Viviane Romance

Strikingly beautiful French leading lady (Miss Paris of 1930) who first appeared on stage at the age of 13 at the Theatre Sarah-Bernhardt, then did some modelling work and a year later joined the chorus line of the Moulin Rouge. She also performed the 'can-can' at the legendary Parisian nightclub Bal Tabarin. Her breakthrough came, when she was signed by the director Jean Renoir for a bit part in the film La Chienne (1931). From the mid-1930s she was given leading roles roles, usually as the femme fatale, best exemplified by Jean Gabin's faithless wife in Duvivier's They Were Five (1936). This established her as a bankable star and she was much in demand for other portrayals of courtesans, kind-hearted prostitutes and alluring exotics. One of her best films was the film noir Panique (1946). She also starred in the title role of Carmen (1944). Eschewing offers from Hollywood, Viviane continued acting in French and Italian films during the 1950s. When her popularity began to wane she went into production with her then-husband Clément Duhour, but without much success. Suffering considerable financial hardship, Viviane had a lengthy absence from the screen but eventually re-appeared on television in the early 1970s and finished her career with a noteworthy role as Madame Gabrielle in Claude Chabrol's The Nada Gang (1974).