15 July 2020

Andrée Pascal

Andrée Pascal (1892-1982) was a French actress who was highly active in the silent cinema. Pascal did over 30 films for Pathé in the early 1910s but she suddenly stopped her film career after acting in L'empereur des pauvres (1922).

Andrée Pascal
French postcard. Photo: Pathé.

Andrée Pascal de l'Odéon
French postcard by Edition Pathé Frères. Photo: Félix.

Andrée Pascal
French postcard, no. 4. Photo: Félix. Design of the dress by Elise Poret.

Awoken with a kiss by Sarah Bernhardt


Andrée Pascal was born Andrée Alice Georgette Pascal in 1892 in Paris.

At the Conservatoire, Sarah Bernhardt was so smitten by Pascal's recital of 'La Passante', that she asked her to perform in her own theatre. So while only 15 years old, Pascal debuted on stage as the princess in the play 'La belle au bois dormant', a lyrical fairy tale by Jean Richepin and Henri Cain, first performed at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt on 25 December 1907. Sarah Bernhardt herself played the poet Landry who in this version awakens the princess with a kiss. Anna Judic played Maman Landry.

While working at the Odéon in all 1909, Pascal remained administered at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, where on 15 May 1910 she acted in the stage version of 'Vidoq, empereur des policiers' by Emile Bergerat. Jean Kemm played Vidoq, Jean Worms Salvador and Pascal played Léocadie.

In the same year, she acted opposite Galipurge and Henry Krauss in 'Les noces de Panurge', which premiered at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt on 21 December 1910. In 1911 André Antoine cast her at the Odéon theater as Brittanicus opposite Marie Ventura as Nero, in an attempt to modernise Racine's classic play and accentuate the youthfulness of the two characters Racine had stressed in his foreword to his play.

Pascal would continue to act on stage, notably in 1913 in 'La folle enchère', by Lucien Besnard and starring Catherine Fonteney, and in 1914 in 'Le destin est maître' by Paul Hervieu.

From 1909 onward she would also pursue a major career in the French silent cinema. IMDb mentions parts of her in Pathé films before 1910, but these are not confirmed by the Seydoux-Pathé site. Pascal probably started in 1909 at the French company Eclair, in the three-part episode film Morgan le pirate/Morgan the Pirate (part 1 and 2 in 1909, part 3 in 1910) by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset. Later in 1909, Pascal acted opposite upcoming actor Harry Baur (then from the Odéon) in La Légende du bon chevalier/The Legend of the Good Knight (Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset, 1909).

In 1910 Pascal moved to the company Pathé Frères, where she had a prolific career between 1911 and 1914. She acted in classic dramas such as Les deux orphelines/The Two Orphans (Albert Capellani, 1910), comedies such as La ruse de Miss Plumcake/Miss Plumcakes List (Georges Danola, 1911) with Mistinguett, and in the early three-reeler period piece Le courier de Lyon/The Courier of Lyons (Albert Capellani, 1911) starring Louis Ravet.

She appeared in adaptations of popular classics dramas and novels, such as Les mysteres de Paris/Mysteries of Paris (Albert Capellani, 1912) based on Eugène Sue, and with Pascal playing Fleur-de-Marie. Just like in Les mystères de Paris, Pascal often acted the poor girl menaced by male adults. Also in Seule dans Paris/Alone in Paris (1914), Pascal is a poor girl chased by evildoer Émile Mylo.

Pascal starred in La fille des chiffoniers (Georges Monca, 1912), about Marion, a girl adopted by ragpickers, while her father moves to the US. When Dr. Verdier (Paul Capellani), who has fallen in love with her, treats a woman, she proves to be Marion's stepmother. During a duel between the doctor and Marion's father (Jean Kemm), ragpicker Smiley (Émile Mylo) recognises the father and a reunion follows, but the stepmother remains an obstacle.

Andrée Pascal in Barbegrise (1911)
Big photo card by Cinéma Pathé. Photo: Andrée Pascal in Barbegrise (Georges Monca, 1911). Script by Léon Chavignaud.

Gabrielle Robinne, Henri Bosc and Andrée Pascal in Le mot de l'énigme (1916)
Spanish collectors card by Chocolate Salas-Sabadell, no. 3 of 6 cards. Photo: Pathé Frères. Andrée Pascal, Gabrielle Robinne and Henri Bosc in Le mot de l'énigme (Georges Monca, 1916).

Henri Bosc and Andrée Pascal in Le mot de l'énigme (1916)
Spanish collectors card by Chocolate Salas-Sabadell, no. 4 of 6 cards. Photo: Pathé Frères. Henri Bosc and Andrée Pascal in Le mot de l'énigme (Georges Monca, 1916).

