MUS Viggo Mortensen PROD Viggo Mortensen, Regina Solórzano, Jeremy Thomas CAM Marcel Zyskind ED Peder Pedersen CAST Vicky Krieps (Vivienne Le Coudy), Viggo Mortensen, Solly McLeod, Garret Dillahunt, W. Earl Brown, Danny Huston, Shane Graham, Rafel Plana
THE WALL (2023) DIR – SCR Philippe Van Leeuw PROD Guillaume Malandrin CAM Joachim Philippe ED Gladys Joujou MUS Lio Vancauwenberge CAST Vicky Krieps (Jessica Comley), Mike Wilson, Haydn Winston, Simon Sears, Marla Robison, Ezekiel Velasco, Steve Anderson, Rogelio Camarillo, Santiago Craig, Harris Kendall, Brendan Guy Murphy
LES TROIS MOUSQUETAIRES: MILADY (2023) DIR Martin Bourboulon PROD Dimitri Rassam, Jérôme Seydoux SCR Alexandre de La Patellière, Matthieu Delaporte (novel “Les trois mousquetaires” [1844] by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Nicolas Bolduc MUS Guillaume Roussel CAST François Civil, Vincent Cassel, Romain Duris, Pio Marmaï, Eva Green, Louis Garrel, Vicky Krieps (Anne of Austria), Lyna Khoudri, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
HOT MILK (2024) DIR Rebecca Lenkiewicz PROD Kate Glover, Giorgos Karnavas, Christine Langan SCR (novel “Hot Milk” [2016] by Deborah Levy) CAM Christopher Blauvelt ED Mark Towns CAST Vicky Krieps (Ingrid), Emma Mackey, Fiona Shaw, Yann Gael
WENT UP THE HILL (2024) DIR Samuel Van Grinsven PROD Vicky Pope, Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton SCR Samuel Van Grinsven, Jory Anast CAM Tyson Perkins ED Dany Cooper CAST Dacre Montgomery, Vicky Krieps (Jill), Sarah Peirse, Arlo Green
SEXUAL HEALING (2024) DIR Julien Temple SCR Matthew Broughton, Marvin Williams CAM Steve Organ MUS Vassal Benford CAST Jesse L. Martin, Vicky Krieps (Eugenie Vis), Elarica Johnson, Clarke Peters, S. Epatha Merkerson, Rowena King, Hana Sofia Lopes, Dwight Henry, Julian Nest
TV MOVIES
ROMMEL (2012) DIR – SCR Nikolaus Stein von Kamienski [Niki Stein] PROD Nico Hoffmann, Ariane Krampe, Jürgen Schuster, Sascha Schwingel CAM Arthur W. Ahrweiler ED Corina Dietz MUS Ulrik Spies, Jacki Engelken CAST Ulrich Tukur, Rolf Kanies, Arthur Klemt, Tim Bergmann, Benjamin Sadler, Thomas Limpinsel, Vicky Krieps (Countess La Rochefoucauld)
ELLY BEINHORN – ALLEINFLUG (2014) DIR Christine Hartmann PROD Ariane Krampe SCR Christine Hartmann, Rodica Döhnert CAM Emre Erkmen ED Sabine Brose MUS Fabian Römer CAST Vicky Krieps (Elly Beinhorn), Max Riemelt, Rory Acton Burnell, Christian Berkel, Colin Moss, Harald Krassnitzer, Lennart Betzgen
DAS ZEGENHAUS (2014) DIR Matti Geschonneck PROD Oliver Berben, Sarah Kirkegaard SCR Magnus Vattrodt (novel “Das Zeugenhaus – Nürnberg 1945: Als Täter und Opfer unter einem Dach zusammentrafen” [2005] by Christiane Kohl) CAM Judith Kaufmann ED Karola Mittelstädt MUS Annette Focks CAST Tobias Moretti, Iris Berben, Matthias Brandt, Samuel Finzi, Johanna Gastdorf, Britta Hammelstein, Vicky Krieps (Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier)
TAG DER WARHEIT (2015) DIR Anna Justice PROD Alexandra Kordes, Meike Kordes SCR Johannes W. Betz CAM Adrian Cranage ED Ulrike Leipold MUS Julian Maas, Christoph Kaiser CAST Florian Lukas, Vicky Krieps (Marie Hoffmann), Benjamin Sadler, Laurent Stocker, Christoph Moosbrugger, Nico Rogner, Jules Armana
MON CHER PETIT VILLAGE (2015) DIR Gabriel Le Bomin PROD Bruno Petit, Nelly Kafsky SCR Eric Eider, Ivan Piettre (original story by Sarah Romano, Iris Strauss, Bruno Saignez) CAM Jean-Marie Dreijou ED Bertrand Collard MUS Ivan Beck CAST Laurent Stockner, Katja Riemann, Eric Savin, Claude Gensac, Philippe Duquesne, Vicky Krieps (Elisabeth), Aurélia Petit
BERLIN 1 (2015) DIR Marvin Kren PROD Quirin Berg, Max Wiedemann SCR Benjamin Hessler, Arndt Stüwe (story by Thorsten Wettcke, Chris Silber; original idea by Martin Kluger, Thomas Teubner) CAM Armin Franzen ED Lars Jordan, Philipp Stahl MUS Stefan Will, Marco Dreckköoter CAST Friedrich Mücke, Tobias Moretti, Antje Traue, Emilia Schüle, Frederick Lau, Vicky Krieps (Charlotta Barnekow)
With “LUKA,” legendary American screen actress Geraldine Chaplin (b. 1944) made her second feature with U.S.-Belgian screenwriter and film director Jessica Woodworth after they did “The Barefoot Emperor” (2019) together.
Ms. Chaplin is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977); she was his fourth child, and the first of eight children with his fourth wife, Oona O’Neill (1925-1991). She first pursued a career as a dancer. Then she became a fashion model until she was discovered by filmmaker David Lean, who cast her as Tonya in the screen classic “Doctor Zhivago” (1965) opposite Omar Sharif and Julie Christie. It was the beginning of a long career in films, first as a leading lady in American and European films, and then as a renowned international character actress.
“LUKA” (2023, trailer)
Ms. Chaplin stars with Dutch actor Jonas Smulders (b. 1994) in this English-language film about Luka, a young and ambitious soldier, who embeds himself in the legendary Fort Kairos where heroic warriors, under the command of the General, played by Chaplin, defend the remains of civilization. His hopes to serve as an elite sniper are crushed when he is assigned to maintenance and must submit to the code of Kairos: obedience, endurance, sacrifice. As he rises through the ranks, Luka finds joy and strength in friendships with Konstantin (played by Samvel Tadevossian), an enigmatic radar engineer, and Geronimo (Django Schrevens), a light-hearted private.
Screen Daily wrote in its January 29, 2023, film review that the film is ‘elevated by spectacular settings and a magnetic supporting turn by iconic veteran Geraldine Chaplin.’ The International Cinephile Society concludes its review that ‘a uniformly strong cast of character actors like Jan Bijvoet and Sam Louwyck, and particularly the actors portraying those in charge, turn “LUKA” into a bizarre but beautiful meditative film about the fight between dogma and truth and perhaps a more poignant commentary on the stasis of Western society than one might think at first.’
Ms. Chaplin attended the Ostend Film Festival last January with Jessica Woodworth and several cast members, where “LUKA” was screened and where this interview was conducted.
The film is available in several territories and now also playing in theaters in Belgium where it is distributed by De Filmfreak. International sales: Films Boutique.
Ms. Chaplin, how do you explain the chemistry between you and “LUKA” director Jessica Woodworth?
I don’t know. She’s just great, and she makes you feel what you have to feel. Maybe you don’t know what it is, maybe she even doesn’t know what it is, but it comes out. It comes through. There’s something about her that’s just magical. I didn’t know she was going to cast me for this film, but she did. She hopped out of the train station in Vevey and said, ‘Would you like to be in my next film?’ And I asked, ‘But isn’t it only men?’ She said, ‘Yes! Can you play a man??’ So, okay. The character I play doesn’t, in fact, come out as a man; it comes out as a sort of reptile—some strange being. I accepted the part because of Jessica; I greatly admire her work. So when she asked me, I thought, ‘Oh, another one! Good!’
Being the experienced actress you are, do you still need a lot of direction?
Of course. The director is the boss, so I obey the director. I was taught to obey the director. You transmit what the director is feeling. So, of course, I need direction. And with Jessica, it’s such a gift. I mean, she is so extraordinary.
How do you prepare for a role or a scene?
I used to write down everything, remember it, and I thought that was useful. Then you go through different stages of your career, and now I don’t prepare any more. Now I rely on the director. Many directors give you the dialogue in the morning, so you have to learn and use what you have. We rehearsed a lot, and although there was never enough time, we had that feeling, and that’s when you have to shoot. And with Jessica, it works. “LUKA” is a weird movie, but we live in very strange times. For me, it was a very emotional movie; the journey and the adventure were extraordinary. And from the first moment when you hear Luka’s voice saying ‘Mother’–that word alone, to me, that’s a killer. And until the last moment when he turns his back, and he leaves, that’s hope. I guess there is hope. I’m inclined to think there is hope.
You have worked with many great film directors, including David Lean. How do you remember working with him?
He was extraordinary—obviously. He didn’t want to mix with the actors. With Jessica, we have lunch, we have dinner. We do everything together, but he didn’t. He would stay in a different hotel; after the film, we became friends, and I asked him, ‘David, why did you never mix in with the actors?’ He said, ‘The script is there, the written word is there. You actors have very strong personalities, and I don’t want your personalities to rubble on your roles.’ So he was very distant. Some people said that he was very cold; he would go off into the desert and think. The producers were going mad until he came up with something. I loved working with him. Every director is a world. David Lean is one world. Jessica is another world.
And your father’s creative world remains as unique now as it was a century ago, right?
Yes, to me, it is. I never get tired of seeing his films. I’ve seen them all numerous times. What he could do with just one close-up… There’s that wonderful close-up in “The Great Dictator” [1940] during the last speech when he’s the little Jewish barber and then he becomes Hynkel, the dictator, and slowly his face becomes… it’s Charlie Chaplin, and he is bringing his message to the world. There’s hope in that message.
“LUKA” film director Jessica Woodworth with Geraldine Chaplin at the 2023 Ostend Film Festival | Film TalkYou inherited that craftmanship from him?
No, no. The only thing he taught was his discipline; he had great discipline. He was always the first on the set and the last to leave. He was such a disciplinarian. Unfortunately for us children he was also a disciplinarian with his kids, but he was Victorian and gave us good advice. He was able to express so much. You know, that scene in “City Lights” [1931] with the blind girl [played by Virginia Cherrill], how come she would think he was a rich man? It was driving him crazy. He did a million different things until he suddenly thought, ‘I know.’ She hears the car door that slams, and she thinks it’s a rich man’s car. That is pure genius, but I think he spent like three years or something finding that solution. How can you explain that she thinks he’s this rich man? How do you do that? The sound of a door banging. He never gave up.
Do you have his sense of perfectionism?
Definitely not, but I try to be perfect in everything that I do. It doesn’t usually turn out that way [laughs].
Your performances are always very enriching.
Well, the character I play in “LUKA” is so strange. That reptile—it’s not a man, we don’t know what it is—is so strange. We thought of all sorts of solutions. It was written as a man, but it comes out as some strange hybrid. I asked Jessica, ‘What can I do? Should I shave my head?’ Because I can shave my head, my hair will grow back. Then Jessica said, ‘No, that’s not necessary.’ I also worked on my voice; Jessica always said, ‘The voice. Lower, lower.’
Geraldine Chaplin as The General in “LUKA” | Virginie Surdej/Bo FilmsWhat was it like to be a leading lady during the 1960s and 1970s?
It was always exciting; there was always something new, something to discover. There still is, I suppose. But in those days, there was always someone new to work with. It’s becoming less and less; I have less and less work now. The parts get shorter. I did a film called “Seneca” [a.k.a. “Seneca: On the Creation of Earthquakes,” 2023] with John Malkovich. When I read the script, my character disappears sort of halfway through the film. I thought, ‘Do I want to do that?’ Then I read it again and thought, ‘Hey, being a before-Christ drug addict, that’s not bad! I can try that!’ And that’s what it is, it’s a beastie druggie [laughs]. That’s something new. I mean, there are so many human beings, so there’s always another human being you can try to portray. Human beings are so rich—and weird. That’s the beauty of being an actor; you can research that person and find out what are the emotions of that person, and with the help of the director, obviously, try to get it right.
Is there a role you have played that you’re very proud of?
I think this one in “LUKA” is pretty good; I have played a man before. I played a children’s organ trafficker once, but this one was interesting. That whole military world, my God. It’s very relevant. We were in paradise, an emotional paradise when we made “LUKA.” The landscapes are amazing; that’s thanks to Jessica, she discovered them. We had the dam, but there’s no water, there’s nothing. With the stones from the quarry, they had rebuilt Siracusa. I believe they also shot the last “Indiana Jones” [“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” 2023] there immediately afterward. Jessica said, ‘Thank God, they would have bought it’ [laughs].
Was it a difficult film to make?
Yes, I think it was for everyone. It was an adventure; we were all in it together. We knew it had to happen, and we had to get it right. It was a completely isolated area, also emotionally very isolating. The loneliness of that book is devastating. I think that when Jessica read the book, that must have been what came out. The film is so lonely, it’s heartbreaking and beautiful. And suddenly there’s that horse—it’s so strange.
Your father was one of the founders of United Artists in 1919. Do you know if he stayed in touch with his co-founders Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pïckford, and D.W. Griffith for the rest of their lives?
I don’t know if they stayed in touch; I think there was a friction with Mary Pickford somewhere along the line. She wanted to buy half of United Artists, I think. My father had told her, ‘Name a price, give or take. Either I pay it, or you pay it.’ He always said that Douglas Fairbanks was his best friend. I don’t know if my father stayed in touch with D.W. Griffith. I wonder. My father would have mentioned it in his autobiography [“Charles Chaplin: My Autobiography,” 1964] or the biography by David Robinson [“Chaplin: His Life and Art,” 1985]. I don’t think they did, I don’t know why. They created United Artists against the big studios, which was amazing. That was very brave.
Book covers of “Charles Chaplin: My Autobiography” (1964) and David Robinson’s “Chaplin: His Life and Art” (1985)But of all the pioneers, your father was the only one who kept working his whole life.
Yes, he did. In the final years, when couldn’t really move much, he created the music for all his first films. Such a signature; when you hear that music, ‘Oh, that’s Charlie Chaplin.’
Also the fact that songs he wrote became hits during the pop-rock era.
Yes, Petula Clark was number one [with “This Is My Song,” from Chaplin’s final film “The Countess from Hong Kong,” 1967], before The Beatles. She kept coming back; I think she wanted some more songs [laughs]. Just dropping in, ‘Charlie, how are you doing?’ [Laughs.] And a song like ‘Smile’… that’s eternal. I remember my daughter and I had to sing it once; we did the Rod Stewart version. It still hits the Top Ten occasionally; it’s a beautiful song. When he wrote his songs, he would sit down at the piano. He didn’t know how to read music; he had never studied music. But then he would just sing along and use the tape recorder. Then something would come out and he’d get a music writer to write the music down. My father could play the piano, the violin, the cello, and he instinctively knew the range of each musical instrument. He’d say, ‘Now I want some violins, the hobos…’ That’s how he wrote his music.
