Brigitte Bardot, biography of the French actress, sexy icon of the 60s-70s

Brigitte Bardot, biography of the French actress, sexy icon of the 60s-70s

In the collective imagination, sexy icons, both for men and women, help to fuel the wildest fantasies. On the other hand, dreaming costs nothing, as well as following one’s passions and impulses. Actress Brigitte Bardot represented a reference model from this point of view. Not only men, but also women have always seen it as a point of arrival in terms of beauty and charm. A life, that of the French actress, rather eventful on a private and professional level. Which, probably, she has even given her even more charm. 

Summary

The beginnings of Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot is a longtime actress born in Paris on September 28, 1934.

He grew up in a family of industrialists who were very dedicated to a rigorous and severe education. The only outlet for her is classical dance. And she in fact she starts dancing from the age of 7. She enrolled at the Paris Conservatory at the age of 15 .

Elle magazine was the first to notice her from an aesthetic point of view and to hire her for photo shoots in the fashion industry.

Young producer Roger Vadim sets his sights on her and a dazzling love is born between them, which develops off the set. 

Brigitte Bardot’s film career begins

Brigitte Bardot’s first film ever is called “ Le Trou Normand” . Dated 1952. The debut on the big screen which will be followed by a much more prestigious cinematographic work such as “Manina, girl without veils”.

In the USA it becomes very famous like another celebrity like Marilyn Monroe . And it is certainly no small thing to be compared to a woman remembered even decades after her disappearance. In the history of cinema these two women will be remembered not only as great actresses, but also as sensual and bewitching icons . In fact, they captured the screen like few others. And she who knows if anyone else has had the same charm.

Bardot was one of the first women to show off an accessory that made history and school: the bikini . She was the first to exhibit it in public, sparking a certain scandal and hype at the time. We are talking about the 60s. Who but her? After all, it was an explosion of sensuality and erotic dream for many men from all over the world. 

Even Andy Warhol decides to take advantage of his pose and movement for suggestive paintings. In the 1950s, the French actress played mostly in tearful and sentimental roles . In “Helen of Troy” and Helen’s handmaid.

“Too many like it” is the film that definitively consecrates the figure of Brigitte Bardot to the great international audience. All this in the context of a nouvelle vague on the rise in the cinematic space, but not only. And someone like her suited it perfectly.

Brigitte Bardot appreciated in Europe but in America …

The European eroticism that transpires from his representations, however, did not immediately attract the sympathies of the public and of the American critics . It turns out to be too self-referential and little projected towards globality. Moreover, Bardot’s little internationalization at a linguistic level did not facilitate her from this point of view.

Appreciated, therefore, by the European public, but not yet by the American and Hollywood ones. But it’s only a matter of time before her star begins to shine almost inexorably.

With the film “The Truth” the whole liberal and revolutionary vein comes out, in a certain sense. And the film through which he meets a new flame, the actor Sami Frey.

Private life of 1961 is a film with a strongly autobiographical imprint. A sort of transposition of what will occur, precisely, in the actress’s private life. She attempts suicide after retiring from the scene for a while.

In “Erasmus the Freckled” she plays the role of herself and once again feeds the debate on her lifestyle bordering on the transgressive. The last blow of the tail before the official retirement from the circus. She will later appear as a cover woman in an Italian edition of Playboy.

Brigitte Bardot’s singing career and private life

From 1962 onwards Brigitte Bardot takes off the role of the actress and improvises herself as a singer. She releases several singles and albums, which are mainly inspired by sentimental content. Therefore, she does not completely abandon her modus operandi from this point of view.

“Brigitte Bardot” even becomes a song (not written by her but by Jorge Veiga), which we still use today to dance and have fun, especially on New Year’s Eve. And this is to understand the imprint that the actress has left in the world of entertainment.

Combine the songs with other collateral activities, but equally significant on a personal level such as the defense of animal rights . You are very active on this front, to the point of forcefully denouncing the abuse of animals on live television. You take vegetarian positions on the subject of food.

