Beginning in 1931, she appeared in more than 110 films. She was one of France's great movie stars and her eight-decade career was among the longest in film history. She turned 100 in May 2017.
Darrieux was born in Bordeaux, France during World War I to a physician who was serving in the French Army. Her father died when she was seven years old. Raised in Paris, she studied the cello at the Conservatoire de Musique. At 13, she won a part in the musical film Le Bal (1931). Her beauty combined with her singing and dancing ability led to numerous other offers, and the film Mayerling (1936) brought her to fame.
In 1935, Darrieux married director/screenwriter Henri Decoin, who encouraged her to try Hollywood. She signed with Universal Studios to star in The Rage of Paris (1938) opposite Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Afterwards, she elected to return to Paris.
Under the German occupation of France during World War II, she continued to perform, a decision that was severely criticized by her compatriots. However, it is reported that her brother had been threatened with deportation by Alfred Greven, the manager of the German run film production company in occupied France, Continental. She got a divorce and then fell in love with Porfirio Rubirosa, a Dominican Republic diplomat and notorious womanizer. They married in 1942. His anti-Nazi opinions resulted in his forced residence in Germany. In exchange for Rubirosa's freedom, Darrieux agreed to make a promotional trip in Berlin. The couple lived in Switzerland until the end of the war, and divorced in 1947. She married scriptwriter Georges Mitsikidès in 1948, and they lived together until his death in 1991.
She gave a good performance in the 1951 MGM musical Rich, Young and Pretty. Joseph L. Mankiewicz lured her back to Hollywood to star in 5 Fingers (1952) opposite James Mason. Upon returning to France, she appeared in Max Ophüls' The Earrings of Madame de... (1953) opposite Charles Boyer, and The Red and the Black (1954) opposite Gérard Philippe. The next year she starred in Lady Chatterley's Lover, whose theme of uninhibited sexuality led to its being proscribed by Catholic censors in the United States.
During the late 1950s, she played a supporting role in her last American film, United Artists' epic Alexander the Great (1956) starring Richard Burton and Claire Bloom. In 1961 she went to England at the request of director Lewis Gilbert to star in The Greengage Summer opposite Kenneth More. In 1963, she starred in the romantic comedy La Robe Mauve de Valentine at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. The play was adapted from the novel by Françoise Sagan. Then, in 1966, she played a memorable supporting role in Jacques Demy's musical The Young Girls of Rochefort. She is notable for being the only principal actor in any of Demy's film-musicals to sing her own songs. (All other actors had a separate person voice their singing parts.) During the 1960s she also was a concert singer.
In 1970, Darrieux replaced Katharine Hepburn in the Broadway musical Coco, based on the life of Coco Chanel, but the play, essentially a showcase for Hepburn, soon folded without her. In 1971 and 1972 she also appeared in the short-lived productions of Ambassador. In 1982, she worked again with Demy for his film Une chambre en ville, an opera-like musical melodrama reminiscent of the director's earlier masterpiece The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Once again, Darrieux provided her own vocals for her songs.
For her long service to the motion picture industry, in 1985 she was given an Honorary César Award. She continued to work, her career spanning eight decades, most recently providing the voice of the protagonist's grandmother in the animated feature, Persepolis (2007), which deals with the impact of the Islamic revolution on a girl's life as she grows to adulthood in Iran.
Danielle Darreux died on 17 October 2017 aged 100.
She was paid homage in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009): when Shosanna Dreyfus is preparing to take the Nazis down, her assistant calls her Danielle Darrieux.
Aux quatre saisons
Danielle Darrieux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nous ferons connaissance
Et nous lierons nos coeurs
A notre convenance
Je prendrai dans les champs
Des couronnes de Pâques
De jolies fleurs en flaques
Pour t'offrir ce printemps
Au moins quatre saisons
Et l'année passera
Et nous nous aimerons
A la saison des fruits
La saison des vacances
Nos corps seront unis
A notre convenance
Et je me chargerai
De fruits cueillis en grappes
Pour ne pas qu'ils s'échappent
Je t'offrirai l'été
Notre amour durera
Au moins quatre saisons
Et l'année passera
Et nous nous aimerons
A la saison des pluies
Nous tremperons nos têtes
Dans l'eau d'un ciel tout gris
Et nous ferons toilette
De la boue des chemins
Je bâtirai chaumière
Pour t'offrir tout entière
L'automne de mes mains
Notre amour durera
Au moins quatre saisons
Et l'année passera
Et nous nous aimerons
Et la saison des froids
Viendra sans qu'on y pense
Nous serons toujours là
A lier connaissance
Comme deux inconnus
Qui ont tant à se dire
Qui veulent encore vivre
Une autre année de plus
Et nous nous aimerons
Comme l'année dernière
Et nous nous offrirons
Joyeux anniversaire
Encore quatre saisons
The lyrics of Danielle Darrieux's song "Aux quatre saisons" tell the story of a love that spans throughout the four seasons of the year. In each season, the singer describes how they will express their love and commitment to their partner.
