1. – Marcelle Chantal, Cheri, France, 1950. “I’ll make the film for free if you take Valentina as Léa,” said Jean Marais.. “She’s too old,” the suits. .”Nonsense, she’s the perfect age – 39,” argued Jeannot. (He had even shot secret tests to prove it). “Well, I will not hire her if you offer me 25m Francs!” Marais quit the project that few remember because Colette’s couple were Desailly and Marcelle Chantal, rather than the illustrious Marais-Tessier.
2. – Alida Valli, Aspern, Portugal-France, 1985. Only problem with director Eduardo de Gregorio’s version of The Aspern Papers was finding the old lady – Juliana Bartes was about 100 in the Henry James novel. The Argentinean ran through the oldest French actresses like Valentine, 93, and Madeleine Renaud, 85, etc. “Too risky. They could die during the shooting.” In fact, Tessier died in 1981. He thought again: ah Valli! “No, absurd. Too young. [64]. Then, I decided that if I want her, if she’s interesting, why not? Who cares about verisimilitude?” And? “And she was fantastic, absolutely comic and terrifying at the same time.”
Birth year: 1892Death year: 1991Other name: Casting Calls: 2