1. – Jany Holt, Contre-Enquete, France, 1944. Condemned first to death, then to two months in prison, for collaboration during the Nazi Occupation of France (she had a German officer lover), the once #1 star of the top four French classics, Hotel du Nord, Le jour se leve, Les visiteurs de soir and Les Enfants du Paradis, had her comeback announced – then trounced. Her next two films were never finished, delaying her return until 1949.
2. – Paulette Dubost, Farandole, France, 1944. Ditto. Now she bounced off the sketch film by a Jean Renoir assistant, André Zwoboda, and Bernard Blier’s hooker was played by his Hôtel du Nord wife.
3. – Simone Renant, Quai des Orfevres, France, 1947. Arlette changed her mind about the audacious role of a lesbian photographer in another of Louis Jouvet’s triumphs. So, bien sur, his devoted – and most successful – pupil, Bernard Blier, was involved. After Jouvet told director Henri-Georges Clouzot: “That guy there, he’s Dickens!”
4. – Suzanne Gabriello, Du mouron pour les petits oiseaux, France, 1962. Director Marcel Carné and “Arlette” were French screen legends: Hotel du Nord, Le Jour se Leve, Les Enfants du Paradis. They were prepping the Albert Simonin novel when she had the accident that left her practically blind, halting her career.
5. – Marie Bell, Les Volets clos, France, 1973. Jean-Claude Brialy prepared his second outing as a director – about an old whore – as a vehicle for his beloved Artlette. She backed off, not wishing to bow out as a loser “when I’ve played winners all my life.”
Birth year: 1898Death year: 1992Other name: Leonie BathiatCasting Calls: 5