Film Festival Ostend,
January 30, 2023
FILMS
LIMELIGHT (1952) DIR – PROD – MUS Charles Chaplin SCR Charles Chaplin (also original story) CAM Karl Struss ED Joe Inge CAST Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Marjorie Bennett, Charles Chaplin Jr., Geraldine Chaplin (Little Girl on the Steps), Josephine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Oona Chaplin, Edna Purviance
PAR UN BEAU MATIN D’ÉTÉ, a.k.a. CRIME ON A SUMMER MORNING (1965) DIR Jacques Deray PROD Raymond Borderie, Paul-Edmond Decharme, Beniro Perojo SCR Jacques Deray, James Hadley Chase, Arturo Rigel, Didier Goulard, Marice Fabre, Georges Bardawill, M. Andriard (novel by James Hadley Chase) CAM Juan Julio Baena, Jean Charvein ED Monique Kirsanoff MUS Michel Magne CAST Jean-Paul Belmondo, Sophie Daumier, Geraldine Chaplin (Zelda), Alania Cade, Gabriele Ferzetti, Adolfo Celi, Akim Tamiroff
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) DIR David Lean PROD Carlo Ponti SCR Robert Bolt (novel by Boris Pasternak) CAM Freddie Young ED Norman Savage MUS Maurice Jarre CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Tonya), Julie Christie, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Alec Guinness, Shiobhan McKenna, Ralph Richardson, Rod Steiger, Rita Tushingham, Ingrid Pitt, Klaus Kinski, Adrienne Corri, Jack MacGowran
THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVIL (1965) DIR Nicholas Ray PROD Nicholas Ray, Raymond Brandt SCR Gore Vidal, Dylan Thomas CAST Geraldine Chaplin, Laurence Harvey, Barbara Steele, Susannah York, Margaret Johnston, Maximilian Schell, James Mason
ANDREMO IN CITTÀ (1966) DIR Nelo Risi PROD Franco Cancellieri SCR Nelo Risi, Edith Bruck, Jerzy Stefan Stawinski, Cesare Zavattini (story by Edith Bruck) CAM Tonino Dello Colli ED Giacinto Solito MUS Ivan Vandor CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Lenka Vitas), Nino Castelnuovo, Federico Scrobogna, Stefania Careddu, Aleksander Gavric
A COUNTESS FROM HONGKONG (1967) DIR – SCR – MUS Charles Chaplin PROD Charles Chaplin [uncredited], Jerome Epstein CAM Arthur Ibbetson ED Gordon Hales CAST Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren, Sydney Chaplin, Tippi Hedren, Patrick Cargill, Oliver Johnston, Margaret Rutherford, Geraldine Chaplin (Girl at Dance), Josephine Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, Charles Chaplin
CASINO ROYALE (1967) DIR John Huston, Ken Hughes, Joseph McGrath, Robert Parrish, Richard Talmadge PROD Jerry Bresler, Charles K. Feldman SCR Wolf Mankowitz, John Law, Michael Sawyers (novel ‘Casino Royale’ [1953] by Ian Fleming) CAM Jack Hildyard ED Bill Lenny MUS Burt Bacharach CAST Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles, Joanna Pettet, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, Charles Boyer, John Huston, George Raft, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset, Geraldine Chaplin (Keystone Kop [uncredited]), Mireille Darc, Anjelica Huston, Caroline Munro, Peter O’Toole
J’AI TUÉ RASPOUTINE, a.k.a. I KILLED RASPUTIN (1967) DIR Robert Hossein EXEC PROD Maurice Jacquin SCR Robert Hossein, Alain Decaux, Claude Desailly (book by Paola Sanjust, Feliks Yusupov) CAM Henri Persin ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS André Hossein CAST Gert Fröbe, Peter McEnery, Robert Hossein, Geraldine Chaplin (Mounia Golovine), Ivan Desny, Roger Pigaut, Feliks Yusupov
STRANGER IN THE HOUSE (1967) DIR Pierre Rouve PROD SCR Pierre Rouve (novel ‘Les Inconnus de la Maison’ by Georges Simenon) CAM Ken Higgins ED Ernest Walter MUS Patrick John Scott CAST James Mason, Geraldine Chaplin (Angela Sawyer), Bobby Darin, Paul Bertoya, Ian Ogilvy, Bryan Stanyon, Pippa Steel, Clive Morton
PEPPERMINT FRAPPÉ (1967) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona, Angelino Fons (story by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Elena / Ana), José Luis López, Alfredo Mayo, Emiliano Redondo, Ana María Custodio, María José Charfole
STRESS-ES TRES-TRES, a.k.a. STRESS IS THREE (1968) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Angelino (story by Carlos Saura) Fons CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Jaime Pérez CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Teresa), Juan Kuis Galiardo, Fernando Cebrián, Porfiria Sanchíz, Charo Soriano, Humberto Sempere
LA MADRIGUERA, a.k.a. HONEYCOMB (1969) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Geraldine Chaplin, Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona (idea by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Teresa), Per Oscarsson, Teresa del Río, Julia Peña, Emiliano Redondo, María Elena Flores, Jesús Nieto
THE HAWAIIANS (1970) DIR Tom Gries PROD Walter Mirisch SCR James R. Web (novel by James A. Michener) CAM Lucien Ballard, Philip H. Lathrop ED Ralph E. Winters, Byron Brandt MUS Henry Mancini CAST Charlton Heston, Geraldine Chaplin (Purity Hoxworth), John Phillip Law, Mako, Tina Chen, Alec McCowen, Don Knight, Miko Mayama
EL JARDÍN DE LAS DELICIAS, a.k.a. THE GARDEN OF DELIGHTS (1970) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona (idea by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST José Luis López Vázquez, Luchy Soto, Francisco Pierrá, Charo Soriano, Lina Canalejas, Julia Peña, Mayrata O’Wisiedo, Geraldine Chaplin (Guest [uncredited])
SUR UN ARBRE PERCHÉ, a.k.a. PERCHED ON A TREE (1971) DIR Serge Korber PROD Raymond Danon SCR Pierre Roustang (adaptation by Serge Korber, Jean Halain) CAM Edmond Séchan ED Marie-Claire Korber MUS Alain Goraguer CAST Louis de Funès, Geraldine Chaplin (Madame Muller), Alice Sapritch, Paul Préboist, Hans Meyer, Olivier de Funès
LA CASA SIN FRONTERAS, a.k.a. THE HOUSE WITHOUT FRONTIERS and A HOUSE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (1972) DIR Pedro Olea EXEC PROD Imanol Olea, Jesús Sánchez SCR Pedro Olea, Juan Antonio Porto (story ‘Lluvia’ by José Agustín) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED José Antonio Rojo MUS Carmelo A. Bernaola CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Lucía Alfaro), Tony Isbert, Viveca Lindfors, José Orjas, Patty Shepard, Julio Peña, Luis Ciges, María Arias
Z.P.G. (1972) DIR Michael Campus PROD Tom Madigan SCR Max Ehrich, Frank De Felitta CAM Michael Reed ED Dennis Lanning MUS Jonathan Hodge CAST Oliver Reed, Geraldine Chaplin (Carol), Don Gordon, Diane Cilento, David Markham, Bill Nagy, Sheila Reid, Aubrey Woods
INNOCENT BYSTANDERS (1972) DIR Peter Collinson PROD George H. Brown SCR James Mitchell (also novel) CAM Brian Probyn ED Alan Patillo MUS Johnny Keating CAST Stanley Baker, Geraldine Chaplin (Miriam Loman), Donald Pleasence, Dana Andrews, Sue Lloyd, Derren Nesbitt, Vladek Sheybal
ANA Y LOS LOBOS, a.k.a. ANA AND THE WOLVES (1973) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona (story by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Ana), Fernando Fernán Gómez, José María Prada, José Vivó, Rafaela Aparicio, Charo Soriano
VERFLUCHT, DIES AMERIKA, a.k.a. YANKEE DUDLER and JAIDLER’S GANG (1973) DIR Volker Vogeler PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Volker Vogeler, Ulf Miehe, Bernardo Fernández (story by Volker Vogeler, Ulf Miehe, Bernardo Fernández) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Kate Elder), William Berger, Francisco Algora, Arthur Brauss, Sigi Graue, Joaquín Rodríguez, Fred Stillkrauth
THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) DIR Richard Lester PROD Ilya Salkind SCR George MacDonald Fraser (novel by Alexandre Dumas) CAM David Watkin ED John Victor Smith MUS Michel Legrand CAST Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin (Queen Anne), Simon Ward, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Spike Mulligan, Roy Kinnear, Joss Ackland, Sybil Danning
LE MARIAGE À LA MODE (1973) DIR – SCR Michel Mardure PROD Véra Belmont CAM Alain Derobe CAST Catherine Jourdan, Yves Beneyton, Maurice Bénichou, Sylvette Cabrisseau, Geraldine Chaplin, Philippe Clévenot
SOMMERFUGLENE, a.k.a. SUMMER OF SILENCE (1974) DIR Chris Boger CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Anne Zimmler), Sally Newton, Jonas Bergström, Marit Halset, Lars Nordrum, Paul Kael, Aud Fosse, Tor Åge Bringsværd
¿… Y EL PRÓJIMO? (1974) DIR Ángel del Pozo PROD Tadeo Villalba SCR Ángel del Pozo (also story) CAM José Luis Alcaine ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Emilio de Diego CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Luisa), Antonio Ferrandis, Julián Mateos, Fernando Rey, Charo Soriano, Margot Cottens, Eduardo Fajardo, Juan Diego
THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974) DIR Richard Lester PROD Ilya Salkind, Michael Salkind SCR George MacDonald Fraser (novel by Alexandre Dumas) CAM David Watkin ED John Victor Smith MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin (Queen Anne), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simon Ward, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, Roy Kinnear, Ángel del Pozo, Sybil Danning, Joss Ackland
NASHVILLE (1975) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Joan Tewkesbury CAM Paul Lohman ED Sidney Levin, Dennis M. Hill MUS Arlene Barnett, Jonnie Barnett, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Gary Busey, Keith Carradine, Juan Grizzle, Allan F. Nicholls, Dave Peel, Joe Rapaso CAST Keith Carradine, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Shelley Duvall, Geraldine Chaplin (Opal), Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Harris, Lily Tomlin, Keenan Wynn, Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, Joan Tewkesbury
CRÍA CUERVOS (1976) DIR – SCR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta CAM Teo Escamalli ED Pablo G. del Amo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (María / Ana), Ana Torrent, Conchita Pérez, Mayte Sanchez, Mónica Randall, Florinda Chico, Josefina Díaz
BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS, OR SITTING BULL’S HISTORY LESSON (1976) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Robert Altman, Alan Rudolph (play ‘Indians’ by Arthur Koppit) CAM Paul Lohmann ED Dennis M. Hill, Peter Appleton MUS Richard Baskin CAST Paul Newman, Joel Grey, Kevin McCarthy, Harvey Keitel, Burt Lancaster, Geraldine Chaplin (The Sure Shot / Annie Oakley), Shelley Duvall, Bert Remsen
SCRIM, a.k.a. CAUGHT (1976) DIR Jacob Bijl SCR Jacob Bijl, James Brockway CAM Eduard van der Enden, Robert Altena CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Ann), Jessamin Stärcke, Bruce Gray
WELCOME TO L.A. (1976) DIR – SCR Alan Rudolph PROD Robert Altman CAM David Myers ED Tom Walls, William A. Sawyer MUS Richard Baskin CAST Keith Carradine, Sally Kellerman, Geraldine Chaplin (Karen Hood), Harvey Keitel, Lauren Hutton, Viveca Lindfors, Sissy Spacek, Denver Pyle, John Considine, Richard Baskin, Diahnne Abbott, Ron Silver
NOROÎT (1976) DIR Jacques Rivette PROD Stéphane Tchalgadjieff SCR Jacques Rivette, Eduardo de Gregorio, Marilù Parolini (play by Cyril Tourneur) CAM William Lubtchansky ED Nicole Lubtchansky MUS Daniel Ponsard, Robert Cohen-Solal, Jean Cohen-Solal CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Morag), Bernadette Lafont, Kika Markham, Humbert Balsan, Larrio Ekson, Anne-Marie Reynaud, Babette Lamy
ELISA, VIDA MÍA, a.k.a. ELISA, MY LIFE and ELISA, MY LOVE (1977) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura (also story) CAM Teo Escamilla ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Giorgio Mainiero CAST Fernando Rey, Geraldine Chaplin (Elisa / Madre de Elisa), Isabel Mestres, Joaquín Hinojosa, Norman Briski, Francisco Guijar, Ana Torrent
IN MEMORIAM (1977) DIR Enrique Brasó PROD José Luis Borau, Emiliano Piedra SCR Enrique Brasó, Adolfo Bioy Casares, José María Carreño, Juan Tébar CAM Teo Escamilla ED Guillermo S. Maldonado MUS Luis Eduardo Aute CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Paulina Arevalo), José Luis Gómez, Eusebio Poncela, Eusibio Poncela, José Orjas, Eduardo Calvo
ROSELAND (1977) DIR James Ivory PROD Ismail Merchant SCR Ruth Prawer Jhabvala CAM Ernest Vincze ED Humphrey Dixon, Richard Schmiechen MUS Michael Gibson CAST Teresa Wright, Christopher Walken, Geraldine Chaplin (Marilyn / The Hustle), Lou Jacobi, Don De Natale, Louise Kirtland,
UNE PAGE D’AMOUR, a.k.a. ONE PAGE OF LOVE (1978) DIR – PROD Maurice Rabinowicz SCR Maurice Rabinowicz, Yvette Michelems CAM Yves Vandermeeren, Joel Marcipont, Jean-Jacques Mathy ED Jean-Claude Bonfanti MUS Marc Hérouet CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Lise), Sami Frey, Marcel Dalio, Jan Decleir, Quentin Milo, Guy Pion, Ève Bonfanti, Monette Loza, Chantal Lempereur
REMEMBER MY NAME (1978) DIR – SCR Alan Rudolph PROD Robert Altman CAM Tak Fujimoto ED Tom Walls, William A. Sawyer MUS Alberta Hunter, Kenneth Wannberg CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Emily), Anthony Perkins, Moses Gunn, Jeff Goldblum, Berry Berenson, Tim Thomerson, Alfre Woodard
LOS OJOS VENDADOS, a.k.a. BLINDFOLDED EYES (1978) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura (also story) CAM Teo Escamilla ED Pablo G. del Amo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Emilia), José Luis Gómez, Xabier Elorriaga, Lola Cardona, André Falcon, Manuel Guitián, Carmen Maura
A WEDDING (1978) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Robert Altman, John Considine, Patricia Resnick, Allan F. Nicholls (story by Robert Altman, John Considine) CAM Charles Rosher Jr. ED Tony Lombardo CAST Desi Arnaz Jr., Carol Burnett, Geraldine Chaplin (Rita Billingsley), Howard Duff, Mia Farrow, Vittorio Gassman, Lillian Gish, Lauren Hutton, Viveca Lindfors, Pat McCormick, Dina Merrill, Nina Van Pallandt, Paul Dooley, Dennis Christopher, Peggy Ann Garner, Bert Remsen, Joan Allen, John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise
L’ADOPTION, a.k.a. ADOPTION (1979) DIR Marc Grunebaum PROD Jacques Perrin, Arthur Cohn SCR Marc Grunebaum, Magdeleine Dailloux, Peter Krall, Bernard Stora ED Kenout Peltier MUS Michel Portal CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Catherine), Jacques Perrin, Patrick Norbert, Gérard Lorin, May Chartrette, Chloé Caillat, Monique Delaroche
MAIS OÙ ET DONC ORNICAR (1979) DIR Bertrand Van Effenterre PROD Bertrand Van Effenterre, Herbert De Zaltza SCR Bertrand Van Effenterre, Dominique Woldon CAM Nurith Aviv ED Joële Van Effenterre MUS Antoine Duhamel CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Isabelle), Brigitte Fossey, Jean-François Stévenin, Didier Flamand, Jean-Jacques Biraud, Anna Prucnal, Claudine Renaux, Marie-Thérèse Saussure, Claire Denis
MAMÁ CUMPLE 100 AÑOS, a.k.a. MAMA TURNS 100 (1979) DIR – SCR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta CAM Teo Escamilla ED Pablo G. del Amo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Ana), Amparo Muñoz, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Norman Briski, Rafaela Aparicio, Charo Soriano, José Vivó, Ángeles Torres, Elisa Nandi
LA VIUDA DE MONTIEL, a.k.a. THE WIDOW MONTIEL (1979) DIR Miguel Littin PROD Hernán Littin SCR Miguel Littin, José Agustín (short story by Gabriel García Márquez) CAM Patricio Castilla ED Nelson Rodríguez MUS Leo Brouwer CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Adelaida), Nelson Villagra, Katy Jurado, Eduardo Gil, Pilar Romero, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Reynaldo Miravalles
LE VOYAGE EN DOUCE, a.k.a. A SWEET JOURNEY (1980) DIR – SCR Michel Deville PROD Maurice Bernart CAM Claude Lecomte ED Raymonde Guyot MUS Catherine Ardouin CAST Dominique Sanda, Geraldine Chaplin (Lucie), Jacques Zabor, Jean Crubelier, Valerie Masterson, Cécile Le Bailly, Jacqueline Parent
THE MIRROR CRACK’D (1980) DIR Guy Hamilton PROD John Barbourne, Richard Goodwin SCR Jonathan Hales, Barry Sandler (novel ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ [1962] by Agatha Christie) CAM Christopher Challis ED Richard Marden MUS John Cameron CAST Angela Lansbury, Geraldine Chaplin (Ella Zielinsky), Tony Curtis, Edward Fox, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Wendy Morgan, Margaret Courtenay, Charles Gray, Pierce Brosnan
LES UNS ET LES AUTRES, a.k.a. BOLERO and BOLERO: DANCE OF LIFE (1981) DIR – PROD – SCR Claude Lelouch CAM Jean Boffety ED Hugues Darmois, Sophie Bhaud MUS Francis Lai, Michel Legrand CAST Robert Hossein, Nicole Garcia, Geraldine Chaplin (Suzan / Sara Glenn), Jacques Villeret, Fanny Ardant, Evelyne Bouix, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Francis Huster, Alexandra Stewart, James Caan, Sharon Stone, Simon Lelouch
LA VIE EST UN ROMAN, a.k.a. LIFE IS A BED OF ROSES (1983) DIR Alain Resnais PROD Philippe Dussart SCR Jean Gruault CAM Bruno Nuytten ED Jean-Pierre Besnard, Albert Jurgenson MUS Philippe-Gérard CAST Vittorio Gassman, Ruggero Raimondi, Geraldine Chaplin (Nora Winkle), Fanny Ardant, André Dussollier, Sabine Azéma, Robert Manuel
L’AMOUR PAR TERRE, a.k.a. LOVE ON THE GROUND (1984) DIR Jacques Rivette PROD Arthur Kohn SCR Jacques Rivette, Suzanne Schiffman, Pascal Bonitzer, Marilù Parolini CAM Wiliam Lubtchansky ED Nicole Lubtchansky CAST Jane Birkin, Geraldine Chaplin (Charlotte), André Dussollier, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Isabelle Linnartz, Sandra Montaigu, Barbet Schroeder
WHITE MISCHIEF (1987) DIR Michael Radford PROD Simon Perry SCR Michael Radford, Jonathan Gems (novel by James Fox) CAM Roger Deakins ED Tom Priestley MUS George Fenton CAST Greta Scacchi, Charles Dance, Joss Ackland, Sarah Miles, Geraldine Chaplin (Nina Soames), Ray McAnally, Murray Head, John Hurt, Trevor Howard, Hugh Grant
