Elvira Popescu (; in French, Elvire Popesco; 10 May 1894 – 11 December 1993) was a

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

- French stage and film

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

. During the 1930s and 1940s, she starred in a number of French comedy films.

Life and career

Popescu was born in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...

, and studied drama at the Music and Drama Conservatory in her native city, under the guidance of and Aristizza Romanescu. In 1911 was making the first Romanian films to deal with fiction. He employed Popesco as well as other leading actors like Nottara and Romanescu. The first two films were called "Fatal Love" and "Spin a Yarn". No copies are known of these films. Popesco made her debut at the

National Theatre Bucharest The National Theatre Bucharest ( ro, Teatrul Naţional "Ion Luca Caragiale" București) is one of the national theatres of Romania, located in the capital city of Bucharest. Founding It was founded as the ''Teatrul cel Mare din București'' ("Gra ...

at age 16.Mari Români In 1912, she played herself in the movie ''Independența României'', directed by . In 1919 she became artistic director of the Excelsior Theatre.Ciobanu In 1921, Popescu started Teatrul Mic, which she managed in parallel with the Excelsior. In 1923, she starred in the movie ''Țigăncușa de la iatac'', directed by Alfred Halm. left, 200px, Elvire Popesco painting by (1925) At the urging of

Louis Verneuil Louis Jacques Marie Collin du Bocage (14 May 1893 – 3 November 1952), better known by the pen name Louis Verneuil, was a French playwright, screenwriter, and actor. Biography Born in Paris, Verneuil wrote approximately sixty plays and was be ...

, the French playwright, Popescu moved in 1924 to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. Under Verneuil's direction, she played the leading role in ''Ma Cousine de Varsovie'', at the Théâtre Michel (1923). She also played in ''Tovaritch'' (1933), ''La Machine infernale'' (1954), ''Nina'' (1949), and ''La Mamma'' (1957). Later on, she was director of Théâtre de Paris (1956–1965), and

Théâtre Marigny The Théâtre Marigny is a theatre in Paris, situated near the junction of the Champs-Élysées and the Avenue Marigny in the 8th arrondissement. It was originally built to designs of the architect Charles Garnier for the display of a panora ...

(1965–1978). At age 84, she played again in ''La Mamma''. Elvira Popescu also played in movies, such as ''La Présidente'' (Fernand Rivers, 1938), ''Tricoche et Cacolet'' (Pierre Colombier, 1938), ''Ils étaient neuf célibataires'' ( Sacha Guitry, 1939), ''Paradis perdu'' ( Abel Gance, 1940), ''

Austerlitz Austerlitz may refer to: History * Battle of Austerlitz, an 1805 victory by the French Grand Army of Napoleon Bonaparte Places * Austerlitz, German name for Slavkov u Brna in the Czech Republic, which gave its name to the Battle of Austerlitz a ...

'' (Abel Gance, 1960), and ''

Purple Noon ''Purple Noon'' (french: Plein soleil; it, Delitto in pieno sole; also known as ''Full Sun'', ''Blazing Sun'', ''Lust for Evil'', and ''Talented Mr. Ripley'') is a 1960 crime thriller film directed by René Clément, loosely based on the 1955 nove ...

'' ( René Clément, 1960).

Personal life

Shortly after her debut in 1910, Popescu married comedian Aurel Athanasescu and they had a daughter named Tatiana. After a few years, she divorced, and married Ion Manolescu-Strunga, Minister of Industry and Commerce (who was to die in

Sighet Prison The Sighet prison, located in the city of Sighetu Marmației, Maramureș County, Romania, was used by Romania to hold criminals, prisoners of war, and political prisoners. It is now the site of the Sighet Memorial Museum, part of the Memorial ...

in the 1950s). Her third husband was Count Maximilien Sébastien Foy (born in Paris on 17 April 1900, died in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 11 November 1967)."Families of Jules and Théodore Porgès" She died in Paris at age 99, and was interred at

Père Lachaise Cemetery Père Lachaise Cemetery (french: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise ; formerly , "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in Paris, France (). With more than 3.5 million visitors annually, it is the most visited necropolis in the world. Notable figure ...

