Madeleine Renaud

Madeleine Renaud (1900-1994) was an acclaimed French stage actress who also had a film career. One of her best-known films was La Maternelle (1933) about a Montmartre kindergarten. With her second husband, actor Jean-Louis Barrault, she formed the celebrated Compagnie Renaud-Barrault theatrical troupe in 1948.


French postcard by EC, no. 75. Photo: J. Manuel, Paris.


French postcard by Ajax, Paris, no. 809. Photo: Studio G.L. Manuel. Caption: Madeleine Renaud of the Comédie-Française.


Vintage postcard, no. 75.


French postcard by CE (Cinémagazine-Édition), Paris, no. 1085. Photo: Paramount.


French postcard by EC, no. 75. Photo: Pathé Natan.


German postcard by Ross Verlag / Das Programm von Heute für Film und Theater. Photo: d'Ora. Paris.

Allure and liveliness

Lucie Madeleine Renaud was born in 1900 as the daughter of a university professor, in the elegant 17th arrondissement of Paris. She attended the Conservatoire Nationale d'Art Dramatique, having previously studied at the Lycée Racine, where she won first prize for comedy and obtained her baccalaureate.

At age 21, she entered the prestigious Comédie-Française as a junior actress, shedding her bourgeois background and starting an independent career. She remained there under contract until 1947. In his obituary for The Independent, John Calder wrote: "Madeleine Renaud was the last of the great school of French classical actresses. She was trained just after the First World War and had the flexibility to perform the established French repertoire grandly, from Racine to Giraudoux, while still being totally convincing in the different schools of international theatre that have emerged since 1950.

Her early career overlapped with the last years of Sarah Bernhardt's, and she was already a star in the 1920s - before Edwige Feuillère, Maria Casares, Suzanne Flon and Arletty dominated the boards in Paris. By the time her juniors by a decade, Michèle Morgan and Simone Signoret emerged, Renaud had established herself as one of the finest French actresses."

She incidentally played parts in silent films, such as the female leads in the films Vent debout / Midship (René Leprince, 1923) with Léon Mathot, and La terre qui meurt / The Land That Dies (Jean Choux, 1926), but her film performances intensified when sound cinema came along. She became an active and popular film actress of the 1930s. Her first sound film was Jean de la Lune / Moon-Struck Jean (Jean Choux, 1930). This was an adaptation of a stage play by Marcel Achard, in which Renaud played with René Lefèvre and Michel Simon. During the 1930s, Renaud played in some twenty films, often adaptations of novels and stage plays, contributing with her allure and liveliness.

One of her best-known parts was the lead in the endearing film La Maternelle / Children of Montmartre (Jean-Benoit Lévy, Marie Epstein, 1933), a good example of French social realism of the 1930s. Renaud played Rose, a girl who becomes world-wise when her father goes bankrupt and dies, and her lover dumps her. Rose becomes the caring maid in a Montmartre kindergarten and is soon the darling of the children, especially a prostitute’s daughter named Marie (Paulette Elambert), whose mother has dumped her as well. Marie, though, becomes jealous of other people caring about Rose.


French postcard by Comédie-Française. Photo: Collections de la Comédie-Française. Marie Bell and Madeleine Renaud as Ninette and Ninon in 'A quoi rêves les Jeunes Filles' (What do young girls dream of, 1926) based on the 1832 play by Alfred de Musset.


French postcard by Bibliothèque nationale de France, no. PHO 02824. Michel Simon, Madeleine Renaud and René Lefèvre in Jean de la Lune / Moon-Struck Jean (Jean Choux, Michel Simon, 1931).


French postcard by CE (Cinémagazine-Sélection), Paris, no. 984. Photo: Paramount.


French postcard by Cinémagazine-Edition, no. 1066. Photo: Paramount.


French postcard by Erres, no. 1. Photo: Paramount.


French postcard by Editions La Malibran, Paris, no. CF 21. Jean Gabin and Madeleine Renaud in La belle marinière (Harry Lachman, 1932). Photo: Rudy (Rudolph) Maté.


