Month: March 2017

olivethomas: Significant Women in Film History: 1950s…





olivethomas:

Significant Women in Film History: 1950s

Jacqueline Audry (1908-1977)

Jacqueline Audrey began her career with film during WWII as an assistant director. Because of Nazi occupation, Audrey was unable to make any films herself. She was, however, able to direct a short film titled Le Feu de Paille (1943). After the war, Audrey held her first opportunity to direct and in 1946 her film Les Malheurs de Sophie was released. Unfortunately, the film is no longer available to watch due to censorship (which probably has to do less with the film’s subject matter and more with the gender of the filmmaker). Audrey’s biggest hit would come when she released her film GiGi (1949), a French language adaption of the novella of the same name. This film made both Audrey and its star Daniele Delorme well known among fans of French cinema. Audrey quickly became known for adapting novels with risqué subject matter. Her film Mitsou (1956) focuses on an adulterous affair while her film Olivia (1951) focuses on a lesbian relationship. By the end of the 1950s, the French New Wave movement had taken hold of France and Audrey was unable to keep up with its innovative techniques. But throughout the 1950s she brought France female-centric films that dealt with real issues women faced. Even if she wasn’t ready for the New Wave, her films still have lasting effects on film audiences today.

Watch Olivia (1951)

Women in Film