Simone Simon is a French actress who also starred in many Hollywood films. She was born on April 22, 1910, and died on February 22, 2005, not living 2 months before her 95th birthday.
Biography
The full name of the star of French and Hollywood cinema is Simon Teresa Fernanda Simon. She was born in Bethune, which belongs to the province of Pas de Calais. Simone from a simple family. The father is an engineer, mom is a housewife - these are the roots of the future star. Simone was their only child. Since childhood, she loved music and theater. As a girl, Simone wanted to be a singer and independently studied the art of vocals.
Parents of the future actress supported her in everything. They lived modestly, giving the girl everything she needed, but not spoiling her excessively. Both her father and mother Simone helped her in an effort to get on stage, took her to the theater and concerts. Soon the family moved to Paris, where parents send Simon to vocational vocational courses.
Career
Since 1931, Simone has been working as a singer in Paris. Despite the growth of 1.57 m, she also tries herself as a model. Bright, beautiful girl did not go unnoticed. At 21, she starred in the drama "Unknown Singer", receiving a supporting role. Some time after the French premiere, the film was shown in Sweden and Hungary. The actress’s film debut was successful, and Simone realized that she wanted to be an actress, not a singer. After 3 years of acting, Simon appeared in Mark Allegre's "Ladies' Lake", after which she received an offer from Hollywood producer Darryl Zanuk, who played an important role in the formation of the American film industry of that time.
The relationship between Hollywood and Simon, unfortunately, did not work out right away. Zanuk conducted a large-scale public relations campaign for the French actress, but Simon was not satisfied with a career in the United States. In 1938, she returned to France. During her Hollywood period, she starred in several films. The most successful of them were such paintings as:
- "Seventh heaven";
- "Love and hissing";
- "Women in love."
The 1937 film Seventh Heaven was shot by Henry King. The main female role was given to Simon, and the main male role was played by James Stewart. The picture tells of the pre-war Paris period. It talks about the love between the sewer worker and the toiler. The film was shown not only in the USA, but also in Finland, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Sweden, Portugal, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Denmark, Spain, the USSR.
“Love and Hissing” is a 1937 film directed by Sydney Lanfield. He turned out to be one of the highest in the filmography of Simone. Her colleagues in the picture were Walter Winchell and Ben Burnie. In addition to the Americans, in 1938 the film was lucky to see the inhabitants of Finland and Denmark. In the movie Women in Love, Simon plays with American Janet Gaynor, the first Academy Award winner.
During World War II, Simone again went to the states, choosing the more spectacular paintings of “The Devil and Daniel Webster” of 1941, “Cat People” of 1942 and “The Curse of Cat People” of 1944. The horror film "Cat People" for a long time did not leave the screens. He received high marks from critics and was listed on the United States National Film Registry. The Curse of Cat People was filmed in the genre of fantastic melodrama and had a more restrained welcome from the public and critics. According to experts, it is not a sequel to the painting "Cat People", despite the efforts of the creators of the picture to give him away for the continuation of a successful horror.
After 10 years, Simone returned to her native country and in the period from 1950 to 1952 starred in the following successful films:
- "Carousel";
- "Olivia";
- "Enjoyment."
The picture of 1950 “Carousel” is an adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s play “Round dance”, which received notorious fame. The film's director Max Ophuls gave Simone the role of Marie's maid. The tape was nominated for an Oscar in the sections "Best Screenplay" and "Best Work of a Production Designer." The film won the BAFTA Award.
In the 1951 drama directed by Jacqueline Audrey, "Olivia" Simone plays the hysterical Mademoiselle Cara, one of the companions containing an elite female school. The film "Enjoyment" in 1952 was directed by Max Ofyuls, as well as "Carousel". Simone plays one of the secondary roles. The painting in 1955 was nominated for an Oscar in the section "The Best Work of an Artist Among Black and White Films".
1972 was the final film career of the famous actress. Her last role - in the film "Woman in Blue." This drama by Michel Deville tells the story of a man who was looking for a lady in blue, whom he once met. Simon plays in the movie Lady Medona. Later, Simone can be seen in the 1995 History of American Cinema by Martin Scorsese film.
Simon Simon could be seen not only on the screen, but also on the stage. She played in the following productions:
- “Oh, my beautiful unfamiliar operetta, ” 1933 directed by Sasha Guitry, composer Reynaldo Khan in “Theater de Buff-Paris”;
- “You Are Me” 1934 - operetta of Moses Simons and Henri Duvernois in “Theater de Buff-Paris”;
- “Peruvian Square” in 1948 directed by Louis Ducre at the Theater Saint-Georges;
- “Refuge” in 1967 under the direction of the author Jean Meyer in the “Theater de la Potiniere”.
