Dead French in L.A.: Actress Corinne Calvet 2001 "What Price Glory?"

Corinne Calvet (April 30, 1925 – June 23, 2001), born Corinne Dibos, was a French actress who appeared mostly in American films.

Early life

Calvet was born in Paris. She studied criminal law at the Sorbonne.

Acting career

Calvet made her debut in French radio, stage plays and cinema in the 1940s before being brought to Hollywood in the 1940s by producer Hal B. Wallis. He cast her in Rope of Sand (1949) opposite Burt Lancaster and Paul Henreid.
 

In the 1950s, Calvet appeared in a string of films, usually playing French characters, opposite such leading men as Danny Kaye (On the Riviera), Joseph Cotten (Peking Express), James Cagney and Dan Dailey (What Price Glory?), James Stewart (The Far Country), Alan Ladd (Thunder in the East), Tony Curtis (So This Is Paris) and Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (Sailor Beware).

She made a rare television appearance on the Colgate Comedy Hour with Donald O'Connor on February 3, 1952, televised nationwide by NBC.

She continued to act in Italian and French productions as well as making appearances on American television series, with occasional roles in films. Her last film was The Sword and the Sorcerer in 1982.

In her memoir, entitled Has Corinne Been a Good Girl? (1983), she stated that the roles she played for Hollywood studios never challenged her acting ability.

Tributes

In her collection "Ariege," fashion designer Marcela Calvet named one of her most sought-after handbags "Corinne," in her honor.

Personal life

Calvet was married three times. Her first marriage was to actor John Bromfield (1948–17 March 1954), who had co-starred with her in Rope of Sand and who, she claimed had been ordered to marry her by his studio. She then married Jeffrey Stone (1955–1962) and Robert J. Wirt (1968 – October 1971). All three marriages ended in divorce.

Death 

Calvet died in Los Angeles of a cerebral hemorrhage. Her ashes were given to family or friend.  

Selected filmography

La Part de l'ombre (1945)
Rope of Sand (1949)
My Friend Irma Goes West (1950)
When Willie Comes Marching Home (1950)
On the Riviera (1951)
Quebec (1951)
Sailor Beware (1952)
What Price Glory? (1952)
Thunder in the East (1952)
The Far Country (1954)
So This Is Paris (1955)
Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960)
Apache Uprising (1966)
Dr. Heckyl and Mr.Hype (1980)
The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982)

Bibliography

Calvet, Corinne (1983). Has Corinne Been A Good Girl? : The Intimate Memoirs of a French Actress in Hollywood. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-36405-9.