Françoise Arnoul (born Françoise Annette Marie Mathilde Gautsch; 3 June 1931 – 20 July 2021) was a French actress who achieved popularity during the 1950s.

Early life

Born in Constantine,

French Algeria French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...

, the daughter of stage actress Janine Henry and artillery general Charles Gautsch; she had two brothers. While her father continued military service in

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

, the rest of the family moved to Paris,

Provisional Government of the French Republic The Provisional Government of the French Republic (PGFR; , GPRF) was the provisional government of Free France between 3 June 1944 and 27 October 1946, following the liberation of continental France after Operations ''Overlord'' and ''Drago ...

, in 1945.

Career

After studying drama in Paris, she was noticed by director Willy Rozier, who offered her a major role in the film '' L'Épave'' (1949). Arnoul starred in such films as

Henri Verneuil Henri Verneuil (; born Ashot Malakian; 15 October 1920 – 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d'Or awards, and won Locarno International F ...

's ''

Forbidden Fruit In Abrahamic religions, forbidden fruit is a name given to the fruit growing in the Garden of Eden that God commands mankind Taboo#In religion and mythology, not to eat. In the biblical story, Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the tree of the know ...

'' (1952),

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

's '' French Cancan'' (1954), '' People of No Importance'' (1956) with

Jean Gabin Jean Gabin Alexis Moncorgé (born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé), known as Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976), was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films, including '' Pépé le ...

Henri Decoin Henri Decoin (18 March 1890 – 4 July 1969) was a French film director and screenwriter, who directed more than 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who won the national title in 1911 and held the national record in the 500 ...

's ''

The Cat The Cat may refer to: Nickname * Mathilde Carré (1910-2007), French spy, double and possibly triple agent * Peter Bonetti (1941–2020), English footballer * Greg Cattrano (born 1975), American lacrosse player * Ernest Miller (born 1964), Amer ...

'' (1958), '' Way of Youth'' (1959) with

Bourvil André Robert Raimbourg (; 27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil (), and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Loui ...

, and

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...

's '' Testament of Orpheus'' (1960). Her American film debut came in ''Companions of the Night'' (1954). Later in life, she moved into television, appearing in various TV movies and mini-series and also turning to character parts. She published her autobiography entitled ''Animal doué de bonheur'' in 1995.

Personal life

In 1956, Arnoul married publicity agent Georges Cravenne, whom she had met two years previously; they separated in 1960.Entry
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

From 1964 on, she became the companion of French director/scriptwriter Bernard Paul, a relationship which lasted until his death in 1980. Arnoul died on 20 July 2021 in Paris, aged 90.Décès de Françoise Arnoul, la "Nini" de "French Cancan" de Renoir

Selected filmography

* '' The Wreck'' (1949) * '' We Will All Go to Paris'' (1950) * '' Quay of Grenelle'' (1950) *'' The Red Rose'' (1951) * '' Mammy'' (1951) * ''

Love and Desire ''Love and Desire'' (French: ''Le désir et l'amour'') is a 1951 French-Spanish drama film directed by Henri Decoin and Luis María Delgado and starring Martine Carol, António Vilar and Carmen Sevilla. It was based on the 1929 novel of the same t ...

'' (1951) * '' The Most Beautiful Girl in the World'' (1951) *''

'' (1952) * '' Farewell Paris'' (1952) *'' Les Compagnes de la nuit'' (1953) *'' Dortoir des grandes'' (1953) * '' Lovers of Toledo'' (1953) *'' La Rage au corps'' (1954) *''Secrets d'alcôve'' (1954) *''

The Sheep Has Five Legs ''The Five-Legged Sheep'' () is a 1954 French comedy film directed by Henri Verneuil. It won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story. Plot An old farmer who has hate ...

'' (1954) * ''

Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...

'' (1954) *'' French Cancan'' (1954) *'' The Lovers of Lisbon'' (1955) *'' Si Paris nous était conté'' (1956) *'' People of No Importance'' (1956) *''Le Pays, d'où je viens'' (1956) * '' Paris, Palace Hotel'' (1956) *'' No Sun in Venice'' (1957) *'' Thérèse Étienne'' (1958) *''

White Cargo ''White Cargo'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Hedy Lamarr and Walter Pidgeon, and directed by Richard Thorpe. Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it is based on the 1923 London and Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon (playwright), Leon Gord ...

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1958) *''Asphalt'' (1959) *'' Way of Youth'' (1959) *'' Testament of Orpheus'' (1960) * '' The Cat Shows Her Claws'' (1960) *'' Le Diable et les dix commandements'' (1962) *'' Portuguese Vacation'' (1963) *'' Lucky Jo'' (1964) *''À couteaux tirés'' (1964) *'' The Sleeping Car Murders'' (1965) *' (1966) *''Le dimanche de la vie'' (1967) *'' The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir'' (1970) (TV) *'' Spaniards in Paris'' (1971) *''

Dialogues of Exiles ''Dialogues of Exiles'' (, ) is a 1975 French-Chilean satirical film with documentary elements directed by Raúl Ruiz. Plot Chilean exiles in Paris are shown discussing the challenges they faced following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. In an ...

'' (1975) *''Black-Out'' (1977) *' (1977) *' (1984) *''Voir l'éléphant'' (1989) *''Heavy Weather'' (1996) *'' Post Coitum, Animal Triste'' (1997) *'' Le Cancre'' (2016)

References

Bibliography

* Françoise Arnoul avec Jean-Louis Mingalon, ''Animal doué de bonheur'', Éditions Belfond, Paris, 1995, .

External links

* *
Françoise Arnoul
at DvdToile

Cinematheque article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnoul, Francoise 1931 births 2021 deaths French film actresses People from Constantine, Algeria Pieds-noirs Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Signatories of the 1971 Manifesto of the 343