Lise Bourdin

Glamorous French actress Lise Bourdin (1925) is known for her roles in international films during the 1950s. Among her best known films are La donna del fiume/The River Girl (1954) and the Billy Wilder classic Love in the Afternoon (1957).


French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 279. Photo: Studio Harcourt.


French postcard for the exhibition 'Figures de Facteur' (2004-2005) in Paris by Cartapub / Ministerie de la Culture et de la Communication. Photo: Raymond Voinquel. Gary Cooper and Lise Bourdin in Love in the Afternoon (Billy Wilder, 1956).

Miss Arch of Triumph

Lise Bourdin was born as Louise Marie Odette Bourdin-Perrier in 1925 in Néris-les-Bains, Allier, France. She was the sister of radio maker and orchestra leader Roland Bourtin.

Lise began her career as a model and in 1948 she toured the United States on behalf of American Aid to France, Inc., and the American Overseas Aid-United Nations Appeal for Children as well as to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the rededication of L’Arc de Triomphe.

As 'Miss Arch of Triumph', she promoted the American film Arch of Triumph (Lewis Milestone, 1948) with Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer.

She made her first film appearance uncredited in the crime film Scandale aux Champs-Élysées/Scandal at the Champs-Elusées (Roger Blanc, 1949) starring Pierre Renoir. A small part followed in Les mémoires de la vache Yolande/The Memoirs of the Cow Yolande (Ernst Neubach, 1951) starring Rellys.

Then followed her breakthrough with a co-starring part in a ‘shocking’ drama about unwed mothers, Les enfants de l'amour/Children of Love (Léonide Moguy, 1953) starring Etchika Choureau. The now completely forgotten film was an international success, promoted in the US with taglines like “Unwed Mothers! They Come From Everywhere, From Every Class” and “Startling! Shocking! Rips the Veil of Secrecy From Love's Most Shameful Sin!” The beautiful starlet soon appeared in films outside of France.


French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 317. Photo: Sam Lévin.

Hot Pants

In Italy, Lise Bourdin appeared in Scuola elementare/Elementary School (Alberto Lattuada, 1954) and with Sophia Loren, both in hot pants, in the rice picker drama La donna del fiume/The River Girl (Mario Soldati, 1954).

She also appeared in the American TV series Sherlock Holmes (1955), which was filmed in France. One of her best-known roles is Madame X, seduced by Gary Cooper in Love in the Afternoon (Billy Wilder, 1957).

That year she also played a princess in the French adventure film La rivière des trois jonques/The River of Three Junks (André Pergament, 1957) and was one of the beautiful ladies around two-fisted Eddie Constantine in the crime film Ces dames préfèrent le mambo/Dishonorable Discharge (Bernard Borderie, 1957).

In Germany she appeared in the Caterina Valente vehicle ...und abends in die Scala/And that evening in the Scala (Erik Ode, 1958) and back in France in Quai des illusions/Avenue of illusions (Émile Couzinet 1959) starring Gaby Morlay. Her final appearance was in the American war film The Last Blitzkrieg (Arthur Dreifuss, 1960) starring Van Johnson.

In 1963, she married Roberto Seabra, a wealthy Brazilian, whom she divorced again in 1965. In 1974 she became the partner of Raymond Marcellin, the Interior minister of France. Lise Bourdin lives in Paris.


French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 282. Photo: Studio Harcourt.

Sources: Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen, AllMovie, Wikipedia (French), and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 24 July 2023.