Martine Carol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martine Carol
Carol in 1953 (Studio Harcourt)
Born	Marie-Louise Jeanne Nicolle Mourer (1920-05-16)16 May 1920 Saint-Mandé, France
Died	6 February 1967(1967-02-06) (aged 46) Monte Carlo, Monaco
Other names	Marise Arley, Martine Carole, Marie-Louise Maurer
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1941–1967
Spouse(s)	Joseph Stephen Crane ​ ​ (m. 1948; div. 1953)​ Christian-Jaque ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1959)​ André Rouveix ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1962)​ Mike Eland ​ (m. 1966)​

Martine Carol (born Marie-Louise Jeanne Nicolle Mourer; 16 May 1920 – 6 February 1967) was a famous French movie star. She was known for playing elegant blonde characters.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, she was one of the most popular actresses in French movies. Many people thought of her as the French version of America's Marilyn Monroe.

One of her most famous roles was in the movie Lola Montès (1955). In this film, directed by Max Ophüls, she even changed her hair to dark. However, by the late 1950s, she got fewer roles. This was partly because a new star, Brigitte Bardot, became very popular.

Early Life and First Roles

Martine Carol was born Maryse Mourer in Saint-Mandé, France. She studied acting with a teacher named René Simon. She first performed on stage in 1940.

Her first credited movie role was in 1943, in a film called La ferme aux loups. Before that, she had small, uncredited parts in a couple of movies.

Becoming a Movie Star

Martine Carol started with supporting roles in movies like L'extravagante mission (1945). She also appeared with famous actor Jean Gabin in Miroir (1947).

She gained a lot of attention because of her acting and her public life. She quickly moved to lead roles in films such as En êtes-vous bien sûr? (1947). She also played a movie star in The Lovers of Verona (1949).

Rise to Fame

Martine Carol became a big star with the historical comedy Dear Caroline (1951). This movie was quite talked about because of the costumes she wore. After this film, she was sometimes called "The Cleanest Woman in Paris" because of scenes where she took showers.

She starred in Adorable Creatures (1952), directed by Christian-Jaque. He later became her husband in 1954. She also acted alongside Gerard Philippe in Beauties of the Night (1952).

Carol often played famous real-life women. She played Lucrezia Borgia in Lucrèce Borgia (1953), which was a big hit. She also played Madame du Barry in the 1954 film of the same name.

International Recognition

Carol in Action of the Tiger (1957)

Martine Carol started working on international films. She starred in The French, They Are a Funny Race (1955). This movie was filmed in both English and French.

She played Lola Montez in Lola Montès (1955). This was a very expensive European film for its time. It was made in French, English, and German. Even though it didn't make a lot of money, many people saw it.

Her first proper English-language film was Action of the Tiger (1957). She also starred in an Italian-French comedy for her husband, Nathalie (1957). This film was so popular that it had a sequel, Nathalie, Secret Agent (1959).

She also went to Tahiti to film The Stowaway (1958). Later, she starred in a Hollywood movie filmed in Germany, Ten Seconds to Hell (1959). She also played Joséphine de Beauharnais in the French film The Battle of Austerlitz (1960).

Later Career and Final Film

In her later career, Martine Carol appeared in several films. She was one of many stars in Love and the Frenchwoman (1961). She also acted with Jean Gabin in The Counterfeiters of Paris (1961).

Her last film was Hell Is Empty (1967), a British movie. Filming for this movie started in 1965. However, production stopped because of money problems. Martine Carol died before the movie was finished. Production started again after her death, and the film was released later.

Personal Life

Martine Carol was married four times during her life:

• She married American actor Joseph Stephen Crane in 1948. They divorced in 1953.
• She married film director Christian-Jaque in 1954. They divorced in 1959.
• She married Dr. André Rouveix in 1959. They divorced in 1962.
• Her last marriage was to English businessman Mike Eland in 1966. They were married until her death.

Martine Carol died suddenly from a heart attack in a hotel room in Monte Carlo. She was 46 years old. She was first buried in Paris. Later, she was reburied in the Grand Jas Cemetery in Cannes.

Filmography