French postcard by Editions d'art Yvon, Paris, no. 40-110-02. Photo: Parc Film / KIM.
Jean Marais and
Catherine Deneuve in
Peau d'âne/Donkey Skin (Jacques Demy, 1970). Caption: Peau d'âne (Donkey Skin), a tale by Charles Perrault, a film by Jacques Demy. The Princess asks the King, her father, for a moon-coloured dress.
With his heroic physique,
Jean Marais (1913-1998) was France’s answer to Errol Flynn, the epitome of the swashbuckling romantic hero of French cinema. The blonde and incredibly good-looking actor played over 100 roles in film and on television and was also known as a director, writer, painter and sculptor. His mentor was the legendary poet and director Jean Cocteau, who was also his lover.
Elegant
Catherine Deneuve (1943) is an icon of French cinema who has graced the screen for already more than six decades. She gained recognition in the 1960s for her portrayal of cool, mysterious beauties in classic films by directors like Luis Buñuel, Roman Polanski and François Truffaut. Apart from being a great actress, she is also an archetype for Gallic beauty. From 1985 to 1989, she succeeded Brigitte Bardot as the model for the national symbol Marianne, seen on French coins and stamps.
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