Fifi D'Orsay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fifi D'Orsay
D'Orsay in 1930
Born	Marie-Rose Angelina Yvonne Lussier (1904-04-16)April 16, 1904 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died	December 2, 1983(1983-12-02) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1929–1973
Spouse(s)	Maurice Hill ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1939)​ Peter LaRicos ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1952)​

Fifi D'Orsay (born Marie-Rose Angelina Yvonne Lussier; April 16, 1904 – December 2, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress and singer. She was known for playing fun, energetic French characters in movies.

Early Life and Dreams

Fifi D'Orsay was born Marie-Rose Angelina Yvonne Lussier in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her father worked as a postal clerk, helping with mail. Fifi grew up in a big family with 11 brothers and sisters.

She went to school at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Montreal. After finishing school, she got a job as a secretary. But Fifi had bigger dreams. She really wanted to become an actress.

Becoming "Mademoiselle Fifi"

To follow her dream, Fifi moved to New York City. She tried out for a show called the Greenwich Village Follies. During her audition, she sang a song called "Yes! We Have No Bananas" in French.

When the director asked where she was from, Fifi said she was from Paris, France. She also said she had worked in the famous Folies Bergère show. The director was very impressed and hired her. He gave her the stage name "Mademoiselle Fifi."

From Vaudeville to Hollywood

While working in the Follies, Fifi met Ed Gallagher. He was a well-known actor from a popular comedy team. Ed and Fifi created a vaudeville act together. Vaudeville was a type of live show with different acts like singing, dancing, and comedy.

Ed taught Fifi a lot about performing. After touring in vaudeville, she went to Hollywood. There, she changed her last name to "D'Orsay," named after a perfume she liked. Soon, she started acting in movies. She often played a lively French girl from "gay Paris."

Film Career and Later Work

Fifi became a U.S. citizen in 1936. Around that time, her movie career faced a challenge. She left her contract at Fox Studios and was not allowed to work there anymore. This is called being "blacklisted."

Even though she wasn't a huge star, Fifi found steady acting jobs. She appeared with famous actors like Bing Crosby and Buster Crabbe. For many years, she worked in both movies and vaudeville shows.

As she got older, she started working in television. She appeared on shows like Adventures in Paradise and the legal drama Perry Mason. She was also a contestant on Groucho Marx's show You Bet Your Life. When she was 67, she returned to the Broadway stage in a musical called Follies.

Personal Life and Passing

Fifi D'Orsay was married two times. Her first husband was Earl Hill. She divorced him in 1939. Later, in 1947, she married Peter LaRicos, who owned a restaurant and was an agent.

Fifi D'Orsay passed away from cancer on December 2, 1983, at the age of 79. She was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Legacy

Fifi D'Orsay is remembered for helping to make the phrase "Ooh La La" widely known.

Partial Filmography

Those Three French Girls (1930) movie poster

See also

• Other Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood