Corinne Calvet
Encyclopedia
Corinne Calvet was a French actress who appeared mostly in American films.
Born Corinne Dibos in Paris
, Calvet studied criminal law
at the Sorbonne
and made her debut in French radio, stage plays and cinema in the 1940s before being brought to Hollywood in the 1940s by producer Hal B. Wallis
. He cast her in Rope of Sand
(1949) opposite Burt Lancaster
and Paul Henreid.
In the 1950s, Calvet appeared in a string of films, usually playing French characters, opposite such leading men as Danny Kaye
(On the Riviera
), Joseph Cotten
(Peking Express
), James Cagney
(What Price Glory?
), James Stewart
(The Far Country
), Alan Ladd
(Thunder in the East), Tony Curtis
(So This Is Paris) and Dean Martin
and Jerry Lewis
(Sailor Beware).
She made a rare television appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour with Donald O'Connor
on February 3, 1952, televised nationwide by NBC
.
She continued to act in Italian and French productions as well as making appearances on American television series, with occasional roles in films. Her last film was in The Sword and the Sorcerer
(1982)
In her memoir, entitled Has Corinne Been a Good Girl? (1983), she stated that the roles she played for Hollywood studios never challenged her acting ability.
Calvet was married three times. Her first marriage was to actor John Bromfield
(1948–17 March 1954), who had co-starred with her in Rope of Sand and who, she claimed had been ordered to marry her by his studio. She then married Jeffrey Stone (1955–1962) and Robert J. Wirt (1968 – October 1971). All three marriages ended in divorce.
She died in Los Angeles
of a cerebral hemorrhage
.
Born Corinne Dibos in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Calvet studied criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
and made her debut in French radio, stage plays and cinema in the 1940s before being brought to Hollywood in the 1940s by producer Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis
Hal B. Wallis was an American film producer.-Career:Harold Brent Wallis was born in Chicago in 1898. His family moved in 1922 to Los Angeles, California, where he found work as part of the publicity department at Warner Bros...
. He cast her in Rope of Sand
Rope of Sand
Rope of Sand was a 1949 adventure film directed by William Dieterle, produced by Hal B. Wallis, starringBurt Lancaster, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Corinne Calvet, Sam Jaffe, and John Bromfield.-Plot:...
(1949) opposite Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
and Paul Henreid.
In the 1950s, Calvet appeared in a string of films, usually playing French characters, opposite such leading men as Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
(On the Riviera
On the Riviera
On the Riviera is a 1951 musical comedy film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Walter Lang, produced by Sol C. Siegel from a screenplay by Valentine Davies and Phoebe and Henry Ephron, based on the play The Red Cat by Rudolph Lothar and Hans Adler, with dance sequences choreographed and...
), Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cheshire Cotten was an American actor of stage and film. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original productions of The Philadelphia Story and Sabrina Fair...
(Peking Express
Peking Express (film)
Peking Express is a 1951 adventure film made by Paramount Pictures. It is the second remake of Paramount's earlier Shanghai Express , remade as Night Plane from Chungking . It was directed by William Dieterle and produced by Hal B. Wallis, from a screenplay by John Meredyth Lucas, based on the...
), James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
(What Price Glory?
What Price Glory? (1952 film)
What Price Glory is a 1952 World War I film based on a 1924 play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings, though it used virtually none of Anderson's dialogue. Originally intended as a musical, it was filmed as a straight comedy, directed by John Ford and released by 20th Century Fox on 22...
), James Stewart
James Stewart
James Stewart was a Hollywood movie actor and USAF brigadier general.James Stewart may also refer to:-Noblemen:*James Stewart, 5th High Steward of Scotland*James Stewart, the Black Knight of Lorn James Stewart (1908–1997) was a Hollywood movie actor and USAF brigadier general.James Stewart...
(The Far Country
The Far Country
The Far Country is a 1954 American western movie directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their fourth western collaboration...
), Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
(Thunder in the East), Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
(So This Is Paris) and Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
(Sailor Beware).
She made a rare television appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour with Donald O'Connor
Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
on February 3, 1952, televised nationwide by NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
.
