#jacqueline audry

[inthedarktrees]

Simone Simon in Olivia (1951) dir. Jacqueline Audry

[maggiecheungs]

OLIVIA (1951) dir. Jacqueline Audry

[o1ivegr1]

"Olivia" (1951) original press kit <333

[edgar-moser-blog]

"garçonne" de jacqueline audry (1956) - unifrance

[himblebo]

Okay for 1951 the period costuming in Olivia is stunning? And the silhouettes of bodices and skirts, though very clearly worn over 20th century undergarments, were pretty historically adequate for the late 19th century if we ignore the bullet bras and girdles?

According to Wikipedia, the real life inspirations for Mlle Julie and Mlle Cara split in 1883, which is right around where I was guessing the film was set based on bustle and skirt styles. It’s just always so refreshing to see research behind costuming, as opposed to a lot of “Victorian” costuming in the late 20th (and 21st let’s be real) film/tv. Half of the evening gowns looked straight out of a fashion plate from Godey’s—and they damn well might’ve been! (Or any notable French women’s magazine of the era, I do not speak French so I only have English publications on the top of my head. I think Le Mode Illustree was one? I might be making that up.)

Also, Wikipedia needs to uh. Subtitle their entry for the novel anything else. Even if it is the author’s last name, this was a sucker punch to read:

[doublebilled]

Mädchen in Uniform (1931) dir. Leontine Sagan

Olivia (1951) dir. Jacqueline Audry

[letterboxd-loggd]

Olivia (1951) Jacqueline Audry

May 13th 2023

[la-cocotte-de-paris]

OKAY SAPPHICS WE ARE SETTLING THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL

[gatutor]

Dany Robin-Fernand Gravey-Bernard Blier "L´école des cocottes" 1958, de Jacqueline Audry.

[laurent-bigot]

EDWIGE FEUILLÈRE : LA GRANDE DAME DU SEPTIÈME ART

Avec son élégance naturelle, la comédienne a su conquérir aussi bien le milieu du théâtre que ceux du cinéma et de la télévision. De Lucrèce Borgia aux Dames de la côte, de L’aigle à deux têtes au Blé en herbe, retour sur un parcours d’exception. Edwige Cunati-Koenig voit le jour le 29 octobre 1907 à Vesoul, en Franche-Comté. Son père, un ingénieur italien, est catholique ; sa mère est issue…

[mycinematheque]

[inthedarktrees]

Simone Simon in Olivia (1951) dir. Jacqueline Audry

[andersalsdieandern]

[byneddiedingo]

Frank Villard and Danièle Delorme in Gigi (Jacqueline Audry, 1949)

Cast: Danièle Delorme, Yvonne de Bray, Gaby Morlay, Jean Tissier, Frank Villard, Paul Demange, Madeleine Rousset, Pierre Juvenet, Michel Flamme, Colette Georges, Yolande Laffon, Hélène Pépée. Screenplay: Pierre Laroche, based on a novel by Colette. Cinematography: Gérard Perrin. Set decoration: Raymond Druart. Film editing: Nathalie Petit-Roux. Music: Marcel Landowski.

The print I saw of Jacqueline Audry’s Gigi was not very good, the images having shifted into high contrast with little variation in the grays, so that the subtitles were often an unreadable white on white. But anyone familiar with either the Colette novella or the 1958 Lerner and Loewe musical version directed by Vincente Minnelli would have little trouble following the story. It’s a movie that retains much of the charm and a little of the bite of the original, and Danièle Delorme is a fetching Gigi, the girl raised to be a grande horizontale who wins the heart and hand of the wealthy Gaston Lachaille (Frank Villard). Delorme and Villard don’t erase memories of Leslie Caron and Louis Jourdan in the musical, but they have their own contributions to make, especially Villard, who is particularly strong in the scenes in which Gaston comes to realize the true nature of his feelings for Gigi. You sense his rising queasiness when she accepts his proposal to become his mistress, especially in the scene in the private room at the restaurant where they are about to consummate their relationship. When she naively asks why the couches in the room have slipcovers and when she chooses his cigar by rolling it between her fingers as she has been taught, the full obscenity of the situation becomes apparent to him. It has been apparent to us from the moment at the beginning of the film when we meet his uncle, Honoré, whom Jean Tissier plays as far more a dirty old man than the elegant Maurice Chevalier did in the musical. Which is not to say that the movie’s moral stance is heavy-handed: Director Audry has a very light touch, the product of a close collaboration with Colette. There are some wonderful period touches throughout the film, including Gaston’s automobile, Aunt Alicia’s (Gaby Morlay) telephone, and the bathing machine that is pulled by a mule into the waves at Deauville. The movie also reminded me that Gigi is a nickname for Gilberte, which is also the name of Swann’s daughter and the narrator’s first infatuation in Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu. There’s also a scene in which Gigi plays hide-and-seek with other schoolgirls in the park, that echoes for me Albertine and her little band of girls in À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs. Proust was only two years older than Colette, and the Recherche and  Gigi very much share the same milieu.

[efemmera-archive]

A Comprehensive List of Pre-21st Century Lesbian Films

There seems to be a lot of interest in older/more niche lesbian film so I've been putting together this list. I'm going to keep adding to it as I find more films so feel free to let me know if I'm missing anything! Enjoy!

Quick disclaimer: Some of these films contain problematic elements such as racism, homophobia, sexism and so on. This list is not an endorsement of all these films, it is only for archival purposes. As I have not seen all these films I cannot provide accurate content warnings, so please do your own research before watching.

1880 - 1919

The Kiss (1882), Dir. Eadweard Muybridge [SHORT, SILENT, ZOOPRAXISCOPE]

Pierrette’s Escapades (1900), Dir. Alice Guy [SHORT, SILENT, HAND TINTED]

At the Floral Ball (1900), Dir. Alice Guy [SHORT, SILENT, HAND TINTED]

Midwife to the Upper Class (1902), Dir. Alice Guy [SHORT, SILENT, COMEDY]

The Jester’s Joke (1910), Dir. Walter R. Booth [SHORT, SILENT, COMEDY]

Zapata’s Gang (1914), Dir. Urban Gad [SILENT, CRIME, COMEDY]

Filibus (1915), Dir. Mario Roncoroni [SILENT, ACTION]

1920-1939

Manslaughter (1922), Dir. Cecil B. Demil [SILENT, DRAMA]

The Girl in Tails (1926), Dir. Karin Swanstrom [SILENT, COMEDY]

Wings (1927), Dir. William A. Wellman [SILENT, WAR, ACTION]

Pandora’s Box (1929), Dir. G.W. Pabst [SILENT, DRAMA]

Diary of a Lost Girl (1929), Dir. G.W. Pabst [SILENT, DRAMA]

Morocco (1930), Dir. Josef von Sternberg [DRAMA, ROMANCE]

Mädchen in Uniform (1931), Dir. Leontine Sagan [DRAMA, COMING OF AGE]

Queen Christina (1933), Dir. Rouben Mamoulian [DRAMA, PERIOD]

Fukujuso (1935), Dir. Jiro Kawate [SILENT, DRAMA]

The Tomboy (1936), Dir. Jean de Limur [DRAMA]

Girls’ Club (1936), Dir. Jacques Deval [COMEDY, CRIME]

1940-1959

Jenny Lamour (1947), Dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot [CRIME, DRAMA]

Thirst (1949), Dir. Ingmar Bergman [DRAMA]

Caged (1950), Dir. John Cromwell [DRAMA]

Girl with Hyacinths (1950), Dir. Hasse Ekman [MYSTERY, NOIR]

Olivia (1951), Dir. Jacqueline Audry [DRAMA]

No Exit (1954), Dir. Jacqueline Audry [DRAMA]

La Garçonne (1957), Dir. Jacqueline Audry [DRAMA]

The Twilight Girls (1957), Dir. Andre Hunebelle [COMEDY, DRAMA]

Mädchen in Uniform (1958), Dir. Geza von Radvanyi [DRAMA, COMING OF AGE, REMAKE]

1960-1969

Blood and Roses (1960), Dir. Roger Vadim [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EROTIC]

Léon Morin, Priest (1961), Dir. Jean-Pierre Melville [DRAMA]

The Girl with the Golden Eyes (1961) Dir. Jean-Gabriel Albicocco [DRAMA]

The Children’s Hour (1961), Dir. WIlliam Wyler [DRAMA]

Walk on the Wild Side (1962), Dir. Edward Dymitrik [DRAMA]

Manji (1964), Dir. Yasuzo Masumura [DRAMA]

With Beauty and Sorrow (1965), Dir. Masahiro Shinoda [DRAMA]

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Dir. Russ Meyer [EXPLOITATION]

Daisies (1966), Dir. Věra Chytilová [AVANT GARDE, COMEDY, DRAMA]

The Group (1966), Dir. Sidney Lumet [DRAMA]

La Religieuse (1966), Dir. Jacques Rivette [DRAMA]

Belle De Jour (1967), Dir. Luis Bunuel [DRAMA]

The Fox (1967), Dir. Mark Rydell [DRAMA]

Les Biches (1968), Dir. Clauthde Chabrol [DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Killing of Sister George (1968), Dir. Robert Aldrich [DRAMA, EXPLOITATION]

Therese and Isabelle (1968), Dir. Radley Metzger [ROMANCE, DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Girl from Pussycat (1969), Dir. Smythe David [SEXPLOITATION]

Check to the Queen (1969), Dir. Pasquale Festa Campanile [DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Others (1969), Dir. Renzo Maietto [DRAMA]

1970-1979

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970), Dir. Jaromil Jires [AVANT GARDE, DRAMA, COMING OF AGE]

Midnight Virgin (1970), Dir. Shogoro Nishimura [DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Conformist (1970), Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci [POLITICAL DRAMA]

Multiple Maniacs (1970), Dir. John Waters [COMEDY]

The Dark Side of Tomorrow (1970), Dir. Jack Deerson, Barbara Peeters [DRAMA]

Nightmares Come at Night (1970), Dir. Jesús Franco [DRAMA]

The Vampire Lovers (1970), Dir. Roy Ward Baker [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EROTIC]

