Danielle Darrieux

'Danielle Darrieux' (qv) was born in 1917 in Bordeaux, France, to Marie-Louise (Witkowski) and Germain Jean Darrieux, a physician. She was raised in Paris. She was only fourteen when she auditioned for a secondary role in _Le bal (1931)_ (qv): she got the part, and the producer offered her a five-year contract. She had her first romantic lead in _La crise est finie (1934)_ (qv) and scored an international hit with the historical drama _Mayerling (1936)_ (qv) in which she played Marie Vetsera opposite 'Charles Boyer' (qv). In 1938, she went to Hollywood to appear in the fine comedy _The Rage of Paris (1938)_ (qv) but quickly returned to Paris.Darrieux remained in France during the Occupation and was one of the leading actresses during this period, starring in major hits such as Premier Rendez-Vous (1941). In 1945, she appeared both on stage (in "Tristan et Isolde") and on screen (in _Zum kleinen Glück (1946)_ (qv)). In the next three decades, she found several important roles, in films like _La Ronde (1950)_ (qv), _The Earrings of Madame De... (1953)_ (qv) -- in which she gave her best performance, as a society lady torn between her husband and her lover -- and _The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)_ (qv).In 1970, she replaced 'Katharine Hepburn' (qv) on Broadway in "Coco." Afterwards, she made occasional screen and stage appearances. But she made a triumphant comeback in 2002, playing 'Catherine Deneuve' (qv)'s mother in the international hit _8 Women (2002)_ (qv).She died on October 17, 2017 in Bois-le-Roi, Eure, France. She was 100.::Thanassis Agathos <thanaga@hol.gr>