Elvira Popescu

Elvira Popescu (Romanian pronunciation: [elˈvira poˈpesku]; in French, Elvire Popesco; May 10, 1894 – December 11, 1993) was a Romanian-French stage and movie actress and theatre director.

Life and career

Born in Bucharest, Popescu studied drama at the Conservatorul de Artă Dramatică, under the guidance of Constantin Nottara and Aristizza Romanescu. She made her debut at the National Theatre Bucharest at age 16.^[1] In 1912, she played herself in the movie Independenţa României, directed by Aristide Demetriade. In 1919 she became artistic director of the Excelsior Theatre.^[2] In 1921, Popescu started Teatrul Mic, which she managed in parallel with the Excelsior.^[3] In 1923, she starred in the movie Ţigăncuşa de la iatac, directed by Alfred Halm.

At the urging of Louis Verneuil, the French playwright, Popescu moved in 1924 to Paris. Under Verneuil's direction, she played the leading role in Ma Cousine de Varsovie, at the Théâtre Michel (1923). She also played in Tovaritch (1933), La Machine infernale (1954), Nina (1949), and La Mamma (1957). Later on, she was director of Théâtre de Paris (1956–1965), and Théâtre Marigny (1965–1978).^[4] At age 84, she played again in La Mamma.

Elvira Popescu also played in movies, such as La Présidente (Fernand Rivers, 1938), Tricoche et Cacolet (Pierre Colombier, 1938), Ils étaient neuf célibataires (Sacha Guitry, 1939), Paradis perdu (Abel Gance, 1940), Austerlitz (Abel Gance, 1960), and Purple Noon (René Clément, 1960).

Shortly after her debut in 1910, Popescu married comedian Aurel Athanasescu; they had a daughter, Tatiana.^[5] After a few years, she divorced, and married Ion Manolescu-Strunga, Minister of Industry and Commerce^[2] (who was to die in Sighet prison in the 1950s). Her third husband was Count Maximilien Sébastien Foy (born in Paris on April 17, 1900, died in Neuilly-sur-Seine on November 11, 1967).^[6]

She died in Paris at age 99, and was interred at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Honors

The cinema Salǎ Elvire Popescu at the Institut Français de Roumanie in Bucharest is named in Popescu's honor

• In 1987, Elvira Popescu received the first honorary Molière Award for career achievements.
• In 1989, President François Mitterrand conferred upon her the Légion d’honneur.

Trivia

Villa Paul Poiret, April 2005

• While married to Manolescu-Strunga, she lived in a house not far from the University of Bucharest. The house, built on a 1,224 m² lot, has 22 rooms, spread over 500 m² of living area; it was put on the market in 2005 for about 2 million Euros.^[7]

• From 1930 to 1985, Elvira Popescu lived in a villa in Mézy-sur-Seine, Yvelines. The villa, acquired from fashion designer Paul Poiret, and remodelled in 1932 by architect Paul Boyer, was declared a historic monument in 1984, but it has since decayed. Bought for 1.8 million French francs in 1999, it is open occasionally to the public.

• Together with Elena Văcărescu, Anna de Noailles, and Marthe Bibesco, Elvira Popescu is considered to be the inspiration for Henri Matisse's painting, La Blouse Roumaine (1940).^[8]

Selected filmography

• The Gypsy Girl at the Alcove (1923)
• My Cousin from Warsaw (1931)
• Dora Nelson (1935)
• The Green Jacket (1937)
• The Club of Aristocrats (1937)
• The Man of the Hour (1937)
• Tricoche and Cacolet (1938)
• The Fatted Calf (1939)
• Sacred Woods (1939)
• Behind the Facade (1939)
• The Blue Veil (1942)

Notes

References

• (Romanian) Dana Ciobanu, "Sinucidere pentru Elvira Popescu", Jurnalul Naţional, March 1, 2004
• Constantin Roman, "Blouse Roumaine", 2001–2002
• (Romanian) "Elvira Popescu", at Mari Români
• "Families of Jules and Théodore Porgès"
• (French) "Elvire Popesco", at CinéArtistes
• (Romanian) Lucian Pop, "Conace boiereşti pentru cei care vor să se simtă moşieri", at Muse Imobiliare, July 20, 2005
• (French) "Marigny - Salle Popesco" at Theatre online

External links

• Elvira Popescu at the Internet Movie Database
• Elvira Popescu at Find a Grave
• (French) Short bio, from Salons
• (French) Short bio, from Mézy-sur-Seine Municipality