She continued to act in Italian and French productions as well as making appearances on American television series, with occasional roles in films. Her last film was in The Sword and the Sorcerer
The Sword and the Sorcerer
The Sword and the Sorcerer is a 1982 fantasy film, starring Lee Horsley, Richard Lynch, and Richard Moll, directed by Albert Pyun. A mercenary with a three-bladed sword rediscovers his royal heritage when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant and a powerful...
(1982)
In her memoir, entitled Has Corinne Been a Good Girl? (1983), she stated that the roles she played for Hollywood studios never challenged her acting ability.
Calvet was married three times. Her first marriage was to actor John Bromfield
John Bromfield
John Bromfield was an American film and television actor.Bromfield was born in South Bend, Indiana. He played football and was a boxing champion in college. He served in the United States Navy. In 1948, he twice harpooned a whale in the documentary film Harpoon...
(1948–17 March 1954), who had co-starred with her in Rope of Sand and who, she claimed had been ordered to marry her by his studio. She then married Jeffrey Stone (1955–1962) and Robert J. Wirt (1968 – October 1971). All three marriages ended in divorce.
She died in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
of a cerebral hemorrhage
Intracranial hemorrhage
An intracranial hemorrhage is a hemorrhage, or bleeding, within the skull.-Causes:Intracranial bleeding occurs when a blood vessel within the skull is ruptured or leaks. It can result from physical trauma or nontraumatic causes such as a ruptured aneurysm...
.
Selected filmography
- La Part de l'ombre (1945)
- Rope of SandRope of SandRope of Sand was a 1949 adventure film directed by William Dieterle, produced by Hal B. Wallis, starringBurt Lancaster, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Corinne Calvet, Sam Jaffe, and John Bromfield.-Plot:...
(1949) - My Friend Irma Goes WestMy Friend Irma Goes WestMy Friend Irma Goes West is a 1950 film based on the radio show My Friend Irma and featuring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
(1950) - When Willie Comes Marching HomeWhen Willie Comes Marching HomeWhen Willie Comes Marching Home is a 1950 World War II comedy film directed by John Ford and starring Dan Dailey and Corinne Calvet. It is based on the 1945 short story When Leo Comes Marching Home by Sy Gomberg.-Plot:...
(1950) - On the RivieraOn the RivieraOn the Riviera is a 1951 musical comedy film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Walter Lang, produced by Sol C. Siegel from a screenplay by Valentine Davies and Phoebe and Henry Ephron, based on the play The Red Cat by Rudolph Lothar and Hans Adler, with dance sequences choreographed and...
(1951) - QuebecQuebec (1951 film)Quebec is a 1951 American historical drama film directed by George Templeton and written by Alan Le May set in 1837. It stars John Drew Barrymore and centers on a fictional account of the Patriotes Rebellion...
(1951) - Sailor Beware (1952)
- What Price Glory?What Price Glory? (1952 film)What Price Glory is a 1952 World War I film based on a 1924 play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings, though it used virtually none of Anderson's dialogue. Originally intended as a musical, it was filmed as a straight comedy, directed by John Ford and released by 20th Century Fox on 22...
(1952) - Thunder in the EastThunder in the East (film)Thunder in the East is a 1952 war drama film released by Paramount Pictures, and directed by Charles Vidor, based on novel Rage of the Vulture by Alan Moorehead.-Cast:*Alan Ladd as Steve Gibbs*Deborah Kerr as Joan Willoughby...
(1952) - The Far CountryThe Far CountryThe Far Country is a 1954 American western movie directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart in their fourth western collaboration...
(1954) - So This Is ParisSo This Is ParisSo This Is Paris is a 1955 film directed by Richard Quine. It stars Tony Curtis and Gloria DeHaven. There is a 1926 film of the same name.-Cast:*Tony Curtis as Joe Maxwell*Gloria DeHaven as Colette d'Avril / Jane Mitchell*Gene Nelson as Al Howard...
(1955) - Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960)
- Apache Uprising (1966)
- Dr. Heckyl and Mr.Hype (1980)
- The Sword and the SorcererThe Sword and the SorcererThe Sword and the Sorcerer is a 1982 fantasy film, starring Lee Horsley, Richard Lynch, and Richard Moll, directed by Albert Pyun. A mercenary with a three-bladed sword rediscovers his royal heritage when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant and a powerful...
(1982)