Simone Simon: One of the Most Brilliant Stars of the French Cinema in the 20th Century

Born in Marseille, French actress Simone Simon began her film career in 1931 after being spotted in a restaurant. She was offered a film contract by director Victor Tourjansky, which ended her plans to become a fashion designer. Simon made her screen debut in Le chanteur inconnu (The Unknown Singer, 1931), and quickly established herself as one of the country’s most successful film actresses. She later told a reporter that she had no acting experience when making her first screen test for The Unknown Singer In 1932, she was given more important roles and she rose to fame after starring in Marc Allégret’s Lac aux dames (Ladies Lake, 1934). After seeing her in Ladies Lake, Darryl F. Zanuck brought her to Hollywood in 1935 with a widespread publicity campaign. Before accepting an American contract, Simon completed two more films for Allégret, Les yeux noirs (Black Eyes, 1935) and Les beaux jours (1935). In the late 1930s, Simon returned to France, dissatisfied with the developm