THE MODERNS (1988) DIR Alan Rudolph PROD David Blocker, Carolyn Pfeiffer SCR Alan Rudolph, Jon Bradshaw CAM Toyomichi Kurita ED Debra T. Smith, Scott Brock MUS Mark Isham CAST Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino, Geneviève Bujold, Geraldine Chaplin (Nathalie de Ville), Wallace Shawn, Kevin J. O’Connor, John Lone
THE RETURN OF THE MUSKETEERS (1989) DIR Richard Lester PROD Pierre Spengler SCR George MacDonald Fraser (book by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Bernard Lutic ED John Victor Smith MUS Jean-Claude Petit CAST Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Thomas C. Howell, Kim Catrall, Geraldine Chaplin (Queen Anne), Roy Kinnear, Christopher Lee, Philippe Noiret, Richard Chamberlain, Jean-Pierre Cassel
I WANT TO GO HOME (1989) DIR Alain Resnais PROD Marin Karmitz SCR Jules Feiffer CAM Charles Van Damme ED Albert Jurgenson MUS John Kander CAST Adolph Green, Gérard Depardieu, Linda Lavin, Micheline Presle, Laura Benson, Geraldine Chaplin (Terry Armstrong), John Ashton, Caroline Silhol, Ludivine Sagnier
THE CHILDREN (1990) DIR – ED Tony Palmer PROD Andrew Montgomery SCR Timberlake Wertenbaker (novel by Edith Wharton) CAM Nicholas D. Knowland MUS Evelyn Glennie CAST Ben Kingskey, Kim Novak, Joe Don Baker, Geraldine Chaplin (Joyce Wheater), Britt Ekland, Karen Black, Siri Neal
GENTILE ALOUETTE (1990) DIR Sergio M. Castilla CAM Patricio Castilla CAST héctor Alterio, Geraldine Chaplin (Angela Duverger), John Leguizamo
BUSTER’S BEDROOM (1991) DIR Rebecca Horn PROD Luciano Gloor SCR Rebecca Horn, Martin Mosebach CAM Sven Nykvist ED Barbara von Weiterhausen MUS Sergei Kuryokhin CAST Donald Sutherland, Geraldine Chaplin (Diana Daniels), Amanda Ooms, Valentina Cortese, David Warrilow, Taylor Mead
HORS SAISON, a.k.a. OFF SEASON (1992) DIR Daniel Schmid PROD Marcel Hoehn SCR Daniel Schmid, Martin Suter CAM Renato Berta ED Daniela Roderer MUS Peter Raben CAST Sami Frey, Carlos Devesa, Ingrid Caven, Geraldine Chaplin (Anarchist), Andréa Ferréol, Marisa Paredes
CHAPLIN (1992) DIR Richard Attenborough PROD Richard Attenborough, Mario Kassar SCR Bryan Forbes, William Goldman, William Boyd (story by Diana Hawkins; books by Charles Chaplin, David Robinson) CAM Sven Nykvist ED Anne V. Coates MUS John Barry CAST Robert Downey Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Geraldine Chaplin (Hannah Chaplin), Kevin Dunn, Anthony Hopkins, Milla Jovovich, Moira Kelly, Kevin Kline, Diane Lane, Penelope Ann Miller, Paul Rhys, Marisa Tomei, Nancy Travis, James Woods, Karen Lewis-Attenborough
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993) DIR Martin Scorsese PROD Barbara De Fina SCR Martin Scorsese, Jay Cocks (novel by Edith Wharton) CAM Michael Ballhaus ED Thelma Schoonmaker MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Geraldine Chaplin (Mrs. Welland), Mary Beth Hurt, Alec McCowen, Richard E. Grant, Stuart Wilson, Alexis Smith, Norman Lloyd, Claire Bloom, Martin Scorsese, Joanne Woodward (voice only)
WORDS UPON THE WINDOW PANE (1994) DIR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Anna J. Devlin SCR Mary McGuckian (play by William Butler Yates) CAM Des Whelan ED Kant Pan MUS Niall Byrne CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Miss McKenna), Brid Brennan, Geraldine James, Hugh O’Conor, Brendan Conroy, Donal Donnelly, Mikel Murfi
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1995) DIR Jodie Foster PROD Jodie Foster, Peggy Rajski SCR W. D. Richter (short story by Chris Radant) CAM Lajos Koltai ED Lynzee Klingman MUS Mark Isham CAST Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Geraldine Chaplin (Aunt Glady), Dylan McDermott, Steve Guttenberg, Claire Danes, David Strathairn
PARA RECIBIR EL CANTO DE LOS PÁJAROS, a.k.a. HEAR THE BIRDS SINGING (1995) DIR – SCR Jorge Sanjinés PROD Beatriz Palacios CAM César Pérez, Raúl Rodriguez, Guillermo Ruiz ED Jorge Sanjinés, Pedro Chaskel MUS Cergio Prudencio CAST Guido Arce, Marcelo Guzmán, Reynoldo Yujra, Geraldine Chaplin (Catherine), Lineth Herbas, Fernando Illanes
JANE EYRE (1996) DIR Franco Zeffirelli PROD Dyson Lovell SCR Franco Zeffirelli, Hugh Whitemore (novel by Charlotte Brontë) CAM David Watkin ED Richard Marden MUS Alessio Vlad, Claudio Capponi CAST William Hurt, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joan Plowright, Anna Paquin, Geraldine Chaplin (Miss Scatcherd), Elle Macpherson, Fiona Shaw, Billie Whitelaw, Charlotte Attenborough, Maria Schneider
OS OLHOS DA ÁSIA, a.k.a. THE EYES OF ASIA (1996) DIR João Mário Grilo PROD Paulo Branco SCR João Mário Grilo, Paulo Filipe CAM Jean-Paul Rosa da Costa ED Christian Dor MUS Jorge Arriagada CAST José Abreu, Geraldine Chaplin (Jane Powell), António Cordeiro, Marques D’Arede, José Eduardo, Rui Gomes, Kyioto Harada, Edward Ishta
CRIMETIME (1996) DIR George Sluizer PROD David Pupkewitz SCR Brendan Somers CAM Jules van den Steenhoven ED Fabienne Rawley MUS David A. Stewart CAST Stephen Baldwin, Pete Postlethwaite, Sadie Frost, Geraldine Chaplin (Thelma), Karen Black, James Faulkner, Phil Davis, Marianne Faithfull, Emma Roberts
COUSIN BETTE (1998) DIR Des McAnuff PROD Sarah Radclyffe SCR Lynn Siefert, Susan Tarr (novel by Honoré de Balzac) CAM Andrzej Sekula ED Tariq Anwar, Barry Alexander Brown MUS Simon Boswell CAST Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins, Aden Young, Kelly Macdonald, Geraldine Chaplin (Adeline), Hugh Laurie
FINISETERRE, DONDE TERMINA EL MUNDO, a.k.a. LA BUSQUEDA (1998) DIR Xavier Villaverde PROD Xavier Villaverde, Pancho Casal, Gerardo Herrero SCR Xavier Villaverde, Ruth Toledano, Miguel Anxo Murado CAM Javier Salmones ED Carmen Frías MUS José Nieto CAST Nancho Novo, Elena Anaya, Enrique Alcides, Geraldine Chaplin (Madre), Chete Lera, Manuel Manquiña
TO WALK WITH LIONS (1999) DIR Carl Schultz PROD Julie Allan, Pieter Kroonenburg SCR Sharon Buckingham, Keith Ross Leckie CAM Jean Lépine ED Angelo Corrao MUS Alan Reeves CAST Richard Harris, Ian Bannen, John Michie, Kerry Fox, Honor Blackman, Geraldine Chaplin (Victoria Anrecelli), Hugh Quarshie, Guy Williams
BERESINA ODER DIE LETZTEN TAGE DER SCHWEIZ (1999) DIR Daniel Schmid PROD Marcel Koehn SCR Martin Suter CAM Renato Berta ED Daniela Roderer MUS Carl Hänggi CAST Elena Panova, Nartin Benrath, Geraldine Chaplin (Charlotte De), Ulrich Noethen, Iván Darvas, Marina Confalone, Stefan Kurt
¿TÚ QUÉ HARÍAS POR AMOR?, a.k.a. JUST RUN! (2000) DIR Carlos Saura Medrano PROD Eduardo Campoy SCR Carlos Saura Medrano, Antón Casariego, Nicolás Casariego (novel by Martín Casariego) CAM Teo Delgado, José-Luis López-Linares ED José Salcedo MUS Carlo Siliotto CAST Fele Martínez, Silke, Geraldine Chaplin (Madre), Francisco Rabal, Patxi Freytez, Aitor Merino, Alberto Escobar
EN LA CIUDAD SIN LÍMITES, a.k.a. THE CITY OF NO LIMITS (2002) DIR Antonio Hernández PROD José Velasco SCR Antonio Hernández, Enrique Brasó CAM Unax Mendia ED Patricia Enis, Javier Laffaille MUS Victor Reyes CAST Leonardo Sbaraglia, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Geraldine Chaplin (Marie), Ana Fernández, Adriana Ozores, Leticia Brédice, Roberto Álvarez
LAS CARAS DE LA LUNA, a.k.a. THE FACES OF THE MOON (2002) DIR Guita Schyfter EXEC PROD Guita Schyfter, Alejandro Clancy SCR Hugo Hiriart CAM Jaime Reynoso ED Carlos Puente MUS Eduardo Gamboa CAST Diana Bracho, Carmen Montejo, Geraldine Chaplin (Joan Turner), Ana Torrent, Haydee de Lev, Nora Velázquez, Gonzalo Vega
HABLE CON ELLA, a.k.a. TALK TO HER (2002) DIR – SCR Pedro Almodóvar EXEC PROD Agustín Almodóvar CAM Javier Aguirresarobe ED José Salcedo MUS Alberto Iglesias CAST Javier Cámara, Leonor Watling, Darío Gradinetti, Rosario Flores, Geraldine Chaplin (Katerina Bilova), Mariola Fuentes, Pina Bausch, Paz Vega
THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY (2004) DIR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Garrett McGuckian, Michael Cowan, Denise O’Dell SCR Mary McGukian (novel by Thornton Wilder) CAM Javier Aguirresarobe ED Kant Pan MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Robert De Niro, Bates, Gabriel Byrne, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Geraldine Chaplin (The Abbess), Émilie Dequenne, Samuel Le Bihan, Pilar López de Ayala, Jim Sheridan
HEIDI (2005) DIR Paul Marcus PROD Christopher Figg, Martyn Atherton SCR Brian Finch (novel by Johanna Spyri) CAM Peter Sinclair ED David Rees MUS Jocelyn Pook CAST Emma Bolger, Max von Sydow, Geraldine Chaplin (Rottenmeier), Diana Rigg, Pauline McLynn, Sam Friend, Jessica Claridge
OCULTO, a.k.a. THE HIDDEN (2005) DIR Antonio Hernández PROD José Velasco, Antonio Saura, José Nolla, Albert Martinez Martin SCR Antonio Hernández, Enrique Brasó CAM Unax Mendia ED Javier Laffaille CAST Laia Marull, Angie Cepeda, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Geraldine Chaplin (Adele), Joaquín Climent, Gerardo Malla, William Miller, Emma Cohen
BLOODRAYNE (2005) DIR Uwe Boll PROD Uwe Boll, Shawn Williamson SCR Guinevere Turner CAM Mathias Neumann MUS Henning Lohner CAST Kristanna Loken, Michael Madsen, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Rodriguez, Geraldine Chaplin (Fortune Teller), Udo Kier, Meat Loaf, Michael Paré, Billy Zane
MELISSA P. (2005) DIR Luca Guadagnino PROD Claudio Amendola, José Ibáñez, Francesca Neri SCR Luca Guadagnino, Barbara Alberti, Christiana Farina (story by Luca Guadagnino, Christiana Farina; memoir by Melissa Panarello) CAM Mario Amura ED Walter Fasano MUS Lucio Gogoy CAST María Valverde, Letizia Ciampa, Primo Reggiani, Geraldine Chaplin (Nonna Elvira), Nilo Zimmerman, Claudio Santamaria, Carlo Antonelli
MIGUEL Y WILLIAM, a.k.a. MIGUEL AND WILLIAM (2007) DIR Inés París PROD Antonio Saura, José Velasco, Juan Luis Galiardo SCR Inés París (story by Inés París, Miguel Ángel Gómez, Tirso Calero, Eva Cruz) CAM Néstor Calvo ED Julia Juaniz MUS Stephen Warbeck CAST Elena Anaya, Juan Luis Galiardo, Will Kemp, Josep Maria Pou, Geraldine Chaplin (Dueña), Malena Alterio, Miriam Giovanelli, Jorge Calvo
LES BOÎTES, a.k.a. BOXES (2007) DIR – SCR Jane Birkin PROD Emmanuel Giraud CAM François Catonné ED Marie-Josée Audiard MUS Frank Eulry CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Maman), Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, Natacha Régnier, Lou Doillon, Adèle Exarchopoulos, John Hurt, Maurice Bénichou, Annie Girardot
TERESA, EL CUERPO DE CRISTO, a.k.a. THERESA: THE BODY OF CHRIST (2007) DIR – SCR Ray Loriga PROD Ximo Pérez, Andrés Vicente Gómez CAM José Luis Alcaine ED Pablo Blanco MUS Ángel Illarramendi, Michael Nyman CAST Paz Vega, Leonor Watling, Geraldine Chaplin (Priora), Eusebio Poncela, Ampero Valle, Manuel Morón, Francesc Garrido
EL ORFANATO, a.k.a. THE ORPHANAGE (2007) DIR J.A. Bayona PROD Álvaro Augustin, Joaquín Padró, Mar Targarona SCR Sergio G. Sánchez CAM Oscar Faura ED Elena Ruiz MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Óscar Casas, Geraldine Chaplin (Aurora), Edgar Vivar, Montserrat Carulla
LOS TOTENWACKERS, a.k.a. THE TOTENWACKERS (2007) DIR – PROD Ibon Cormenzana SCR Ibon Cormenzana, David Muñoz, Antonio Trashorras (original story by David Muñoz, Antonio Trashorras) CAM Joan Benet ED José Luis Romeu MUS Eugenio Mira CAST Josep Julien, Hamid Krim, Azzdine Benaji, Mar Regueras, Elisa Drabben, Natalia Sánchez, Iván Morales, Geraldine Chaplin (Salgado), Celso Bugallo
PARLAMI D’AMORE, a.k.a. TELL ME ABOUT LOVE (2008) DIR Silvio Muccino PROD Marco Chimenz, Giovanni Stabilini, Riccardo Tozzi SCR Silvio Muccino, Carla Vangelista (novel by Silvio Muccino, Carla Vangelista) CAM Arnaldo Catinari ED Patrizio Marone MUS Andrea Guerra CAST Silvio Muccino, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Carolina Crescentini, Andrea Renzi, Max Mazzotta, Flavio Parenti, Geraldine Chaplin (Amelie), Giorgio Colangeli
INCONCEIVABLE (2008) DIR – SCR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Jeff Abberley, Martin Katz CAM Mark Wolf ED David Freemantle, Tad Seaborn MUS Kevin Banks CAST Jennifer Tilly, Andie MacDowell, Geraldine Chaplin (Frances Church-Chappel), Elizabeth McGovern, Colm Feone, Kerry Fox, Amanda Plummer, Oona Chaplin, Greta Scacchi
PARC (2008) DIR – ED Arnaud des Pallières PROD Serge Lalou, Marie Guirauden SCR Arnaud des Pallières (novel by John Cheever) CAM Jeanne Lapoirie MUS Martin Wheeler CAST Sergi López, Jean-Marc Barr, Nathalie Richard, Laurent Delbecque, Dephine Chuillot, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Geraldine Chaplin (Marteau’s Mother), Judith Henry
RAMÍREZ (2008) DIR – SCR – ED Albert Arizza PROD Albert Arizza, Monica Goyanes CAM Albert Arizza, Dimas Almendros MUS Juan Belda CAST Christian Magaloni, Zoe Berriatúa, Sara Martin, Geraldine Chaplin (Galerist), Tacuara Casares, Huichi Chiu, Gaëlle Diego
DIARIO DE UNA NINFÓMANA, a.k.a. DIARY OF A NYMPHOMANIAC (2008) DIR Christian Molina PROD Fernando Monje SCR Cuca Canals (novel by Valérie Tasso) CAM Javier Salmones ED Luis de la Madrid MUS Mariano Marín, Roque Baños CAST Belén Fabra, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Llum Barrera, Ángela Molina, Geraldine Chaplin (Marie Tasso / Abuela de Valére), Pedro Gutiérrez, José Chaves
IMAGO MORTIS (2009) DIR Stefano Bessoni PROD Sonia Raule SCR Stefano Bessoni, Luiso Berdejo (story by Stefano Bessoni, Giulia Graglia, Filippo Meneghetti, Piero Tomaselli, Giovanni Antonio Marchesi) CAM Arnaldo Catinari ED Raimondo Aiello MUS Zacarias M. de la Riva CAST Alberto Amarilla, Oona Chaplin, Leticia Dolera, Álex Angulo, Francesco Carnelutti, Paolo De Vita, Franco Pistoni, Geraldine Chaplin (Countess Orsini), Silvia De Santis
LA ISLA INTERIOR, a.k.a. THE ISLAND INSIDE (2009) DIR – SCR Dunia Ayaso, Félix Sabroso PROD José Herrero de Egaña, Juan Romero CAM Juan Antonio Castaño ED Ascen Marchena MUS Lucas Vidal CAST Candela Peña, Alberto San Juan, Cristina Marcos, Celso Bugallo, Antonio de la Torre, Geraldine Chaplin (Victoria), Emy Cazorla
THE WOLFMAN (2010) DIR Joe Johnston PROD Benicio Del Toro, Sean Daniel, Rick Yorn, Scott Stuber SCR David Self, Andrew Kevin Walker (screenplay of THE WOLFMAN [1941] by Curt Siodmak) CAM Shelly Johnson ED Walter Murch, Dennis Virkler MUS Danny Elfman CAST Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik, Geraldine Chaplin (Maleva), David Schofield, Max von Sydow
THE MAKING OF PLUS ONE (2010) DIR – SCR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Jeff Abberley, Martin Katz CAM Mark Wolf ED Mary McGuckian, Matthew Booth, Alain Jakubowicz, David Freemantle CAST Lothaire Bluteau, Geraldine Chaplin (Geri, Casting Director), Donna D’Errico, Michael Eklund, Jordi Molla, Suzan-Lori Parks, Amanda Plummer, John Sessions, Sara Stockbridge, Jennifer Tilly
L’IMBROGLIO NEL LENZUOLO, a.k.a. THE TRICK IN THE SHEET (2010) DIR Alfonso Arau PROD Maria Grazia Cuninotta SCR Maria Grazia Cuninotta, Giovanni Cucinotta, Francesco Costa, Chiara Clini, Romina Nardozi CAM Vittorio Storaro ED Consuelo Catucci, Roberto Perpignani MUS Ruy Folguera, Maria Entraigues CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Alma), Maria Grazia Cuninotta, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Anne Parillaud, Ángelica Aragón, Giselda Volodi
LA MOSQUITERA, a.k.a. THE MOSQUITO NET (2010) DIR – SCR Agustí Vila PROD Lluis Miñarro CAM Neus Ollé ED Martí Roca CAST Emma Suárez, Eduard Fernández, Martina García, Fermí Reixach, Geraldine Chaplin (María), Marcos Franz, Anna Ycobalzeta
THERE BE DRAGONS (2011) DIR – SCR Roland Joffé PROD Roland Joffé, Guy J. Louthan, Ignacio Núñez CAM Gabriel Beristain MUS Stephen Warbeck, Robert Folk ED Richard Nord CAST Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott, Rodrigo Santoro, Jordi Mollà, Derek Jacobi, Golshifteh Farahani, Geraldine Chaplin (Abileyza), Unax Ugalde
¿PARA QUÉ SIRVE UN OSO? (2011) DIR – SCR Tom Fernández PROD Jaume Roures, Enrique González Macho CAM Arnau Valls Colomer ED Ángel Hernández Zoido MUS Mauricio Villavecchia CAST Javier Cámara, Emma Suárez, Geraldine Chaplin (Josephine), Jesse Johnson, Oona Chaplin, Gonzalo de Castro, Sira García
LA MOINE, a.k.a. THE MONK (2011) DIR Dominik Moll PROD Michel Saint-Jean SCR Dominik Moll, Anne-Louise Trividic (novel by Matthew Lewis) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Sylvie Lager, François Gédigier MUS Alberto Iglesias CAST Vincent Cassel, Déborah François, Joséphine Japy, Sergi López, Catherine Mouchet, Jordi Dauder, Geraldine Chaplin (The Abbess), Roxane Duran
ET SI ON VIVAIT TOUS ENSEMBLE?, a.k.a. AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER and ALL TOGETHER (2011) DIR – SCR Stéphane Robelin PROD Aurélia Grossmann, Philippe Gompel, Christophe Bruncher CAM Dominique Colin ED Patrick Wilfert MUS Jean-Philippe Verdin CAST Guy Bedos, Daniel Brühl, Geraldine Chaplin (Annie Colin), Jane Fonda, Claude Rich, Pierre Richard, Bernard Malaka, Camino Fernández
AMERICANO (2011) DIR – PROD – SCR Mathieu Demy CAM Georges Lechaptois ED Jean-Baptiste Morin MUS Grégoire Hetzel CAST Mathieu Demy, Geraldine Chaplin (Linda), Chiara Mastroianni, Carlos Bardem, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Salma Hayek, André Wilms
MEMORIA DE MIS PUTAS TRISTES (2011) DIR Henning Carlsen PROD Nina Crone, Vicente Aldape, Enrique Hernández, Raquel Guajardo, Norbert Llaràs, Jordi Rediu, Leonardo Villareal SCR Henning Carlsen, Jean-Claude Carrière (novel by Gabriel García Márquez) CAM Alejandro Martínez ED Anders Refn CAST Emilio Echevarría, Paola Medina, Ángela Molina, Geraldine Chaplin (Rosa Cabarcas / Brothel Madam), Luis Miguel Lombana