Dutch postcard by M.B.&Z. (M. Bonnist & Zonen). Photo: Muntfilm, Amsterdam. Publicity still for La Maternelle / Children of Montmartre (1933). The cards bear the stamp of the Dutch National Board of Film Censors.

Fighting elements and suitors

Other memorable film titles of the 1930s in which Madeleine Renaud played leads were Le tunnel / The Tunnel (Curtis Bernhardt, 1933) with Jean Gabin working on a tunnel between the US and Europe (!); Maria Chapdelaine (Julien Duvivier, 1934) with Renaud as a young woman fighting both the elements and suitors in Canada.

She starred in the French-Italian comedy La marche nuptiale / The Wedding march (Mario Bonnard, 1935) after Henry Bataille’s play. Renaud played the role performed earlier by silent stars like Lyda Borelli, and the multilingual Cœur de gueux / Cuore di vagabondo/A Beggar's Heart (Jean Epstein, 1936) with Italian stage veteran Ermete Zacconi.

From the late 1930s on, Renaud played less in film and almost exclusively under the direction of Jean Grémillon. She was the understanding wife of Raimu in L’étrange Monsieur Victor / The Odd Mr. Victor (Jean Grémillon, 1938), the abandoned wife of Jean Gabin in Remorques / Stormy Waters (Jean Grémillon, 1941), the perverse companion in Lumière d’été / Summer Light (Jean Grémillon, 1943), and the aviation-struck petite bourgeoise in Le ciel est à vous / The Woman Who Dared (Jean Grémillon, 1944).

After the war, she concentrated on theatre, though she occasionally returned for roles as the savoury Mme Tellier in Le plaisir / House of Pleasure (Max Ophüls, 1952) based on three stories by Guy de Maupassant, and the malicious noblewoman in Le diable par la queue / The Devil by the Tail (Philippe de Broca, 1969) opposite Yves Montand.

Along with several other noted French actors, Madeleine Renaud appeared in a cameo role in the mammoth, all-star re-creation of the D-Day invasion, The Longest Day (Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki, 1962), playing a fearless Mother Superior. One of her final film roles was the possessive mother of Jean-Pierre Aumont in Des journées entières dans les arbres / Entire Days Among the Trees (Marguerite Duras, 1976).


Dutch postcard by M.B.&Z. (M. Bonnist & Zonen). Photo: Muntfilm, Amsterdam. Madeleine Renaud and Paulette Élambert in La Maternelle / Children of Montmartre (1933).


Dutch postcard by M.B.&Z. (M. Bonnist & Zonen). Photo: Muntfilm, Amsterdam. Publicity still for La Maternelle / Children of Montmartre (1933).


Dutch postcard by M.B.&Z., no. 75. Photo: Muntfilm, Amsterdam. Madeleine Renaud and Paulette Élambert in La Maternelle / Children of Montmartre (Jean Benoît-Lévy, Marie Epstein, 1933).


French postcard by Editions PC, Paris, no. 77. Photo: Rosekardos.


French postcard by Editions E.C., Paris, no. 62. Photo: Film Discina.


French postcard by SERP, Paris, no. 15. Photo: Studio Harcourt.


French postcard by Ed. Chantal, Paris, no. 75. Photo: Darlo.

Jean-Louis Barrault

In 1936, Madeleine Renaud had met her future husband, actor and director Jean-Louis Barrault, a brilliant young actor from a working-class background, full of new theatrical ideas and aflame with ambition. In 1940, he joined the Comédie-Francaise and in a very short time, he was playing major roles and directing productions. They fell in love and married the same year.

In 1943, the couple worked together in raising the play 'Soulier de satin' (Satin Shoe) by Paul Claudel, directed by Barrault. After having played 127 parts at the Comédie-Française, Renaud left the company in 1946 to form her own company with Barrault, which was based at the Théâtre Marigny. There she created the part of Winnie in 'Oh! Les beaux jours' (Happy Days) by Samuel Beckett in 1963; it was a part she would continue to perform until the end of her career. Renaud also played in plays by Jean Genet, Marguerite Duras, and Eugène Ionesco.