Honours

*In 1987, Elvira Popescu received the first honorary Molière Award for career achievements. *In 1989,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

François Mitterrand conferred upon her the Légion d’honneur.

Legacy

* While married to Manolescu-Strunga, she lived in a house not far from the

University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea din București), commonly known after its abbreviation UB in Romania, is a public university founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princel ...

. The house, built on a lot, has 22 rooms, spread over of living area; it was put on the market in 2005 for about 2 million

Euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

s. * From 1930 to 1985, Elvira Popescu lived in a villa in

Mézy-sur-Seine Mézy-sur-Seine (, literally ''Mézy on Seine'') is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. See also *Communes of the Yvelines department An intentional community is a voluntary residenti ...

Yvelines Yvelines () is a department in the western part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,448,207.fashion designer

Paul Poiret Paul Poiret (20 April 1879 – 30 April 1944, Paris, France) was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house. Early life and care ...

, and remodelled in 1932 by architect Paul Boyer, was declared a historic monument in 1984, but it has since decayed. Bought for 1.8 million

French franc The franc (, ; sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the (FF), was a currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money. It w ...

s in 1999, it is open occasionally to the public. * Together with Elena Văcărescu, Anna de Noailles, and Marthe Bibesco, Elvira Popescu is considered to be the inspiration for

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, and sculptur ...

's painting, ''La Blouse Roumaine'' (1940).

Partial filmography

* ''

The Independence of Romania ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1912) - Țăranca * '' Țigăncușa dela iatac'' (1923) - Maria Tortusanu -Basil's fiancée * '' L'étrangère'' (1931) - Dora Clarkson * ''

My Cousin from Warsaw ''My Cousin from Warsaw'' (german: Meine Cousine aus Warschau) is a 1931 German comedy film directed by Carl Boese and starring Liane Haid, Tala Birell, and Fritz Schulz. It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Berlin.Jacobsen p.346 The film ...

'' (1931) - Sonia Varilovna * '' His Best Client'' (1932) - Edwige * ''

Une femme chipée Une is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre is located at an altitude of at a distance of from the capital Bogotá. The municipality borders Chipaque in the no ...

'' (1934) - Hélène Larsonnier * '' Dora Nelson'' (1935) - Dora Nelson et Suzanne Verdier * '' The Lover of Madame Vidal'' (1936) - Catherine Vidal * '' The King'' (1936) - Thérèse Marnix - une actrice célèbre * '' The Man of the Hour'' (1937) - Mona Thalia * '' The House Opposite'' (1937) - Madame Anna * ''

The Club of Aristocrats ''The Club of Aristocrats'' (French: ''Le club des aristocrates'') is a 1937 French comedy film directed by Pierre Colombier and starring Jules Berry, Elvire Popesco and André Lefaur.Parish p.482 The film's art direction was by Jacques Colombie ...

'' (1937) - La comtesse Irène Waldapowska * ''

The Green Jacket ''The Green Jacket'' (French: ''L'habit vert'') is a 1937 French comedy film directed by Roger Richebé and starring Elvire Popesco, Victor Boucher and Jules Berry. It is based on a play by Gaston Arman de Caillavet and Robert de Flers.Forman p.56 ...

'' (1937) - La duchesse de Maulévrier * '' À Venise, une nuit'' (1937) - Nadia Mortal * '' La présidente'' (1938) - Vérotcha * '' Tricoche and Cacolet'' (1938) - Bernardine Van der Pouf * '' Bargekeepers Daughter'' (1938) - La reine de Silistrie * ''

Mon curé chez les riches Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

'' (1938) - Lisette Cousinet * '' Eusèbe député'' (1939) - Mariska * ''

The Fatted Calf ''The Fatted Calf'' (French: ''Le veau gras'') is a 1939 French comedy film directed by Serge de Poligny and starring Elvire Popesco, André Lefaur and Armand Bernard.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.353 It is based on a play by Bernard Zimmer. The film ...

