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Claude Jade, the daughter of English-teachers, was a student at the "Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique" in Dijon. In 1966, she won a Prize for best actress on stage (Agnès in Molière's "L'école des femmes"). She was also a student on the Academy in Paris (teacher: Jean-Laurent Cochet), appeared in a TV series, and on stage in Paris, and made her first movie, Stolen Kisses (1968) ("Stolen Kisses") directed by François Truffaut. He proposed to marry her in the Spring of 1968, but she later married Bernard Coste (son Pierre was born in 1976), a diplomat with whom she also lived for some years in Russia.

Jacques Deray was born on 19 February 1929 in Lyon, Rhône, France. He was a director and writer, known for He Died with His Eyes Open (1985), A Bigger Splash (2015) and Symphonie pour un massacre (1963). He was married to Agnès Vincent-Deray and Nicole Jones. He died on 9 August 2003 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

William Marshall was born on 12 October 1917 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor and director, known for State Fair (1945), The Phantom Planet (1961) and Calendar Girl (1947). He was married to Corinne Aboyneau, Ginger Rogers, Micheline Presle and Michèle Morgan. He died on 7 June 1994 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Born in Toulon on 24 October 1927, Gilbert Bécaud was introduced to music at a very early age and started playing the piano well before attending the Nice conservatoire at age nine. Accepted by the Sacem at the age of 20, Gilbert Bécaud composed film scores on several occasions before only gradually taking an interest in songs (the French lyricist Pierre Delanoé wrote his first song "Mes mains"). He also composed music for Edith Piaf, such as "Je t'ai dans la peau". A meeting in 1952 with the poet Louis Amade gave birth to the song "Les Croix". Bécaud's singing career took off with his first super-45 featuring three tracks, "Mes mains","Viens","Quand tu danses". These songs were recorded under the His Master Voice label (now EMI), a record company that has supported Bécaud since the beginning.

The notably gifted, multi-talented actor, chanteur, poet and painter Serge Reggiani was born in Reggio Emilia, a town in northern Italy, in 1922. His father, a highly visible anti-fascist, fled his Mussolini-dictated homeland due to his fervent political activities and emigrated to France in order to protect his family. Serge learned to speak fluent French and developed an interest in athletics, particularly boxing, but went an entirely different route altogether by following in his father's footsteps as a hair stylist.

In 1937, his career path changed yet again when he was accepted into the Conservatoire des Arts Cinematographiques. After graduation, he landed a few minor roles in both films and theatre and enrolled at the prestigious Conservatoire National d'Art Dramatique in 1939 wherein he won numerous acting awards. Though he earned a reputation for himself in the Paris theatre world, Reggiani was more interested in movie-making and would thereafter focus his attention toward the big screen.

During the filming of Le carrefour des enfants perdus (1944) [Children of Chaos], he met and subsequently married actress Janine Darcey, which produced two children: Stephan (1946) and Carine (1951). After obtaining French citizenship in 1948, he went on to secure a name for himself in Gallic cinema with roles in Gates of the Night (1946) [Gates of the Night], Manon (1949), The Lovers of Verona (1949) [The Lovers of Verona], La Ronde (1950) and Casque d'Or (1952). Following his divorce, he married actress Annie Noël and fathered three children: Celia (1958), Simon (1961) and Maria (1963). In 1959 Reggiani introduced a distinctive singing talent on radio and, following film roles in Le Doulos (1962) and The Leopard (1963) [The Leopard], launched his musical career at age 43.

Reggiani released his award-winning debut album in 1965 and it proved to be such a major hit with both the French public and the critics that singing became a prime career. Surprisingly, the middle-aged, deep-voiced balladeer would strike a chord with the younger politically left generation of the late 60s. A second album produced in 1967, plus a left-wing concert with the legendary Jacques Brel, clenched his popularity with teenagers. He began to extend himself internationally while continuing a healthy album output.

Children Stephan and Carine actively developed their own singing careers and Reggiani performed on the concert stage with them in encouragement but with lackluster results. Son Stephan, completely overshadowed by his father, took this extremely hard and in 1980 (July, 29) committed suicide at the family home in Mougins. He was only 33. Devastated, Reggiani withdrew from the music scene for a while to recover from his grief and would battle bouts of depression and alcoholism for much of his remaining life. Divorced from his second wife in 1973, he met actress Noëlle Adam in the 1980s and they lived in partnership for over 20 years, she becoming a lasting source of strength for him in dealing with his personal tragedies.

Reggiani's later years would be more or less spent in seclusion, finding one last passion in painting. He displayed his works at his first exhibition in 1989. After performing in concert to mark the 25th anniversary of his singing career, Reggiani found the strength to return to the French music scene with a brand new album. At age 70+, he successfully recorded and was welcomed back to the concert stage with great applause. Though his acting career had calmed down a great deal since his singing heyday erupted, he did star in De force avec d'autres (1992) [For the Love of Others], a film written and directed by son Simon Reggiani that also featured Ms. Adam.