In the meantime, her husband Barrault rose to the position of managing director of the Théâtre de l'Odéon-Théâtre de France. After the student revolt of 1968, Barrault, having shown sympathy for the students, was evicted from the Odéon by President de Gaulle. The company rented an old skating rink and continued to perform there, mainly in the round, improvising and making virtues out of necessity. The public supported the new theatre massively. For a while, Madeleine Renaud went away from the company to play next to Claude Régy in 'L'Amante anglaise' (The English Lover) by Marguerite Duras. Afterwards, she played Maud in 'Harold et Maud' (Harold and Maude), written by Colin Higgins, a role to which she stuck for a long time, also when the company moved to the Musée d'Orsay, and afterwards to the Théâtre du Rond-Point.

Incidentally, their plays were filmed for TV. In 1978, Jean-Paul Carrère directed his own script for a TV version of Harold et Maud / Harold and Maude, and a TV film was also made of Oh! Les beaux jours/Happy Days (Alexandre Tarta, 1990) starring Renaud and Barrault in their acclaimed roles of Winnie and Willy. It was her last 'film' role.

Madeleine Renaud died in Paris in 1994, seven months after the death of her husband. She was married three times, to director Charles Gribouval (Charles Grandval), secondly to actor Pierre Bertin (some sources say she was only 'romantically involved' with him), and thirdly to Jean-Louis Barrault. She had a son, Jean-Pierre Granval (1923-1998), by her first marriage, and she was the aunt of actress Marie-Christine Barrault. Renaud received many honours, was a Commander of the Legion of Honour, a Grand Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters and was awarded the Medal of the City of Paris and the Grand Prix du Theatre.


French postcard by S.E.R.P., Paris, no. 80. Photo: Studio Harcourt.


French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, offered by Les Carbones Korès Carboplane, no. 123. Photo: Charles Vandamme / Les Mirages.


Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 444. Photo: C.P.C.S. Maria Schell, Madeleine Renaud and Marthe Keller in Le diable par la queue / The Devil by the Tail (Philippe de Broca, 1969).


Romanian postcard by Casa Filmului Acin, no. 447. Photo: C.P.C.S. Clotilde Joano, Madeleine Renaud, Yves Montand, Maria Schell, and Marthe Keller in Le diable par la queue / The Devil by the Tail (Philippe de Broca, 1969).


Long scene from La Maternelle / Children of Montmartre (1933). Source: Lost Classic Films (YouTube).


Trailer of The Longest Day (1962). Source: Humanoidity (YouTube).

Sources: Hal Erickson (AllMovie - Page now defunct), John Calder (The Independent), Ciné-Ressources (French), Wikipedia (French), and IMDb.

Jude Law

English actor Jude Law (1972) has been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Tony Awards and three Laurence Olivier Awards. His early successes included such films as Gattaca (1997), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and Road to Perdition (2002). Later, he co-starred as Dr. John Watson in Sherlock Holmes (2009), as Hugo's father in Hugo (2011), and as a young writer in The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).


British postcard by Music Factory, no. 245.


Vintage postcard by CinéFilm(s). Jude Law in A.I. (Steven Spielberg, 2001).


Vintage promotion card by Movie Insider for Oris, no. P-40. Jude Law in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (Kerry Conran, 2004).

A disabled former swimming star living in a eugenics-obsessed dystopia

David Jude Heyworth Law was born in 1972 in Lewisham, South London. Jude was the second child of Peter Law and Margaret Heyworth. Both his parents were teachers at the National Youth Music Theatre, and now live in France. His older sister Natasha is an artist. Law has said that he was named after both the book 'Jude the Obscure' and the Beatles song 'Hey Jude'. As a five-year-old, he was cast in a rendition of 'Saint George and the Dragon'.