It supports the animal rights party and the ecological movement in the 2000s even if it is not really left. 

His private life is studded with 4 marriages, the last of which in 1992 with Bernard d’Ormale, a political exponent of the National Front. It turns out to be the most enduring marriage of Brigitte’s life.

Movie Brigitte Bardot

We leave you to Brigitte Bardot’s filmography, in chronological order. See you next time with the biographies of famous actors, again by CineMagazine!

1. The Norman Hole, regia of Jean Boyer (1952)
2. Manina, girl without veils, directed by Willy Rozier (1952)
3. The Long Teeth (The Long Teeth), uncredited, directed by Daniel Gelin (1953)
4. The portrait of son pere, royal by Andre Berthomieu (1953)
5. Act of love (Un acte d’amour), directed by Anatole Litvak (1953)
6. Versailles (If Versailles was told to me), non accreditata, regia di Sacha Guitry (1954)
7. Betrayed, by Mario Bonnard (1954)
8. The Son of Caroline Cherie, directed by Jean-Devaivre (1955)
9. Futures vedettes, by Marc Allegret (1955)
10. Doctor at Sea, by Ralph Thomas (1955)
11. Grand maneuvers, by Rene Clair (1955)
12. Your Eyes Burn (La lumiere d’en face), directed by Georges Lacombe (1955)
13. Helen of Troy, by Robert Wise (1956)
14. Mademoiselle Pigalle (Cette sacree gamine), directed by Michel Boisrond (1956)
15. My Son Nero, directed by Steno (1956)
16. Miss Striptease (Stripping the Daisy), directed by Marc Allegret (1956)
17. The bride too beautiful (La mariee est trop belle), by Pierre Gaspard-Huit (1956)
18. Too Many Likes (Et Dieu… crea la femme), directed by Roger Vadim (1956)
19. A Parisian, directed by Michel Boisrond (1957)
20. Lovers of the Moonlight, by Roger Vadim (1958)
21. The girl of sin (In case of misfortune), by Claude Autant-Lara (1958)
22. Femmina (The woman and the puppet), regia di Julien Duvivier (1959)
23. Babette goes to war, regia di Christian-Jaque (1959)
24. Sexy Girl (Do you want to dance with me?), directed by Michel Boisrond (1959)
25. Il testamento di Orfeo (The testament of Orpheus, or don’t ask me why!), Uncredited, directed by Jean Cocteau (1960)
26. The Truth, directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot (1960)
27. A loose bridle (La bride sur le cou), directed by Roger Vadim (1961)
28. Famous Love (Amours Famous), episodic “Agnes Bernauer”, Regia di Michel Boisrond (1961)
29. Private Life (Vie privee), by Louis Malle (1962)
30. The rest of the warrior (Le repos du guerrier), by Roger Vadim (1962)
31. Contempt, by Jean-Luc Godard (1963)
32. Trailer for ‘Le contempt’, short film, directed by Jean-Luc Godard (1963)
33. A lovely idiot, by Edouard Molinaro (1964)
34. Erasmus the Freckled (Dear Brigitte), uncredited, by Henry Koster (1965)
35. Viva Maria !, by Louis Malle (1965)
36. Io, amore (A coeur joie), directed by Serge Bourguignon (1967)
37. Tre passi nel delirio (Extraordinary Stories), episode “William Wilson”, directed by Louis Malle (1968)
38. Shalako, regia di Edward Dmytryk (1968)
39. Women, regia of Jean Aurel (1969)
40. The bear and the doll, directed by Michel Deville (1970)
41. Les novizie (Les novices), directed by Guy Casaril (1970)
42. La via del rhum (Boulevard du rhum), directed by Robert Enrico (1971)
43. Le pistolere (Les petroleuses), regia of Christian-Jaque (1971)
44. Una gave come me (Don Juan or If Don Juan was a woman…), regia di Roger Vadim (1973)
45. Colinot l’Alzasottane (The very good and very joyful story of Colinot Trousse-Chemise), directed by Nina Companeez (1973)