Françoise Paulette Louise Dorléac (; 21 March 194226 June 1967) was a French actress. She was the elder sister of

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress. She is considered one of the greatest European actresses on film. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of th ...

, with whom she starred in the musical comedy film, '' The Young Girls of Rochefort'' (1967). Her other films include

Philippe de Broca Philippe Claude Alex de Broca de Ferrussac (; 15 March 1933 – 26 November 2004) was a French film director. He directed 30 full-length feature films, including the highly successful ''That Man from Rio (''L'Homme de Rio'')'', ''Le Magnifique, ...

's '' That Man from Rio'',

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French filmmaker, actor, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. He came under the tutelage of film critic Andre Bazin as a ...

's '' The Soft Skin'' (both 1964),

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, ...

's '' Where the Spies Are'' (1965), and

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...

's ''

Cul-de-sac A dead end, also known as a ''cul-de-sac'' (; , ), a no-through road or a no-exit road, is a street with only one combined inlet and outlet. Dead ends are added to roads in urban planning designs to limit traffic in residential areas. Some d ...

'' (1966).

Biography

Early films

Dorléac was the daughter of screen actors Maurice Dorléac and Renée Simonot. Slim, fair and blonde, she modeled for

Dior Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior, is a French Multinational corporation, multinational luxury goods company that is controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH. , Dior controlled around 42% of ...

and then made her film debut in ''The Wolves in the Sheepfold'' (1960), directed by Hervé Bromberger. She went on to appear in ''The Door Slams'' (1960) with Dany Saval and her sister Catherine Deneuve. Dorléac had a small role in '' Tonight or Never'' (1961) with

Anna Karina Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; 23 September 1940 – 14 December 2019)

for director

Michel Deville Michel Deville (13 April 1931 – 16 February 2023) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deville started his filmmaking career in the late 1950s, paralleling the emergence of the French New Wave directors. He never achieved the level o ...

, '' The Girl with the Golden Eyes'' (1961) with

Marie Laforêt Marie Laforêt (born Maïtena Marie Brigitte Douménach; 5 October 1939 – 2 November 2019) was a French singer and actress, particularly well known for her work during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1978, she moved to Geneva, and acquired Swiss citi ...

, '' All the Gold in the World'' (1961) with Bourvil, and '' Adorable Liar'' (1961) from director Deville. Dorléac was

Jean-Pierre Cassel Jean-Pierre Cassel (; born Jean-Pierre Crochon; 27 October 1932 – 19 April 2007) was a French actor and dancer. A popular star of French cinema, he was initially known for his comedy film appearances, though he also proved a gifted dramatic a ...

's leading lady in '' The Dance'' (1962) and had one of the leads in a TV movie, ''Les trois chapeaux claques'' (1962), directed by Jean-Pierre Marchand. She was reunited with Cassel in ' (1962) and was one of many stars of the television movie ''Teuf-teuf'' (1963).

French stardom

Dorléac leapt to international stardom with the female lead in '' That Man from Rio'' (1964) starring

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

and directed by

. She followed it with '' The Soft Skin'' (1964) directed by

. She was in ''The Gentle Art of Seduction'' (1964) with Belmondo and Jean-Paul Brialy, with her sister in a support part. Dorléac was one of several French stars in '' Circle of Love'' (1964) directed by

Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director, and producer, as well as an author, artist, and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, s ...

, and appeared in a TV show, ''Les petites demoiselles'' (1964), directed by Deville and starring De Broca. She also appeared in the comedy films, ''Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin'' (1962) opposite Jean-Claude Brialy, and '' Male Hunt'' (1964), with Belmondo and her sister.

International career

''That Man from Rio'' and ''Soft Skin'' were seen widely internationally and Dorléac received an offer to play the female lead in an expensive Hollywood financed epic, ''

Genghis Khan Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...

'' (1965). She was David Niven's love interest in a spy film at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, '' Where the Spies Are'' (1966). Dorléac appeared as the adulterous wife in

's black comedy ''

'' (1966), shot in Britain. She returned to France to star in a TV adaption of the Prosper Mérimée novel ''Julie de Chaverny ou la Double Méprise'' (1966) directed by Marchand. Then she joined

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

and her sister Catherine, who was a cinematic star by this time, playing starstruck singing twins in '' The Young Girls of Rochefort'' (1967), an homage to Hollywood musicals. Her final film role was the female lead in '' Billion Dollar Brain'' (1967) opposite

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, 14 March 1933) is a retired English actor. Known for his distinct Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films over Michael Caine filmography, a career that spanned eight decades an ...

, who played spy Harry Palmer.

