Suzanne Desprès (16 December 1875 – 1 July 1951), born Joséphine-Charlotte Bonvalet, was a French actress on stage and screen. Along with

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including by Alexandre Dumas fils, ...

, she was one of the French actresses who played

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

before

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Early life and education

Desprès was born at

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

, the daughter of a mechanic. She worked as a shop girl in her youth. She trained at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

, where in 1897 she obtained the first prize for comedy, and the second for

tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...

Career

Desprès married

Lugné-Poe Aurélien-Marie Lugné (27 December 1869 19 June 1940), known by his stage and pen name Lugné-Poe, was a French actor, theatre director, and scenic designer. He founded the landmark Paris theatre company, the Théâtre de l'Œuvre, which produce ...

, the actor-manager, who founded a new school of modern drama as the

Théâtre de l'Œuvre The Théâtre de l'Œuvre () is a Paris theatre on the Right Bank, located at 3, Cité Monthiers, entrance 55, rue de Clichy, in the 9° arrondissement. It is commonly conflated and confused with the late-nineteenth-century theater company named ...

. She played Hilda in ''

The Master Builder ''The Master Builder'' () is a play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was first published in December 1892 and is regarded as one of Ibsen's more significant and revealing works. Performance The play was published by Gyldendal AS in C ...

'' "with vigour and passion" with Lugné-Poe company in 1895, and an "admirable" Nora in ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...

'' in 1904. She played at the Gymnase and at the Porte Saint-Martin, and in 1902 made her debut at the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

, appearing in ''

Phèdre ''Phèdre'' (; originally ''Phèdre et Hippolyte'') is a French dramatic tragedy in five acts written in alexandrine verse by Jean Racine, first performed in 1677 at the theatre of the Hôtel de Bourgogne in Paris. Composition and premiere With ...

'' and other important parts. She toured Germany in 1907.

Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, Vuillard was a member of the avant garde artistic group Les Nabis, creating paintings that assembled areas ...

painted her portrait in 1908. Desprès was known for a subtle, expressive acting style. "Here is the quiet sort of acting which wins you gradually and keeps you all the more firmly when you are won," commented the ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...

'' in 1908, on her performance in''The Whirlwind (La Rafale)'', at the Shaftsbury. "Without any screaming or frenzied gestures, but simply by pathetic intonations and the extraordinary expression of suffering which she can put into her face, Mme. Desprès can produce as overwhelming an effect as any actress of the more emphatic school." In 1913, she played ''Hamlet'' with "subtle intelligence" at the Théatre Antoine, with her husband playing Polonius, and

Jeanne Fusier-Gir Jeanne Fusier-Gir (1885–1973) was a French stage and film actress. She was married to the painter Charles Gir, and was the mother of the film director François Gir.Rège p. 442 Selected filmography * '' The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard'' (1 ...

as Ophelia. In 1920, Desprès was described as "one of the greatest French tragediennes" when she was banned from performing in Paris by the theatrical union, because she objected to a union hiring requirement. In 1925, she refused to be decorated with the Legion of Honor, saying "I want to pass by unperceived and continue to work – nothing more." Her husband died in 1940, and Desprès died in 1951, in Paris, at the age of 75.

Selected filmography

* '' The Bread Peddler'' (1923) * '' Maria Chapdelaine'' (1934) * '' The Crew'' (1935) * '' Wolves Between Them'' (1936) * '' Boissière'' (1937) * '' The Woman Thief'' (1938) * '' Louise'' (1939) * ''

The Pretty Miller Girl ''The Pretty Miller Girl'' (French: ''La Belle Meunière'') is a 1949 French musical film directed by Marcel Pagnol and starring Tino Rossi, Jacqueline Pagnol and Raoul Marco. It is part of the tradition of operetta films. The title is a ref ...

'' (1949)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Despres, Suzanne 1875 births 1951 deaths People from Verdun Actresses from Grand Est French stage actresses French silent film actresses 20th-century French actresses Troupe of the Comédie-Française Recipients of the Medal of French Gratitude