At the age of twelve, he began his acting career at the National Youth Music Theatre in London. From 1987 onwards, he appeared regularly in theatre productions. One of his first major stage roles was Foxtrot Darling in Philip Ridley's 'The Fastest Clock in the Universe', which he performed at the Hampstead Theatre in London. At 17, he left school to take a role in the soap opera Families (1990). He toured Italy in 1992 with the play 'Pygmalion'.

In 1994, he attracted the attention of many critics with his portrayal of Michael in a production of Jean Cocteau’s tragicomedy 'Les Parents Terribles' and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer. In 1995, the play was staged on Broadway under the title 'Indiscretions', where Law acted opposite Kathleen Turner and Roger Rees. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play that same year. Jude Law received a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and the Theatre World Award for his performance.

His film career began with the crime drama Shopping (Paul Anderson, 1994), with his future wife, Sadie Frost. Further film roles soon followed. In 1997, he took on the role of Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas, Oscar Wilde's elegant lover, in the biopic Wilde (Brian Gilbert, 1997), alongside Stephen Fry and Vanessa Redgrave. His international breakthrough came with the role of Jerome Eugene Morrow, a disabled former swimming star living in a eugenics-obsessed dystopia, in the Science-Fiction film Gattaca (Andrew Niccol, 1997), with Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. In Clint Eastwood's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), he played the role of Billy Hanson, a male prostitute killed by his partner, an art dealer portrayed by Kevin Spacey.

Jude Law was nominated for an Oscar in 2000 for his supporting role as Dickie Greenleaf in the psychological thriller The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), alongside Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. He actually won a BAFTA Award for his role, and the film did very well at the box office. He played a leading role as Inman in the war drama Cold Mountain (2003) alongside Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger. It earned him a second Oscar nomination in 2002. In both films, Law was directed by Anthony Minghella. From then on, he mainly appeared in major productions, such as Steven Spielberg’s A.I. (2001) and Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition (2002). In Mike Nichols’ relationship drama Closer (2003), he co-starred with Julia Roberts, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen.


British postcard by Pyramid, Leicester, no. PC0091, 2000.


Poster postcard in the Cinemascope Collection, no. 345. Photo: Paramount / Miramax. Matt Damon and Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella, 1999).


Poster postcard, no. 6457. Image: Paramount / Miramax. Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella, 1999). Caption: How far would you go to become someone else?

The Sexiest Man Alive and most bankable in Hollywood

People magazine chose Jude Law as the Sexiest Man Alive in November 2004. In the remakes Alfie (Charles Shyer, 2004) and Sleuth (Kenneth Branagh, 2007), Law took on the roles originally played by Michael Caine in the first film adaptations (1966 and 1972). In the new version of Sleuth, Caine himself took on the role of the older antagonist, previously played by Laurence Olivier. By the end of the year, Law was one of the Top Ten A-list of the most bankable film stars in Hollywood, according to the Ulmer Scale.

In 2008, Law helped director Terry Gilliam complete the film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus by agreeing to take on part of the role of the lead actor Heath Ledger, who had died during filming. As the character of Tony undergoes several transformations in the film, Gilliam altered the script for the resumption of filming so that Law only had to portray the role in one episode. The other episodes were taken over by Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell. In Sally Potter’s film Rage, which was screened in competition at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival, he played the drag-performing supermodel Minx. It was the world’s first feature film to debut on mobile phones.

In Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie, 2009) and its sequel Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (Guy Ritchie, 2011), Jude Law played the role of Dr Watson alongside Robert Downey Jr. This was followed by the Science-Fiction thriller Repo Men (Miguel Sapochnik, 2010) opposite Forest Whitaker. Other notable films include the medical thriller Contagion (Steven Soderbergh, 2011), Hugo (Martin Scorsese, 2011), Side Effects (Steven Soderbergh, 2013), The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014), and Spy (Paul Feig, 2015).

