Rosy Varte (COMÉDIENNES)
16 Pl. Dauphine, 75001 Paris, France

Actress Rosy Varte acted on all the major stages, making her debut at the Théâtre Moncey in Le Bar du crépuscule by Arthur Koestler (adapted by Louis Ollivier and Jean Vilar). She would join up again with Vilar at the Théâtre National Populaire for Ubu roi in 1958. From 1971 to 1974 she joined the Comédie-Française. Specialising in comic roles in the cinema, she appeared in 50 films during a 40 year career, but it would be on television that she is best remembered. She played the title role in the popular TV series Maguy from 1984 to 1992, for three hundred and thirty-three episodes. In 1987 she won the Sept D’or award for best actress. She was married to the director Pierre Badel.

Maurice Blezot (PRODUCTEURS ET PRESENTATEURS DE L’O.R.T.F.)
16 Pl. Dauphine, 75001 Paris, France

Maurice Blezot was an editor at the newspaper Le Figaro in the 1940s before making a name for himself on French radio. In the 1950s and 60s he was a presenter, host and producer on the radio programme Rendez vous à cinq heures, and later on the similarly informative Inter actualités. Both shows included interviews and features on entertainment, literature, and sports, with the opportunity to talk to personalities from all walks of life.

Serge Maillat (COMEDIENS)
72 Quai des Orfèvres, 75001 Paris, France

Serge Maillat was a prize winner when he studied at the Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique de Paris. He was a resident of the Comédie-Française from 1965 to 1972, where he played the biggest roles: Rodrigue (Le Cid), Christian (Cyrano de Bergerac), Britannicus (Britannicus) , Valère (L’Avare) and where he worked with directors such as Raymond Rouleau, Jacques Charron, François Chaumette, Pierre Franck, Jean Paul Roussillon. Although he had a 60 year career in TV and film it was in the theatre where he is best remembered. He acted in all the big theatres of Paris, in many successful productions, one of most memorable was Serge Lama’s Napoléon which triumphed for more than 3 years at the Théâtre Marigny.

Catherine Allégret (COMEDIENNES)
15 Pl. Dauphine, 75001 Paris, France

Actress and writer Catherine Allégret lived here with her mother Simone Signoret and stepfather Yves Montand. Her biological father was the film director Yves Allégret, so Catherine was destined for a life in show business. She studied acting at the Cours Simon drama school and entered the Théâtre de l’Atelier, where she made her stage debut in Ce soir on improvise, a play directed by André Barsacq in 1965. Her film career really began in the same year in Costa Gavras’ film Compartiment tueu. There were highlights and less high profile appearances in the cinema, memorable titles included Last Tango in Paris and Claude Zidi’s La course à l’échalote (with Pierre Richard and Jane Birkin). During the 1980s she joined two TV series, appearing in multiple episodes. In 1981 she made a first appearance in the medical series Médecins de nuit, appearing in all but two of its 38 episodes. She will be best remembered for her long service in Navarro, the detective series with Roger Hanin, in which she played the character of Ginou, devoting 17 years of her career.

Yves Montand (CHANTEURS ET CHANTEUSES / COMÉDIENS)
15 Pl. Dauphine, 75001 Paris, France

Yves Montand was one of the most popular singers in France’s rich cultural history. Around the world he is better known as an actor, although his association with the jazz standard Autumn Leaves elevates him above many French singers internationally. Under its original title Les Feuilles Mortes, which Yves Montand recorded in 1949, it sold a million copies in 5 years. Trained as a barber, he soon took to the stage making his first headline performance in vaudeville and film appearance in the early 1940s (as an extra in La Prière aux Etoiles). In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris, and they became lovers. He would go on to achieve international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in many films. During his career, Montand acted in American films as well as on Broadway. He was nominated for a César Award for Best Actor in 1980 and 1984. Perhaps his best performance came late in his career, playing the scheming uncle in Jean de Florette, and Manon des Sources. In 1951, he married Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers.

Simone Signoret (COMÉDIENNES)
15 Pl. Dauphine, 75001 Paris, France

Actress Simone Signoret was known for her portrayal of fallen romantic heroines and headstrong older women. As a teenager she frequented the Café de Flore, where she befriended writer Jacques Prévert and film director Yves Allégret (whom she later married), influencing her decision to become an actress. She initially worked as a film extra during the Nazi occupation but after the war graduated to featured roles. She portrayed prostitutes and lovelorn young women in films such as Allégret’s Les Démons de l’aube (1945) and Macadam (1946). She became a star in France playing another sympathetic prostitute, in Allégret’s Dédée d’Anvers (1948). After marrying Yves Montand her career was intertwined with his, both on screen and in the theatre. Signoret received various accolades during her career, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress.