RIP Brigitte Bardot

 

French actress and sex symbol Brigitte Bardot died at her home in Saint-Tropez, France on December 28^th. She was 91. Born Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot in Paris on September 28, 1934. Brigitte's mother encouraged her daughter to take up music and dance, and she proved to be very adept at it. By the time she was 15, Brigitte was trying a modeling career and found herself in the French magazine Elle. Her incredible beauty readily apparent, Brigitte next tried films. In 1952, she appeared on screen for the first time as Javotte Lemoine in “Crazy for Love” (1952). Two more films followed and it was also the same year she married Roger Vadim. Capitalizing on her success in French films, Brigitte made her first American production in “Act of Love” (1953) with Kirk Douglas, but she continued to make films in France. Brigitte's explosive sexuality took the United States by storm, and the effect she had on millions of American men who had not seen a woman like her in a long, long time--if ever--was electric. Rise to the phrase "sex kitten" and fascination of her in the United States consisted of magazines photographs and dubbed over French films--good, bad or indifferent, her films drew audiences--mainly men--into theaters like lemmings. Just before she turned 40, Brigitte retired from movies after filming “The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot” (1973). She preferred life outside of stardom. Brigitte went on to become a leading spokesperson for animal rights and started the "Foundation Brigitte Bardot" dedicated solely to that cause. Her work in that realm is, perhaps, far greater than any film she could have made. Brigitte has been married to Bernard d'Ormale since 1992, and they resided in St. Tropez with their nearly 50 pets. Bardot appeared in three Euro-westerns: “Viva Maria!” in 1965 as Maria Fitzgerald O’Malley, “Shalako” in 1968 as Countess Irina Lazaar and “The Legend of Frenchie King” in 1971 as Louise ‘Frenchie King’ Miller.