Linette Dalmasso (CHANTEURS ET CHANTEUSES)
14 Rue de la Duée, 75020 Paris, France

Singer and accordionist Linette Dalmasso started her career at the age of 7 alongside her younger sister Pierrine, who played the violin. At the age of 13 she was awarded the Grand Prix du Roi des Belges for her skillful musicianship. Together, Linette and Pierrine performed as a duo in cafes, cabarets, and cinemas across France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy. Eventually it would be Linette who went solo with a one-woman show, while Pierrine got married, and became a hotelier. Linette released a handful of EPs in the 1960s on the Disques Parade and Disque Saphir labels. An adventurous spirit, she travelled the world on her bicycle, starting in 1968 by riding to Yugoslavia. Over the course of her lifetime she travelled to England, Ireland, Romania, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Algeria and India, where she met Mrs Gandhi.

Raphaëlle Martinon (poète)
140 Rue de Ménilmontant, 75020 Paris, France

A poet with a beautiful soul, the work of Raphaëlle Martinon was known for its sensitivity and wisdom, born from personal pain and a keen understanding of life. The 1930s was a career defining time for her. At the start of the decade she published Entre deux Mondes, a book critics praised for its originality of expression, with a deep, serene and precious musicality. A founding director of Revue du Néo-Romantisme, in 1936 she won both the Grand Prix de Poésie and the Prix de Voyage Littéraire. The latter was a national travel grant that she won for her manuscript Le Passant de Minuit, sharing the 9,000 franc prize with Louis Pize. In 1946 she was awarded the Prix Auguste Capdeville by the Academie Francaise.

Jean Turpin (COMEDIENS)
Home, 13 Pass. des Soupirs, 75020 Paris, France

Actor Jean Turpin made his biggest impact in the theatre world with a stage career that flourished for 35 years. Turpin’s work was intertwined with that of director Guy Rétoré, who was the leader of La Guilde de Ménilmontant, the theatre troupe whose home was at the Théâtre de l’Est Parisien and the Théâtre de Ménilmontant. Turpin made his stage debut at the latter, which is still located in Rue du Retrait, and was only a stone’s throw away from his home. He appeared in 14 productions for La Guilde and Rétoré during the 1960s, and would continue acting on the stage until 1999. Alongside his theatre career Turpin worked in cinema and TV, although in minor roles.

Théâtre de Ménilmontant
15 Rue du Retrait, 75020 Paris, France

Formerly the Patronage Saint Pierre performance hall, this building was transformed into the Théâtre de Ménilmontant in 1958 by Guy Rétoré. It was the home of acting troupe La Guilde de Ménilmontant until 1961. The theatre was active until 2019, when it was unfortunately closed, and has not reopened to date.

Raymond Baillet (CHANSONNIERS)
110 Rue de Ménilmontant, 75020 Paris, France

Actor and singer Raymond Baillet performed on the stages of all the great cabarets of Paris: the Théâtre des Deux Anes , the Caveau de la République, La Lune Rousse, and the Théâtre du Coucou, to name just a few. Like many chansonniers of the time his repertoire had a satirical and political edge, often criticising the government and authority figures. He was famously censored by ORTF in 1965 after poking fun at General de Gaulle. After this he changed his career trajectory to act more. From 1970 onwards he appeared in seventeen plays on the TV programme Au Théâtre Ce Soir. He became famous for playing the role of Désiré Lafarge, in the police television series of the same name. He would return later to his former life as a singer, including a twenty-five-day world tour in 1981.