Liking to act in detective and crime stories


Andrée Pasc;l played many supporting parts in short and longer Pathé films of the years 1912-1914. Remarkable is her part in the adventure and crime serial Rocambole (La Jeunesse de Rocambole / Les Exploits de Rocambole / Rocambole et l’héritage du marquis de Morfontaine, Georges Denola 1914), based on the stories by Pierre Alexis Ponson du Terrail and with Gaston Sylvestre in the title role. Pascal played the evil wife of Armand de Kergaz (Jean Hervé), brother of Rocambole's worst enemy, Andréa de Kergaz (Paul Escoffier).

In 1915 Pascal didn't act in film, but in 1916 she started again, now in a series of films for the Société cinématographique des auteurs et gens de lettres (SCAGL). These were mostly romantic dramas such as Le Mot de l’énigme (Georges Monca, 1916) starring Gabrielle Robinne, La Coupe d’amertume (Maurice Fleury, 1917), L'Heure sincère (René Plaissetty, 1917) with Maurice Lagrenée, and Les Feuilles tombent (Georges Denola, 1917) with Andrée Divonne.

She also played in period dramas such as Marie Tudor (Albert Capellani, 1917) starring Jeanne Delvair. In 1916 she also starred in the patriotic film Coeur de Française (Gaston Leprieur, 1916), based on a novel by Arthur Bernède, the first of his Chantecoq detective stories. It was a propagandistic spy drama in which Maxime Desjardins had the male lead as inventor Aubry opposite Andrée Pascal as his wife. They were involved in espionage between Germany and France. But the detective Chantecoq (Louis Ravet) is valiant. All actors in the film were acclaimed stage actors, such as Albert Dieudonné.

During the war, Pascal also acted on stage, in particular at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu. Pascal must have liked to act in detective and crime stories, as after 'Vidoq' she acted in 1913-1914 in 'Raffles' at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu. In 1916 she acted in a play on Sherlock Holmes by Pierre Decourcelle, and in 1920 in 'Arsène Lupin', the play by Francis de Croisset and Maurice Leblanc, reprised at the Théâtre de Paris.

After the First World War, Pascal played supporting parts, e.g. as Claire Fromont in Fromont jeune et Risler aîné (1921) starring Henry Krauss and Maurice Escande, and as Clémence Sarrias, her last role, in L'empereur des pauvres (René Leprince, 1922), starring Léon Mathot and Gina Relly.

Pascal continued to act on stage in the 1920s. She could be seen in e.g. 'Les don Juanes' (1922) at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin; in Edmond Rostand's evergreen 'L'Aiglon' (1923-1924) at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt. Rostand had written the play for Bernhardt herself, but many women after her would also perform the crossdressing part).

Pascal appeared opposite Marcel Herrand in 'Mouchoir de nuages' (1924) by Tristan Tzara and in 'Romeo and Juliet' (1924) by Jean Cocteau, both at the Cigale. Then she played in 'Montmartre' (1925) at the Gymnase; in 'La menace' (1925) at the Théâtre de la Renaissance; and in 'Les yeux du coeur' (1927) and 'Monsieur Beverly' (1927) at the Théâtre Antoine.

In 1924 Pascal and Pierre Magnier also led a big stage tour to Canada, with the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin actors, while in 1928 Pascal and Harry Baur did a stage tour through Spain and North-Africa (Tunisia and Algeria). Winter 1928 she also performed in Nice in 'La Garçonne' by Victor Margueritte, while in 1929 she acted in 'La Famille heureuse' at the Odéon. Pascal would also continue to appear in fashion magazines in the 1920s.

In 1930 Pascal played Fanny in the stage version of 'Marius' by Marcel Pagnol, later adapted for film. 'Marius' was staged at the Théâtre de Paris, where Pascal was employed in the late 1920s. It is not exactly clear when Pascal stopped stage acting.

Andrée Pascal would live on for many, many years, and she would die in Clichy in 1982, at the high age of 90 years.

Andrée Pascal in Coeur de Française (1916)
French postcard by L. [Louis] Aubert, Concessionnaire, Paris. Photo: Les Grands Films Populaires G. Lordier, Paris.

In 1916 Andrée Pascal starred in the patriotic film Coeur de Française (Gaston Leprieur, 1916), based on a 1912 novel by Arthur Bernède, the first of his Chantecoq detective stories. It was a propagandistic spy drama in which Maxime Desjardins had the male lead as inventor Aubry opposite Andrée Pascal as his wife, involved in espionage between Germany and France. But the detective Chantecoq (Louis Ravet) is valiant. All actors in the film were acclaimed stage actors.

L'empereur des pauvres
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres/The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). In the middle, Gina Relly as Sylvette, at right, Henry Krauss, as her uncle Jean Sarrias, revolting against society, and at left Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias.

L'empereur des pauvres
French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres/The Emperor of the poor (René Leprince, 1921). Left to right: Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias, Gina Relly as Sylvette, Léon Mathot as Marc Anavan, and Henry Krauss as Jean Sarrias.

Sources: Gallica, Filmographie Eclair in Griffithiana 44/45 (May-September 1992), Fondation Jerome Seydoux - Pathe (French), Wikipedia (French), and IMDb.

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