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Jean Seberg (November 13, 1938 – August 30, 1979)
Along with Audrey Hepburn, Jean Seberg is my favorite actress. Most everyone who loves film has seen Breathless, as it's one of those film-class staples and studied quite often. Certainly it's not uncommon to find a picture of Jean Seberg along with Jean Paul Belmondo in Breathless between the pages of many film study texts.
I think she's a very good actress. My initial liking of her came from the knowledge that she was also from Marshalltown, Iowa. Luckily the library in town had quite a few of her films so it was during that period in my senior year of high school, when I was watching six or so films every few days that I found Lilith. Lilith is an amazing film, one of those little known gems that hits hard with the emotional impact it carries. Warren Beatty is amazing in one of his early roles, Gene Hackman plays in his first screen appearance, and Jean Seberg is creepy as the neurotic nymphomanic living in a mental hospital. I think Lilith features her best performance, and she even said it was her favorite among her roles and best acting work, according to David Richards' biography on her.
For those of you who haven't seen her work, or maybe have only seen Breathless but nothing else, Turner Classic Movies will be having a five-film retrospective this Saturday, July 11th. (http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article...ticleId=240891) I strongly urge that you tune in, if you're interested in seeing several of her films. Wisely TCM (could you expect anything else?) has opted not to show her two most widely known films Breathless, and Airport. Instead of Breathless they are showing Bonjour Tristesse and instead of Airport they opt for Paint Your Wagon. Good calls. The only film in the retrospective that I don't think they should show is The Mouse That Roared, simply because it's not really a Jean Seberg film, it's more of a Peter Sellers vehicle with Seberg getting a limited part for minimal screen time. I would have prefered TCM showing her debut film, Saint Joan.
The one I am looking forward to seeing is In the French Style, which I've never viewed before.
Anytime Seberg is mentioned her bizarre and tragic life seems to eclipse her filmography, so I won't spend too much time writing on that here (though you certainly may). In general I like to seperate the art of from the artist, but there are times where that is very difficult, as is the case with Seberg. Along with Monty Clift, I think she's one of the most tragic Hollywood figures that have blessed us with their art and craft. Now I'm not really one to make a big deal about celebrities leading "tragic" lives with their millions of dollars (I really couldn't care less about Michael Jackson), but if you're interested in that sort of thing, few can top Jean Seberg's story. There are two biographies out there on her, one of which I've read, Played Out by David Richards (quite good) the other I still need to track down.
Anyway here's the films they are showing on TCM this Saturday, as copied and pasted from http://www.examiner.com/x-4636-Pitts...e-small-screen
8 p.m. The Mouse That Roared (1959) An impoverished nation declares war on the U.S. hoping to lose and score foreign aid. Co-stars includes Peter Sellers and William Hartnell. Trivia tidbit: Why are the streets of New York City so empty? The “invasion sequence” was filmed early on a Sunday morning.
9:30 p.m. In the French Style (1963) A beautiful art student is torn between her French boyfriend and her wealthy American father. Co-stars include Stanley Baker and Claudine Auger. Trivia tidbit: When asked to star in this film, Seberg was in the midst of a passionate affair with Romain Gray, who was still married at the time.
11:30 p.m. Bonjour Tristesse (1957) A jealous teenage girl plots to end her father's engagement. Co-stars include David Niven and Deborah Kerr. Trivia tidbit: Arthur Laurents watched Saint Joan after he had turned in the script for Bonjour; he was so appalled by what he saw that he called director Otto Preminger and cried, “Jean will sink me, you, and the picture!” Preminger's response? Seberg will be a “triumph.”
1:15 a.m. Lilith (1964) A young psychiatrist finds himself drawn to a beautiful young mental patient. Co-stars include Warren Beatty and Peter Fonda. Trivia tidbit: The film received such a hostile reaction from American critics that director Robert Rossen yanked the film out of the Venice Film Festival and delayed its release in the UK by two years.
3:15 a.m. Paint Your Wagon (1970) Two California miners share a gold claim and a wife. Co-stars include Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. Trivia tidbit: Seberg studied for months to perfect her one song, then was so nervous in the recording studio that she could barely squeak out the notes. Her singing voice was later dubbed.
So if you've seen Breathless and admired her charming screen charisma, or if you're planning on viewing a couple of her films... chat it up on this often times under recognized actress. And yes, she's the chick in my avatar.
