Saint-Cyr, Renée

(1904-2004)

   Actress. Born Raymonde-Renée Vittoret in Beausoleil, Provence, Renée Saint-Cyr went on to become one of the most popular actresses of the 1930s and 1940s. She made her screen debut in 1933, appearing in Max de Vaucorbeil's Une fois dans la vie (1933), Jacques Tourneur's Toto (1933), Kurt Gerron's Incognito (1933), Félix Gandéra's D'amour et d'eau fraîche (1933), and Maurice Tourneur's Les Deux orphelines (1933). These early roles established Saint-Cyr as a talented comic actress, who was equally capable of drama and melodrama, and she went on to appear in films such as Pierre Colombier's L'École des cocottes (1934), René Clair's Le Dernier milliardaire (1934), Marc Didier's Le Billet de mille (1934), Jean Grémillon's Valse royale (1935), Léon Mathot's Les Loups entre eux (1936), Richard Pottier's 27, rue de la Paix (1937) and L'Insaissable Frédéric (1946), Christian-Jacque and Sacha Guitry's Les Perles de la couronne (1937), Roger Richebé's Prisons de femmes (1938), Jean-Paul Paulin's Le Chemin de l'honneur (1939) and La Voix du rêve (1948), Christian-Jacque's La Symphonie fantastique (1942), Henri Fescourt's Retour de flame (1943), and André Cayatte's Pierre et Jean (1943).

   Saint-Cyr continued acting in the 1950s and 1960s, although the number of films in which she appeared dropped off during those decades. Among the films in which she had roles were André Zwaboda's Capitaine Ardant (1952), Robert Darène's Le Chevalier de la nuit (1954), which she also produced, Guitry's Si Paris nous était conté (1955), and Jean Dréville's La Fayette (1961). She was the mother of director Georges Lautner, and she appeared frequently in his films, including Le Monocle rit jaune (1964), Fleur d'oseille (1968), Quelques messieurs trop tranquilles (1973), Pas de problème! (1975), On aura tout vu (1976), Ils sont fous ces sorciers (1978), Est-ce bien raisonnable? (1981), Attention! Une femme peut en cacher une autre (1983), Le Cowboy (1984), L'Invité surprise (1989), and Room Service (1992). She also worked in television during the 1970s and 1980s. Despite the range of her performances, Saint-Cyr remains best remembered for her comic roles.