Simone Signoret (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Actress Simone Signoret (1921-1985), an important figure in French cinema and the author of several books, was known for her roles as femme fatale in a series of films including Macadam (1946), La Ronde (1950) and Casque D'Or (1951), until she achieved international fame and an Academy Award in 1958 for her portrayal of a rejected woman in Room at the Top. David, a Parisian journalist, provides little new insight into her subject's career or into the commitment to political activism Signoret shared with her husband, singer and film star Yves Montand. Claiming that she was stonewalled by Montand and Signoret's inner circle, David relies on information already provided in Signoret's 1973 autobiography, Nostalgia Isn't What It Used to Be , and sprinkles her text with conjecture regarding Signoret's childhood, marriage and her reaction to Montand's much publicized affair with Marilyn Monroe. David's personal ruminations regarding her obsession with Signoret's life further flaw this biography. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

She made only a handful of English-language films, but an Academy Award for Room at the Top (1960) and a lifelong marriage to celebrated entertainer Yves Montand made Simone Signoret world famous. She was arguably the finest French cinema actress of her generation. To create this portrait, Nouvel Observateur writer David draws on her own and other interviews and the actress's autobiography, Nostalgia Isn't What It Used To Be (1976. o.p.). David cogently analyzes Signoret's support for left-wing causes, and, after the revelations about Stalinism, her championship of the individual against whatever state infringed on one's rights, whether socialist, fascist, or republican. Also examined is Signoret's novel Adieu Volodia , the writing of which helped her trace the Jewish side of her family. Interested readers should be well versed in 20th-century French politics, history, and film to appreciate this volume. For large film collections.
- Kim Holston, American Inst. for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters, Malvern, Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Overlook Hardcover (June 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879514914
• ISBN-13: 978-0879514914
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,700,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning from Signoret, January 14, 2004

By	Norma Gillespie "Women's Literature Buff" (Wewoka, Oklahoma United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Simone Signoret (Paperback)

The reader will learn about the lives of Signoret before and after marrying Montand, historical facts about the German's occupying France, how civilians survived war, and a good insight of life in France. Signoret also gave a remarkable clever statement when the press asked her about Montand and Marilyn Monroe's tryst. Signoret was a talented, funny, and smart woman.