O APÓSTOLO, a.k.a. THE APOSTLE (2012, animated) DIR – SCR Fernando Cortizo PROD Susan Gee, Jacqueline Scott, Solomon J. LeFlore CAM Matthew Hazelrig ED Fernando Alfonsín MUS Philip Glass, Arturo Vaquero, Xavi Font CAST (voice only) Carlos Blanco, Xosé Manuel Olveira ‘Pico’, Paul Naschy, Geraldine Chaplin (Darinda), Manuel Manquiña, Luis Tosar
LO IMPOSIBLE, a.k.a. THE IMPOSSIBLE (2012) DIR J. A. Bayona PROD Ghislain Barrois, Belén Atienza, Álvaro Augustin SCR Gergio G. Sánchez (story by María Belón) CAM Oscar Faura ED Elena Ruiz, Bernat Vilaplana MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Marta Etura, Sönke Möhring, Geraldine Chaplin (Old Woman), Ploy Jindachote
UN AMOR DE PELÍCULA (2012) DIR – SCR Diego Musiak PROD Maria Garcia Cucinotta CAM Ferran Paredes ED Chiara Griziotti CAST Antonio Chamizo, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Geraldine Chaplin (Jean), Juan Fernández, Jorge Perugorría, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez
TRES 60, a.k.a. THREE-60 (2013) DIR Alejandro Ezcurdia PROD Luiso Berdejo, Mercedes Gamero, Santiago Segura, Mikel Lejerza SCR Luiso Berdejo CAM Johnny Yebra ED Fran Amaro MUS Roque Baños CAST Raúl Mérida, Guillermo Estrella, Sara Sálamo, Joaquim de Almeida, Geraldine Chaplin (Jean Christophe), Adam Jezierski, Manuel Morón
ANOTHER ME (2013) DIR Isabel Coixet PROD Mariela Besuievsky, Nicole Carmen-Davis, Rebekah Gilbertson SCR Isabel Coixet (novel “Another Me” by Cathy MacPhail) CAM Jean-Claude Larrieu ED Elena Ruiz MUS Michael Price CAST Claire Forlani, Sophie Turner, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ivana Baquero, Rhys Ifans, Geraldine Chaplin (Mrs. Brennan), Gregg Sulkin, Charlotte Vega
PANZER CHOCOLATE, a.k.a. PANZER (2013) DIR – PROD Robert Figueras SCR Robert Figueras, Gemma Dunjo, Pep Garrido CAM Íñigo Zubicaray ED Regino Hernández MUS Pep Sala CAST Melina Matthews, Geraldine Chaplin (Frau Frida), Ariadna Cabrol, Tony Corvillo, Mark Schardan, Josep Seguí, Richard Felix
WAX (2014) DIR Victor Matellano PROD Andrés Acevedo SCR Victor Matellano, Hugo Stuven (original idea by Victor Matellano) CAM Daniel Salas Alberola ED Abián Molina MUS Sergio Jiménez Lacima CAST Jimmy Shaw, Geraldine Chaplin (Producer), Jack Taylor, Denis Rafter, Alito Rodgers, Yolanda Font, Almudena León
AMAPOLA (2014) DIR – SCR Eugenio Zanetti PROD Gonzalo Vila CAM Ueli Steiger ED Jane Miran MUS Emilio Kauderer CAST Camilla Belle, François Arnaud, Geraldine Chaplin, Leonor Benedetto, Lito Cruz, Elena Roger, Nicolas Scarpino, Esmeralda Mitre
DÓLARES DE ARENA, a.k.a. SAND DOLLARS (2014) DIR Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán SCR Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán (novel by Jean-Noël Pancrazi) CAM Israel Cárdenas, Jaime Guerra ED Andrea Kleinman MUS Ramón Cordero, Benjamin De Menil, Edilio Paredes CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Anne), Yanet Mojica, Ricardo Ariel Toribio, Bernard Bizel, Maria Gabriella Bonetti, Ramón Cordero
VALENTIN VALENTIN (2014) DIR Pascal Thomas PROD Saïd Ben Saïd, Nathalie Lafaurie, Michel Merkt SCR Pascal Thomas, Nathalie Lafaurie, Clémence de Biéville, François Caviglioli, Pascal Bonitzer (novel by Ruth Rendell) CAM Jean-Marc Fabre ED Yann Dedet MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST Marilou Berry, Vincent Rottiers, Marie Gillain, Geraldine Chaplin (Jane), Arielle Dombasle, Christian Vadim, Felix Moati, Christian Morin, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Alexandra Stewart
THE FORBIDDEN ROOM (2015) DIR Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson PROD Guy Maddin, Phoebe Greenberg, Phyllis Laing, Penny Mancuso SCR Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Bob Kotyk CAM Benjamin Kasulke, Stéphanie Anne, Weber Biron ED John Gurdebeke MUS Guy Maddin, Jason Staczek, Galen Johnson CAST Roy Dupuis, Charlotte Rampling, Mathieu Amalric, Amira Casar, Louis Negin, Clara Furey, Geraldine Chaplin (The Master Passion / Nursemaid / Aunt Chance), Ariane Labed, Udo Kier
MARGUERITE ET JULIEN (2015) DIR Valérie Donzelli PROD Alice Girard, Edouard Weil SCR Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm (original screenplay by Jean Gruault) CAM Céline Bozon ED Pauline Gaillard MUS Yuksek CAST Anaïs Demoustier, Jérémie Elkaïm, Frédéric Pierrot, Aurélia Petit, Catherine Mouchet, Raoul Fernandez, Sami Frey, Geraldine Chaplin (Lefebvre’s Mother)
ICH UND KAMINSKI, a.k.a. ME AND KAMINSKY (2015) DIR Wolfgang Becker PROD Frank Tönsmann, Uwe Schott, Barbara Buhl, Stefan Arndt SCR Wolfgang Becker, Thomas Wendrich (novel by Daniel Kehlmann) CAM Jürgen Jürges ED Peter R. Adam, Christoph Strothjohann MUS CAST Daniel Brühl, Jesper Christensen, Amira Casar, Geraldine Chaplin (Therese), Denis Lavant, Bruno Cathomas, Jördis Triebel, Jan Decleir
SEANCES (2016) DIR Guy Maddin PROD Phyllis Lang SCR Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Bob Kotyk CAM Benjamin Kasulke ED John Gurdebeke CAST Mathieu Amalric, Deena Aziz, Vasco Bailly-Gentaub, Jacques Bonnaffé, Céline Bonnier, Amira Casar, Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling
A MONSTER CALLS (2016) DIR J. A. Bayona PROD Belén Atienza SCR Patrick Ness (novel by Patrick Ness; original idea by Siobhan Dowd) CAM Oscar Faura ED Jaume Marti, Bernat Vilaplana MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Toby Kebbell, Dominic Boyle, Geraldine Chaplin (Head Teacher), Liam Neeson (voice only)
ANCHOR AND HOPE (2017) DIR Carlos Marques-Marcet PROD Sophie Venner, Tono Folguera, Sergi Moreno SCR Carlos Marques-Marcet, Jules Nurrish CAM Dagmar Weaver-Madsen ED Carlos Marques-Marcet, Juliana Montañés MUS Merche Blasco CAST Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, David Verdaguer, Geraldine Chaplin (Germaine), Lara Rossi, Charlotte Atkinson, Trevor White, David Verdaguer
THE BROKEN KEY (2017) DIR – ED Louis Nero EXEC PROD Louis Nero, Gary Collins, Jason Wood SCR Louis Nero, As Chianese, Giancarlo Guerreri CAM Louis Nero, Davide Borsa MUS Lamberto Curtoni CAST Rutger Hauer, Michael Madsen, Geraldine Chaplin (Tower Woman), Christopher Lambert, William Baldwin, Maria de Medeiros, Kabir Bedi, Franco Nero
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018) DIR J. A. Bayona PROD Patrick Crowley, Belén Atienza EXEC PROD Steven Spielberg, Colin Trevorrow SCR Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly (characters created by Michael Crichton) CAM Oscar Faura ED Bernart Vilaplana MUS Michael Giacchino CAST Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Jeff Goldblum, Geraldine Chaplin (Iris)
RED LAND (ROSSO ISTRIA), a.k.a. RED LAND (2018) DIR Maximiliano Hernando Bruno PROD Maximiliano Hernando Bruno, Alessandro Centenaro SCR Maximiliano Hernando Bruno, Antonello Belluco CAM Giovanni Andreotta ED Marco Spoletini, Francesco Tasselli MUS Fabrizio Castania CAST Francesco Amodio, Enrico Bergamasco, Valentina Bivona, Vincenzo Bocciarelli, Eleanora Bolla, Vittorio Boscolo, Maximiliano Hernando Bruno, Geraldine Chaplin (Giulia Visantrin Adulta)
CAMINO SINUOSE, a.k.a. SINUOUS ROAD (2018) DIR – SCR Juan Pablo Kolodziej PROD Jorge Gundín CAM Horacio Maira ED Pablo Mari MUS Fito Páez CAST Juan Viale, Arturo Puig, Geraldine Chaplin (Miny Barrios), María Marull, Hugo Arana, Javier Drolas, Gustavo Pardi
HOLY BEASTS (2019) DIR – SCR Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán PROD Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, Rafael Elias Munoz CAM Israel Cárdenas ED Israel Cárdenas, Pablo Chea, Andrea Kleinman MUS Leandro de Loredo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Vera), Udo Kier, Luis Ospina, Jaime Piña, Jackie Ludueña, Pau Bertolini, Jeradin Asencio, Fifi Poulakidas
THE BAREFOOT EMPEROR (2019) DIR – PROD – SCR Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth CAM Tom Peters ED David Verdurme CAST Peter Van den Begin, Lucie Debay, Udo Kier, Geraldine Chaplin (Lady Liz), Bruno Georis, Titus De Voogdt, Pieter van der Houwen
LOS RODRÍGUEZ Y EL MÁS ALLÁ, a.k.a. THE RODRIGUEZ AND BEYOND (2019) DIR – PROD – SCR Paco Arango CAM Charles Gusi ED Renato Sanjuán MUS Nathan Wang CAST Edu Soto, Mariana Treviño, Geraldine Chaplin (Isabel), Plácido Domingo, Santiago Segura, Rossy De Palma, Omar Chaparro, Rodrigo Simón
THE WIND BLEW ON (2020) DIR – PROD Katrin Ólafsdóttir CAM Mauro Herce, Arnar Thor Thorisson CAST Geraldine Chaplin, Elina Löwensohn, Ángela Molina, Matthew Barney, Floki Molina
SIMONE (2020) DIR Betty Kaplan PROD Betty Kaplan, Peter Rawley, Robert Katz SCR Betty Kaplan, Eduardo Lalo MUS Geronimo Mercado CAST Steph Song, Geraldine Chaplin (Bookseller), Armando Riesco, Caterina Murino, Esai Morales, Jon Arias
98 SEGUNDOS SIN SOMBRA, a.k.a.99 SECONDS WITHOUT SHADOW (2021) DIR Juan Pablo Richter PROD Paola Gosalvez CAM Luis Otero Prada ED Eliane Katz MUS Gabriel Lema SCR Juan Pablo Richter (novel “98 segundos sin sombra” [2014] by Giovanna Rivero) CAST Irán Zeitun, Quim del Rio, Patricia García, Fernando Arze Echalar, Luciana Carrasco, Florencia Ramirez, Geraldine Chaplin (Clara Luz)
LUKA (2022) DIR Jessica Woodworth PROD Peter Brosens SCR Jessica Woodworth (novel “Il deserto dei Tartari” [1940] by Dino Buzzati) CAM Virginie Surdej ED David Verdurme MUS Teho Teardo CAST Jonas Smulders, Geraldine Chaplin (The General), Jan Bijvoet, Samvel Tadevossian, Django Schrevens, Sam Louwyck, Valentin Ganev, Hal Yamanouchi
SENECA: ON THE CREATION OF EARTHQUAKES (2023) DIR Robert Schwentke PROD Frieder Schlaich, Irene von Alberti SCR Robert Schwentke, Matthew Wilder CAM Benoît Debie ED Michael Czarnecki MUS Martin Todsharow CAST John Malkovich, Geraldine Chaplin (Cecilia), Tom Xander, Louis Hofmann, Lilith Stangenberg, Alexander Fehling, Andrew Koji, Mary-Louise Parker
TV MOVIES
DER KURZE BRIEF ZUM LANGEN ABSCHIED, a.k.a. SHORT LETTER TO THE LONG GOODBYE (1978) DIR Herbert Vesely PROD Jörn Schröder, Wili Segler TELEPLAY Herbert Vesely (novel by Peter Handke) CAM Petrus R. Schlömp ED Christa Pohland MUS Brian Eno CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Judith Seldan), Thomas Astan, Alexandra Hay, Fritz Schwennicke, Elisabeth Schwenicke, Miguel Canteras
THE HOUSE OF MIRTH (1981) DIR Adrian Hall TELEPLAY Adrian Hall, Richard Cumming (novel by Edith Wharton) CAM Paul Goldsmith, Hart Perry ED Charlotte Zwerin CAST William Atherton, Geraldine Chaplin (Lily Bart), Barbara Blossom, Lois Smith, Timothy Crowe, Barbara Damashek, Virginia Donaldson, Tim Donoghue
THE CORSICAN BROTHERS (1985) DIR Ian Sharp PROD David A. Rosemont TELEPLAY Robin Muller (novel by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Frank Watts ED David Spiers, Alan Pattillo MUS Allyn Ferguson CAST Trevor Eve, Olivia Hussey, Geraldine Chaplin (Madame Savilia de Franchi), Nicholas Clay, Jean Marsh, Benedict Taylor, Simon Ward, Donald Pleasence, Patsy Kensit
DUEL OF HEARTS (1991) DIR – PROD John Hough TELEPLAY Terence Feely (novel by Barbara Cartland) CAM Terry Cole ED Peter Weatherley MUS Laurie Johnson CAST Alison Doody, Michael York, Geraldine Chaplin (Mrs. Miller), Benedict Taylor, Billie Whitelaw, Virginia McKenna, Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp, Beryl Reid
MOTHER TERESA: IN THE NAME OF GOD’S POOR (1997) DIR Kevin Connor PROD Peter Shepherd, Leslie McRay TELEPLAY Dominique Lapierre, Carol Kaplan (story by Dominique Lapierre, Jan Hartman) CAM Mike Frift ED Barry Peters MUS Irwin Fisch CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Mother Teresa), Keene Curtis, Helena Carroll, David Byrd, William Katt, Ravindra Randeniya
MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS (1999) DIR Kevin Connor PROD Howard Ellis TELEPLAY Albert Ross CAM Elemér Ragályi ED Barry Peters MUS Ken Thorne CAST Christian Bale, Pernilla August, Melinda Kinnaman, David Threfall, Simone Bendix, Hywell Bennett, Geraldine Chaplin (Elizabeth)
WINTER SOLSTICE (2003) DIR Martyn Friend PROD Verena von Heeremann, David Cunliffe TELEPLAY William Corlett (novel by Rosamunde Pilcher) CAM Simon Kossoff ED Josh Cunliffe MUS Alan Parker CAST Jan Niklas, Geraldine Chaplin (Gloria Bludell), Sinéad Cusack, Emilia Streets, Sophie Schütt, Ralf Bauer, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2004) DIR Arthur Allan Seidelman PROD Howard Ellis, Steven North TELEPLAY Lynn Ahrens (musical by Lynn Ahrens, Mike Ockrent; novel by Charles Dickens) CAM Hanania Baer ED Bert Glatstein MUS Alan Menken CAST Kelsey Grammer, Jesse L. Martin, Jane Krakowski, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Geraldine Chaplin (Ghost of Christmas Future / Blind Beggerwoman), Jason Alexander, Brian Bedford
LES AVENTURIERS DES MERS DU SUD, a.k.a. THE STEVENSONS (2006) DIR Daniel Vigne PROD François Sauvagnargues TELEPLAY Jean-François Goyet, Jean-Claude Baillon (story by Daniel Vigne, Michel Le Bris) CAM Flore Thulliez ED Thierry Simonnet MUS Michel Portal CAST Stéphane Freiss, Jane Birkin, Geraldine Chaplin (Maggie), Karine Belly, Stéphane Medez, John Potini, Maria Teresa Carrasco, Pablo Guevera
TV MINI-SERIES
THE WORD (1978) DIR Richard Berg, Robert L. Joseph, Richard Lang PROD David Manson TELEPLAY Richard Berg, Robert L. Joseph, Irving Wallace, Richard Fielder, S. S. Schweitzer CAM Michel Hugo ED Thomas Fries, Anthony DiMarco MUS Alex North CAST David Janssen, James Whitmore, Florinda Bolkan, Eddie Albert, Geraldine Chaplin (Naomi Dunn), John Huston, John McEnery, Ron Moody, Diana Muldaur, Janice Rule
MY COUSIN RACHEL (1983) DIR Brian Farnham PROD Richard Beynon TELEPLAY Daphne Du Maurier, Hugh Whitemore ED Tariq Anwar MUS Patrick Gowers CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Contessa Rachel Sangalletti), Christopher Guard, Jamie Cresswell, Charles Kay, Amanda Kirby, Bert Parnaby, John Shrapnel
LES UNS ET LES AUTRES (1981) DIR – PROD – TELEPLAY Claude Lelouch CAM Jean Boffety ED Hugues Darmois, Sophie Bhaud MUS Francis Lai, Michel Legrand CAST James Caan, Fanny Ardant, Jorge Donn, Robert Hossein, Nicole Garcia, Richard Bohringer, Evelyne Bioux, Geraldine Chaplin (Sara Glenn), Francis Huster, Jacques Villeret
GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (1996) DIR Charles Sturridge PROD Duncan Kenworthy TELEPLAY Simon Moore (novel by Jonathan Swift) CAM Howard Atherton ED Peter Coulson MUS Trevor Jones CAST Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Ned Beatty, Geraldine Chaplin (Empress Munodi), Graham Crowden, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Isabelle Huppert, Kristin Scott Thomas, Omar Sharif, Peter O’Toole
THE ODYSSEY (1997) DIR Andrey Konchalovskiy PROD Dyson Lovell TELEPLAY Andrey Konchalovskiy, Chris Solimine (epic poem by Homer) CAM Sergei Kozlov ED Michael Ellis MUS Eduard Artemev CAST Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters, Eric Roberts, Irene Papas, Jeroen Krabbé, Geraldine Chaplin (Eurycleia), Christopher Lee, Vanessa Williams
IN THE BEGINNING (2000) DIR Kevin Connor PROD Paul Lovin TELEPLAY John Goldsmith CAM Elemér Ragályi ED Barry Peters, Bill Blunden MUS Ken Thorne CAST Martin Landau, Jacqueline Bisset, Billy Campbell, Eddie Cibrian, Frederick Weller, Alan Bates, Steven Berkoff, Geraldine Chaplin (Yocheved), Christopher Lee, Diana Rigg, David Warner
DINOTOPIA (2002) DIR Marco Brambilla PROD Dusty Symonds, William P. Cartlidge TELEPLAY Simon Moore, James Gurney CAM Tony Pierce-Roberts ED Oral Norrie Ottey MUS Trevor Jones CAST David Thewlis, Katie Carr, Alice Krige, Wentworth Miller, Colin Salmon, Geraldine Chaplin (Oriana), Lee Evans, Terry Jones
AU-DELÀ DES MURS (2016) DIR Hervé Hadmar TELEPLAY Sylvie Chanteux (created by Hervé Hadmar, Marc Herpoux) CAM Philippe Piffeteau ED Aurique Delannoy, Emmanuelle Labbé, Diane Logan MUS Éric Demarsan CAST Veerle Baetens, François Deblock, Geraldine Chaplin (Rose), Lili-Rosa Gilberti, Georges Siatidis, Cédric Lechapelier
Sarah Biasini (b. 1978) is a French stage and screen actress, and the daughter of the legendary Romy Schneider (1938-1982) and her second husband, journalist Daniel Biasini (b. 1949). She’s also the granddaughter of German actress Magda Schneider (1909-1996); that makes her a third generation actress in her family.
She first studied art and history at the Sorbonne in Paris, then studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles, and at the Actor’s Studio in New York.
As an author, she wrote “La beauté du ciel” (2021), reflecting on her mother and stating that ‘my mother is the beauty in the sky.’ She wrote the book at age 43—the age her mother had when she passed away after a cardiac arrest in her Paris apartment. By that time, Romy Schneider had worked and lived there for many years and proved that she had long since emerged from the candyfloss world of the “Sissi” films that made her a celebrity in the 1950s when she was still a teenager.
Sarah Biasini, now an actress in her own right, was invited to Brussels to introduce one of her mother’s French screen classics, Claude Sautet’s “César et Rosalie” (1972), during a retrospective at the Cinema Palace where the Romy Schneider Exhibition, which runs until June 25, 2023, displays many items and memorabilia from her professional and private life.
Ms. Biasini and Eric Franssen, the theater’s managing director, appeared on stage to introduce the film; their conversation, in French, that you can find here, has been slightly edited and condensed.
“César et Rosalie” (1972, trailer)
Why is “César et Rosalie” your favorite film in your mother’s entire body of work?