In the last two instalments of the Fantastic Beasts film series, a spin-off of the Harry Potter films, The Crimes of Grindelwald (David Yates, 2018) and The Secrets of Dumbledore (David Yates, 2022), he portrayed the young wizard Albus Dumbledore. He also played Yon-Rogg in another blockbuster, Captain Marvel (Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, 2019). Since 2024, he has played the role of Jod Na Nawood in the television series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. In 2024, Jude Law was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Law returned to the stage in 2009, playing the role of Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s play, directed by Michael Grandage at Wyndham’s Theatre in London, during a guest performance at Kronborg Castle in Denmark, and at the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway. In 2011, he played the male lead in Eugene O’Neill’s play 'Anna Christie'.

Jude Law was in a relationship with actress Sadie Frost for ten years, six of which they were married (1997-2003). Law met her on the set of the film Shopping (1994). The couple had three children together: two sons (Rafferty and Rudy) and a daughter (Iris). Frost already had a son from a previous relationship. In late 2003, Law began a relationship with co-star Sienna Miller whilst they were working on the film Alfie. They had an on-off relationship until February 2011 and were also engaged for a time. Law became a father to a daughter (Sophia) in 2009, the result of a brief relationship with American model Samantha Burke. He had another daughter (Ada) with ex-girlfriend Catherine Harding in 2015. Law has been married to psychologist Phillipa Coan since 2019. They have two children together, born in 2020 and 2023.


Belgian Poster postcard by Boomerang.be. Image: Columbia Pictures. Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen in Closer (Mike Nichols, 2004).


Dutch Poster postcard by Boomerang, no. P25-11. Photo: Village Roadshow Pictures / Warner Bros. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows (Guy Ritchie, 2011). Caption: Do you also solve every puzzle? Test it here.


Dutch Poster postcard by Boomerang, no. P25-09. Photo: Village Roadshow Pictures / Warner Bros. Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows (Guy Ritchie, 2011). Caption: Are you a real Sherlock Holmes?

Sources: Wikipedia (English, German and Dutch) and IMDb.

Yvonne Printemps

French singer and actress Yvonne Printemps (1894-1977) was a glittering star of the European stage. A true diva, she loved the spotlight and would be seen draped with jewels, wearing enormous hats and having her pet dogs on a leash. Printemps also appeared in ten international silent and sound films.


French postcard by EPC (Editions et Publications Cinématographiques), Paris, no. 25.


French postcard by Editions A.N., Paris, no. 24. Photo: G.L. Manuel Frères.


French postcard by Editions A.N., Paris, no. 2. Photo: Emera.


French postcard by FA (F.A. Christensen), no. 025. Photo: Dupont-Eméra.


French card by Massilia. Photo: Studio Charles.

Miss Springtime at the Folies Bergère

Yvonne Printemps was born Yvonne Willigniolle Dupre in Ermont, Ile-de-France, France, in 1894. Her parents were Léon-Alfred Wigniolle, a cashier, and Palmyre Vignolle. At age 10, Yvonne started appearing in amateur productions.

She was discovered by music hall director Paul-Louis Flers, who let her play at his famous music hall, Folies Bergère. He gave her the stage name ‘Mademoiselle Printemps’ (Miss Springtime) because of her sunny disposition. She made her professional stage debut at the age of 14 in the revue 'Nue Cocotte' at La Cigale in Paris.

The following year, she returned to the Folies Bergères, where she appeared for four years. The charming and intelligent beauty with the exceptional voice soon became a 'grande vedette', and appeared with such great stars of the day as Maurice Chevalier and Mistinguett. As a lyrical soprano, she appeared in operettas like 'Les Contes de Perrault' (The Stories of Perrault, 1913) and 'Le Poilu' (The Soldier, 1916).

Her first film appearance was in the silent film Un roman d'amour et d'aventures / A Love and Adventure Novel (René Hervil, Louis Mercanton, 1918). Her co-star and script-writer was actor-playwright Sacha Guitry. They married a year later. Together, they performed in a number of his plays.

Printemps had worldwide success with Reynaldo Hahn's 'Mozart' in which she played the title role in a travesty. In 1925, Gance and Printemps brought this extremely popular production to cities in North America, including New York City, Montreal, Quebec, and Boston, Massachusetts. In America, she appeared in a curious silent film version of 'La Dame aux Camélias', Camille (Ralph Barton, 1926) starring Paul Robeson as Alexandre Dumas fils and Anita Loos as Camille.


