Portrait of Micheline Presle

Micheline Presle

Acting

Biography

Micheline Presle (born Micheline Nicole Julia Émilienne Chassagne on 22 August 1922) was a French actress. She was sometimes billed as Micheline Prelle. Starting in 1939, she starred in over 50 French and English language films that were made in Hollywood and in France. Born in Paris, she wanted to be an actress from an early age. She took acting classes in her early teens and made her film debut at the age of fifteen in the 1937 production of La Fessée. In 1938, she was awarded the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti as the most promising young actress in French cinema. Her rise to European stardom, in films such as Devil in the Flesh, led to offers from Hollywood and in 1950, she was signed by 20th Century Fox. 20th Century Fox executives changed Presle's last name to Prell. It was later changed to Prelle after a soap company brought out Prell shampoo. Her first Hollywood production was a starring role opposite John Garfield in the film Under My Skin directed by Jean Negulesco. That same year director Fritz Lang cast her opposite Tyrone Power in the war drama American Guerrilla in the Philippines. In 1950, she became the second wife of American actor William Marshall with whom she had a daughter, Tonie. William Marshall had teamed up with actor Errol Flynn and his production company and in 1951 he directed Flynn and her in the film Adventures of Captain Fabian. Presle's marriage did not last and she returned to France, divorcing Marshall in 1954. Her career flourished in French films and in 1957 she was a guest on the American Ed Sullivan Show. In 1959 she performed in the United Kingdom English-language production of Blind Date directed by Joseph Losey. She returned to Hollywood in 1962 for the role of Sandra Dee's mother in the Universal Studios film If a Man Answers which also featured Dee's husband, singer Bobby Darin. The following year, Presle acted again in English in The Prize starring Paul Newman. She did not make another English film, but after performing in more than 50 films in French, in 1989 she appeared in the French-made bilingual production I Want to Go Home, for which she was nominated for the César Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In 1971, Presle signed the Manifesto of the 343, publicly declaring she had an illegal abortion. Presle died in Nogent-sur-Marne on 21 February 2024, at the age of 101, at the Maison des Artistes, a retirement home for artists, which receives partial government support. Her death was confirmed by Olivier Bomsel, her son-in-law, without specifying the cause. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born: August 22, 1922

Place of Birth: Paris, France

Filmography

2013
Rue Mandar

as la tante

2012
Just Like Brothers

as Grandmother

2012
Bankable

as Granny

2011
Hitler in Hollywood

as Micheline Presle

2009
Going South

as La grand-mère

2009
2008
2007
Vous êtes de la police ?

as Jane Latour-Jackson

2005
Grabuge!

as Gisèle Lenoir

2003
2003
Saltimbank

as Mrs. Saltim

2003
2003
Chouchou

as La mère de Stanislas

2002
La vie au grand air

as Claire Lacombe

2001
Vertiges de l'amour

as La mère de Vincent

2001
Tender Souls

as Juliette

2001
Transfixed

as Violette Ancelin

2001
Charming Fellow

as Bélise

2000
The Heart at Work

as Madeleine

1999
Bad Company

as Mamie

1999
The Journey to Paris

as Madame Dubosc

1999
Venus Beauty Institute

as Tante Maryse

1998
H

as Elle-même (l'actrice)

1998
The Count of Monte Cristo

as Madame de Saint-Méran

1998
Grève party

as Madame Raymonde

1996
Should Not!...

as la "mère" de Bernard

1996
A Chef in Love

as Marcelle Ichak

1996
1995
Les Miserables

as La mère supérieure / Mother Superior

1994
Casque bleu

as Gisèle

1994
Something Fishy

as Mrs. Loussine

1993
Fanfan

as Maude

1993
Point d'orgue

as Avril Espart

1991
1991
1991
Epiphany Sunday

as Germaine et Marie-Louise

1990
1990
Fathers' Day

as Mireille Miran

1989
I Want to Go Home

as Isabelle Gauthier

1989
In inniger Feindschaft

as Gloria Maieul

1988
Mignon Has Left

as Prof. Girelli

1988
Alouette, je te plumerai

as Lady with jewels

1987
1986
Qui trop embrasse...