Serge married his longtime partner, Noëlle Adam, in March of 2003; he died of a heart attack at his Paris home a little over a year later at age 82. Although little known here in the U.S., unlike chanson stylists Yves Montand and Jacques Brel, the acclaimed Reggiani has nevertheless reached legendary proportions in France and Europe.

Michel Deville, a singular talent in French cinema. For, except during a short period where he made two or three standard commercial films (but that was to repay the debts of his own film company, due to the defection of a business partner), Deville made pictures which, without being too elitist, show a distinctive talent and personality. The French director-writer-producer managed, all through a career that spanned four decades and a half (from 1958 to 2005), to play a little music of his own, never resting on his laurels but always trying something new. And even if not all of his works are perfect, Deville's taste for research makes the bulk of them at least interesting or challenging. Born on 13 April 1931 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Michel Deville graduated from high school and started studying literature but soon branched out into movies. From 1951 to 1958, he learned the tricks of his future trade by being assistant-director, mainly to Henri Decoin, with whom he collaborated thirteen times, notably on two important films, The Truth About Bebe Donge (1952) in 1951 and Razzia (1955) in 1952. After a false start in 1958 (A Bullet in the Gun Barrel (1958), a run-of-the-mill crime flick, co-directed by Charles Gérard), Deville succeeded in making a name for himself two years later with his first true film Ce soir ou jamais (1961). Film critics did not miss out on the already gray-haired thirty-year-old director as they immediately identified what made his specificity : telling about love, seduction and feelings with subtle casualness and quizzing cruelty. For the ten years that followed, working in tandem with screenwriter Nina Companeez, Deville made a series of allegedly "light-hearted" comedies, surely full of charm and elegance but whose froth soon evaporates to reveal unexpected gravity. The result can range from slightly superficial (Girl's Apartment (1963), The Bear and the Doll (1970)) to genuinely moving (Adorable Liar (1962)) to profoundly tragic (The Diary of an Innocent Boy (1968), a cruel tale about desire, love and the difficulty to love; Raphaël ou le débauché (1971), one of the most beautiful romantic films ever made). After ceasing his collaboration with Companeez, Deville's films became darker and darker, the director choosing to explore new forms of expression (narrative deconstruction in La femme en bleu (1973)); the use of subjective camera and long sequence shots in Dossier 51 (1978), etc.) as well as new themes such as disillusionment, impossible dreams and imagination as a way of survival. In the nineteen eighties Deville is at the top of his art. A Sweet Journey (1980), Deep Water (1981), Les capricieux (1984) (TV movie) and Death in a French Garden (1985) examine the forms and variations of the loving feeling with consummate mastery while Le paltoquet (1986) and The Reader (1988) are two fascinating forays into the territory of sheer imagination. As of 1990, the director's art somewhat declined. Films like Sweetheart (1992), The Gods Must Be Daring (1997) and The Art of Breaking Up (2005), his final effort in 2005, more or less run on empty. But there are two magnificent exceptions to that rule: Aux petits bonheurs (1994) (1993), the elegant bittersweet chronicle of love being threatened by the coming of old age, and La maladie de Sachs (1999) (1999), a brilliant adaptation of Martin Winckler's novel, consisting of brief loosely related scenes, considered impossible to move onto the screens. An excellent technician and theoretician, Deville also established himself as a great actors director. All noticed how good he was - not unlike George Cukor - at directing women. Indeed Anna Karina, Marina Vlady, Michèle Morgan, Brigitte Bardot, Françoise Fabian, Lea Massari, Anémone, Miou-Miou, Fanny Ardant, Zabou Breitman and several others, did shine before his loving camera. But this does not mean that their male counterparts had anything to complain about when directed by him. Thanks to Michel Deville Claude Rich, Michel Piccoli, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Maurice Ronet, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Christophe Malavoy, Richard Bohringer, Claude Piéplu, Jean Yanne, Daniel Auteuil and many others naturally, also found gratifying and memorable roles. When Michel Deville decided to retire in 2005, he could do it with a clear conscience: he sure left his mark on the seventh art and even if his name is a little forgotten today, film historians will no doubt recognize his true worth some day in the future.

