Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (1 May 1917 – 17 October 2017) wa… Read Full Bio ↴Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (1 May 1917 – 17 October 2017) was a French actress and singer.

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.

Les amoureux de Paris
Danielle Darrieux Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Si toutes les larmes qui sont nées à Paris
Si toutes les larmes essuyées à Paris
Pouvaient tomber en pluie
Alors, la Seine, en une nuit
La Seine, alors, déborderait
Et Paris se noierait
Oui, mais moi, je me dis
Quand je vois dans tes yeux quelques larmes

C'est Paris qui peut-être a choisi
Ces yeux-là pour y verser des larmes
Des larmes de joie
Si tous les sourires qui sont nés à Paris
Si tous les sourires envolés de Paris
Illuminaient le ciel
Sous la chaleur de ce soleil
Et dont l'amour a le secret
Paris brûlerait
Oui, mais moi, je me dis
Quand je vois dans tes yeux un sourire
C'est Paris qui peut-être a choisi
Ces yeux-là pour y venir sourire
Pour nous sourire
Si nous nous aimons comme l'on s'aime à Paris
Si nous sourions ou nous pleurons à Paris
C'est Paris, mon amour, Paris qui aime ceux qui s'aiment

Paris qui offre à ceux qui s'aiment
Les sourires de Paris

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Danielle Darrieux's song "Les amoureux de Paris" evoke a profound sentiment tied to the essence of Paris itself. In the first stanza, the singer muses about the tears that are shed in Paris, suggesting that if all the tears shed in the city were to fall as rain, the Seine River would overflow and Paris would drown. However, the singer finds a glimmer of hope in the tears they see in their lover's eyes, seeing them as tears of joy that Paris may have chosen to bestow upon those eyes. This juxtaposition between despair and hope encapsulates the emotional complexity of love and resilience in the face of adversity.

Continuing, the lyrics delve into the concept of smiles born in Paris, painting a poetic picture of smiles lighting up the sky under the warmth of the sun. There is a sense of passion and intensity in the imagery of love's secret burning Paris to the ground if all the smiles were to unite. Yet, again, the focus shifts to the personal connection between the singer and their lover, seeing the smile in their eyes as a chosen gift from Paris itself. This idea that Paris selects certain eyes to bring smiles to further underscores the romantic nature of the city and its ties to the individuals within it.

The final stanza brings forth a celebration of love shared in Paris, highlighting a mutual affection and emotional interconnectedness between the lovers. Paris is personified as an entity that loves those who love each other, offering smiles as gifts to those who share their love within the city's embrace. The singer emphasizes the idea that Paris is a place where love is cherished and reciprocated, where love is celebrated and nurtured. By framing the relationship within the context of Paris' love for lovers, the lyrics elevate the romance and sentimentality of the connection between the singer and their beloved, portraying Paris as a witness and supporter of their love story.

Overall, "Les amoureux de Paris" captures the essence of love in the City of Lights, intertwining themes of joy, tears, smiles, and love's resilience amidst challenges. Through vivid imagery and a tender narrative, the song conveys a deep appreciation for the emotional richness of Paris and the profound impact it has on the love shared between individuals. It reflects on the beauty and complexity of love, portraying Paris not just as a backdrop but as an active participant in the lovers' emotional journey, showering them with its unique brand of affection and blessings.

Line by Line Meaning

Si toutes les larmes qui sont nées à Paris
If all the tears born in Paris

Si toutes les larmes essuyées à Paris
If all the tears wiped away in Paris

Pouvaient tomber en pluie
Could fall like rain

Alors, la Seine, en une nuit
Then the Seine, in one night

La Seine, alors, déborderait
The Seine would overflow

Et Paris se noierait
And Paris would drown

Oui, mais moi, je me dis
Yes, but I tell myself

Quand je vois dans tes yeux quelques larmes
When I see a few tears in your eyes

C'est Paris qui peut-être a choisi
Perhaps it's Paris that chose

Ces yeux-là pour y verser des larmes
Those eyes to shed tears in

Des larmes de joie
Tears of joy