'' (1939) - Madame Rameau * ''

Sacred Woods ''Sacred Woods'' (French:'' Le bois sacré'') is a 1939 French comedy film directed by Léon Mathot and starring Elvire Popesco, Gaby Morlay and Victor Boucher.Oscherwitz & Higgins p.113 It was based on a play by Robert de Flers and Gaston Arman ...

'' (1939) - La princesse Dorothée * ''

Nine Bachelors ''Nine Bachelors'' (French: ''Ils étaient neuf célibataires'') is a 1939 French comedy film directed by Sacha Guitry and starring Guitry, Max Dearly and Elvire Popesco. It was shot at the Joinville Studios in Paris and on location in the ...

'' (1939) - Comtesse Stacia Batchefskaïa * ''

Behind the Facade ''Behind the Facade'' (French: ''Derrière la façade'') is a 1939 French drama film directed by Georges Lacombe and Yves Mirande and starring Lucien Baroux, Jules Berry and André Lefaur.Aitken p.511 The film's sets were designed by the art di ...

'' (1939) - Francine Margerie * '' Paradise Lost'' (1940) - Sonia Vorochine * ''

The Mondesir Heir ''The Mondesir Heir'' (French: ''L'héritier des Mondésir'') is a 1940 French-German comedy film directed by Albert Valentin and starring Fernandel, Elvire Popesco and Jules Berry. It was shot in Berlin by the German studio UFA in a co-product ...

'' (1940) - Erika Axelos * '' Parade en 7 nuits'' (1941) - Madame Fanny * '' Le valet maître'' (1941) - Antonia - une effervescente étrangère * '' L'âge d'or'' (1942) - Véra Termutzki * ''

Mademoiselle Swing ''Mademoiselle Swing'' is a 1942 French musical film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Irène de Trebert, Jean Murat and Raymond Legrand.Zwerin p.149 It was shot at the It was shot at the Photosonor Studios in Paris. The film's sets were d ...

'' (1942) - Sofia de Vinci * '' The Blue Veil'' (1942) - Mona Lorenza * '' Frederica'' (1942) - Frédérica * ''

Madly in Love ''Madly in Love'' ( it, Innamorato pazzo) is a 1981 Italian romantic comedy film written and directed by Castellano & Pipolo, starring Adriano Celentano and Ornella Muti. Plot Cristina, the princess of a fictional monarchical state named Saint T ...

'' (1943) - Arabella * ''

'' (1960) - Mrs. Popova * ''

'' (1960) - Laetitia Bonaparte

Notes

References

* Dana Ciobanu
"Sinucidere pentru Elvira Popescu"
''

Jurnalul Național ''Jurnalul Național'' is a Romanian newspaper, part of the INTACT Media Group led by Dan Voiculescu, which also includes the popular television station Antena 1. The newspaper was launched in 1993. Its headquarters is in Bucharest Buchare ...

'', March 1, 2004 * Constantin Roman
"Blouse Roumaine"
2001–2002 *
"Elvira Popescu"
at '' Mari Români''
"Families of Jules and Théodore Porgès"
*
"Elvire Popesco"
at CinéArtistes * Lucian Pop
"Conace boierești pentru cei care vor să se simtă moşieri"
at Muse Imobiliare, July 20, 2005 *
"Marigny - Salle Popesco"
at Theatre online

External links

* *

from Salons

, from Mézy-sur-Seine Municipality {{DEFAULTSORT:Popescu, Elvira 1894 births 1993 deaths French stage actresses French film actresses French theatre managers and producers Women theatre managers and producers Romanian stage actresses Romanian film actresses Romanian silent film actresses Romanian theatre managers and producers Recipients of the Legion of Honour French people of Romanian descent Actresses from Bucharest Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 20th-century French actresses Theatre people from Bucharest National University of Music Bucharest alumni