Albert Dieudonné was born on 26 November 1889 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Son crime (1921), Gloire rouge (1923) and Napoleon (1927). He died on 19 March 1976 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Christian-Jaque was born on 4 September 1904 in Paris, France. He was a director and writer, known for Fanfan la Tulipe (1952), If All the Guys in the World... (1956) and The Pearls of the Crown (1937). He was married to Denise Morlot, Laurence Christol, Martine Carol, Renée Faure, Simone Renant and Germaine Spy. He died on 8 July 1994 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Robert Lamoureux was born on 4 January 1920 in Paris, France. He was an actor and writer, known for The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (1957), Mais où est donc passée la 7ème compagnie (1973) and Chacun son tour (1951). He was married to Magali Vendeuil and Simone Chailneau. He died on 29 October 2011 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Edwige Feuillère was born on 29 October 1907 in Vesoul, Haute-Saône, Franche-Comté, France. She was an actress and writer, known for Olivia (1951), Lucrezia Borgia (1935) and Wicked Duchess (1942). She was married to Pierre Feuillère. She died on 13 November 1998 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

An excellent actress, Claude Nollier remains too little known. Maybe because she made few films, but isn't quality better than quantity ? Whatever the truth, none of her appearances, whether an important movie like John Huston's Moulin Rouge (1952) or an artistic flop such as Les trafiquants de la mer (1947), leaves a normal viewer indifferent. Hieratically beautiful and terribly cold, Claude Nollier is most often chilling, invariably attracting resentment from the other characters in the movie in return. Fitting this type of role to perfection she is memorable as the murderess whose distant airs play against her in André Cayatte's court drama Justice Is Done (1950); as Olga, the communist party envoy who must decide the life or death of the hero in Dirty Hands (1951); as Fernandel's malevolent sister-in-law in Le printemps, l'automne et l'amour (1955); and, among others, as the governess driven by her latent lesbianism in Lewis Gilbert's cruel and sensitive Loss of Innocence (1961). Of course, as every rule has its exception, she had no difficulty in portraying Toulouse-Lautrec's adored (and adorable ?) mother in the already mentioned Moulin Rouge (1952). More active on the boards than on the big and the small screen, Claude Nollier's movie career should nevertheless not be overlooked as it is now. She is a great performer to rediscover.

Henri Cogan was born on 13 September 1914 in Paris, France. He was an actor, known for The Three Musketeers: Part I - The Queen's Diamonds (1961), Coffin from Hong Kong (1964) and Angélique (1964). He died on 23 September 2003 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Maurice Biraud was born on 3 March 1922 in Paris, France. He was an actor, known for Les aventures de Salavin (1964), Le complot (1973) and Paris Pick-Up (1962). He was married to Françoise Soulié. He died on 24 December 1982 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Jean Piat was born on 23 September 1924 in Lannoy, Nord, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Rouletabille joue et gagne (1947), Would-Be Gentleman (1958) and Marriage of Figaro (1959). He was married to Françoise Engel. He died on 18 September 2018 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Suzy Prim was born on 11 October 1896 in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. She was an actress and producer, known for Le cabaret du grand large (1946), Les anges noirs (1937) and Mayerling (1936). She died on 7 July 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Orane Demazis was born on 4 September 1894 in Oran, Oran, France [now Algeria]. She was an actress, known for Marius (1931), Angele (1934) and Les Misérables (1934). She died on 25 December 1991 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

André Brunot was born on 3 October 1879 in Prémery, Nièvre, France. He was an actor, known for L'affaire Blaireau (1923), The Red and the Black (1954) and The Lame Devil (1948). He died on 4 August 1973 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Jacqueline Porel was born on 14 October 1918 in Divonne-les-Bains, Ain, France. She was an actress, known for That Obscure Object of Desire (1977), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) and Ce soir les jupons volent... (1956). She was married to Jacques Brunet, Gérard Landry and François Périer. She died on 29 April 2012 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Jacques Bar was born on 12 September 1921 in Châteauroux, Indre, France. He was a producer, known for Bang Bang (1967), The Outside Man (1972) and Parole de flic (1985). He died on 19 January 2009 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

François Villiers was born on 2 March 1920 in Paris, France. He was a director and writer, known for The Aeronauts (1967), L'eau vive (1958) and Le puits aux trois vérités (1961). He was married to Jeannine Rikh. He died on 29 January 2009 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Judith Siboni was born on 4 January 1975 in Paris, France. She was a writer and actress, known for Vous les femmes (2007), Number One Fan (2014) and Le chignon d'Olga (2002). She died on 30 March 2021 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Monique Rolland was born on 17 December 1913 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933), Foolish Husbands (1941) and The Barber of Seville (1933). She died on 27 September 1999 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Monique Mélinand was born on 9 March 1916 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Adorable Sinner (1959), Le sang à la tête (1956) and Gaston Phoebus (1978). She was married to Jean Martinelli. She died on 16 May 2012 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Georges Atlas was born on 14 August 1926 in Geneva, Switzerland. He was an actor, known for Aux frontières du possible (1971), Quentin Durward (1971) and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix (1976). He died on 26 February 1996 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.

Louise Carletti was born on 27 February 1922 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. She was an actress, known for Une fille à croquer (1951), L'ennemi sans visage (1946) and La renégate (1948). She was married to Raoul André. She died on 10 March 2002 in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.