Capucine et baie d'Annaba. Mahieddine Boumendjel.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Capucine (, born Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre , 6 January 1928 – 17 March 1990) was a French fashion model and actress known for her comedic roles in '' The Pink Panther'' (1963) and ''
What's New Pussycat? ''What's New Pussycat?'' is a 1965 screwball comedy film directed by Clive Donner, written by Woody Allen in his first produced screenplay, and starring Allen in his acting debut, along with Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capuci ...
'' (1965). She appeared in 36 films and 17 television productions between 1948 and 1990.


Early life

Capucine was born Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre on 6 January 1928 in
Saint-Raphaël, Var Saint-Raphaël (; oc, Sant Rafèu ) is a commune in the Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern France. In 2017, it had a population of 35,042. Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies a larger and older town, F ...
, France. She often confused the date of her birth by saying that she was born in 1931 or 1933, and most sources indicate those years. She attended school in
Saumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
, France, and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign languages. In 1945, at age 17, while riding in a carriage in Paris, Lefebvre was noticed by a commercial photographer. Adopting the French name of a flower, "Capucine" (nasturtium, '' Tropaeolum''), she became a fashion model, working for the fashion houses Givenchy and
Christian Dior Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses a ...
. Capucine met
Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars, t ...
while modelling for Givenchy in Paris. They remained close friends for the rest of Capucine's life.


Career


Early films

Capucine made her film debut in Jean Cocteau's '' The Eagle with Two Heads'' (1948), in a small, unbilled role. She also appeared in
Jacques Becker Jacques Becker (; 15 September 1906 – 21 February 1960) was a French film director and screenwriter. His films, made during the 1940s and 1950s, encompassed a wide variety of genres, and they were admired by some of the filmmakers who led th ...
's '' Rendezvous in July'' (1949) and Robert Dhéry's ''Crazy Show'' (1949). She was in '' My Friend Sainfoin'' (1950) and Dhery's ''
Bernard and the Lion ''Bernard and the Lion'' (French: ''Bertrand coeur de lion'') is a 1951 French comedy film directed by Robert Dhéry and starring Dhéry, Gérard Calvi and Roger Saget.Rège p.325 The film's art direction was by Raymond Nègre. Cast * Robert Dh ...
'' (1951). After a break of a few years, Capucine appeared in ''Mademoiselle from Paris'' (1955) and ''
Frou-Frou ''Frou-Frou'', is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Augusto Genina, written by A. E. Carr, starring Dany Robin and Louis de Funès. The film is also known as "A Girl from Paris". Plot Frou-Frou is a 16-year-old peddler. She comes to ...
'' (1955).


Charles K. Feldman

In 1957, film producer
Charles K. Feldman Charles K. Feldman (April 26, 1905 – May 25, 1968) was a Hollywood attorney, film producer and talent agent who founded the Famous Artists talent agency. According to one obituary, Feldman disdained publicity. "Feldman was an enigma to Holly ...
spotted Capucine while she was modeling in New York City. Feldman put her under contract at $150 a week. He brought her to Hollywood to learn English and study acting under
Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; russian: Григорий Васильевич Ратнер, tr. ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-born American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was bes ...
. She took the stage name "Capucine", saying, "Two names are interesting and I hope one is interesting." She signed a seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures in 1958. After unsuccessfully auditioning for the role of Feathers in ''
Rio Bravo Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...
'' (1959) she landed her first English-speaking role in the film '' Song Without End'' (1960), a biopic of
Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
, where Capucine played Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Producer William Goetz said, "You can teach a girl to act, but nobody can teach her how to look like a princess. You've got to start with a girl who looks like a princess." "Every time I get in front of the camera, I think of it as an attractive man I am meeting for the first time", she said in 1960. "I find him demanding and aloof, so I must do all I can to interest him." "I got much better as we went on", she said. "As the scenes warmed up, so did I." She was nominated for a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
. Capucine followed this with '' North to Alaska'' (1960), a comedy which had been set up with her in mind by Feldman at
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
. She played a French prostitute who becomes the love interest of
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
. Directed by Henry Hathaway, it was successful at the box office. Capucine returned to Europe to co star in ''Le triomphe de Michel Strogoff'' (1961) with Curd Jürgens, a sequel to '' Michel Strogoff'' (1956). Back in Hollywood, she had second billing in '' Walk on the Wild Side'' (1962), produced by Feldman, in which she portrayed a redeemed hooker. Co-star Laurence Harvey complained that Feldman cut his part to expand Capucine's role. She was then William Holden's love interest in '' The Lion'' (1962). During filming, Capucine began a romance with Holden, which led to the end of her romantic relationship with Feldman; however, the producer remained loyal professionally. Feldman announced he would put Capucine in ''Mary Magdalene'' and ''Waltz of the Toreadors'' but neither happened. She moved to Switzerland in 1962.