The Shiver of the Vampires (1971), Dir. Jean Rollin [VAMPIRE, EROTIC]

Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay (1971), Dir. Bruno Gantillon [EROTIC]

Daughters of Darkness (1971), Dir. Harry Kumel [VAMPIRE, EROTIC]

Vampyros Lesbos (1971), Dir. Jesús Franco [VAMPIRE, EXPLOITATION, EROTIC]

Daughter of Dracula (1972), Dir. Jesús Franco [VAMPIRE, EROTIC]

Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan (1972), Dir. Chor Yuen [MARTIAL ARTS, DRAMA, EROTIC]

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), Dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder [DRAMA]

The Beguines (1972), Dir. Guy Casaril [DRAMA, EROTIC]

Don Juan or If Don Juan Were a Woman (1973), Dir. Roger Vadim [DRAMA, EROTIC]

Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural (1974), Dir. Richard Blackburn [HORROR, COMING OF AGE]

Vampyres (1974), Dir. Jose Ramon Larraz [VAMPIRE, EXPLOITATION, EROTIC]

Je Tu Il Elle (1974), Dir. Chantal Ackerman [DRAMA]

Successive Slidings of Pleasure (1974), Dir. Alain Robbe-Grillet [HORROR, AVANT GARDE, EROTIC]

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975), Dir. Peter Weir [MYSTERY, DRAMA]

Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977), Dir. Mariposa Film Group, et. al [DOCUMENTARY]

Bilitis (1977), Dir. David Hamilton [EROTIC]

Alucarda (1977), Dir. Juan López Moctezuma [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EXPLOITATION]

Fascination (1979), Dir. Jean Rollin [VAMPIRE, HORROR, EROTIC]

See Here My Love (1979), Dir. Hugo Santiago [MYSTERY, DRAMA]

1980-1989

Simone Barbes or Virtue (1980), Dir. Marie-Claude Treilhou [DRAMA]

Personal Best (1982), Dir. Robert Towne [SPORTS, DRAMA]

Scrubbers (1982), Dir. Mai Zetterling [DRAMA]

The Living Dead Girl (1982), Dir. Jean Rollin [ZOMBIE, HORROR]

Audience (1982), Dir. Barbara Hammer [DOCUMENTARY]

The Hunger (1983), Dir. Tony Scott [VAMPIRE]

Lianna (1983), Dir. John Sayles [DRAMA]

La Pirate (1984), Dir. Jacques Doillon [DRAMA]

Desert Hearts (1985), Dir. Donna Deitch [ROMANCE, DRAMA]

Anne Trister (1986), Dir. Lea Pool [DRAMA]

Kamikaze Hearts (1986), Dir. Juliet Bashore [DOCUFICTION]

Working Girls (1986), Dir. Lizzie Borden [DRAMA]

I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987), Dir. Patricia Rozema [COMEDY]

No No Nooky T.V. (1987), Dir. Barbara Hammer [COMEDY, SHORT]

1990-1999

The Company of Strangers (1990) Dir. Cynthia Scott [DOCUFICTION]

Salmonberries (1991), Dir. Percy Adlon [DRAMA]

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992), Dir. David Lynch [HORROR, AVANT GARDE]

Nitrate Kisses (1992), Dir. Barbara Hammer [DOCUMENTARY]

Flaming Ears (1992), Dir. A. Hans Scheirl, Dietmar Schipek, and Ursula Pürrer [AVANT GARDE, SCI-FI]

Fresh Kill (1994), Dir. Shu Lea Cheang [SCI-FI, AVANT GARDE]

Heavenly Creatures (1994), Dir. Peter Jackson [CRIME, THRILLER, BIOPIC]

Go Fish (1994), Dir. Rose Troche [COMEDY, DRAMA, ROMANCE]

The Celluloid Closet (1995), Dir. Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman [DOCUMENTARY]

The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), Dir. Maria Maggenti [COMEDY, DRAMA]

When Night is Falling (1995), Dir. Patricia Rozema [DRAMA]

BloodSisters: Leather, Dykes, and Sadomasochism (1995), Dir. Michelle Handelman [DOCUMENTARY]

Bound (1996), Dir. The Wachowskis [CRIME, THRILLER]

The Watermelon Woman (1996), Dir. Cheryl Dunye [ROMANCE, DRAMA, COMEDY]

Irma Vep (1996), Dir. Olivier Assayas [DRAMA]

Gia (1998), Dir. Michael Cristopher [BIOPIC]

High Art (1998), Dir. Lisa Cholodenko [DRAMA]

Election (1999), Dir. Alexander Payne [COMEDY]

Being John Malkovich (1999), Dir. Spike Jonze [COMEDY, FANTASY]

But I’m A Cheerleader (1999), Dir. Jamie Babbit [ROMANCE, COMEDY]

Adolescence of Utena (1999), Dir. Kunihiko Ikuhara [ANIME, DRAMA, COMING OF AGE]

[keepscrollinghun]

Olivia (1951) dir. Jacqueline Audry ↳ based on Dorothy Bussy's semi-autobiographical novel Olivia (1949).