Personal life

Dorléac's parents were protective of her and her siblings, and well into adulthood she shared a

bunk bed A bunk bed or set of bunks is a type of bed in which one bed frame (a bunk) is stacked on top of another bed, allowing two or more sleeping-places to occupy the floor space usually required by just one. Bunks are commonly seen on ships, in th ...

with her sister Catherine Deneuve in the family home, to which she regularly returned, according to Roger Vadim. In December 1960, she met future co-star

at the Épi-Club, a fashionable

Montparnasse Montparnasse () is an area in the south of Paris, France, on the left bank of the river Seine, centred at the crossroads of the Boulevard du Montparnasse and the Rue de Rennes, between the Rue de Rennes and boulevard Raspail. It is split betwee ...

nightclub where she danced and partied with her younger sister, who also met Vadim there through mutual acquaintances. Cassel wrote in his 2004 autobiography that Dorléac had been the "love of his youth." She was briefly the companion of

in 1964, during and after the filming of the film '' La Peau Douce.'' This affair quickly turned into a friendship between the actress and the director, who affectionately called her "Framboise." (Raspberry). In an interview with ''

Libération (), popularly known as ''Libé'' (), is a daily newspaper in France, founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968 in France, May 1968. Initially positioned on the far left of Fr ...

'',

Guy Bedos Guy Bedos (; né Guy René Bédos, ; 15 June 1934 – 28 May 2020) was a French screenwriter, stand-up comedian and actor (mostly known for his part in the film ''Nous irons tous au paradis''). He was a French man born in Algeria, a former Fre ...

, who also appears in '' Ce Soir ou Jamais'' by

, evokes his missing relatives and significant others including her: "I had a fiancée, Françoise Dorléac. Since her death, I can no longer pass in front of the Louvre without seeing her." Later she lived in an apartment at 159, boulevard Murat, in the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (; ) is the westernmost of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. Located on the city's Right Bank, it is adjacent to the 17th and 8th arrondissements to the northeast, as well as to the ...

, just opposite the building where she grew up and where her parents lived.

Death

Dorléac was on the brink of international stardom when she died in a traffic accident on 26 June 1967, aged 25. She lost control of her rented Renault 10 and hit a signpost ten kilometres from

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Villeneuve-Loubet Villeneuve-Loubet (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the river Loup, ten kilometres west of ...

exit of the autoroute La Provençale. The car flipped over in a field and burst into flames. Dorléac had been en route to

Nice Côte d'Azur Airport Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Saint-Tropez Saint-Tropez ( , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var departments of France, department and the regions of France, region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It is west of Nice and east of Marseille, o ...

and was afraid of missing her flight. She was pinned under the steering wheel and was seen struggling to get out of the car, but was unable to unbuckle her seat belt and open the door.Vadim p. 290. Police later identified her body only from the fragment of a cheque book, a diary, and her driver's licence.

Filmography

Feature films

* ''Les loups dans la bergerie'' (1960) – Madeleine * ''Les portes claquent'' (1960) – Dominique (together with her sister Catherine Deneuve) * '' Tonight or Never'' (1961) – Danièle * '' The Girl with the Golden Eyes'' (1961) – Katia * '' All the Gold in the World'' (1961) – La journaliste * '' Adorable Liar'' (1962) * '' The Dance'' (1962) – Françoise * ''Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin'' (1962) – Nathalie Cartier * '' That Man from Rio'' (1964) – Agnès Villermosa * '' The Soft Skin'' (1964) – Nicole * '' Circle of Love'' (1964) * '' Male Hunt'' (1964) – Françoise Bicart alias Sandra Rossen * ''

'' (1965) – Bortei * '' Where the Spies Are'' (1966) – Vikki * ''

'' (1966) – Teresa * '' The Young Girls of Rochefort'' (1967) – Solange Garnier (also with Deneuve) * '' Billion Dollar Brain'' (1967) – Anya (final film role, released posthumously)

Television roles

* ''Les trois chapeaux claques'' (TV movie, 1962) – Paula * ''Les petites demoiselles'' (TV movie, 1964) – Anne * ''Julie de Chaverny ou la Double Méprise'' (TV movie, 1967) – Julie

Appearances as herself

* ''Cinépanorama'' (TV series documentary, 1959) – herself * ''Les échos du cinéma'' (TV series short, 1961–1962) – herself * '' Discorama'' (TV series, 1962) – herself * ''Teuf-teuf'' (TV musical divertissement, 1963) – herself * ''4 FOIS D – Françoise Dorléac'' (Documentary short, 1964) – herself * ''Grand écran'' (TV series documentary, 1964) – herself * ''Ni figue ni raisin'' (TV series, 1965) – herself * ''New Reports from France'' (TV series documentary, 1966) – herself, segment four * ''Dim Dam Dom'' (TV series documentary, 1966) – herself * ''Gala de l'Unicef'' (TV series, 1966) – herself * ''Septième art septième case'' (TV series, 1966) – herself * ''Derrière l'écran'' (TV series, 1966) – herself * ''Tilt'' (TV series, 1967) – herself * ''Hollywood in Deblatschka Pescara'' (Short film, 1967) – herself, uncredited * ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones (musician), Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of ''The Monkees (TV series), Th ...

'' (TV series, 1968) – herself, uncredited (one episode, filmed days before her death, aired posthumously, final on screen appearance)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorléac, Françoise 1942 births 1967 deaths 20th-century French actresses Actresses from Paris French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Deaths from fire Dorléac family French film actresses French people of Norman descent Road incident deaths in France