as La mère de Christian

1984
1984
1984
The Dog

as Simone

1984
Thieves After Dark

as Genevieve

1983
Archipelago of Love

as The mother (segment "Remue-ménage")

1982
1980
1979
Out of Whack

as Carmen

1979
1979
Tales of the Unexpected

as Madame Lagrue

1979
We Forget Everything!

as Madame Courdevey

1978
Your Turn, My Turn

as Valentine Vatrin

1977
The Devil in the Box

as Madame Aubert

1976
Nea

as Helen Ashby

1976
1976
La Vie de Marianne

as Mme. de Miran

1975
1975
1975
1974
La Gueule de l’emploi

as Micheline Presle

1973
1972
Devil in the Brain

as Countess Claudia Osio De Blanc

1971
1970
Donkey Skin

as The Red Queen

1970
Earth Light

as L'Antiquaire

1970
Le Bal du comte d'Orgel

as Madame de Séryeuse

1967
The Nun

as Mme de Moni

1966
King of Hearts

as Madame Eva aka Madame Eglantine

1965
Les Saintes Chéries

as Ève Lagarde

1965
Hail! Mafia

as Daisy

1964
Les pieds nickelés

as Paméla Van Der Mèche

1964
Male Hunt

as Isabelle Lartois

1964
Dark Purpose

as Monique Bouvier

1963
The Prize

as Denise Marceau

1963
The Bamboo Stroke

as Angèle Brissac

1962
Imperial Venus

as Josephine

1962
If a Man Answers

as Germaine Stacy

1962
Combat!

as Annette

1962
Law of Men

as Sophie Givier

1962
Lust

as Madame Duparc - la Mère de Bernard

1962
The Seven Deadly Sins

as Madame Duparc - la Mère de Bernard (segment "La luxure")

1961
The Red and the Black

as Madame de Rénal

1961
1961
The Assassin

as Adalgisa De Matteis

1961
Five Day Lover

as Madeleine

1961
1960
1960
The Baron of the Locks

as Perle Germain-Joubert

1959
Blind Date

as Jacqueline Cousteau

1959
Bobosse

as Régine / Simone

1958
Christine

as Baroness Lena Eggersdorf

1958
1957
Demoniac

as Hélène Vanaux

1956
Her Bridal Night

as Judith Aurigault

1956
1955
Thirteen at the Table

as Madeleine Villardier

1955
Napoleon

as Queen Hortense de Beauharnais

1954
House of Ricordi

as Virginia Marchi

1954
Les impures

as Michèle

1954
Royal Affairs in Versailles

as Mrs. de Pompadour

1953
It Happened in the Park

as Valeria Valenzano (segment: Gli amanti)

1953
The Love of a Woman

as Marie Prieur

1953
La Dame aux camélias

as Marguerite Gauthier

1951
1950
Under My Skin

as Paule Manet

1949
1947
Devil in the Flesh

as Marthe Grangier

1947
The Chips Are Down

as Eve Charlier

1945
Angel and Sinner

as Élisabeth Rousset, aka "Boule de suif"

1945
Paris Frills

as Micheline Lafaurie

1944
Twilight

as Félicie Nanteuil

1943
Secrets of a Ballerina

as Clara Biondi

1942
The Beautiful Adventure

as Françoise Pimbrache

1942
1941
Foolish Husbands

as Adélaïde Barbier

1941
Parade in 7 Nights

as Irène Morillon

1940
The French Way

as Claire Ancelot

1939
Four Flights to Love

as Janine Mercier / Jeannette Leblan

1939
Girls in Distress

as Jacqueline Presle

1938
I Sing

as (uncredited)

1937
The Spanking

as (uncredited)