French postcard by F.A. Christensen, Rueil, no. 303. Photo: Reutlinger.


French postcard for La Revue des Folies-Bergère 1911, no. 9. Photo: Paris Qui Chante. Yvonne Printemps as Buckingham.


French postcard by Publications J.P. Paris. Caricature by Raoul Cabrol. Collection: Marlene Pilaete.


French postcard, no. 46. Photo: G.L. Manuel Frères.


French postcard by Editions Chantal, Rueil, no. 5 A.


French postcard by Viny, no. 124. Photo: Védis-Film.


French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 12. Photo: Films Orange.


French postcard by Editions A.N., Paris, no. 1176. Photo: Harcourt.


French postcard by S.E.R.P., Paris, no. 21. Photo: Studio Harcourt.

Personifying the grand diva

In 1931, Sacha Guitry directed Yvonne Printemps in Franz Hals opposite Pierre Fresnay. While married to her director, she fell in love with her co-star. In 1932, she divorced Guitry for Fresnay, whom she did not marry, but the pair remained with each other for life.

In 1934, Printemps and Fresnay received international acclaim for their performances in the Noel Coward play, 'Conversation Piece'. They performed in Paris and at London's West End before going to the United States to star on Broadway. That year, Printemps also starred as courtesan Marguerite Gautier in a new film version of 'Camille', La dame aux camélias / The Lady of Camelias (Fernand Rivers, Abel Gance, 1934), opposite Fresnay as Armand Duval.

Fresnay also directed her in the film Le Duel / The Duel (Pierre Fresnay, 1939). Printemps appeared in a total of ten films, including the starring role in both the stage and screen versions of Les trois valses / Three Waltzes (Ludwig Berger, Albert Willemetz, 1938) as Fanny, Yvette and Irène Grandpré, and in the title role of Adrienne Lecouvreur (Marcel L'Herbier, 1938), in both films opposite Fresnay.

Loving the spotlight, she would be seen draped with jewels and wearing enormous hats. Personifying the 'grand diva', she made a great spectacle wherever she went with her pet dogs on a leash. Her last film appearance was in the comedy Le Voyage en Amérique / Trip to America (Henri Lavorel, 1951). She continued to perform on stage until she was well into her sixties.

With Pierre Fresnay, she co-directed the Théâtre de la Michodière in Paris until he died in 1975. Two years later, Yvonne Printemps died in the Paris suburb of Neuilly in 1977. In 1994, the government of France placed her image on a postage stamp.


French postcard by Editions Cinémagazine, Paris, no. 2022. Photo: Studio Piaz.


French promotion card by La Voix de son Maitre (His Master's Voice). Photo: Studio Charles. Yvonne Printemps in Les trois valses / Three Waltzes (Ludwig Berger, Albert Willemetz, 1938).


French collector card by Pathé. Photo: Production C.I.C.C. (Compagnie industrielle et commerciale cinématographique). Yvonne Printemps and Raimu in Le Duel / The Duel (Pierre Fresnay, 1941), scripted by Henri-Georges Clouzot and Jean Villard.


French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 2.


French postcard by EPC (Editions et Publications cinématographiques), no. 204. Photo: Teddy Piaz, Paris.


French postcard by Star Presse Champs-Elysees, no. 46.


French postcard, no. 723. Photo: Harcourt.


Clip of the Luce News of Printemps and Guitry performing in Rome at the Teatro Valle in 1932. Source: CinecittaLuce (YouTube).


Yvonne Printemps sings 'Une Heureuse Rencontre' in La valse de Paris (Marcel Achard, 1950). Source: Stephen Joeagi (YouTube).


Yvonne Printemps in an Opéra Comique by Jacques Offenbach in La valse de Paris (Marcel Achard, 1950). Source: Stephen Joeagi (YouTube).

Sources: Wikipedia (English and French) and IMDb.