Oh-la-la! The French woman has an international reputation of being risqué: French mademoiselles are more sensual, more naughty than our girls-next-door. Hollywood sustained that image with countless sexy parts for French actresses. But the French cinema did even more to keep the dream alive. Even in the 1930s, French films showed already brief glimpses of nudity and during the 1950s, Martine Carol and Françoise Arnoul paved the way for the rise of sex kitten Brigitte Bardot, the new look of French femininity. Here are 12 fabulous black and white postcards of French actresses of the 1950s, all photographed by Sam Lévin.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 357. Photo: Lucienne Chevert.
Sex symbol Martine Carol (1920–1967) was one of the most beautiful women of the French cinema. During the early 1950s, she was a top box office draw as an elegant blonde seductress. Her private life was filled with turmoil including a suicide attempt, drug abuse, a kidnapping, and a mysterious death.
German postcard by Kunst und Bild, Berlin.
French actress, writer and director Cécile Aubry (1928-2010) was often seen as the predecessor of Brigitte Bardot as the French cinema's sex goddess. Her acting career was successful but brief: during the late 1940s through the mid-1950s.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, no. 617. Photo: Sam Lévin, Paris.
Pretty and petite actress Françoise Arnoul (1931) was in the early 1950s presented as the new French sex symbol but soon she would be overshadowed by the spectacular Brigitte Bardot. But, Arnoul had enough talent and range to forge a decent film career for herself.
German postcard by Ufa, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. FK 3441. Photo: Sam Lévin / Unifrance Film.
Sexy French actress Nadine Tallier (1932) played various film roles from the late 1940s till the early 1960s. In 1962, she married banker Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild and then retired.
Yugoslavian postcard by Studio Sombor. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Belgian actress Dominique Wilms (1932) was the glamorous and sexy femme fatale of many French action films of the 1950s and 1960s, often opposite Eddie Constantine.
German postcard by Ufa, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. 3543. Photo: Sam Lévin / Unifrance Film.
French starlet Dany Carrel (1932) with her bob haircut of dark reddish hair, a pair of incredible oriental eyes, and friendly manners, was a welcome breath of sexy exoticism in the French cinema of the 1950s and 1960s. Dany played good-willed flirtatious girls in many melodramas and comedies, alongside top directors and stars.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 732. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Beautiful Noëlle Adam (1933) was a French dancer and actress. She frequently co-starred with comic star Louis de De Funes.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 599. Photo: Sam Lévin, 1956.
Brigitte Bardot (1934) was the sex kitten of the European cinema. She was every man's idea of the girl he'd like to meet in Paris.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 727. Photo: Sam Lévin.
French sex kitten Agnès Laurent (1938-2010) featured in a dozen European sex comedies in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 892. Offered by les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane'. Photo: Sam Lévin.
French brunette Dominique Boschero (1934) is famous among cult film fans for her roles in dozens of Italian giallos and spaghetti westerns. The gorgeous actress appeared in a surprisingly large amount of films from the mid-1950s to the mid 1980s.
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 1744.
Gorgeous French actress Dany Saval (1942) was the lithe and lovely leading lady in both fluffy comedies and thrillers of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 937. Offered by Les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane'. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Entrancing, luscious-lipped French actress Michèle Mercier (1939) will always be remembered as seductive Angélique, ‘the Marquise of the Angels’.
Au revoir!
This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday, hosted by Beth at the The Best Hearts are Crunchy. You can visit her by clicking on the button below.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 357. Photo: Lucienne Chevert.
Sex symbol Martine Carol (1920–1967) was one of the most beautiful women of the French cinema. During the early 1950s, she was a top box office draw as an elegant blonde seductress. Her private life was filled with turmoil including a suicide attempt, drug abuse, a kidnapping, and a mysterious death.
German postcard by Kunst und Bild, Berlin.
French actress, writer and director Cécile Aubry (1928-2010) was often seen as the predecessor of Brigitte Bardot as the French cinema's sex goddess. Her acting career was successful but brief: during the late 1940s through the mid-1950s.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, no. 617. Photo: Sam Lévin, Paris.
Pretty and petite actress Françoise Arnoul (1931) was in the early 1950s presented as the new French sex symbol but soon she would be overshadowed by the spectacular Brigitte Bardot. But, Arnoul had enough talent and range to forge a decent film career for herself.
German postcard by Ufa, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. FK 3441. Photo: Sam Lévin / Unifrance Film.
Sexy French actress Nadine Tallier (1932) played various film roles from the late 1940s till the early 1960s. In 1962, she married banker Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild and then retired.
Yugoslavian postcard by Studio Sombor. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Belgian actress Dominique Wilms (1932) was the glamorous and sexy femme fatale of many French action films of the 1950s and 1960s, often opposite Eddie Constantine.
German postcard by Ufa, Berlin-Tempelhof, no. 3543. Photo: Sam Lévin / Unifrance Film.
French starlet Dany Carrel (1932) with her bob haircut of dark reddish hair, a pair of incredible oriental eyes, and friendly manners, was a welcome breath of sexy exoticism in the French cinema of the 1950s and 1960s. Dany played good-willed flirtatious girls in many melodramas and comedies, alongside top directors and stars.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 732. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Beautiful Noëlle Adam (1933) was a French dancer and actress. She frequently co-starred with comic star Louis de De Funes.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 599. Photo: Sam Lévin, 1956.
Brigitte Bardot (1934) was the sex kitten of the European cinema. She was every man's idea of the girl he'd like to meet in Paris.
French postcard by Editions du Globe, Paris, no. 727. Photo: Sam Lévin.
French sex kitten Agnès Laurent (1938-2010) featured in a dozen European sex comedies in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 892. Offered by les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane'. Photo: Sam Lévin.
French brunette Dominique Boschero (1934) is famous among cult film fans for her roles in dozens of Italian giallos and spaghetti westerns. The gorgeous actress appeared in a surprisingly large amount of films from the mid-1950s to the mid 1980s.
German postcard by Kolibri-Verlag, no. 1744.
Gorgeous French actress Dany Saval (1942) was the lithe and lovely leading lady in both fluffy comedies and thrillers of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 937. Offered by Les Carbones Korès 'Carboplane'. Photo: Sam Lévin.
Entrancing, luscious-lipped French actress Michèle Mercier (1939) will always be remembered as seductive Angélique, ‘the Marquise of the Angels’.
Au revoir!
This is a post for Postcard Friendship Friday, hosted by Beth at the The Best Hearts are Crunchy. You can visit her by clicking on the button below.
1 comment:
Great post! I was not familiar with many of these actresses. "In 1962, she married banker Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild and then retired".
Sounds like a smart move!
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