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Simone SimonFrench actress
Date of Birth: 23.04.1910
Country:  France |
Content:
- Simone Simon
- Hollywood Ventures
- Return to France and World War II
- Post-War Career
- Personal Life and Legacy
Simone Simon
Early Life and Career in FranceBorn Simone Thérèse Fernande Simon on April 23, 1910, in Béthune, France, she began her career in France as a model, fashion designer, and singer. Her screen debut came in Viktor Turzhansky's "Le Chanteur inconnu" (1931) alongside Lucien Muratore. Simon quickly rose to stardom in her home country, becoming one of its most successful actresses.
Hollywood Ventures
Discovery by American producer Darryl F. Zanuck in Marc Allégret's "Lac Aux Dames" (1934) led to Simon's arrival in Hollywood in 1936. Despite a high-profile buildup by 20th Century Fox, her films performed modestly. She appeared in the remake of the silent classic "Seventh Heaven" (1937) with James Stewart, but it failed to replicate its predecessor's success.
Return to France and World War II
Disillusioned, Simon returned to France and starred in Jean Renoir's "La Bête humaine" (1938) as Séverine Roubaud. With the outbreak of World War II, she returned to Hollywood and achieved her greatest success in English-language cinema. She starred in the Academy Award-winning "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941), Jacques Tourneur's horror classic "Cat People" (1942), and its sequel "Curse of the Cat People" (1944).
Post-War Career
Despite her American breakthrough, Simon never fully established a substantial career in the United States. She returned to France in 1950 and appeared in Max Ophüls' "La Ronde" (1950) as Mary, a housemaid. Roles became increasingly scarce, and her final film was the Franco-Italian comedy-drama "La Femme en bleu" (1973).
Personal Life and Legacy
Simon never married. She had affairs with French banker and racehorse owner Alec Weisweiller, as well as World War II double agent Dusko Popov, codenamed "Tricycle." Simone Simon died of old age at the age of 94 on February 22, 2005. French Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres praised her "irresistible smile and unsettling charm." "We have lost one of the most alluring and radiant stars of French cinema from the first half of the 20th century," he said.
