Viviane Romance

Born

July 4, 1912

Died

1991

From

Roubaix, Nord, France·Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Also:
Actress
Producer
Writer

Credits on file

Decades active

In short · Acted for six decades — 69 credits.

Remembered for

Ranked by community engagement + sustained interest across this person's credits in our database.

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Biography

Viviane, a strikingly beautiful French leading lady and Miss Paris of 1930, first appeared on stage at the age of 13 at the Theatre Sarah-Bernhardt. She later worked as a model and joined the chorus line of the Moulin Rouge a year later. She also performed the 'can-can' at the Parisian nightclub Bal Tabarin. Her breakthrough came when she was signed by director Jean Renoir for a bit part in *The Bitch* (1931). From the mid-1930s, she was cast in leading roles, often as the femme fatale, most notably as Jean Gabin's faithless wife in Duvivier's *They Were Five* (1936). This established her as a bankable star, and she was frequently cast as courtesans, kind-hearted prostitutes, and alluring exotics. One of her best films was the film noir *Panique* (1946), and she also starred in the title role of *Carmen* (1944). Eschewing offers from Hollywood, Viviane continued acting in French and Italian films during the 1950s. When her popularity began to wane, she went into production with her then-husband Clément Duhour, but without much success. Suffering considerable financial hardship, Viviane had a lengthy absence from the screen but eventually re-appeared on television in the early 1970s, finishing her career with a noteworthy role as Madame Gabrielle in Claude Chabrol's *Nada* (1974).