It’s the film that I’ve seen the most, and it’s the first one of her films that I saw as an adult. In the film, there’s no violence and no sex; after seeing the film maybe ten or fifteen times now, I know it by heart. The music is excellent, the dialogues are marvelous, and all the supporting roles are flawless. After the Exhibition of her work in Paris and the many screenings of her films on French television—on Arte, for example—her work and this film, in particular, were easily accessible. And when I watched “César et Rosalie” again, and I was amazed by the character of César, played by Yves Montand. I rediscovered it, and he is incredible in the film. When I used to watch my mother’s work, I always focused on the characters she played and didn’t pay too much attention to the other performances. But the role of César is compelling and very funny, and because of the way Yves Montand plays his character, I highly recommend this film for anyone to see. The film gives you an excellent idea of what life was like in France during the 1970s and what it was like to be a woman in that era.
After “Les choses de la vie” [1970] and “Max et les ferailleurs” [1971], this is the third film your mother made with Claude Sautet. She became a symbol for French women.
That’s right. Her collaboration with Claude Sautet was unique because they had found common ground. The roles he offered her were very substantial; she got to play women that made a difference, and that was something the audience could quickly identify with.
Sarah Bisiani talks about her mother’s acting skills during the introduction of “César et Rosalie” | Film TalkThe Exhibition shows that your mother was in charge; she was in control, and she was an independent woman. So is her character in “César et Rosalie.”
Yes. Her character has a way of handling things that happen to her; it’s a very human character with its strength and shortcomings.
Are you currently involved with new projects?
I just finished touring with a play in France; I am writing, and for next year, I have another play coming up.
Cinema Palace, Brussels
April 4, 2023
Sarah Biasini visits the Romy Schneider Exhibition in Brussels. Right, a photograph of her with her mother in 1980, when she was two | Film TalkFILMS
MON PETIT DOIGHT M’A DIT… (2005) DIR Pascal Thomas PROD Pascal Thomas, Alain Cadier SCR Pascal Thomas, Nathalie Lafaurie, François Caviglioli (novel “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” [1968] by Agatha Christie) CAM Renan Pollès ED Catherine Dubeau MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST Catherine Frot, André Dussollier, Geneviève Bujold, Laurent Terzieff, Valérie Kaprisky, Bernard Verley, Alexandra Stewart, Sarah Biasini (Marie-Christine), François Bettens
UN HOMME ET SON CHIEN (2008) DIR Francis Huster PROD Jean-Louis Livi SCR Cesare Zavattini (adaptation by Francis Huster) CAM Vincent Jeannot ED Luciana Reali MUS Philippe Rombi CAST Jean-Paul Belmondo, Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Biasini (Young Woman), Sophie Bouilloux, Rachida Brakni, Nicole Calfan
BLIND TEST (2010) DIR – SCR Georges Ruquet CAM Christophe Blémon [Christophe Dewarne] CAST Sarah Biasini (Joyce), Manuel Blanc, Johan Libéreau
ASSOCIÉS CONTRE LE CRIME: L’OEUF D’AMBROISE (2012) DIR Pascal Thomas PROD Nathalie Lafaurie SCR Pascal Thomas, Clémence de Biéville, Nathalie Lafaurie (adaptation by Pascal Thomas, Clémence de Biéville, Nathalie Lafaurie; short story “The Case of the Missing Lady” in the collection “Partners in Crime” [1929] by Agatha Christie) ED Catherine Dubeau MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST André Dussollier, Catherine Frot, Linh-Dan Pham, Nicolas Marié, Agathe de la Boulaye, Éric Nagger, Bernard Verley, Sarah Biasini (Marie-Christine), François Bettens
RECON: A FILMMAKER’S QUEST (2012) DIR – MUS – ED Mattia Ballerini PROD Mariana Ortega CAM Nicolas Beauchamp, Clyde Baxter CAST Stevie Guttman, Johnny Acero, Bobby Smith, Sarah Biasini, Simon Abkarian, Matthia Ballerini
DORS MON LAPIN (2013) DIR – SCR Jean-Pierre Mocky CAM Jean-Paul Sergent MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Frédéric Diefenthal, Richard Bohringer, Sarah Biasini (Claire), Maxence Boulmé, Philippe Phaeton de Lasserre, Idriss, Karine Dogliani, Dominique McCormick
TV MOVIES
NOUS NOUS SOMMES TANT HAÏS (2007) DIR Franck Apprederis PROD Wolfgang Rest SCR Frank Apprederis, Jacqueline Cauët, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Sébastien Ossard CAM Flore Thulliez ED Hugues Orduna MUS Jean Musy CAST Sarah Biasini (Marie Destrade), Pawel Delag, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, François Marthouret, Christine Boisson
LE TEMPS DU SILENCE (2011) DIR Franck Apprederis PROD Sylvette Frydman, Jean-François Lepetit SCR Franck Apprederis, Jorge Semprún CAM Yves Dahan ED Laurence Leininger MUS Jean Musy CAST Loïc Corbery, Audrey Marnay, Barbara Cabrita, Arnaud Appréderis, Bernard Le Coq, Sarah Biasini (Julie), Anne Loiret
LE GÉNÉRAL DU ROI (2014) DIR Nina Companeez PROD Alain Bessaudou SCR (adaptation by Lina Companeez; novel “The King’s General” [1946] by Daphne Du Maurier) CAM Dominique Brabant ED Michèle Hollander CAST Louise Monot, Samuel Le Bihan, Natacha Lindinger, Jean-Pierre Lorit, Sarah Biasini (Marie-Anne), Christian Brendel
COULEUR LOCALE (2014) DIR Coline Serreau, Samuel Tasinaje PROD Philippe Schirrer, Serge Hugon SCR Coline Serreau (original idea by Samuel Tasinaje) CAM Bruno Privat ED Catherine Renault MUS Samuel Tasinaje, Philippe Begin CAST Isabelle Nanty, Valentin Bellegarde-Chappe, Alexandre Medvedev, Juliette Meyniac, Diego Bordonaro, Sarah Biasini (Charlotte)
TV SERIES
JULIE, CHEVALIER DE MAUPIN (2004), 2 episodes
SUITE NOIRE (2009), 1 episode
“Romy Schneider, Austrian-Born Screen Actress, Dead At 43.” That’s how Variety, one of America’s leading trade papers, announced the death of actress Romy Schneider on June 2, 1982, after a cardiac arrest in her Paris apartment four days earlier had killed her totally unexpectedly.
Although she passed away more than forty years ago, her name still sounds very familiar—even to people who weren’t even born when she was still making films. And that was her great passion: she made many films, sometimes one after another. They made her a star without her ever striving to be a star. Playing a character never became a routine job; it always remained a challenge, and she never took a new film for granted. Fortunately, she left behind a rich film legacy that stood the test of time and, even more so, continues to appeal to the imagination.
After all, Romy Schneider has always been a trendy and a popular actress, and when people still talk about her with such praise so many years after she passed away, it makes her work and her performances all the more worthwhile and meaningful. She is no longer a popular actress now—those days are over—simply because, during the course of her absence in the past four decades, new actresses came on board and became the next generation’s leading ladies. But now Schneider has simply become a legend in the film world, like Arletty or Simone Signoret, and is now appreciated mainly by a cinephile audience. She can always rely on their continued interest and appreciation. That is, without a doubt, a merit that makes her pretty unique in her own way.
Romy Schneider’s exhibition at the Cinema Palace in Brussel | Film TalkThose are enough reasons for the Cinema Palace in Brussels to pay a heartwarming tribute to this unforgettable actress. Last year, the Cinémathèque française already organized an exhibition about her life and work, and the good news is that now the Cinema Palace is fully committed to it for the next three months. So now you can go to Brussels and get a very clear picture and an accurate impression of the actress that Romy Schneider used to be. An exhibition that is worth (re)discovering her as an actress. Mission accomplished.
In addition to the exhibition, which runs from March 24 to June 25, there is also an extensive retrospective of her films at the Cinema Palace. Some prominent guests will present films with Romy Schneider: on Thursday, March 30, film director and Oscar winner Costa-Gavras will introduce “Clair de femme” (1979), the only film the august filmmaker did with Romy Schneider. On Tuesday, April 4, Sarah Baisini, Romy Schneider’s daughter, will present “César et Rosalie” (1972) to the audience. Two days later, on April 6, the Belgian and international actress Lubna Azabal will explain what makes “Le vieux fusil” (1975) such a precious film, and on April 12, it’s director Joachim Lafosse’s turn as he will present “L’enfer d’Henri-Georges Clouzot” (2009).
Additional guest speakers may be added during the retrospective, depending on availability. It is, therefore, best to check possible updates on the exhibition’s website.
The Cinema Palace exhibition unveils a fascinating portrait of Romy Schneider’s career. It points out that she can be considered the first European actress as she made films in German, French, Italian, and English decades ago; it turned her into an actress avant la lettre who helped put the concept of world cinema on the map. That is why her role as an actress is so relevant, and she was a very passionate actress who lived for her profession and made four to even five films a year. This is all perfectly and very well balanced in the exhibition. It is as if the charming and graceful actress takes you by the hand, shows you her entire body of work, and how she wrote film history in her own personal way.
This is illustrated by numerous photos with captions in Dutch, French, and English. The structure of the exhibition is organized both chronologically and thematically and also highlights her collaboration with directors she worked with, from Luchino Visconti to Orson Welles, from Otto Preminger to Claude Sautet. There is a huge amount of exclusive and personal memorabilia to admire, such as professional correspondence (notes, letters, a telegram…), addressed to director Claude Sautet, among others, and written in her own spontaneous, frank, and frivolous style, which illustrates how strong the bond between those two must have been. There are also dresses from some of her films, and the Césars she won as Best Actress for her roles in “L’important c’est d’aimer” (1975) and “Une histoire simple” (1978).
Romy Schneider’s second César for her performance in “Une histoire simple” (1978) | Film TalkShe made five films with actor Alain Delon: “Christine” (1958), “Plein soleil” (1960), “L’amour à la mer” (1965), “La piscine” (1969), and “The Assassination of Trotsky ” (1972). Their collaboration is also a file rouge that runs through her work and the exhibition.
Born in 1938, Romy Schneider made her name as a teenager—and as the daughter of actress Magda Schneider—with three “Sissi” films (1955-1957), and as her career evolved, she became an international actress in the 1960s who appeared in several English-language films. She also worked in Hollywood alongside Jack Lemmon (“Good Neighbor Sam,” 1964), and later with actors such as Peter Sellers and Peter O’Toole (“What’s New, Pussycat?” from 1965), Richard Burton (“The Assassination of Trotsky,” 1972) and Audrey Hepburn (“Bloodline,” 1979). But the audience will remember her most of all as a leading actress in French cinema. After all, she made most of her films in France, where she worked with her favorite director and screenwriter, Claude Sautet (1924-2000). They made five films together: “Les choses de la vie” (1970), “Max et les ferailleurs” (1971), “César et Rosalie” (1972), “Mado” (1975), and “Une histoire simple” (1978).
Dresses that Romy Schneider wore in Roberto Enrico’s World War II drama “Le vieux fusil” (1975) | Film TalkFinally, although Romy Schneider died of a cardiac arrest on May 29, 1982, it is believed that her sudden death resulted from the tragedy that happened to her son David Meyen in 1981 when he died in an accident at age 14.
1982 was very tough for the film world as several talented actors died prematurely. Natalie Wood had died unexpectedly six months earlier, in November 1981, at the age of 43; John Belushi died in March 1982, aged 33; German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder in June 1982 at age 37; the French actor Patrick Dewaere in July of that year, when he turned 35. Grace Kelly was 52 when she died in November 1982 after a car accident.
“Expo Romy Schneider” from March 24 until June 25 at the Cinema Palace in Brussel
FILMS
WENN DER WEIßE FLIEDER WIEDER BLÜHT, a.k.a. LILAS BLANCS (1953) DIR Hans Deppe PROD Kurt Ulrich SCR Johanna Sibelius, Eberhard Keindorff (story by Fritz Rotter) CAM Kurt Schulz ED Walter Wischnieuwsky MUS Franz Doelle CAST Willy Fritsch, Magda Schneider, Romy Schneider-Albach [Romy Schneider] (Evchen Forster), Hertha Feiler, Paul Klinger, Albert Florath, Trude Wilke-Roßwog
FEUERWERK (1954) DIR Kurt Hoffmann PROD Erik Charell, Conrad Flockner SCR Erik Charell (play by Erik Charell, Jürg Amstein) CAM Günther Anders ED Claus von Boro MUS Paul Burkhardt CAST Lilli Palmer, Karl Schönböck, Romy Schneider (Anna Oberholzer), Claus Biederstaedt, Werner Hinz, Rudolf Vogel, Lina Cartens, Liesl Karlstadt
MÄDCHENJAHRE EINER KÖNIGIN, a.k.a. LES JEUNES ANNÉES D’UNE REINE (1954) DIR Ernst Marischka PROD Karl Ehrlich SCR Ernst Marischka (comedy “Mädchenjahre einer Königin” [1933] by Sil-Vara) CAM Bruno Mondi ED Hermann Leitner MUS Anton Profes CAST Romy Schneider (Princess Victoria / Queen Victoria), Adrian Hoven, Magda Schneider, Karl Ludwig Diehl, Christl Mardayn, Paul Hörbiger, Rudolf Vogel
DIE DEUTSCHMEISTER (1955) DIR Ernst Marischka PROD Ernst Marischka [uncredited] SCR Ernst Marischka (book by Ernst Marischka, Gustav Holm) CAM Bruno Mondi ED Alfred Srp MUS Robert Stolz CAST Romy Schneider (Constanze ‘Stanzi’ Hübner), Magda Schneider, Gretl Schörg, Susi Nicoletti, Adrienne Gessner, Hans Moser, Paul Hörbiger
DER LETZTE MAN, a.k.a. THE LAST MAN (1955) DIR Harald Braun PROD Georg Richter SCR Herbert Witt, Georg Hurdalek CAM Richard Angst ED Hilwa von Boro MUS Werner Eisbrenner CAST Hans Albers, Romy Schneider (Niddy Hoevelmann), Rudolf Forster, Joachim Fuchsberger, Camilla Spira, Michael Heltau, Michael Gebühr
SISSI (1955) DIR – SCR Ernst Marischka PROD Ernst Marischka, Karl Ehrlich CAM Bruno Mondi ED Alfred Srp MUS Anton Profes CAST Romy Schneider (Sissi), Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz, Gustav Knuth, Josef Meinrad, Vilma Degischer, Josef Meinrad, Peter Weck
KITTY UND DIE GROßE WELT, a.k.a. KITTY À LA CONQUÊTE DU MONDE (1956) DIR Alfred Weidenmann SCR Herbert Reinecker (story by Emil Burri, Johannes Mario Simmel; play by Stefan Donat) CAM Helmut Ashley ED Carl Otto Bartning MUS Hans-Martin Majewski CAST Romy Schneider (Kitty Dupont), Karlheinz Böhm, O.E. Hasse, Ernst Schröder, Paul Dahlke, Alice Treff, Peer Schmidt
SISSI—DIE JUNGE KAISERIN, a.k.a. SISSI: THE YOUNG EMPRESS (1956) DIR – SCR Ernst Marischka PROD Ernst Marischka, Karl Ehrlich CAM Bruno Mondi ED Alfred Srp MUS Anton Profes CAST Romy Schneider (Sissi), Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Vilma Degischer, Walther Reyer, Senta Wengraf, Josef Meinrad
ROBINSON SOLL NICHT STERBEN, a.k.a. L’ANGE DES PAUVRES (1957) DIR Josef von Báky PROD Harald Braun, Georg Richter SCR Emil Burri, Johannes Mario Simmel (play by Friedrich Forster [Friedrich Forster-Burggraf]) CAM Günther Anders ED Claus von Boro MUS Georg Haentzschel CAST Romy Schneider (Maud), Horst Buchholz, Erich Ponto, Mathias Wieman, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Rudolf Vogel, Elisabeth Flickenschildt, Gert Fröbe
MONTPI, a.k.a. LOVE FROM PARIS (1957) DIR Helmut Käutner PROD Harald Braun SCR Gábor Vaszary, Helmut Käutner (novel “Montpi” by Gábor Vaszary) CAM Heinz Pehlke ED Anneliese Schönnebeck MUS Bernhard Eichhorn CAST Romy Schneider (Anne-Claire Jouvain), Horst Buchholz, Mara Lane, Boy Gobert, Olive Moorefield, Bum Krüger, Iska Geri, Bobby Todd
SISSI—SCHICKSALSJAHRE EINER KAISERIN, a.k.a. SISSI: THE FATEFUL YEARS OF AN EMPRESS (1957) DIR Ernst Marischka PROD Ernst Marischka, Karl Ehrlich CAM Bruno Mondi ED Alfred Srp MUS Anton Profes CAST Romy Schneider (Sissi / Empress Elisabeth of Austria), Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Uta Franz, Walther Reyer, Vilma Degischer, Josef Meinrad
SCAMPOLO (1958) DIR Alfred Weidenmann PROD Herbert Tischendorf SCR Herbert Reinecker, Ilse Lotz-Dupont, Franz Höllering (play “Scampolo” by Dario Niccodemi) CAM Bruno Mondi ED Carl Otto Bartning MUS Hans-Martin Majewski CAST Romy Schneider (Scampolo), Paul Hubschmid, Viktor de Kowa, Georg Thomolla, Eva Maria Meineke, Franca Parisi, Peter Carsten
MÄDCHEN IN UNIFORM, a.k.a. JEUNES FILLES EN UNIFORME (1958) DIR Geza Radvanyi [Géza von Radványi] PROD Artur Brauner, Joseph Spigler SCR Franz Höllering, F.D. Andam [Friedrich Dammann]; play “Mädchen in Uniform” by Christa Winsloe) CAM Werner Krien ED Ira Oberberg MUS Peter Sandloff CAST Lilli Palmer, Romy Schneider (Manuela von Meinhardis), Therese Giehse, Blandine Ebinger, Adelheid Seeck, Gina Albert, Christine Kaufmann
CHRISTINE (1958) DIR Pierre Gaspard-Huit PROD Angelo Rizzoli, Serge Silberman SCR Pierre Gaspard-Huit, Hans Wilhelm (play “Liebelei” [1895] by Arthur Schnitzler) CAM Christian Matras ED Louisette Hautecoeur MUS Georges Auric CAST Romy Schneider (Christine Weiring), Alain Delon, Jean-Claude Brialy, François Chaumette, Jacques Duby, Sophie Grimaldi, Micheline Presle, Claudine Auger
DIE HALZBARTE, a.k.a. CARNETS SECRETS D’UNE JEUNE FILLE (1959) DIR Rolf Thiele PROD Karl Ehrlich SCR Hans Jacoby (story by Hans Jacoby, Fritz Rotter) CAM Klaus von Rauterfeld ED Henny Brünsch MUS Hans-Martin Majewski CAST Romy Schneider (Nicole), Carlos Thompson, Magda Schneider, Josef Meinrad, Rudolf Forster, Erni Mangold
