Born in Bordeaux and raised in Paris, she trained as a cellist at the Conservatoire de Musique before landing a role in the musical film Le Bal at age fourteen. The combination of her looks, voice and dance skills quickly led to a screen career; by the end of the 1930s she had become one of France’s leading stars, with Mayerling (1936) cementing her reputation. She alternated between French and Ho…
