Thursday 22 January 2009

The mononym


Capucine

In our house there was a rumor that Capucine had once been male. After a while, true or not, it became accepted as fact. It seemed the most logical way to explain away such perfection. And, she was perfect.

Men look at me like I'm a suspicious-looking trunk, and they're customs agents.





Walk on the Wild Side (1962) - Capucine in her role as the disillusioned prostitute, Hallie Gerard, with Barbara Stanwyck as her Madam, Jo Courtney.





----------------
Now playing: Pet Shop Boys - Always on My Mind
via FoxyTunes

8 comments:

Mrs. Blandings said...

OK, I'm dying - does he leave her? Gosh, but she's gorgeous.

HOBAC said...

Mrs B - I'm not telling. This is a must see.

Mrs. Blandings said...

For the sets I as well. You're such a tease.

Jill said...

I'm not familiar with her...I must find out more! thanks for this post.

Easy and Elegant Life said...

I know a man who met her at a Mardi Gras party in Washington DC. He mentioned that her grandfather was a famous painter... someone like Cezanne... I'll have to call him up and ask.

Said she was absolutely charming and stunningly beautiful in person.

And she may well be my favourite reason for repeated viewings of "The Pink Panther."

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Update: it was supposed to have been Renoir who was her grandfather.

Jill said...

I would love to be able to whip my hair around so dramatically...but I think I would break down in giggles or dislocate my neck!

bevglen said...

When I lived in Paris during the 1960s, there was a well-known trans-gendered person who called herself "Capucine". I believe that's the source of the rumor of her sexual beginnings.
This beautiful Capucine was, in actuality, the mistress of Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century Fox Studios and had a tragic end, killing herself by jumping from a window. Makes one wonder.............