Bell, Marie (1900–1985)
Bell, Marie (1900–1985)
French actress. Born Marie-Jeanne Bellon-Downey, on December 23, 1900, in Bégles, France; died in 1985; studied drama at the Paris Conservatory.
After making her debut as a dancer in England at age 13, Marie Bell turned to an acting career. In 1924, she began a string of supporting roles in French silent films and became a member of the Comédie Française in 1928. With the advent of sound, Bell moved up to film leads. In her two most successful films, she played a dual role in Jacques Feyder's Le Grand Jeu in 1934 and a rich, middle-aged widow in Julien Duvivier's Un Carnet de Bal (Life Dances On) in 1937. For her work in the French Resistance during World War II, Bell was awarded the Legion of Honor by Charles de Gaulle. Her other films include Paris (1924), La Valse de l'Adieu (1926), Madame Récamier (1928), Figaro (1929), La Nuit est à nous (The Night is Ours, 1930), L'Homme qui assassina (1930), La Fédora (1934), Polichè (1934), La Garçonne (1936), Pantins d'Amour (1937), Lègion d'Honneur (1938), La Charrette fantôme (The Phantom Carriage, 1939), Ceux du Ciel (1940), Vie privée (1942), Le Colonel Chabert (1943), La Bonne Soupe (Careless Love, 1964), Vaghe Stelle dell'Orsa (Sandra, 1965), Hotel Paradiso (1966), and Les Volets clos (1973).