What stories could this street tell if it could talk? The Rue Simone Signoret. It’s not just a street. It is a tribute to a remarkable woman.
Simone Signoret was more than just an actress. She was a force of nature. She was a symbol of French cinema. She was born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker in Germany in 1921. Simone died in 1985.
Her father was of Polish-Jewish and Hungarian-Jewish descent. He worked as an interpreter for the League of Nations. Her mother was French Catholic. Simone grew up in Paris and studied English German and Latin.
During the Nazi occupation Simone supported her family. She worked as a typist for a collaborationist newspaper. She took her mother’s maiden name Signoret to hide her Jewish roots.
Simone mixed with artists at the Café de Flore. This café was in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter. She developed an interest in acting. Her lover Daniel Gélin encouraged her.
In 1942 Simone started appearing in bit parts. Her father had fled to join General De Gaulle in England. The roles helped her support her family.
Signoret’s looks often led to her being cast as a prostitute. She gained attention in “La Ronde”. The film was briefly banned in New York City as immoral. She won acclaim for her role as a prostitute in “Casque d’Or”.
She appeared in many French films in the 1950s. These included “Thérèse Raquin”, “Les Diaboliques”, and “The Crucible”. In 1958 Signoret starred in the English film “Room at the Top”. She won the Best Female Performance Prize at Cannes. She also won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Hollywood offered her films. But she turned them down for years. She continued to work in France and England. She earned another Oscar nomination for “Ship of Fools”.
In 1962 Simone translated Lillian Hellman’s play “The Little Foxes” into French. It ran for six months at the Theatre Sarah-Bernhardt. Her attempt at Shakespeare’s “Lady Macbeth” in London was not well-received.
Signoret won acclaim for “Madame Rosa” in 1977. She also starred in “I Sent a Letter to my Love” in 1980. She continued to act in many movies before her death.
Simone Signoret’s personal life was as captivating as her career. She married filmmaker Yves Allégret in 1944. They had a daughter Catherine Allégret. The marriage ended in 1949. In 1951 she married Yves Montand. Their union lasted until her death. They had no children.
Signoret was known for her memoirs “Nostalgia Isn’t What It Used to Be”. She also wrote the novel “Adieu Volodya”.
She was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Yves Montand was later buried next to her.
Simone Signoret identified as Jewish. She supported Jewish causes. She was critical of antisemitism in the French Communist Party.
The Rue Simone Signoret stands as a reminder. It reminds us of a talented actress. It reminds us of a strong woman. It reminds us of her contributions to film and culture.