Along with Audrey Hepburn, Jean Seberg is my favorite actress. Most everyone who loves film has seen Breathless, as it's one of those film-class staples and studied quite often. Certainly it's not uncommon to find a picture of Jean Seberg along with Jean Paul Belmondo in Breathless between the pages of many film study texts.
I think she's a very good actress. My initial liking of her came from the knowledge that she was also from Marshalltown, Iowa. Luckily the library in town had quite a few of her films so it was during that period in my senior year of high school, when I was watching six or so films every few days that I found Lilith. Lilith is an amazing film, one of those little known gems that hits hard with the emotional impact it carries. Warren Beatty is amazing in one of his early roles, Gene Hackman plays in his first screen appearance, and Jean Seberg is creepy as the neurotic nymphomanic living in a mental hospital. I think Lilith features her best performance, and she even said it was her favorite among her roles and best acting work, according to David Richards' biography on her.
For those of you who haven't seen her work, or maybe have only seen Breathless but nothing else, Turner Classic Movies will be having a five-film retrospective this Saturday, July 11th. (http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article...ticleId=240891) I strongly urge that you tune in, if you're interested in seeing several of her films. Wisely TCM (could you expect anything else?) has opted not to show her two most widely known films Breathless, and Airport. Instead of Breathless they are showing Bonjour Tristesse and instead of Airport they opt for Paint Your Wagon. Good calls. The only film in the retrospective that I don't think they should show is The Mouse That Roared, simply because it's not really a Jean Seberg film, it's more of a Peter Sellers vehicle with Seberg getting a limited part for minimal screen time. I would have prefered TCM showing her debut film, Saint Joan.
The one I am looking forward to seeing is In the French Style, which I've never viewed before.
Anytime Seberg is mentioned her bizarre and tragic life seems to eclipse her filmography, so I won't spend too much time writing on that here (though you certainly may). In general I like to seperate the art of from the artist, but there are times where that is very difficult, as is the case with Seberg. Along with Monty Clift, I think she's one of the most tragic Hollywood figures that have blessed us with their art and craft. Now I'm not really one to make a big deal about celebrities leading "tragic" lives with their millions of dollars (I really couldn't care less about Michael Jackson), but if you're interested in that sort of thing, few can top Jean Seberg's story. There are two biographies out there on her, one of which I've read, Played Out by David Richards (quite good) the other I still need to track down.
Anyway here's the films they are showing on TCM this Saturday, as copied and pasted from http://www.examiner.com/x-4636-Pitts...e-small-screen
8 p.m. The Mouse That Roared (1959) An impoverished nation declares war on the U.S. hoping to lose and score foreign aid. Co-stars includes Peter Sellers and William Hartnell. Trivia tidbit: Why are the streets of New York City so empty? The “invasion sequence” was filmed early on a Sunday morning.
9:30 p.m. In the French Style (1963) A beautiful art student is torn between her French boyfriend and her wealthy American father. Co-stars include Stanley Baker and Claudine Auger. Trivia tidbit: When asked to star in this film, Seberg was in the midst of a passionate affair with Romain Gray, who was still married at the time.
11:30 p.m. Bonjour Tristesse (1957) A jealous teenage girl plots to end her father's engagement. Co-stars include David Niven and Deborah Kerr. Trivia tidbit: Arthur Laurents watched Saint Joan after he had turned in the script for Bonjour; he was so appalled by what he saw that he called director Otto Preminger and cried, “Jean will sink me, you, and the picture!” Preminger's response? Seberg will be a “triumph.”
1:15 a.m. Lilith (1964) A young psychiatrist finds himself drawn to a beautiful young mental patient. Co-stars include Warren Beatty and Peter Fonda. Trivia tidbit: The film received such a hostile reaction from American critics that director Robert Rossen yanked the film out of the Venice Film Festival and delayed its release in the UK by two years.
3:15 a.m. Paint Your Wagon (1970) Two California miners share a gold claim and a wife. Co-stars include Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. Trivia tidbit: Seberg studied for months to perfect her one song, then was so nervous in the recording studio that she could barely squeak out the notes. Her singing voice was later dubbed.
So if you've seen Breathless and admired her charming screen charisma, or if you're planning on viewing a couple of her films... chat it up on this often times under recognized actress. And yes, she's the chick in my avatar.
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Member since Fall 2002
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"A candy colored clown!"
Member since Fall 2002
Top 100 Films, clicky below
http://www.movieforums.com/community...ad.php?t=26201
Last edited by iluv2viddyfilms; 07-09-09 at 07:53 PM.
Reason: the pictures!
