Françoise Paulette Louise Dorléac (21 March 194226 June 1967) was a French actress. She was the elder sister of

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

, with whom she starred in the 1967 musical, ''

The Young Girls of Rochefort ''The Young Girls of Rochefort'' (french: Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, lit=The Young Ladies of Rochefort) is a 1967 French musical comedy film written and directed by Jacques Demy. The ensemble cast is headlined by real-life sisters Catherine D ...

''. Her other films include Philippe de Broca's movie '' That Man from Rio'', François Truffaut's '' The Soft Skin'',

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

's '' Cul-de-sac'', and

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

's ''

Where the Spies Are ''Where the Spies Are'' is a 1966 British comedy adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring David Niven, Françoise Dorléac, John Le Mesurier, Cyril Cusack and Richard Marner. It was based on the 1964 James Leasor book '' Passport to Obl ...

''.

Biography

Early films

Dorléac was the daughter of screen actors Maurice Dorléac and Renée Simonot. Slim, fair and blonde, she made her film debut in ''The Wolves in the Sheepfold'' (1960), directed by

Hervé Bromberger Hervé Bromberger (11 November 1918 – 25 November 1993) was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed 16 films between 1951 and 1982. His 1951 film ''Paris Vice Squad'' was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. Selecte ...

. She went on to appear in ''The Door Slams'' (1960) with Dany Saval and her sister Catherine Deneuve. Dorléac had a small role in '' Tonight or Never'' (1961) with

Anna Karina Anna Karina (born Hanne Karin Blarke Bayer; September 22, 1940 – December 14, 2019)

for director

Michel Deville Michel Deville (born 13 April 1931) is a French film director and screenwriter. Deville started his filmmaking career in the late 1950s, paralleling the emergence of the French New Wave directors. He never achieved the level of critical and int ...

, '' The Girl with the Golden Eyes'' (1961) with

Marie Laforêt Marie Laforêt (born Maïtena Marie Brigitte Doumenach; 5 October 1939 – 2 November 2019) was a French singer and actress, particularly well known for her work during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1978, she moved to Geneva, and acquired Swiss citize ...

, '' All the Gold in the World'' (1961) with

Bourvil André Robert Raimbourg (; 27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil (), and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Louis ...

, and '' Adorable Liar'' (1961) from director Deville. Dorléac was

Jean-Pierre Cassel Jean-Pierre Cassel (born Jean-Pierre Crochon; 27 October 1932 – 19 April 2007) was a French actor. Early life Cassel was born Jean-Pierre Crochon in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, the son of Louise-Marguerite (née Fabrègue), an opera sin ...

's leading lady in '' The Dance'' (1962) and had one of the leads in a TV movie, ''Les trois chapeaux claques'' (1962), directed by Jean-Pierre Marchand. She was reunited with Jean Pierre Cassel in ' (1962) and was one of many stars of the television movie ''Teuf-teuf'' (1963).

French stardom

Dorléac leapt to international stardom with the female lead in '' That Man from Rio'' (1964) starring

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 ...

and directed by Philippe de Broca. She followed it with '' The Soft Skin'' (1964) directed by François Truffaut. She was in ''The Gentle Art of Seduction'' (1964) with Belmondo and Jean-Paul Brialy, with her sister in a support part. Dorléac was one of several French stars in '' Circle of Love'' (1964) directed by

Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director and producer, as well as an author, artist and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, su ...

, and appeared in a TV show, ''Les petites demoiselles'' (1964), directed by Deville and starring De Broca. She also appeared in the comedy films, ''Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin'' (1962) opposite Jean-Claude Brialy, and '' Male Hunt'' (1964), with Belmondo and her sister.

International career

''That Man from Rio'' and ''Soft Skin'' were seen widely internationally and Dorléac received an offer to play the female lead in an expensive Hollywood financed epic, '' Genghis Khan'' (1965). She was

David Niven James David Graham Niven (; 1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983) was a British actor, soldier, memoirist, and novelist. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Major Pollock in '' Separate Tables'' (1958). Niven's other roles ...

