Cécile Aubry

Cécile Aubry
Born Anne-José Madeleine Henriette Bénard[1]
3 August 1928
Paris, France
Died 19 July 2010 (aged 81)[2]
Dourdan, France
Cause of death
Lung cancer
Occupation Actress, author, director, screenwriter
Years active 1949–1960
Notable work Author: Belle et Sébastien
Film: The Black Rose
Spouse(s) Si Brahim El Glaoui (divorced)
Children Mehdi El Glaoui

Cécile Aubry (3 August 1928 19 July 2010[3]) was a French film actress, author, television screenwriter and director.

Life and career

Born Anne-José Madeleine Henriette Bénard, Aubry began her career as a dancer. At age 20, she was signed to 20th Century Fox. She made her break as the star of Henri-Georges Clouzot's Manon (1949), which won the Golden Lion at the famed Venice Film Festival. That brought her a leading role alongside Tyrone Power and Orson Welles in American director Henry Hathaway's feature The Black Rose (1950). She had a strong performance in Christian-Jacque's Bluebeard (1952), one of the first French-produced films to be made in color. For a short time, she was a Hollywood success, signing a lucrative contract with Fox, employing her parents as a publicity team, and regularly appearing in French film magazines as an example of the perfect hybrid of Franco-American femininity.[4]

She had a short film career. It was interrupted by a secret six-year marriage to Si Brahim El Glaoui, the eldest son of the pasha of Marrakesh. She announced her retirement from film in 1959, claiming that she had only enjoyed cinema for its travel opportunities. She went on to write children's books and scenarios for children's television with considerable success.[4][5]

She was known in France for her TV series for children, Poly, about a boy and a horse, and Belle et Sébastien, adapted for television from her books. The main character in both series was played by her son, Mehdi El Glaoui (credited as "Mehdi").[6]

Death

On 19 July 2010, Aubry died from lung cancer in Dourdan (Essonne), France, aged 81.[3]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1947 Une nuit à Tabarin
1949 Manon Manon Lescaut
1950 The Black Rose Maryam
1951 Barbe-Bleue Aline
1950 Bluebeard Aline
1953 Piovuto dal cielo
1954 Tanz in der Sonne Solotänzerin Nanon
1957 La ironía del dinero L'américaine
1957 It Happened on the 36 Candles Cécile Aubry (uncredited)
1960 L'espionne sera à Nouméa

References

  1. Weber, Bruce (2010-07-24). "Cécile Aubry, Actress and Writer of Children’s Stories, Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  2. Bergan, Ronald (2010-07-30). "Cécile Aubry obituary". Guardian (London). Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Mort de Cécile Aubry, auteure du feuilleton télévisé "Belle et Sébastien"". LE MONDE. AFP. 2010-07-20.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Belle and Sebastian author Cecile Aubry dies at 81". Big Cartoon Forum. July 20, 2010.
  5. Perrone, Pierre (2010-07-31). "Cécile Aubry: French actress who went on to create the much-loved children's TV series 'Belle et Sébastien'". Independent (London). Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  6. "Belle And Sebastien". A Television Heaven Review. Retrieved 22 July 2010.

External links