''The Pink Panther''

Blake Edwards cast Capucine in '' The Pink Panther'', playing Inspector Clouseau's wife, who is having an affair with a jewel thief, played by David Niven. It was a huge hit, and led to a number of sequels. In 1964, Capucine said the directors she had learned most from were Edwards and Henry Hathaway. Capucine was reunited with Holden in ''
The 7th Dawn ''The 7th Dawn'' is a 1964 Technicolor drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring William Holden, Capucine and Tetsurō Tamba. The film, set during the Malayan Emergency, is based on the 1960 novel ''The Durian Tree'' by Michael Keon an ...
'' (1964) produced by Feldman; it was a box-office disappointment. Another film she did for Feldman, the comedy ''
What's New Pussycat? ''What's New Pussycat?'' is a 1965 screwball comedy film directed by Clive Donner, written by Woody Allen in his first produced screenplay, and starring Allen in his acting debut, along with Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capuci ...
'' (1965), which costarred Sellers and
Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was a British stage and film actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic ...
, was far more successful; it was filmed entirely in France. Capucine was one of several European stars in ''
Sex Quartet ''Sex Quartet'' (US title: ''The Queens'', it, Le fate, 'the fairies') is a 1966 Italian-French comedy film directed by Mario Monicelli, Mauro Bolognini, Antonio Pietrangeli and Luciano Salce. It starred Capucine, Claudia Cardinale, Monica Vitti ...
'' (1966) for Columbia (originally ''The Queens''),) then Feldman put her in '' The Honey Pot'' (1967), directed by
Joseph L. Mankiewicz Joseph Leo Mankiewicz (; February 11, 1909 – February 5, 1993) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mankiewicz had a long Hollywood career, and won both the Academy Award for Best Director and the Academy Award for Best ...
. She was announced for Feldman's '' Casino Royale'', but did not appear in the film. Feldman died in May 1968, and Capucine's career never regained its former momentum. She inherited the rights to the book ''Zandy'' from his estate and sold them to the makers of ''
Zandy's Bride ''Zandy's Bride'' is a 1974 American Western film directed by Jan Troell and starring Gene Hackman and Liv Ullmann. The film is also known as ''For Better, for Worse'' in the United States (TV title). It was filmed on location near Big Sur, Cal ...
''.


Post-Feldman

Capucine had a support role in ''
Fräulein Doktor ''Fräulein'' ( , ) is the German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and Mademoiselle in French. Description ''Fräulein'' is the diminutive form of ''Frau'', which was previously reserved only for marrie ...
'' (1968) and the lead in the Spanish thriller '' The Exquisite Cadaver'' (1969). She was in the supporting cast of '' Fellini Satyricon'' (1969). Fellini said "she had a face to launch a thousand ships... but she was born too late." In 1968, she told an Italian magazine she wished she didn't always have to be elegant, that she longed to play a "dishevelled woman", but "since the directors know I was a model, it is obvious that they can't see me as anything else."
Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Organ ...
suggested her for the role of Tadzio's mother in '' Death in Venice'' (1971), but Luchino Visconti turned her down, saying, "She has a horrible voice and too many teeth. She looks like a horse, a beautiful horse, I know that, I was a trainer. I know all about horses, but I don't want a horse." Capucine had a supporting role in the Western ''
Red Sun ''Red Sun'' (french: Soleil rouge, it, Sole rosso) is a 1971 Franco-Italian international co-production Spaghetti Western film directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson, Toshirō Mifune, Alain Delon, Ursula Andress, and Capucine. I ...
'' (1971) and guest starred on '' Search Control'' (1972), her first TV series. She supported
Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...
in ''
Incorrigible Incorrigible may refer to: * Incorrigibility * Incorrigible (1946 film) * Incorrigible (1975 film) ''Incorrigible'' (French: ''L'Incorrigible'') is a 1975 French comedy film directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, Geneviève ...
'' (1975) and Richard Burton in ''
Jackpot Jackpot or Jackpot! may refer to: * A prize, such as a progressive jackpot * Gardena jackpots, a poker variant * Jackpot, Nevada, a community on the Nevada–Idaho state border Comics * Jackpot (comics), several comic book characters * ''Jack ...
'', which was ultimately abandoned. She appeared on television in ''Cinéma 16'', and ''La pêche miraculeuse'' (1976), and had roles in '' The Con Artists'' (1976), ''Per amore'' (1976), '' Ecco noi per esempio'' (1977), ''
Nest of Vipers ''Nest of Vipers'' ( it, Ritratto di borghesia in nero, lit=Portrait of a Bourgeois in Black) is a 1978 Italian drama film directed by Tonino Cervi. Based on the 1949 short story ''La maîtresse de piano'' (''The Piano Teacher'') by Roger Peyre ...
'' (1978), ''
From Hell to Victory ''From Hell to Victory'' (Italian: ''Contro 4 bandiere'', French: ''De l'enfer à la victoire'', Spanish: ''De Dunkerke a la victoria'') is a 1979 Euro War film directed by Umberto Lenzi and produced by Edmondo Amati. The international cast stars ...
'' (1979), ''Atrocious Tales of Love and Death'' (1979), '' Neapolitan Mystery'' (1979), ''
Arabian Adventure ''Arabian Adventure'' is a 1979 British fantasy adventure film directed by Kevin Connor and starring Christopher Lee and Oliver Tobias. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, U.K. Premise An evil caliph (Christopher Lee) offer ...
'' (1979), ''
Jaguar Lives! ''Jaguar Lives!'' is a 1979 American action film directed by Ernest Pintoff and starring Joe Lewis, Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence and Barbara Bach. Its plot follows a secret agent who battles an international drugs ring. Plot Cast * Joe ...
'' (1979), and ''Martin Eden'' (1979).