's love interest in a spy film at

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, ''

'' (1966). Dorléac appeared as the adulterous wife in

's black comedy '' Cul-de-sac'' (1966), shot in Britain. She returned to France to star in a TV adaption of the

Prosper Mérimée Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...

novel ''Julie de Chaverny ou la Double Méprise'' (1966) directed by Marchand. Then she joined Gene Kelly and her sister Catherine, who was a cinematic star by this time, in ''

'' (1967), an homage to Hollywood musicals. Her final film role was the female lead in ''

Billion Dollar Brain ''Billion Dollar Brain'' is a 1967 British espionage film directed by Ken Russell and based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Len Deighton. The film features Michael Caine as secret agent Harry Palmer, the anti-hero protagonist. The "b ...

'' (1967) opposite

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

, who played spy

Harry Palmer Harry Palmer is the anti-hero protagonist of a number of films based on the unnamed main character, a secret agent, in the spy novels written by Len Deighton. Michael Caine played Harry Palmer in three of the four films based on the four pub ...

Death

Dorléac was on the brink of international stardom when she died in a traffic accident on 26 June 1967, aged 25. She lost control of her rented

Renault 10 10 (ten) is the Even and odd numbers, even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 (number), 11. Ten is the base of the decimal numeral system, by far the most common system of denoting numbers in both spoken and written language. It is the f ...

and hit a signpost ten kilometres from

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

at the

Villeneuve-Loubet Villeneuve-Loubet (; oc, Vilanuòva e Lo Lobet; it, Villanova Lobetto) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mou ...

exit of the autoroute La Provençale. The car flipped over and burst into flames. Dorléac had been en route to

Nice Airport Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

and was afraid of missing her flight. She was seen struggling to get out of the car, but was unable to open the door. Police later identified her body only from the fragment of a cheque book, a diary, and her driver's licence.

Filmography

* ''Cinépanorama'' (TV series documentary, 1959) – herself * ''Les loups dans la bergerie'' (1960) – Madeleine * ''Les portes claquent'' (1960) – Dominique (together with her sister Catherine Deneuve) * ''Les échos du cinéma'' (TV series short, 1961–1962) – herself * '' Ce soir ou jamais'' (1961) – Danièle * '' La fille aux yeux d'or'' (1961) – Katia * '' All the Gold in the World'' (1961) – La journaliste * '' Adorable menteuse'' (1962) * '' The Dance'' (1962) – Françoise * ''Les trois chapeaux claques'' (TV Movie, 1962) – Paula * '' Discorama'' (TV series, 1962) – herself * ''Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin'' (film, 1962) – Nathalie Cartier * ''Teuf-teuf'' (TV movie, 1963) * ''4 FOIS D – Françoise Dorléac'' (Documentary short, 1964) – herself * '' L'homme de Rio'' (1964) – Agnès Villermosa * ''

La peau douce ''The Soft Skin'' (french: La peau douce) is a 1964 French-Portuguese romantic drama film directed by François Truffaut and starring Jean Desailly, Françoise Dorléac, and Nelly Benedetti. Written by Truffaut and Jean-Louis Richard, the film is ...

'' (1964) – Nicole * '' Circle of Love'' (1964) * '' Male Hunt'' (1964) – Françoise Bicart alias Sandra Rossen * ''Les petites demoiselles'' (TV Movie, 1964) * ''Grand écran'' (TV series documentary, 1964) – herself * ''Ni figue ni raisin'' (TV series, 1965) – herself * '' Genghis Khan'' (1965) – Bortei * ''

'' (1966) – Vikki * '' Cul-de-sac'' (1966) – Teresa * ''New Reports from France'' (TV series documentary, 1966) – herself, segment 4 * ''Dim Dam Dom'' (TV series documentary, 1966) – herself * ''Gala de l'Unicef'' (TV series, 1966) – herself * ''Septième art septième case'' (TV series, 1966) – herself * ''Derrière l'écran'' (TV series, 1966) – herself * ''Julie de Chaverny ou la Double Méprise'' (TV Movie, 1967) – Julie * ''Tilt'' (TV series, 1967) – herself * ''Hollywood in Deblatschka Pescara'' (Short film, 1967) – herself, uncredited * '' Les demoiselles de Rochefort'' (1967) – Solange Garnier (also with Deneuve) * ''

'' (1967) – Anya (final film role, released posthumously) * ''

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...

'' – herself (TV series, uncredited; filmed days before her death; 1 episode, 1968, aired posthumously)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorleac, Francoise 1942 births 1967 deaths 20th-century French actresses Actresses from Paris French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Deaths from fire Dorléac family French film actresses French people of Norman descent Road incident deaths in France