EIN ENGEL AUF ERDEN, a.k.a. AN ANGEL ON WHEELS (1959) DIR Géza von Radványi PROD René Bonef, Arys Nissotti, Arthur Brauner [Artur Brauner] SCR Géza von Radványi, René Barjavel CAM Roger Hubert ED Mike Leroy, René Le Hénaff MUS Gerhard Becker, Jean Wiener CAST Romy Schneider (Line), Henri Vidal, Michèle Mercier, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Erika von Thellman, Margarete Haagen, Jean Brochard, Paulette Dubost
DIE SCHÖNE LÜNGERIN (1959) DIR Axel von Ambesser PROD Arys Nissotti, Gyula Trebitsch SCR Answald Krüger, Maria Matray (play by Ernst Nebhut; adaptation by Jean Bernard-Luc, Pierre O’Connell) CAM Christian Matras ED Alice Ludwig MUS Martin Böttcher CAST Romy Schneider (Fanny Emmetsrieder), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Helmuth Lohner, Charles Regnier, Paul Guers, Hans Moser, Jacqueline Marbaux, Josef Meinrad, Helmut Qualtinger, Marcel Marceau
KATIA (1959) DIR Robert Siodmak PROD Michel Safra SCR Charles Spaak, Georges Neveux (novel by Princesse Marthe Bibesco) CAM Michel Kelber ED Louisette Hautecoeur, Henri Taverna MUS Joseph Kosma CAST Romy Schneider (Katia), Curd Jürgens, Pierre Blanchar, Antoine Balpêtré, Françoise Brion, Monique Mélinand, Senta Berger
PLEIN SOLEIL, a.k.a. FULL SUN (1960) DIR René Clément PROD Raymond Hakim, Robert Hakim, Goffredo Lombardo SCR René Clément, Paul Gégauff (novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Patricia Higsmith; adaptation by René Clément, Paul Gégauff) CAM Henri Decaë ED Françoise Javet MUS Nino Rota CAST Alain Delon, Marie Laforêt, Maurice Ronet, Erno Crisa, Frank Latimore, Billy Kearns, René Clément, Romy Schneider (Freddy’s Companion)
BOCCACCIO ‘70 (1962) DIR Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Mario Monicelli, Luchino Visconti PROD Carlo Ponti, Tonino Cervi CAM Otello Martelli, Armando Nannuzzi, Giuseppe Rotunno ED Leo Catozzo, Adriana Novelli, Mario Serandrei MUS Nino Rota, Armando Trovajoli, Piero Umiliani CAST Anita Ekberg, Peppino De Filippo, Romy Schneider (Pupe), Tomas Milian, Romolo Valli, Sophia Loren, Alfio Vita
LE COMBAT D’ÎLE (1962) DIR Alain Cavalier PROD Louis Malle SCR Alain Cavalier, Jean-Paul Rappeneau CAM Pierre Lhomme ED Pierre Gillette MUS Serge Nigg CAST Romy Schneider (Anne), Jean-Louis Trintignant, Henri Serre, Diane Lepvrier, Robert Bousquet, Jacques Berlioz, Armand Meffre
LE PROCÈS, a.k.a. THE TRIAL (1962) DIR Orson Welles PROD Alexander Salkind, Michael Salkind SCR Orson Welles (novel “The Trial” [1925] by Franz Kafka; adaptation by Pierre Cholot) CAM Edmund Richard ED Yvonne Martin, Fritz H. Muller [Frederick Muller] MUS Jean Ledrut CAST Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau, Elsa Martinelli, Suzanne Flon, Madeline Robinson, Romy Schneider (Leni), Orson Welles, Akim Tamiroff, Michael Lonsdale
THE VICTORS (1963) DIR – PROD Carl Forman SCR Carl Forman (novel “The Human Kind” [1953] by Alexander Baron) CAM Christopher Challis ED Alan Osbiston MUS Sol Kaplan CAST Melina Mercouri, Jeanne Moreau, Rosanna Schiaffino, Romy Schneider (Regine), Elke Sommer, Senta Berger, Albert Finney, Vince Edwards, George Hamilton, George Peppard, Maurice Ronet, Eli Wallach, Peter Fonda, James Mitchum
THE CARDINAL (1963) DIR – PROD Otto Preminger SCR Robert Dozier (novel “The Cardinal” [1950] by Henry Morton Robinson) CAM Leon Shamroy ED Louis R. Loeffler MUS Jerome Moross CAST Tom Tryon, Romy Schneider (Annemarie), Carol Lynley, Jill Haworth, Raf Vallone, John Saxon, Josef Meinrad, Burgess Meredith, Ossie Davis, Dorothy Gish, Tullio Carminati, Cecil Kellaway, John Huston, Murray Hamilton
GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM (1964) DIR – PROD David Swift SCR David Swift, Everett Greenbaum, James Fritzell (novel “Good Neighbor Sam” [1963] by Jack Finney) CAM Burnett Guffey ED Charles Nelson MUS Frank De Vol CAST Jack Lemmon, Romy Schneider (Janet Lagerlof), Dorothy Provine, Michael Connors, Edward Andrews, Louis Nye, Robert Q. Lewis, Edward G. Robinson
L’ENFER, a.k.a. INFERNO (1964) DIR Henri-Georges Clouzot SCR Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jean Ferry, José-André Lacour CAM Andréas Winding CAST Romy Schneider (Odette), Serge Regianni, Claude Brasseur, Jean-Claude Bercq, Catherine Allégret, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Barbara Sommers
L’AMOUR À LA MER, a.k.a. LOVE AT SEA (1965) DIR – SCR Guy Gilles CAM Jean-Marc Ripert ED Noun Serra MUS Jean-Pierre Stora CAST Daniel Moorsman, Geneviève Thénier, Josette Krief, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jean-Claude Brialy, Alain Delon, Juliette Gréco, Romy Schneider (The Star)
WHAT’S NEW, PUSSYCAT? (1965) DIR Clive Donner PROD Charles K. Feldman SCR Woody Allen CAM Jean Badal ED Fergus McDonell MUS Burt Bacharach CAST Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole, Romy Schneider (Carole Werner), Capucine, Paula Prentiss, Woody Allen, Ursula Andress, Richard Burton, Françoise Hardy, Louise Lasser
LA VOLEUSE, a.k.a. THE THIEF (1966) DIR Jean Chapot PROD Hans Oppenheimer, Claude Jaeger SCR Jean Chapot (original idea by Jean Chapot, Alain Fatou) CAM Jean Penzer ED Ginette Boudet MUS Antoine Duhamel CAST Romy Schneider (Julia Kreuz), Michel Piccoli, Hans Christian Blech, Sonja Schwarz, Mario Huth
10:30 P.M. SUMMER (1966) DIR Jules Dassin PROD Jules Dassin, Anatole Litvak SCR Jules Dassin, Marguerite Duras (novel “Dix heures et demie du soir en été” [1960] by Marguerite Duras) CAM Gábor Pogány ED Roger Dwyre MUS Cristóbal Halffter CAST Melina Mercouri, Romy Schneider (Claire), Peter Finch, Julián Mateos, Isabel María Pérez, Juan Estelrich, Beatriz Savón
TRIPLE CROSS (1966) DIR Terence Young PROD Jacques-Paul Bertrand SCR René Hardy (book by Frank Owen) CAM Henri Alekan ED Roger Dwyre MUS Georges Garvarentz CAST Christopher Plummer, Romy Schneider (Helga Lindstrom, a.k.a. The Countess), Trevor Howard, Gert Fröbe, Claudine Auger, Yul Brynner, Harry Meyen, Georges Lycan, Jess Hahn
LA PISCINE, a.k.a. THE SWIMMING POOL (1969) DIR Jacques Deray PROD Gérard Beytout SCR (story by Alain Page [Jean-Emmanuel Conil]; adaptation by Jacques Deray, Jean-Claude Carrière) CAM Jean-Jacques Tarbès ED Paul Cayatte MUS Michel Legrand CAST Alain Delon, Romy Schneider (Marianne), Maurice Ronet, Jane Birkin, Paul Crauchet, Suzie Jaspard, Maddly Bamy
OTLEY (1969) DIR Dick Clement PROD Bruce Cohn Curtis SCR Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais (novel by Martin Waddell) CAM Austin Dempster ED Richard Best MUS Stanley Myers CAST Tom Courtenay, Romy Schneider (Imogen), Alan Badel, James Villiers, Leonard Rossiter, James Bolam, Fiona Lewis, Freddie Jones
LES CHOSES DE LA VIE, a.k.a. THE THINGS OF LIFE (1970) DIR Claude Sautet PROD Raymond Danon, Roland Girard, Jean Bolvary SCR Paul Guimard (novel “Les choses de la vie” [1967] by Paul Guimard; adaptation by Claude Sautet, Jean-Loup Dabadie) CAM Jean Boffety ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider (Hélène), Gérard Lartigau, Jean Bouise, Boby Lapointe, Hervé Sand, Jacques Richard, Betty Beckers
MY LOVER, MY SON (1970) DIR John Newland PROD Wilbur Stark SCR Jeni Hall, William Marchant (story “Second Level” by Wilbur Stark; novel “Reputation for a Song” [1952] by Edward Grierson) CAM David Muir ED Peter Musgrave MUS Norrie Paramor, Michael Vickers CAST Romy Schneider (Francesca), Donald Houston, Dennis Waterman, Patricia Brake, Peter Sallis, William Dexter, Alexandra Bastedo
QUI? (1970) DIR – SCR Léonard Kiegel PROD Raymond Danon, Edmondo Amati CAM Jean Bourgoin ED André Delage MUS Claude Bolling CAST Romy Schneider (Marina), Maurice Ronet, Léonard Keigel, Simone Bach, Jacques Duby, Jean-Jacques Bourgeois, Anne-Marie Coffinet, Suzy Hannier
LA CALIFFA (1970) DIR Alberto Bevilacqua PROD Mario Cecchi Gori SCR Alberto Bevilacqua (also novel “Caliph” [1964]) CAM Roberto Gerardi ED Sergio Montanari MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Ugo Tognazzi, Romy Schneider (Irene Corsini), Marina Berti, Roberto Bisacco, Guido Alberti, Gigi Ballista
BLOOMFIELD (1970) DIR Richard Harris, Uri Zohar PROD Wolf Mankowitz, John Heyman SCR Wolf Mankowitz (novel by Joseph Gross) CAM Otto Heller ED Kevin Connor MUS Johnny Harris CAST Richard Harris, Romy Schneider (Nira), Kim Burfield, Maurice Kaufmann, Yossi Yadin, Shraga Friedman, Aviva Marks, Yossi Graber
MAX ET LES FERAILLEURS (1971) DIR Claude Sautet PROD Jean Bolvary, Roland Girard, Raymond Danon SCR Claude Sautet, Jean-Loup Dadabie, Claude Néron (novel by Claude Néron) CAM René Mathelin ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider (Julia Anna ‘Lili’ Ackermann), François Périer, Georges Wilson, Boby Lapointe, Philippe Léotard, Michel Creton, Bernard Fresson
THE ASSASSINATION OF TROTSKY (1972) DIR Joseph Losey PROD Norman Shaftel SCR Nicholas Mosley CAM Pasqualino De Santis ED Reginald Beck MUS Egisto Macchi CAST Richard Burton, Alain Delon, Romy Schneider (Gita Samuels), Valentina Cortese, Luigi Vannucchi, Jean Desailly, Simone Valère, Duilio Del Prete, Peter Chatel, Giorgio Albertazzi
CÉSAR ET ROSALIE (1972) DIR Claude Sautet PROD Michelle de Broca SCR Claude Sautet, Jean-Loup Dabadie CAM Jean Boffety ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Yves Montand, Romy Schneider (Rosalie), Sami Frey, Bernard Le Coq, Eva Marie Meineke, Henri-Jacques Huet, Isabelle Huppert, Gisela Hahn, Betty Beckers
LUDWIG (1973) DIR Luchino Visconti PROD Ugo Santalucia SCR Luchino Visconti, Enrico Madioli (story by Luchino Visconti, Enrico Madioli) CAM Armando Nannuzzi ED Ruggero Mastroianni CAST Helmut Berger, Romy Schneider (Elisabeth of Austria), Trevor Howard, Silvana Mangano, Gert Fröbe, Helmut Griem, Izabella Telezynska, Umberto Orsini, John Moulder-Brown
LE TRAIN (1973) DIR Pierre Granier-Deferre PROD Raymond Danon SCR (novel “Le train” [1961] by Georges Simenon; adaptation by Pierre Granier-Deferre, Pascal Jardin) CAM Walter Wottitz ED Jean Ravel MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Jean-Louis Trintignant, Romy Schneider (Anna Kupfer), Maurice Biraud, Serge Marquand, Nike Arrighi, Paul Le Person, Anne Wiazemsky, Régine
LE MOUTON ENRAGÉ, a.k.a. LOVE AT THE TOP and THE FRENCH WAY IS (1974) DIR Michel Deville PROD Léo L. Fuchs SCR Christopher Frank (novel “Le mouton enragé” [1956] by Roger Blondel) CAM Claude Lecomte ED Raymonde Guyot CAST Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Romy Schneider (Roberte), Jane Birkin, Henri Garcin, Georges Wilson, Florinda Bolkan, Jean-François Balmer
LE TRIO INFERNAL, a.k.a. THE INFERNAL TRIO (1974) DIR Francis Girod PROD Raymond Danon, Jacques Dorfmann, Wolfdieter von Stein SCR Francis Girod, Jacques Rouffio (novel “Le trio infernal” by Solange Fasquelle) CAM Andréas Winding ED Claude Barrois MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Michel Piccoli, Romy Schneider (Philomena Schmidt), Maschka Gonska, Philippe Brizard, Jean Rigaux, Monica Fiorentini, Andréa Ferréol
L’IMPORTANT C’EST D’AIMER, a.k.a. THAT MOST IMPORTANT THING: LOVE (1975) DIR Andrzej Zulawski PROD Albina du Boisrouvray SCR Andrzej Zulawski, Christopher Frank (novel “La nuit américaine” by Christopher Frank) CAM Ricardo Aronovich ED Christiane Lack MUS Georges Delerue CAST Romy Schneider (Nadine Chevalier), Fabio Testi, Jacques Dutronc, Claude Dauphin, Roger Blin, Gabrielle Doulcet, Michel Robin, Guy Mairesse, Klaus Kinski
LES INNOCENTS AUX MAINS SALES, a.k.a. INNOCENTS WITH DIRTY HANDS and DIRTY HANDS (1975) DIR Claude Chabrol PROD André Génovès SCR (novel “The Damned Innocents” by Rchard Neely; adaptation by Claude Chabrol) CAM Jean Rabier ED Jacques Gaillard MUS Pierre Jansen CAST Romy Schneider (Julie), Rod Steiger, François Maistre, Paolo Giusti, François Perrot, Hans Christian Biech, Pierre Santini, Jean Rochefort
LE VIEUX FUSIL, a.k.a. THE OLD GUN and VENGEANCE ONE BY ONE (1975) DIR Robert Enrico PROD Pierre Caro SCR Robert Enrico, Pascal Jardin, Claude Veillot CAM Étienne Becker ED Ava Zora [Eva Zora] MUS François de Roubaix CAST Philippe Noiret, Romy Schneider (Clara Dandieu), Jean Bouise, Joachim Hansen, Robert Hoffman, Karl Michael Vogler, Caroline Bonhomme, Catherine Ozeray
MADO (1975) DIR Claude Sautet PROD André Génovès SCR Claude Sautet, Claude Néron CAM Jean Boffety ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Michel Piccoli, Ottavia Piccoli, Jacques Dutronc, Charles Denner, Romy Schneider (Hélène), Julien Guiomar, Claude Dauphin, Michel Aumont, Jean Bouise
UNE FEMME À SA FENÊTRE, a.k.a. A WOMAN AT HER WINDOW (1976) DIR Pierre Granier-Deferre PROD Albina du Boisrouvray, Hans Pflüger SCR Pierre Granier-Deferre, Jorge Semprún (novel “Hotel Acropolis” [1929] by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle) CAM Aldo Tonti ED Jean Ravel MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Romy Schneider (Margot), Philippe Noiret, Victor Lanoux, Umberto Orsini, Gastone Moschin, Delia Boccardo, Martine Brochard
GRUPPENBILD MIT DAME, a.k.a. GROUP PORTRAIT WITH LADY (1977) DIR Aleksander Petrovic PROD Martin Hellstern SCR Aleksander Petrovic, Jürgen Kolbe (novel “Gruppenbild mit Dame” [1971] by Heinrich Böll) CAM Pierre-William Glenn ED Marika Radvanyi, Agape Dorstewitz [Agape von Dorstewitz] CAST Romy Schneider (Leni Gruyten), Brad Dourif, Michel Galabru, Vadim Glowna, Richard Münch, Vitus Zeplichal, Milena Dravic, Rüdiger Vogler, Fritz Lichtenhahn
UNE HISTOIRE SIMPLE, a.k.a. A SIMPLE STORY (1978) DIR – SCR Claude Sautet PROD Claude Berri, Alain Sarde, Claude Contamine, Jean-Charles Edeline, Horst Wendlandt CAM Jean Boffety ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Romy Schneider (Marie), Bruno Cremer, Claude Brasseur, Roger Pigaut, Arlette Bonnard, Francine Bergé, Sophie Daumier, Éva Darlan, Nadine Alari
CLAIR DE FEMME, a.k.a. WOMANLIGHT (1979) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Georges Alain-Vuille, Mauro Berardi SCR Costa-Gavras (novel “Clair de femme” [1977] by Romain Gary) CAM Ricardo Aronovich ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Jean Musy CAST Romy Schneider (Lydia Tovalski), Yves Montand, Romolo Valli, Lila Kedrova, Heinz Bennent, Roberto Begnini, Catherine Allégret, Jean Reno
BLOODLINE (1979) DIR Terence Young PROD Sidney Beckerman, David V. Picker SCR Laird Koenig (novel by Sidney Sheldon) CAM Freddie Young ED Bud Molin MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Romy Schneider (Hélène Roffe-Martin), Omar Sharif, Claudia Mori, Irene Papas, Michelle Philips, Maurice Ronet, Gert Fröbe, Gabrielle Ferzetti
LA MORT EN DIRECT, a.k.a. DEATH WATCH (1980) DIR Bertrand Tavernier PROD Elie Kfouri SCR Bertrand Tavernier, David Rayfiel (novel “The Unsleeping Eye” [1973] by David G. Compton) CAM Pierre-William Glenn ED Michael Ellis, Armand Psenny MUS Antoine Duhamel CAST Romy Schneider (Katherine Mortenhoe), Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton, Thérèse Liotard, Max von Sydow, Caroline Langrishe, William Russell, Vadim Glowna, Eva Maria Meineke, Bernhard Wicki, Bill Nighy
LA BANQUIÈRE, a.k.a. THE LADY BANKER (1980) DIR Francis Girod PROD Ariel Zeitoun SCR Francis Girod, Georges Conchon CAM Bernhard Zitzermann ED Geneviève Winding MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Romy Schneider (Emma Eckhert), Marie-France Pisier, Claude Brasseur, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean Carmet, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Jacques Fabbri, Daniel Mesguich, Daniel Auteuil, Thierry Lhermitte
FANTASMA D’AMORE (1981) DIR Dino Risi PROD Pio Angeletti, Adriano De Micheli SCR Dino Risi, Bernardino Zapponi (novel “Fantasma d’amore” by Mino Milani) CAM Tonino Delli Colli ED Alberto Gallitti MUS Riz Ortolani CAST Marcello Mastroianni, Romy Schneider (Anna Brigatti Zighi), Eva Maria Meineke, Wolfgang Preiss, Michael Kroecher, Paolo Baroni, Victoria Zinny, Giampiero Becherelli
GARDE À VUE, a.k.a. THE INQUISITOR (1981) DIR Claude Miller PROD Georges Dancigers, Alexandre Mnouchkine SCR Claude Miller (novel “Brainwash” [1979] by John Wainwright; adaptation by Jean Herman) CAM Bruno Nuytten ED Albert Jurgenson MUS Georges Delerue CAST Lino Ventura, Michel Serrault, Romy Schneider (Chantal Martinaud), Guy Marchand, Didier Agostini, Patrick Depeyrrat, Pierre Maguelon, Annie Miller
LA PASSANTE DU SANS-SOUCI, a.k.a. THE PASSERBY (1982) DIR Jacques Rouffio PROD Raymond Danon, Artur Brauner SCR Jacques Rouffio, Jacques Kirsner (novel “La passante du Sans-Souci” [1936] by Joseph Kessel [Joseph Kessel de l’Académie Française]; adaptation by Jacques Rouffio, Jacques Kirsner) CAM Jean-Bernard Penzer [Jean Penzer] ED Anna Ruiz MUS Georges Delerue CAST Romy Schneider (Elsa Wiener/Lina Baumstein), Michel Piccoli, Helmut Griem, Dominique Labourier, Gérard Klein, Mathieu Carrière, Maria Schell, Jean Reno
TV MOVIES
DIE SENDUNG DER LYSISTRATA (1961) DIR Fritz Kortner PROD Gyula Trebitsch SCR Fritz Kortner (play by Aristophanes) CAM Wolfgang Zeh, Frank A. Banuscher ED Klaus Dudenhöfer, Ingeborg Taschner MUS Herbert Brün CAST Romy Schneider (Myrrhine/Uschi Hellwig), Barbara Rütting, Ruth-Maria Kubitschek, Karin Kernke, Herta Worell, Ursula Graeff, Peter Arens
DOMMAGE QU’ELLE SOIT UNE PUTAIN (1961) DIR Luchino Visconti SCR (play “’Tis Pity She’s a Whore” [c. 1626] by John Ford; adaptation by Georges Beaume) CAST Alain Delon, Romy Schneider (Annabella/Sister), Silvia Monfort
TAUSEND LIEDER OHNE TON (1977) DIR Claudia Holldack SCR Christiane Höllger CAST Eva Mattes, Michael Tregor, Dorothea Moritz, Jo Herbst, Christine Gerlach, Ralph Lothar, Franz-Otto Krüger, Romy Schneider ([uncredited])
Yesterday, actress Geraldine Chaplin (b. 1944) received a star on the Walk of Fame in Ostend during a ceremony that took place during the Ostend Film Festival. Because of the wind and the cold weather, the actual unveiling of the star happened indoors at the Grote Post in Ostend.