1980s

Capucine appeared in episodes of '' Orient Express'' (1980), '' Hart to Hart'' (1982) and ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'' (1985), as well as the 1986 miniseries '' Sins''. She went to Europe to make ''Les invités'' (1982), '' Aphrodite'' (1982), ''
Trail of the Pink Panther A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. T ...
'' (1982), and '' Curse of the Pink Panther'' (1983). Capucine appears in episodes of '' Série noire'', ''Voglia di cantare'', ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
'', ''
Honor Thy Father ''Honor Thy Father'' is a 1971 book by Gay Talese, about the travails of the Bonanno crime family in the 1960s, especially Salvatore Bonanno and his father Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonanno. Background In 1965, Gay Talese left his job as a repor ...
'', '' Sins'', ''
Delirium Delirium (also known as acute confusional state) is an organically caused decline from a previous baseline of mental function that develops over a short period of time, typically hours to days. Delirium is a syndrome encompassing disturbances in ...
'' (1987), ''
My First Forty Years ''My First Forty Years'' ( it, I miei primi 40 anni, also known as ''My Wonderful Life'') is a 1987 Italian comedy film directed by Carlo Vanzina and starring Carol Alt, Elliott Gould and Jean Rochefort. It is loosely based on the autobiography ...
'' (1987), ''Gila and Rik'' (1987), ''Una verità come un'altra'' (1989), ''Quartier nègre'' (1989), ''Blaues Blut'' (1990) and ''Il giudice istruttore''.


Personal life

Capucine met
Pierre Trabaud Pierre Trabaud (7 August 1922 – 26 February 2005) was a French film actor. He appeared in 30 films between 1945 and 1989. Personal life Trabaud met French actress Capucine on the set of ''Rendez-vous'' (1949). The two married a year late ...
on the set of ''Rendez-vous'' (1949) and they married the next year. The marriage lasted only eight months, and she never married again. She had a relationship with
Charles K. Feldman Charles K. Feldman (April 26, 1905 – May 25, 1968) was a Hollywood attorney, film producer and talent agent who founded the Famous Artists talent agency. According to one obituary, Feldman disdained publicity. "Feldman was an enigma to Holly ...
, who produced her films ''
What's New Pussycat? ''What's New Pussycat?'' is a 1965 screwball comedy film directed by Clive Donner, written by Woody Allen in his first produced screenplay, and starring Allen in his acting debut, along with Peter Sellers, Peter O'Toole, Romy Schneider, Capuci ...
'', ''
The 7th Dawn ''The 7th Dawn'' is a 1964 Technicolor drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring William Holden, Capucine and Tetsurō Tamba. The film, set during the Malayan Emergency, is based on the 1960 novel ''The Durian Tree'' by Michael Keon an ...
'', and '' The Honey Pot.'' This affair ended when Capucine met William Holden, but she and Feldman remained friends until his death in 1968. He left her $75,000 (). Capucine met actor William Holden in the early 1960s. They starred in the films '' The Lion'' (1962) and ''
The 7th Dawn ''The 7th Dawn'' is a 1964 Technicolor drama film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring William Holden, Capucine and Tetsurō Tamba. The film, set during the Malayan Emergency, is based on the 1960 novel ''The Durian Tree'' by Michael Keon an ...
'' (1964). Holden was married to Brenda Marshall, but the two began a two-year affair, which ended in part due to Holden's increasing alcoholism. After the affair ended, she and Holden remained friends until his death in 1981. In his will he left her $50,000 ().


Death

On 17 March 1990, at age 62, Capucine jumped to her death from her eighth-floor apartment in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland, where she had lived for 28 years, having reportedly suffered from illness and depression for some time. The police said an investigation left no doubt that she committed suicide. Neighbours said she had led a reclusive life with her three cats, hardly ever leaving her apartment and spending most of her time reading.


Selected filmography


See also

* Mononymous persons * List of suicides


References


External links

* *
Capucine
(Aveleyman.com) {{DEFAULTSORT:Capucine 1928 births 1990 deaths 20th-century French actresses French expatriates in Switzerland French female models French film actresses French television actresses Suicides by jumping in Switzerland People from Saint-Raphaël, Var 1990 suicides Female suicides