Madeleine Lebeau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madeleine Lebeau
Lebeau singing "La Marseillaise" in Casablanca
Born	Marie Madeleine Berthe Lebeau (1923-06-10)10 June 1923 Antony, France
Died	1 May 2016(2016-05-01) (aged 92) Estepona, Spain
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1939–1970
Notable work	Casablanca, 8½
Spouse(s)	Marcel Dalio ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1942)​ Tullio Pinelli ​ ​ (m. 1988; died 2009)​

Marie Madeleine Berthe Lebeau (born June 10, 1923 – died May 1, 2016) was a French actress. She also starred in American movies. She is best known for her role in the famous film Casablanca.

Early Life and Escape

Madeleine Lebeau was born in Antony, France. She started acting in films in 1939. Her first movie was Young Girls in Trouble. In the same year, she married actor Marcel Dalio. They had met while working on a play together.

In June 1940, Madeleine and Marcel had to leave Paris. The German Army was invading France. Marcel was Jewish, so it was not safe for them. They traveled to Lisbon, Portugal. They got special papers to enter Spain and then Portugal.

Their journey to safety was not easy. They planned to go to Chile. But when their ship, the S.S. Quanza, stopped in Mexico, they got stuck. Their Chilean visas were fake. After a long wait, they finally got temporary Canadian passports. This allowed them to enter the United States.

Madeleine made her first Hollywood movie in 1941. It was called Hold Back the Dawn. The next year, she appeared in Gentleman Jim. She learned English during her long trip on a ship.

Starring in Casablanca

Later in 1942, Madeleine got a role in Casablanca. She played Yvonne, a girlfriend of Humphrey Bogart's character. Warner Bros., the film studio, gave her a contract.

While she was filming Casablanca, her husband, Marcel Dalio, filed for divorce. He also acted in the movie, playing Emil the croupier. They divorced in 1942. Madeleine's contract with Warner Bros. ended soon after. After another actress, Joy Page, passed away in 2008, Madeleine Lebeau was the last living credited actor from Casablanca.

Madeleine once shared her feelings about her role. She said her part became smaller as the script changed. She was disappointed, but she understood it wasn't personal.

One of Madeleine's most famous scenes in Casablanca is very powerful. In the movie, French people sing "La Marseillaise" (the French national anthem). They sing it loudly to drown out German soldiers singing their song. The camera shows real tears on Madeleine's face. At the end of the song, she cries out, "Vive la France ! Vive la liberté !" (Long live France! Long live freedom!). This scene was very special. Many actors in it were real refugees from Europe. France had been taken over by Nazi forces.

After Casablanca

After Casablanca, Madeleine Lebeau acted in two more American films. She had a big role in the war drama Paris After Dark (1943). Her former husband, Marcel Dalio, was also in this movie. In 1944, she had a smaller part in Music for Millions.

She also performed on Broadway in a play called The French Touch. After World War II ended, Madeleine went back to France. She continued her acting career there. She appeared in French films like Les Chouans (1947). She also worked in Great Britain, starring in Cage of Gold (1950).

Later Years and Passing

Madeleine Lebeau went on to appear in 20 more films. Most of these were French movies. She acted in La Parisienne (1957) with the famous actress Brigitte Bardot. She also had a role in the well-known Italian film 8½ (1963), directed by Federico Fellini. Her last two films were Spanish productions in 1965.

In 1988, she married her third husband, Tullio Pinelli. He was an Italian screenwriter who helped write the script for 8½.

Her Death

Madeleine Lebeau passed away on May 1, 2016, in Estepona, Spain. She was 92 years old. She died after breaking her thigh bone.

After her death, the French culture minister, Audrey Azoulay, spoke about Madeleine Lebeau. She said Madeleine was a "free woman" who lived by her own rules. She fully brought to life the roles she played for great directors. The minister added that Madeleine would always be remembered as "the face of French resistance."

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Madeleine Lebeau para niños