In the first verse, during the season of flowers, they will get to know each other and bind their hearts according to their own convenience. They will gather Easter crowns and pretty flowers to offer their partner in the spring. The song suggests that their love will last at least four seasons and they will continue to love each other throughout the passing year.
Moving into the season of fruits, which is also the season of vacations, their bodies will unite according to their own convenience. The singer will collect fruits to offer their partner, making sure they don't escape. This verse emphasizes the physical aspect of their relationship and the continued commitment.
In the season of rains, they will soak their heads in the water of a gray sky and cleanse themselves with the mud from the roads. The singer will build a cottage to offer their partner, symbolizing their dedication and willingness to provide for them.
Lastly, the season of cold will arrive, and they will still be there, meeting again like two strangers who have so much to say to each other. They will want to live another year together and express their love once more.
Overall, the song portrays a love that evolves and endures throughout the changing seasons, representing the journey of a committed relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
A la saison des fleurs
During the season of flowers
Nous ferons connaissance
We will meet
Et nous lierons nos coeurs
And we will bind our hearts
A notre convenance
At our convenience
Je prendrai dans les champs
I will pick from the fields
Des couronnes de Pâques
Easter wreaths
De jolies fleurs en flaques
Beautiful flowers in puddles
Pour t'offrir ce printemps
To offer you this spring
Notre amour durera
Our love will last
Au moins quatre saisons
At least four seasons
Et l'année passera
And the year will pass
Et nous nous aimerons
And we will love each other
A la saison des fruits
During the season of fruits
La saison des vacances
The season of vacations
Nos corps seront unis
Our bodies will be united
A notre convenance
At our convenience
Et je me chargerai
And I will take care
De fruits cueillis en grappes
Of fruits gathered in bunches
Pour ne pas qu'ils s'échappent
So they don't escape
Je t'offrirai l'été
I will offer you the summer
A la saison des pluies
During the rainy season
Nous tremperons nos têtes
We will wet our heads
Dans l'eau d'un ciel tout gris
In the water from a gray sky
Et nous ferons toilette
And we will clean ourselves
De la boue des chemins
From the mud of the paths
Je bâtirai chaumière
I will build a cottage
Pour t'offrir tout entière
To offer you completely
L'automne de mes mains
The autumn of my hands
Et la saison des froids
And the season of cold
Viendra sans qu'on y pense
Will come without us thinking
Nous serons toujours là
We will always be there
A lier connaissance
Forming a relationship
Comme deux inconnus
Like two strangers
Qui ont tant à se dire
Who have so much to say to each other
Qui veulent encore vivre
Who still want to live
Une autre année de plus
Another year added
Et nous nous aimerons
And we will love each other
Comme l'année dernière
Like last year
Et nous nous offrirons
And we will give each other
Joyeux anniversaire
Happy anniversary
Encore quatre saisons
Four more seasons
Lyrics © EDITIONS METROPOLITAINES
Written by: Gabrielle VERVAECKE, Robert NIEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marie Bréda
...mais c'est adorablement touchant !
jean duc
merci Pierre pour toutes ces perles que tu découvres pour notre plus grand plaisir.
petugue
Mais que c'est beau et touchant mon Dieu !
Clement Distanos
Danielle Darrieux est pleine de charme, et Brassens est totalement empoté. !!! Il y a dans les yeux de la Demoiselle un air de vraie complicité.
Haris Tocrate
On ne peut pas être bon en tout. Je préfère ce qu’il a apporté à la chanson française, cela restera plus longtemps au patrimoine !.......
Victorine Lagoutte
Voilà des vraies chanteuses....la voix douce timbre de voix exceptionnel /douceur/... ce n"est pas comme ces criardes d'aujourd'hui... même s'il y en a 2 qui sont exceptionnelles dans cette mélasse...Danièle Darieux était splendide magnifique...
Merci de nous montrer ce bijoux.....😘😊💖💖💖🧡❤🧡❤❤❤🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Pascal Solal
C'était mieux avant, bla bla...
J'étais sûr de trouver ce genre de commentaires.
Michel Victor
Vraiment attendrissant !
camous joel
faire face à Danielle Darrieux au sommet de sa beauté , je serais tombé dans les pommes ,heureusement je n'avais que neuf ans .......Mais ça n'a pas empêché Brassens d'ecrire et d'enregistrer (le 4 mars 1960 ) Pénélope.
wallersayn 79
C'est quoi la chanson que chante darrieux ?