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Adrienne D'Ambricourt

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Adrienne D'Ambricourt
Born
Adrienne Dumontier[1]

(1878-06-02)2 June 1878
Paris, France
Died6 December 1957(1957-12-06) (aged 79)
OccupationActress
Years active1924–1957

Adrienne D'Ambricourt (born Adrienne Dumontier; 2 June 1878 – 6 December 1957) was a French-American actress of the silent and sound film eras. She was born in Paris, and emigrated to the United States after the end of World War I.

Biography

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A member of the Comédie-Française who had also performed at the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt,[2] D'Ambricourt made her American acting debut in the 1922 Gershwin Broadway musical comedy, The French Doll, in which she had one of the main roles, "Baroness Mazulier".[3] She made her film debut in the 1924 silent film, The Humming Bird, where she was one of Gloria Swanson's gang of thieves who turned into resistance fighters in World War I.[4]

With the advent of talking pictures, and before dubbing came into general use, D'Ambricourt was used in several films which were the French version of English language ones, such as Quand on est belle (The Easiest Way — 1931), L'énigmatique Mr. Parkes (Slightly Scarlet — 1930), and Nuit d'Espagne (Transgression — 1931).[5]

She appeared in over 70 films, including such classics as Casablanca, San Francisco, and To Have And Have Not, until about 1947, after which her film career began to decline. Her final role was in George Cukor's Les Girls, starring Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor, in which she played the wardrobe woman.[6] With the advent of television, she appeared in several series during the 1950s, working right up to her death.[5]

Person life and death

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D'Ambricourt had a son, Jean Dumontier, who was also an actor.[7]

On December 6, 1957, D'Ambricourt suffered a fatal heart attack while driving in Hollywood.[2]

Filmography

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(Per AFI database)[5]

References

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  1. ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-7864-7992-4.
  2. ^ a b "RITES SET FOR WRITER MRS. D'AMBRICOURT". Los Angeles Times. 11 December 1957. p. B8. ProQuest 167190284. Requiem Mass for Mrs. Adrienne D'Ambricourt, 79, actress, journalist and lecturer, will be celebrated today at 9 a.m. in St. Victor's Catholic Church. Mrs. D'Ambricourt died Friday night, apparently of a heart attack, while driving her automobile in Hollywood. A graduate of the Paris Conservatoire, she was once with the Comedie Francaise and the Sarah Bernhardt Theater.
  3. ^ "The French Doll". Internet Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  4. ^ "The Humming Bird: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 April 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Adrienne D'Ambricourt profile". American Film Institute. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  6. ^ "Les Girls: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  7. ^ Foote, Blythe (July 16, 1940). "Anxiety for Soldier Son Bared by French Actress". The Pasadena Post. p. 5. Retrieved 18 May 2023.