Geraldine Chaplin turned it into a cheerful and joyful event; after all, let’s not forget she’s the daughter of her father. She also took the time to sign photos and pose for selfies with her fans.
Now almost eighty, this bright and gorgeous lady attended the Ostend Film Festival to promote her latest film “Luka,” written and directed by Jessica Woodworth. The film was screened at the Festival the day before yesterday. Feature image: screenwriter and film director Jessica Woodworth with Geraldine Chaplin.
Geraldine Chaplin during the unveiling of her star at the Ostend Film Festival, with actress Natali Broods, Master of the 2023 edition of the Festival, and Samvel Tadevossian, Ms. Chaplin’s co-star in “Luka” | Jempi WelkenhuyzenGeraldine Chaplin with her star | Jempi WelkenhuyzenHer father’s hands and feet were never immortalized in cement on Grauman’s Theater’s famous forecourt in Hollywood. So Geraldine Chaplin took matters into her own hands in a hilarious way | Jempi WelkenhuyzenGeraldine Chaplin | Jempi WelkenhuyzenGeraldine Chaplin signing the Festival’s guest book | Jempi Welkenhuyzen“Luka” screenwriter and director Jessica Woodworth, with Geraldine Chaplin | Film TalkJessica Woodworth, Geraldine Chaplin | Film TalkJessica Woodworth, Geraldine Chaplin | Film TalkJessica Woodworth, Geraldine Chaplin | Film TalkGeraldine Chaplin signing autographs | Film Talk
The Spanish horror drama “Cerdita” (a.k.a. “Piggy”), also a gruesome thriller and social commentary, was written and directed by Carlota Pereda. The film is a feature expansion of her 2018 award-winning short film of the same name, and follows Sara, a teenager with obesity problems, played by Laura Galán. She lives in a rural Spanish town in the gorgeous, but unbearably hot Spanish countryside, where some friends from the town mistreat her and bully her over her weight. Hence her nickname, Piggy—also the English-language title for the film.
By chance, she finds out that her tormentors have been kidnapped by a stranger. What should she do? Should she help the girls or not? Will she tell the authorities what she saw? Or, does she set out on her own journey of vengeance and redemption? An ethical and moral dilemma comes into play.
Actress and newcomer Laura Galán (b. 1986) plays Sara; she shines with a blistering and memorable performance as the bullied teen, even though she’s no teen at all—Ms. Galán is thirty-six. The stage actress who made her screen debut in Terry Gilliam’s “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” (2018), also played Sara in the short “Cerdita”; she nabbed award after award for her performance in both the short and the feature.
Last September, Ms. Galán, a huge admirer of filmmakers such as Pedro Almodóvar, Carla Simón, Álex de la Iglesia, J.A. Bayona and Clara Roquet, was a guest of honor at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival where “Cerdita” was screened. The following interview was conducted at the BIFFF with the help of an interpreter Spanish-French as Ms. Galán only speaks Spanish.
“Cerdita” is a Spanish-French coproduction which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022. Carlota Pereda’s dynamite debut feature is out in various territories, either in theaters or available on VOD. And in 2023, there are at least two new Spanish films coming up with Ms. Galán in the leading role: “Una noche con Adela” and “La ermita.” So keep your eyes open: she might very well be Spain’s discovery of the year.
Ms. Galán, after you played the character of Sara in the short, was it obvious for you to reprise the role in the feature film?
Absolutely, there were no doubts. I was even delighted because I knew the character so well. Physically and emotionally you have to be very open to portray Sara and tell this very difficult story that begins with the bullying of a teenager. But we worked with a wonderful crew. They made the whole shooting process pretty easy for me. In fact, it was more difficult for the other actors who play those cruel and rude characters. But from the very beginning, we all agreed to show this immense cruelty because that’s basically the theme of the film. And I would like to add that I was never a victim of bullying myself. It’s important to mention that because I want to make clear that it can’t be the norm. As a child, I have been overweight, but I never endured a lot of hardship. I know I’ll never play the pretty girl, or the girl the main character falls in love with, but I am very grateful and lucky that all of this didn’t happen to me.
Film director and screenwriter Carlota Pereda and actress Laura Galán at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
What do you want the audience to feel or experience with your performance of Sara?
I use my body to express my feelings, and with the film spanning twenty-four hours, it’s like a journey when Sara shows different aspects of her life. She lives in a small town where she is a victim of bullying. She doesn’t have much of a social life because she is always attacked by other people her age. There are many intense moments and events that happen to her; you could say that in the beginning she is a young girl, and by the end of the film, she has become a woman. From what I have seen, the audience has a lot of empathy for the character of Sara, they’re absorbed in her world. So one of the biggest challenges for me was to get to know Sara’s world and understand her vulnerability and fragility, because I am very comfortable with my body. I like my body, but Sara does not; it was very hard to realize this. Also the fact that I am running throughout most of the movie exhausted me physically and I ended up with many bruises. But I think that the most challenging thing was to know her fragility.
In the film, there are several intense sequences. Did you have a specific approach to prepare for those scenes?
I have worked a lot in the theater in Spain, and that was a perfect training for me. I learned that your body language is very important, especially since the character of Sara didn’t have much dialogue. Every line of dialogue was in the script, so we didn’t have to rehearse too much. After the short film, I had been working on many aspects of my craft, like the way Sara walks and talks. It also helped me that the director sort of protected me when we were shooting the scenes where Sara is bullied—as did all the other actors. So as an actress, I felt very comfortable when we shot the scenes that were extremely painful for Sara.
Laura Galán as Sara in “Cerdita” | Just Entertainment/The PR FactoryYou knew the story and the script from the short. But still, what was your impression when you first read the script of the feature film?
First and foremost the story, and how Carlota Pereda told it. It seemed very powerful to me; I particularly liked how the genre and horror elements in the film were combined with the story itself. Before we did the short, I had done mostly theater and I thought I would be too old for the role. But then Carlota and I met a couple of times; we talked about the project, and we both knew I could play Sara.
How did you collaborate with her?
Since we had worked together on the short, we knew each other pretty well; we were almost like family. We both knew who Sara really was; we knew her background and what she had to endure, and that made it much easier for me to play her.
Like in the short, there are many close-ups of yours. How important were they in your opinion to tell the story?
They had to create and emphasize Sara’s claustrophobic feeling, and I think they helped to capture that atmosphere. It requires a lot of concentration and focus when you’re in close-up. When I saw the film for the first time, I was surprised to see how important those close-ups were to get that feeling. The audience may have sympathy for Sara as she is trying to find a way out of her precarious situation. But in the course of the next twenty-four hours, you see how she changes. She matures as she embarks on a voyage of her own, and the close-ups play a crucial role to show that.
Richard Holmes plays the stranger who kidnaps Sara’s tormentors | Just Entertainment/The PR FactoryYou are very familiar with the theater. Is there a big difference between performing on stage or appearing in front of a camera?
There is a difference, but the basics are the same. When we did “Cerdita” I was surrounded by a wonderful crew, so acting in front of a camera didn’t feel at all like something new or something entirely different to me. It’s always a rewarding experience to perform on stage, just like it was for me to play Sara in the film.
Spanish cinema has a long and rewarding history. Did that maybe inspire you to become an actress?
Absolutely. As a little girl, I liked acting and wanted to become an actress. I don’t know what I would do now professionally if I weren’t an actress. I grew up with the films of Pedro Almodóvar, so for me it’s a great honor to be part of Spanish cinema. It was wonderful to be invited at the San Sebastian Film Festival where I got noticed. So it was always a dream of mine to become a stage and film actress, and I hope I can continue to combine both.
Is it easy in Spain to compete with big budget Hollywood films?
No, it’s not. For a small and independent film like “Cerdita,” we hope to find a way to introduce it to the audience. Even in Spain it’s not always easy to convince people to go out and see a Spanish film. The competition with American films in very tough.
Still it’s easy to identify with a character like Sara. And the film tells a relevant story, with a heartfelt—yet brutal—plotline.
Yes, because it all happens in a small village and it’s a touching story. It’s more like a real story, whereas in American films, characters can be larger than life or out of this world. I hope to achieve the same with my upcoming film, “Une noche con Adela”; we finished shooting and the film is currently in post-production.
Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
September 12, 2022
“Cerdita” (a.k.a. “Piggy,” 2022; trailer)
FILMS
THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE (2018) DIR Terry Gilliam PROD Amy Gilliam, Mariela Besuievsky, Gerardo Herrero, Grégoire Melin SCR Terry Gilliam, Tony Grisoni (characters created by Miguel de Cervantes) CAM Nicola Pecorini ED Teresa Font, Lesley Walker MUS Roque Baños CAST Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgård, Olga Kurylenko, Joana Ribeiro, Óscar Jaenada, Jason Watkins, Sergi López, Laura Galán (Girl on Bike)
ORÍGENES SECRETOS (2020) DIR David Galán Galindo PROD Alberto Aranda, Kiko Martínez, Ignacio Salazar-Simpson SCR David Galán Galindo, Fernando Navarro (novel by David Galán Galindo) CAM Rita Noriega ED Leire Alonso, Martí Roca MUS Federico Jusid CAST Javier Rey, Verónica Echegui, Brays Efe, Antonio Resines, Ernesto Alterio, Laura Galán (Isabel)
CERDITA, a.k.a. PIGGY (2022) DIR – SCR Carlota Pereda PROD Merry Colomer CAM Rita Noriega ED David Pelegrín MUS Olivier Arson CAST Laura Galán (Sara), Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi, Irene Ferreiro, Camille Aguilar, Claudia Salas, José Pastor, Fernando Delgado-Hierro
UNA NOCHE CON ADELA (2023) DIR – SCR Hugo Ruiz CAST Laura Galán (Adela), Jimmy Barnatán, Raudel Raúl Martiato, Fernando Moraleda, gemma Nierga, Rosalía Omil
LA ERMITA (2023) DIR Carlota Pereda PROD Iñaki Gomez, Pablo Echart SCR Carlota Pereda, Albert Bertran Bas, Carmelo Viera CAM Rota Noriega ED David Pelegrín MUS Pascal Gaigne CAST Laura Galán, Belén Rueba, Loreta Mauleón, Anastasia Russo, Josean Bengoetxea, Elena Irureta, Jon Olivares
The city of Ixelles, or Elsene, one of the nearly twenty municipalities of Brussels, and the birth place of screen actress, style icon and beloved humanitarian Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993), has inaugurated a garden with a bronze statue to honor her life and work.
Rue Keyenveld, or Keienveldstraat, in the city of Ixelles/Elsene | Film TalkTo this day, the Academy Award-winning star who appeared in screen classics such as “Roman Holiday” (1953), “Sabrina” (1954), “The Nun’s Story” (1959), “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) and “My Fair Lady” (1964) remains one of the most successful actresses of all time. Later, she was praised internationally for her humanitarian work when she became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1988, and traveled the world to raise money and awareness for children who suffered from malnutrition. In recognition of her humanitarian work, she received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the Academy Awards ceremony of 1993, shortly after she had passed away. Her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer (b. 1960) accepted the award on her behalf.
The Audrey Hepburn Garden is located in Ixelles/Elsene, close to her birth house at 48 Rue Keyenveld/Keienveldstraat, where she was born on May 4, 1929. Last month, also on May 4—Ms. Hepburn’s 93th birthday anniversary—Mr. Ferrer attended the unveiling of the statue.
Recently, I had the pleasure of talking to Mr. Ferrer about this event, his mother and his work as he devotes most of his time and energy to her body of work and honors her humanitarian work with various non-profit organizations that bear her name. He’s also the author of the best-seller “Audrey Hepburn: An Elegant Spirit” (2003).
The inauguration of the Audrey Hepburn Garden, as reported by Euronews
Mr. Ferrer, can you tell something about the history of your mother’s bronze statue in the Audrey Hepburn Garden?
It was sculpted by Kees Verkade [1941-2020], a very well-known sculptor who resided in Monaco. He sculpted most of the royal family of Monaco and had many exhibitions all over Europe. Being of Dutch origin, he wanted to do something in memory of my mother. So he called me up and said, ‘Your mother has done so much for humanity that I would like to sculpt her to memorialize her.’ We spoke at length, he then came to see me and in the end, he said, ‘If you could ask for anything, what would you like the statue to be?’ I replied, ‘I would like to ask for the impossible: when you look at the statue, I would like you to see the three women she became. First, the young woman who became an actress, second the young woman who became the mother and wife and ultimately the mature woman who gave her life for children as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF—with a tinge of disappointment in all of us for the way we treat our future generations. And the statue is one of those pieces that require you to sit with it, look at it and allow these three personas come to you in waves. It was originally installed in front of The Audrey Hepburn Pavilion, an old school building that had been abandoned for a while in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, until it was restored into a little Pavilion honoring her in two small rooms. That was the first exhibition I ever created with photographs, film posters, focused on her career and the UNICEF years: the entire exhibition was maybe two hundred square meters, but it was lovely. It was a lovely-looking building with a nice garden around it, a stone’s throw from the cemetery. So the statue rested there in front of the Pavilion for a long time. Then my brother [Luca Dotti] was approached by an Irish sculptor who had created another statue—a little Disney-ish from my point of view—that was installed in the square of Tolochenaz. At that point we had sold her house in Switzerland, and had taken down the small exhibition because we didn’t have enough material to do it and other exhibitions—these were the most important pieces. When I started planning for an exhibition celebrating her 80th birthday [2009], ten years before we actually opened it [“Intimate Audrey” in 2019], we also approached the city of Ixelles, looking for a space to hold the exhibition, and started to look for sponsors and so forth. Very early on, they said that they would do something to remember her with a plaque [her birth house in Ixelles] that was replaced a few times because people would take it down and abscond with it, and the idea was born to have a little park at the bottom of the street. The park was originally called Le Parc Solvay. Mr. Solvay was not just a brilliant chemist and industrialist at the end of the nineteenth century, he was also a real visionary. He did things for his employees that were almost a century ahead of their time. He provided all kinds of support and social assistance for his employees—something which was way ahead of its time. So my first reaction when they talked about this, was, ‘What an honor.’
Audrey Hepburn’s bronze statue in the Audrey Hepburn Garden | Film TalkDid you write a speech for the inauguration?
I don’t write speeches anymore after thirty-plus years I’ve been doing this. But I thanked everybody, and I said that it would have been very meaningful to her, not so much being memorialized or remembered that way—something she would have been very shy about—but the fact that children would play in the park. That would have been profoundly meaningful to her.
Was your mother a shy woman?
I think she was always shy when she had to talk about herself, or when she got a lot of attention. My mother never thought she was better than, or more than anyone else. She was worried to be found out. Some people are much more so; Johnny Carson, for example, was almost a-social off screen. This past year I have been working with Rooney Mara; she contacted me because she wants to do a film about my mother and we have been talking about it. She is extremely shy; she does no social media and no interviews which is kind of interesting if you think she’s chosen to be an actress. But a lot of actors have that sort of shyness. It’s very charming, in a way. It means that they are earnest and legitimate about their desire to act; they do it for the love of it and not so much to promote themselves.
Keienveldstraat, with Audrey Hepburn’s birth house on the right | Film TalkWhen you were in Ixelles, did you go to you mother’s birth house as well?
I went there in the past. I met the man who owns it; he even wanted to turn it into a museum and got very excited about that. Unfortunately, like in many towns, including New York City, they take these lovely apartments and sort of cut them in half. So it’s now very narrow, almost like those town homes in London. Once you put the bed in the bedroom, you almost touch the either side with your head and your feet. It has this long stairwell going up, but it’s no longer the apartment that she grew up in. The flat was about the full width of the building; now it’s cut down in the middle. I’m not sure why they did it that way. But it’s lovely, it got a lovely view of the back, and the street is lovely. They turned it into a pedestrian zone and put plants on the sidewalks.
Did your mother ever talk about her time as a child in Belgium?
No, because they left this house very early on by the time she was five or six years old, and then they lived in the countryside in Belgium. That is when her father left when she was eight or nine years old.
You’re talking about the home in Linkebeek?
Yes. That house is a farmhouse and the owner knows its history. It’s surrounded by developments. I have been by it; it’s a lovely street, very green. The street is one way going down. Very pretty. But I have never been inside.
Postcard of Audrey Hepburn’s home in Linkebeek, Belgium, as it looked in the 1930s when she and her family lived their briefly. The street address is 129 Beukenstraat. Postcard manufactured/published by Nels and Photo Clumper, Uccle | Film Talk ArchiveYou have been very busy with the auction at Christie’s [2017], the exhibition “Intimate Audrey” [2019-2020, website], the documentary “Audrey: More Than An Icon” [2020] and the children’s book “Little Audrey’s Daydream” [2020]. Do you still have time or plans to do anything for film or television?
I am working on a few things I love. I co-manage the Estate to carefully select licensing and the permission to use her images, and there’s the whole aspect of protecting the images. That requires a lot of legal work—and sometimes lawsuits and so forth. But I have a couple of projects. And for the projects that you just mentioned, those are all non-profit as the proceeds go to charity. There is the Audrey Hepburn Society in Switzerland, which is sort of the mothership; there’s the Foundation in America, and I’ve created another non-profit association called Born in Bruxelles asbl which is the recipient of all the direct proceeds of the exhibition and the book.
The “Intimate Audrey” exhibitions were held in Brussels [2019], then in Amsterdam [2019-2020], and then came Covid.
I was very lucky, because I had a contract with the Beurs van Berlage [Amsterdam] to do three months [November 2019-January 2020] with an option for an additional three months. As much as the place is beautiful, there are a few things which make it very hard to have an important flux of visitors. Firstly, it’s near the station; the well-to-do people of Amsterdam don’t go there. There’s a lot of pot smoking in the street and sex shows around, so it’s a mixed bag event though Beurs van Berlage is such a gorgeous historical building. The other issue was, being in this historical building, you are limited on the amount of exterior advertising. So a family of four—Mr. and Mrs. with their two kids—can really walk by there twice in a day and miss it, not realizing there’s an exhibition because all you have is a one-sheet poster at the entry way and one banner very high up. But we did quite well although a few exhibitions failed there before, as we found out after we had gotten into a relationship with them. We did quite well because I had spent a lot on advertising on trams and around town, and worked with a lot of different resources. But early January 2020, I thought to myself, ‘I don’t think that it’s really worth it because an exhibition has costs, you have employees…’ In the end, I didn’t want to keep it another three months, so I didn’t exercise my option and we packed everything up. And the next thing I knew—it was Covid. Literally within a few days, the whole thing was starting to come out that there was this virus in China that was reaching our shores. Imagine if I had not pulled the plug at the time, I would have probably spent a year there with the stuff just sitting around, no visitors, still paying for staff.
