Corinne Calvet, 1925 – 2001

Corinne Calvet: born 30 April 1925; died 23 June 2001. Corinne Calvet was one of the very few French actresses with an extensive career in Hollywood.

Only Leslie Caron could claim to have made as many American movies. But, whereas Caron played up her asexual gamine qualities, Calvet brought serious oo-la-la to her roles. Almost all Calvet’s pictures were made in the 1950s, when Hollywood used foreign stars to appeal to the diminishing international market. In 1952, Calvet filed a million-dollar slander suit against Zsa Zsa Gabor, charging that Gabor had told a leading Hollywood columnist, among others, that she was not actually French. The case was thrown out, but Calvet’s origins were found to be genuine. She was born Corinne Dibos in Paris into a wealthy family. Her mother was one of the scientists who contributed to the invention of Pyrex glassware. A bright pupil, Corinne studied criminal law at the Sorbonne before turning to acting. “A lawyer needs exactly what an actor needs, strong personality, persuasive powers and a good voice.”

The above photo is, apparently, a studio print promoting ‘The Adventures of a Young Man’ (1962) ~ Amazon link.