French icon Micheline Presle (101) dies; revisiting her best films
Legendary French-Hollywood actor Micheline Presle, known for films such as Devil in the Flesh, Under My Skin, It Happened in the Park, and The Love of a Woman, has passed away. She was 101. Her son-in-law Olivier Bomsel confirmed to the media that she passed away on Wednesday in Nogent-sur-Marne, a Parisian suburb. We remember her through her best films.
'Devil in the Flesh'
IMDb describes DITF as, "During World War I, the star-crossed affair of an underage French student with a woman engaged to a soldier." Directed by Claude Autant-Lara, it also featured Pierre Bost, Gérard Philipe, Denise Grey, and Michel François. It launched her into stardom in Hollywood and was named among the best films of 1947 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.
'Adventures of Captain Fabian'
Adventures of Captain Fabian starred Presle, Errol Flynn, Vincent Price, and Victor Francen. Presle essayed the role of an ambitious, street-smart French maid named Lea Mariotte in the William Marshall directorial. Filmink wrote in its review, "The quality of the cast is high and there's always something happening on screen, the production values are decent (costumes, sets), and its ambition is endearing."
'Under My Skin'
Rotten Tomatoes describes the sports drama Under My Skin's story as "A crooked U.S. jockey (John Garfield) cheats a gambler (Luther Adler) abroad to stake a new life with his girlfriend (Presle) and son." The Jean Negulesco directorial also featured Luther Adler, Noel Drayton, and Orley Lindgren, and was based on American writer Ernest Hemingway's short story My Old Man (1923).
'If a Man Answers'
In If a Man Answers, Presle played Germaine Stacy, the mother of Chantal Stacy, portrayed by Sandra Dee. Based on Winifred Wolfe's namesake novel, it's a love story between a professional photographer and an affluent, young woman. Presle played a former French showgirl in the film and her role was instrumental to the plot. You can watch it on MX Player.
