Point zéro des routes de France
Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France

Marked by an octagonal brass plate in Place Jean-Paul II (outside the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris) you’ll find the French Point Zero. It’s the geographic marker from which distances from Paris to all other places are judged. There are several rituals associated with the heart of Paris, some people spin on one foot or kiss a loved one above the marker to seal eternal devotion. To many it symbolises the end of a pilgrimage, and sometimes visitors leave a coin and make a wish.

Yves Massard (COMÉDIENS)
20 Rue du Cloitre Notre Dame, 75004 Paris, France

Actor Yves Massard made his theatre debut in 1946, playing the role of Toussaint Lesparre in Marcel Achard’s Auprès de ma blonde at the Théâtre de la Michodière. The play was directed by Pierre Fresnay, who was a fine actor in own right, and a expert guiding hand in the early part of Massard’s career. Massard appeared in such prestigious plays as Une grande fille toute simple (by André Roussin), Les mains sales (by Jean-Paul Sartre) and Un tramway nommé désir (by Tennessee Williams). In parallel, he began his journey in the world of cinema. Starting in minor roles, these grew in importance until in 1956 he played the role of Federico in the Spanish film Grand-rue, directed by Juan Antonio Bardem. Unfortunately his future roles didn’t match the quality of his talent.

Roger Dallier (REALISATEURS DE CINEMA)
17 Rue d’Arcole, 75004 Paris, France

Although Roger Dallier spent many years as an assistant to film director Georges Lacombe he did direct one film himself. In 1949 he adapted Pierre Benoit’s novel, Mademoiselle de la Ferté, for the big screen. It was well received and filmed in record time: three weeks of interiors in Paris, eight days outdoors near Soustons (Landes) and a few shots in the Forêt de Rambouillet. He made good advantage of his new found success by donating his time to the fight against the slums in France. You would think with such a strong debut that he would direct again, but his next opportunity would be in the 1970s for a series of TV movies.

La Colombe (CABARETS)
4 Rue de la Colombe, 75004 Paris, France

The address of 4 rue de la Colombe Paris was the home to the oldest bistro in Paris, dating from the 16th century. The bistro changed hands many times until 1954, when new owners Michel and Beleine Valette took over the business and turned it into the cabaret La Colombe. It became one of the most famous Parisian cabarets on the Seine’s left bank and helped to launch the careers of many young talents, including Guy Béart, Anne Sylvestre, Jean Ferrat, Maurice Fanon, Pia Colombo, Georges Moustaki, Marc Ogeret and many more. In 1964, due to debts, the La Colombe cabaret was forced to close its doors.

Mony Dalmes (COMÉDIENNES)
19 Quai aux Fleurs, 75004 Paris, France

Daughter of an industrialist, Mony Dalmes landed a few roles in Parisian theatres at a young age before making her film debut in Les Demi-virges under the direction of Pierre Caron in 1936. The following year she was hired by Edouard Bourdet at the Comédie-Française after a memorable audition, performing scenes from the l’Epreuve, and the Barbier de Séville. But not all her stage performances were such a success. While performing Guy de Maupassant’s Musotte she accidentally drank a small vial of poison (a stage prop intended for the character). Despite being in terrible pain she suffered no lasting after-effects, and her career would blossom on the stage. She became a member of the Comédie-Française in 1942 and would remain with them until 1957, when she left to pursue an independent career. She dubbed many hollywood voices for French cinema, including Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire.

Zaaza Razak (COMEDIENS)
9 Quai aux Fleurs, 75004 Paris, France

Lesser known actress Zaaza Razak was a one hit wonder by all accounts. In 1969 she played the role of Fanny in José María Elorrieta’s thriller Las joyas del diablo.

Georges Charensol (PRODUCTEURS ET PRESENTATEURS DE L’O.R.T.F.)
11 Quai aux Fleurs, 75004 Paris, France

Journalist Georges Charensol was well known for being the film critic on the show Le Masque et la Plume, famously working in a double act with Jean-Louis Bory from 1964 to 1979. Le Masque et la Plume was a radio programme dedicated to the reviewing of books, films and plays. It was broadcast every Sunday at 10am and 8pm on France Inter. Earlier in his career he joined the literary journal Nouvelles Littéraires as editorial secretary in 1925. A year later he co-founded the Prix Renaudot, sitting on the first jury for this new literary prize. This wasn’t the only jury he sat on, in 1946 he was a juror at the Cannes Film Festival. During the 1960s, when he lived here, he edited the film criticism section of the magazine La Vie du rail.

Paulette Dynalix (PROFESSEURS DE DANSE)
10 Rue Chanoinesse, 75004 Paris, France

Ballet dancer and educator Paulette Dynalix studied under the expert guidance of Italian dancer Carlotta Zambelli. She was a principal dancer of the Opéra de Paris and participated in many productions by Serge Lifar including Les Créatures de Prométhée (1942), Sylvia (1942), Suite en blanc (1943) and Les Mirages (1947), where she played the role of Lune. In 1956, she became a dance teacher at the Opéra de Paris ballet school and had Claude Bessy and Philippe Genty as students, both of whom described her as a second mother.