Arletty

Arletty (pseudonym of Arlette-Léonie Bathiat) (1898-1992), French actress, noted for her unique and formidable film personality. Born in Courbevoie, she made her stage debut in 1920 in a cheap revue, after working in a factory and as a secretary and model. She earned recognition as an actress with the first film she made with Marcel Carné, Hôtel du Nord (1938), and appeared in three subsequent masterpieces: Le Jour se Lève (1939; Daybreak), Les Visiteurs du Soir (1942; The Devil's Envoy), and Les Enfants du Paradis (1945; Children of Paradise), all written by Jacques Prévert. She was renowned for having a wonderful sense of humour and an extraordinary wit, which combined with a touch of the Paris working-class for which she will always be remembered. Arletty's career was destroyed after the war when she was accused of having had an affair with a German officer. She continued working, however, until 1963, when her blindness made acting impossible. Her memoirs (La Défense) appeared in 1971.