Would you still consider taking “Intimate Audrey” to another city?
Yes. The purpose of “Intimate Audrey” was to retrace her youth; she was born in Brussels and she moved to Holland before the War, and then to London next. That will be another wonderful chapter. We’re in the process of identifying a location for London. This thing is all ready to go. We’ve been in discussion with BAFTA which is the British Academy; they just went through a major remodel of their offices. During that time they moved next door and now they moved back. But the building next door is actually quite nice, and being near them has a lot of positive effects. They have the ability to provide a lot of help and support—young film students who can help us open and close and all of that. The building is owned by the Crown, which means that maybe we can get a break. To make these things profitable, you cannot pay London rental prices. Just to give you sort of a perspective, Saatchi Gallery rents for about a £125,000 a week. So the secret here is to find a location that works with us as a non-profit and build up from there.
“Intimate Audrey” (2019, teaser for the Brussels exhibition)
Your mother’s birth house will always be an important location in Brussels. Is it the same with the birth house of your father [Mel Ferrer, 1917-2008] in Elberon, New Jersey?
No. He was very talented; he had a great literary background, he was a great writer, a wonderful producer, and he could ride and fence and did a lot of different films that were the action films or the Rambo films of the 1950s. He’s not as well remembered as she is. She is unique; she has survived the test of time more than most in Hollywood. She was more than just an actress. She was also the third and yet most well-remembered UNICEF ambassador coming from the entertainment industry. The combination of all of this, the choices she made, and the fact that she had this timeless look, made her unique. I think my father, after my grandmother, played the biggest role in her career because he managed her. Most of the films that she made were great, except maybe for “Paris When It Sizzles” [1964]. I’m not a huge fan of that, and films about the industry have always been a tough sell. So apart from that one, I think all of her films are good.
One of her final films was “They All Laughed” [1981], directed by Peter Bogdanovich who passed away last January. You were his assistant director and you also appeared in the film as Dorothy Stratten’s boyfriend. How do you remember Peter Bogdanovich?
I was very young and just spent a year working in Korea on a big war film, “Inchon” [1981], directed by Terence Young who had been like an uncle to me thoughout my youth. I had been studying international law in Geneva and I wasn’t sure that it was what I hoped for. It would have been interesting to understand the inner workings of how you can build and protect entertainment, but after six months of international waters I knew international law was not what I expected. So Terence said, ‘Why don’t you take a hiatus and work for me? I’m doing this big war film in Korea.’ I had known him my whole life, and so I went. It was an interesting experience; it was one of the most expensive films ever made at that time. When I got back home, Peter [Bogdanovich] had been talking to my mother about starring in “They All Laughed.” We had dinner in New York and we got along nicely. Even before my mother came on as an actress, he had offered me a job as his assistant. Maybe it was to encourage her to join the film, I don’t know, but in any event, I worked with him for a year. After the film was finished, I bought an old convertible which I drove through Canada from the East Coast back to California. During that trip, Dorothy Stratten [1960-1980] was shot by her husband and Peter was devastated. So then I worked with a heartbroken director who spent the next six months in his bed; I was working with the editor. We tested the film and then recut it, and we were all around him to keep him in some condition so that he could continue.
It’s still a great film, isn’t it? Very underestimated, too.
It’s a very lovely, old-fashioned ensemble piece, both behind and ahead of its time, and many have crowned it into a cult film. It’s also one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorite films. Even though it’s shot in the eighties, it has the structure of the old romantic comedies. Peter was a very interesting man, he had a very fortunate beginning of his career: after “Targets” [1968] everything he touched turned to gold during this Nouvelle Vague of American directors. He was very successful with “The Last Picture Show” [1971], “What’s Up, Doc?” [1972] and “Paper Moon” [1973], but I think he lacked this humility; that often happens when you are insecure at the core and need to masquerade it with a certain presumptuousness. Obviously, he knew his craft very well, but the executive end of our industry is often not as educated, nor do they care about content. They care more about casting, budget, and marketing. And so there was a struggle in this particular case. “They All Laughed” didn’t get the opening that he had hoped for. He blamed them and they blamed him. He ended up taking a huge mortgage on his Bel Air mansion which probably was also a decision because Dorothy was in the film and she had died. So he relaunched and distributed the film, but unfortunately, again, it didn’t work. And so he lost his house, his biggest asset at the time. But he was a great friend, a beautiful man, and a very special person. We all stayed in touch, also with Blaine Novak—the guy with the long hair [he played one of the detectives]. Peter went on; he had a good career and made more good films, maybe not at the height of what he had done before, but we’d still see each other. Then he got involved with Dorothy’s younger sister Louise, which was a bit strange; she had plastic surgery—maybe to look more like her sister—so it spiraled into a darker kind of Hollywood obsession story, which is not at all my cup of tea. But I loved Peter; through and through he was a good man, a good soul. But if you take the industry too seriously, it starts to get the better of you.
“They All Laughed” (1981)
He was also a very accomplished and knowledgable film historian, wasn’t he? Of all the books he wrote, I think his interview book “Allan Dwan: The Last Pioneer” [1971] is one of the best books written on the history of silent film and the transition from silent to sound.
Yes, he was equally as capable as a film historian and journalist as he was as a director.
You have been in this business your whole life. Do you think that you will ever write your mémoires?
I am very much like my mother. She said, ‘If I’m going to sit down and write my story, people will realize that I had a pretty straightforward life.’ She was a normal person who lived a simple life. I took that into consideration when I wrote “An Elegant Spirit” which is the companion book to the Barry Paris book [“Audrey,” published in 1996]; that is the most serious—historically—biography about her life. But I don’t take myself seriously enough. I know I had the opportunity to see and do things that go way beyond Hollywood, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to talk about people’s private lives. Also, a portion of my career has not been published; because of my languages, I was often hired for fixer jobs without a credit. I would say that about forty percent of my credits are not public. I have been a successful 21st century humanist in the sense of, ‘I have been able to do a lot of different things and I have learned a lot.’ And there’s really nothing that I have done, apart from the Australian miniseries “Cloudstreet” [2011], that I feel is so meaningful and gives me the right to speak of the industry. Don’t forget that when my mother passed away, I decided to catch the baton of the whole humanitarian socially relevant efforts for the family, so in 1993, after 15 years of making a good living in the entertainment industry, I sort of left it behind to create all those different foundations. Maybe I’m just not ready yet; maybe in twenty years I will, but not for the moment. I have written about my mother; she is the meaningful one in the family.
Zoom interview
June 7, 2022
Book covers of “Audrey Hepburn” (1996), written by Barry Paris, and “Audrey Hepburn: An Elegant Spirit” (2003), written by Sean Hepburn FerrerFILMS
NEDERLANDS IN ZEVEN LESSEN, a.k.a. DUTCH IN SEVEN LESSONS (1948) DIR Charles Huguenot van der Linden, Heinz Josephson PROD Charles Huguenot van der Linden, Heinz Josephson, Harold Goodwin, George Julsing, Jack Dudok van Heel SCR Charles Huguenot van der Linden, Heinz Josephson CAM Peter Staugaard, Piet Schrikker ED Rita Roland MUS CAST Sanny Day, Pia Beck, Wam Heskes, Greet Vogels, Koes Koen, Audrey Hepburn (KLM Stewardess), A. Viruly
ONE WILD OAT (1951) DIR Charles Saunders PROD John Croydon SCR Vernon Sylvaine, Lawrence Huntingdon (play by Vernon Sylvaine) CAM Robert Navarro ED Margery Saunders MUS Stanley Black CAST Robert Hare, Stanley Holloway, Vera Pearce, Andrew Crawford, Irene Handl, June Sylvaine, Constance Lorne, Audrey Hepburn (Hotel Receptionist), Roger Moore
LAUGHTER IN PARADISE (1951) DIR – PROD Mario Zampi SCR Jack Davies, Michael Pertwee (story by Jack Davies, Michael Pertwee) CAM William McLeod ED Guilio Zampi MUS Stanley Black CAST Fay Compton, George Cole, Alastair Sim, John Laurie, Joyce Grenfell, Beatrice Campbell, Guy Middleton, Hugh Griffith, Audrey Hepburn (Cigarette Girl), Sebastian Cabot
THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (1951) DIR Charles Crichton PROD Michael Balcon SCR T.E.B. Clarke CAM Douglas Slocombe ED Seth Holt MUS Georges Auric CAST Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Marjorie Fielding, Edie Martin, Audrey Hepburn (Chiquita), Robert Shaw
YOUNG WIVES’ TALE (1951) DIR Henry Cass PROD Victor Skutezky SCR Anne Burnaby (play by Ronald Jeans) CAM Erwin Hillier ED Edward B. Jarvis MUS Philip Green CAST Joan Greenwood, Nigel Patrick, Derek Farr, Guy Middleton, Athene Seyler, Helen Cherry, Audrey Hepburn (Eve Lester), Irene Handl
SECRET PEOPLE (1952) DIR Thorold Dickinson PROD Sidney Cole SCR Thorold Dickinson, Wolfgang Wilhelm (story by Thorold Dickinson) CAM Gordon Dines ED Peter Tanner MUS Roberto Gerhard CAST Valentina Cortese, Serge Reggiani, Charles Goldner, Audrey Hepburn (Nora), Angela Fouldes, Megs Jenkins, Irene Worth, Bob Monkhouse
MONTE CARLO BABY, a.k.a. NOUS IRONS TOUS À MONTE CARLO (1952) DIR Jean Boyer, Jean Jerrold PROD Ray Ventura SCR Jean Boyer, Alex Joffé, Jean Jerrold, Serge Véber CAM Charles Suin ED Fanchette Mazin MUS Paul Misraki CAST Ray Ventura, Henri Génès, Georges Lannes, Philippe Lemaire, Danielle Godet, John Van Dreelen, Audrey Hepburn (Linda Farrell / Melissa Farrell), Marcel Dalio, Suzanne Guémard, André Dalibert
ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) DIR – PROD William Wyler SCR Dalton Trumbo, John Dighton, Ian McLellan Hunter CAM Frank F. Planer, Henri Alekan ED Robert Swink MUS Georges Auric CAST Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn (Princess Ann), Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams, Margaret Rawlings, Tullio Carminati
SABRINA (1954) DIR – PROD Billy Wilder SCR Billy Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, Ernest Lehman (play by Samuel A. Taylor) CAM Charles Lang Jr. ED Arthur P. Schmidt MUS Frederick Hollander CAST Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina Fairchild), William Holden, Walter Hampden, John Williams, Martha Hyer, Joan Vohs, Marcel Dalio, Frances X. Bushman, Marion Ross
WAR AND PEACE (1956) DIR King Vidor PROD Dino De Laurentiis SCR Mario Soldati, Gian Gaspare Napolitano (adaptation by King Vidor, Mario Camerini, Bridget Boland, Ivo Perilli, Robert Westerby, Ennio De Concini; novel by Leo Tolstoy) CAM Jack Cardiff ED Leo Cattozzo MUS Nino Rota CAST Audrey Hepburn (Natasha Rostova), Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio Gassman, Herbert Lom, Oskar Homolka, Anita Ekberg, Helmut Dantine, John Mills
FUNNY FACE (1957) DIR Stanley Donen PROD Roger Edens SCR Leonard Gershe CAM Ray June ED Frank Bracht MUS George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Leonard Gershe, Roger Edens CAST Audrey Hepburn (Jo Stockton), Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair, Robert Flemyng, Dovima, Suzy Parker, Sunny Harnett
LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (1957) DIR – PROD Billy Wilder SCR Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond (novel ‘Ariane’ by Claude Anet) CAM William C. Mellor ED Leonid Azar MUS Franz Waxman CAST Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn (Ariane Chavasse), Maurice Chevalier, John McGiver, Van Doude, Lise Bourdin, Olga Valéry, Franz Waxman, Louis Jourdan (narration)
GREEN MANSIONS (1959) DIR Mel Ferrer PROD Edmund Grainger SCR Dorothy Kingsley (novel by William Henry Hudson) CAM Joseph Ruttenberg ED Ferris Webster MUS Bronislau Kaper CAST Audrey Hepburn (Rima), Anthony Perkins, Lee J. Cobb, Sessue Hayakawa, Henry Silva, Nehemiah Persoff
THE NUN’S STORY (1959) DIR Fred Zinnemann PROD Henry Blanke, Fred Zinnemann [uncredited] SCR Robert Anderson (book by Kathryn C. Hulme) CAM Franz F. Planer MUS Franz Waxman ED Walter Thompson CAST Audrey Hepburn (Gabrielle van der Mal [Sister Luke]), Peter Finch, Dame Edith Evans, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Dean Jagger, Mildred Dunnock, Beatrice Straight, Colleen Dewhurst
THE UNFORGIVEN (1960) DIR John Huston PROD James Hill SCR Ben Maddow (novel by Alan LeMay) CAM Franz F. Planer ED Russell Lloyd MUS Dimitri Tiomkin CAST Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn (Rachel Zachary), Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Charles Bickford, Lillian Gish, Albert Salmi
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961) DIR Blake Edwards PROD Martin Jurow, Richard Shepherd SCR George Axelrod (novel by Truman Capote) CAM Franz F. Planer ED Howard A. Smith MUS Henry Mancini CAST Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly), George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, John McGiver, Mickey Rooney
THE CHILDREN’S HOUR (1961) DIR – PROD William Wyler SCR John Michael Hayes (play by Lillian Hellman) CAM Franz F. Planer ED Robert Swink MUS Alex North CAST Audrey Hepburn (Karen Wright), Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, Veronica Cartwright
CHARADE (1963) DIR – PROD Stanley Donen SCR Peter Stone (story by Peter Stone, Marc Behm) CAM Charles Lang Jr. ED James Clark MUS Henry Mancini CAST Cary Grant Audrey Hepburn (Regina Lampert), Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass, Stanley Donen, Mel Ferrer, Peter Stone
PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES (1964) DIR Richard Quine PROD George Axelrod SCR George Axelrod (story ‘La fête à Henriette’ by Julien Duvivier, Henri Jeanson) CAM Charles Lang Jr., Claude Renoir ED Archie Marshek MUS Nelson Riddle CAST William Holden, Audrey Hepburn (Gabrielle Simpson / Gaby), Grégoire Aslan, Raymond Duvaleix, Michel Thomas, Noël Coward, Tony Curtis, Mel Ferrer
MY FAIR LADY (1964) DIR George Cukor PROD Jack L. Warner SCR Alan Jay Lerner (book by Alan Jay Lerner; play by George Bernard Shaw) CAM Harry Stardling Sr. ED William H. Ziegler MUS André Previn CAST Audrey Hepburn (Eliza Doolittle), Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett, Theodore Bikel, Mona Washbourne, Betty Blythe
HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966) DIR William Wyler PROD Fred Kohlmar SCR Harry Kurnitz (story by George Bradshaw) CAM Charles Lang ED Robert Swink MUS Johnny Williams CAST Audrey Hepburn (Nicole), Peter O’Toole, Eli Wallach, Hugh Griffith, Charles Boyer, Fernand Gravey, Marcel Dalio, Jacques Marin
TWO FOR THE ROAD (1967) DIR – PROD Stanley Donen SCR Frederic Raphael CAM Christopher Challis ED Richard Marden, Madelèine Gug MUS Henry Mancini CAST Audrey Hepburn (Joanna Wallace), Albert Finney, William Daniels, Eleanor Bron, Claude Dauphin, Nadia Grey, George Descrieres, Gabrielle Middleton, Jacqueline Bisset, Judy Cornwell
WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967) DIR Terence Young PROD Mel Ferrer SCR Richard Carrington, Jane-Howard Carrington (play by Frederick Knott) CAM Charles Lang ED Gene Milford MUS Henry Mancini CAST Audrey Hepburn (Susy Hendrix), Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston, Robby Benson, Mel Ferrer
ROBIN AND MARIAN (1976) DIR Richard Lester PROD Denis O’Dell SCR James Goldman CAM David Watkin ED John Victor Smith MUS John Barry CAST Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn (Maid Marian), Robert Shaw, Richard Harris, Nicol Williamson, Denholm Elliott, Ian Holm
BLOODLINE (1979) DIR Terence Young PROD Sidney Beckerman, David V. Picker SCR Laird Koenig (novel by Sidney Sheldon) CAM Freddie Young ED Bud Molin MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Audrey Hepburn (Elizabeth Roffe), Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Romy Schneider, Omar Sharif, Claudia Mori, Irene Papas, Michelle Philips, Maurice Ronet, Gert Fröbe, Gabrielle Ferzetti
THEY ALL LAUGHED (1981) DIR Peter Bogdanovich PROD Blaine Novak, George Morfogen SCR Peter Bogdanovich, Blaine Novak CAM Robby Müller ED Scott Vickrey, William C. Carruth CAST Audrey Hepburn (Angela Niotes), Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Dorothy Stratten, Patti Hansen, Blaine Novak, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Glenn Scarpelli, Antonia Bogdanovich, Alexandra Bogdanovich, Elizabeth Peña, Peter Bogdanovich
ALWAYS (1989) DIR Steven Spielberg PROD Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy SCR Dalton Trumbo, Jerry Belson, Frederick Hazlitt Brennan (story ‘A Guy Named Joe’ by Chandler Sprague, David Boehm) CAM Mikael Salomon ED Michael Kahn MUS John Williams CAST Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson, Audrey Hepburn (Hap), Roberts Blossom, Keith David, Marg Helgenberger
TV MOVIES
SAUCE TARTARE (1949) DIR Audrey Cameron PROD Walton Anderson SCR Matt Brooks MUS Allan Gray CAST Jessie Matthews, Claude Hulbert, Renee Houston, Muriel Smith, Jack Melford, Joan Heal, Audrey Hepburn, Jean Bayless
MAYERLING (1957) DIR Anatole Litvak PROD Fred Coe CAST Audrey Hepburn (Maria Vetsera), Mel Ferrer, Raymond Massey, Diana Wynyard
LOVE AMONG THIEVES (1987) DIR Roger Young PROD Robert A. Papzian SCR Stephen Black, Henry Stern CAM Gayne Rescher ED James Mitchell MUS Arthur B. Rubinstein CAST Audrey Hepburn (Baroness Caroline DuLac), Robert Wagner, Patrick Bauchau, Jerry Orbach, Brion James, Samantha Eggar, Christopher Neame
TV SERIES
BBC NIGHT THEATRE (1951) DIR William Templeton CAST (episode ‘The Silent Village’) Becket Bould, Peter Bull, Andrew Cruickshank, Audrey Hepburn (Celia), Anthony Ireland, Glyn Lawson, Joyce Redman, Jack Watling
CBS TELEVISION WORKSHOP: RAINY DAY IN PARADISE JUNCTION (1952) CAST Audrey Hepburn, Paul Langton, Carmen Matthew
DOCUMENTARIES
A WORLD OF LOVE (1971, UNICEF documantary special) PROD Alexander Cohen HOSTS Bill Cosby, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte
GARDENS OF THE WORLD, PARTS I-VI (1993) DIR Bruce Fanchini PROD Janis Blacksleger HOST Audrey Hepburn; Michael York (narration)
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