Arlette Poirier (COMEDIENNES)
57 Rue de la Bidassoa, 75020 Paris, France

Born into a wealthy family, Arlette Poirier studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur d’art dramatique. She began her acting career in small roles in French productions such as Jean Boyer’s Coiffeur pour dames (1952), which was a showcase for her attractive looks as much as her acting skills. She would have a more demanding role playing Lulu in the drama Montparnasse 19, directed by Jacques Becker in 1958. She also worked in Italy, playing the role of Marcella in L’Assassin de la rue Paradis, and that of Franca in Les femmes mènent le jeu, both directed by Giorgio Bianchi in 1953. Poirier had a handful of appearances on the stage, making her debut at the Théâtre Antoine in Le Petit Café in 1949. In addition to her notable appearances in photo novels, she made numerous TV appearances and was a popular cover girl for glossy magazines.

Les Souris (CHANTEURS ET CHANTEUSES)
5 Rue d’Annam, 75020 Paris, France

Girl group Les Souris, had the briefest of recording careers with RCA Victor from 1969 to 1970. The lineup consisted of actresses Sophie Agacinski, Perrette Pradier, Evelyne Dassas, Nicolle Vassel, Françoise Vatel, and Michèle Grellier.
Sophie Agacinski was perhaps one of the more inexperienced actresses, making her professional debut on television, in the soap opera Seule à Paris in 1965.
Perrette Pradier was more established, and well respected in theatre, cinema and on TV. Her talent for comedy and her superb visual skills earned her numerous roles during the 1960s, including Les Trois Mousquetaires and Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117.
Evelyne Dassas worked more in film, her first big production was in Jean Bastia’s Dynamite Jack in 1960.
Nicolle Vassel was largely occupied with TV roles in the 1960s, appearing in an episode of the classic police drama Les cinq dernières minutes in 1967.
Françoise Vatel began her cinema career at the age of 16 in Les Premiers Outrages, directed by Jean Gourguet. A darling of the New Wave, she worked on films with Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Luc Moullet.
An actress of note, Michèle Grellier was a resident of the Comédie-Française from 1957 to 1961. She was well known by the French public for her roles in costume dramas on TV.

Les Casely’s
8 Rue de la Bidassoa, 75020 Paris, France

Circus duo Les Casely’s were a popular acrobatic act on the variety circuit of the 1940s and 50s. Regulars on the stage of the Casino de Paris, they were a welcome addition to any revue line-up, which often included comedians, singers, dancers and more unusual acts too. In the 1940s fellow performers included Lucette Stella, the famous naked dancer from the Folies-Bergère, and a bevy of drag queen beauties (Grand Gala Concours de Travestis).

See an object from Les Casely’s HERE.

Jean-Louis Simon (ARTISTES LYRIQUES)
2 Rue Robineau, 75020 Paris, France

Actor and operetta singer Jean-Louis Simon made his debut in Jean Anouilh’s Colombe at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. He would later take to the Paris stage in the 1960s. In 1967 he appeared in the musical comedy classic No, No, Nanette at the Théâtre Mogador, and then at the Théâtre du Châtelet where he played the role of Vasco de Ribeira, in La Caravelle D’or. From 1979-1984 he was artistic director of the Opéra de Nantes et des Pays de la Loire.

Raymond Jouart (Accordeon)
25 Av. Gambetta, 75020 Paris, France

During WW2 virtuoso accordionist Raymond Jouart entertained the French workers in the factories of Germany. More than 600,000 French workers were sent to Germany between June 1942 and July 1944. The pro-Hitler regime of Marshal Pétain made French workers available to the German invaders, and French youth were forced into mandatory labour service. In 1942 Jouart travelled throughout Europe, visiting Berlin, Danzig, Vienna, Breslau and many smaller locations. Aged 14, he was a propagandist’s dream, his smiling face appearing on the front page of the Paris-Midi newspaper. Playing in Music Halls alongside him on the tour were Jean Suscinio and his sailors. At the age of 16 he was leading his own orchestra, accompanying patriotic singer Gaston Dona. In the 1960s he released a number of EPs with the singer Patricia Francis. Jouart played the accordion with the Balalaika Ensemble Of Paris in the 1970s, including concerts at Carnegie Hall (New York) and the Royal Albert Hall (London) with the vocalist Ivan Rebroff.