THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1959.
Supposing she had been your daughter-Could you have seen
How Bardot Happened
by JOAN
HARRISON
At 25 Brigitte Bardot is all manner of things to so many people, but to most she is a tousle-haired, wary-eyed symbol of sex with a permanent pout. Behind the carefully created Legend with the Sinuous Shape there has been a background never fully examined... until now. For here, disclosed for the first time, is the story that could only be told by her mother. And, with these intimate pictures of earlier years, it forms a photo-biography of How Bardot Happened.
1-Formative Years
BRI
BRIGITTE BARDOT was born 25 years ago on the fifth floor of a tall grey apartment house in Passy, a trict of Paris.
dis-
of
The upper-mikle class people there have the strictes conventions, a certain way speaking, a restrained, elegant way of dressing and living. And if Brigite had been born
nol
in that aimosphere.
she would not have
of it her. Look, I can remember Brigitte was 15 years old en "I didn't think anything
March day in at the lime."
later her saying the blustering
Weeks
'see that, it's me. had another That's me en the cover." 1989 when her career was really Madame Bardot
telephone call from another Next.
express letter decided.
arrived She had just come back home woman's magazine.
nt the Bardot apart ment; ackdressed to Brigitte. from attending morning school at Haltemer's, one of the best in Puels,
When the Telephone rang Mme. Bardot answered. On the other end of the line was Mme. de la Villuchel, hor husband's cousin.
Mme. de la Villuchet edits the Junior Miss section of a French magazine.
THE TYPE appealed She told Mme. Bardot: "I'm in the way she did to that odd, in a real fx. I do hope you can sophisticated and brilliant man, help the out. film director Vadim Plemlanikov who was to -known as Vadim.
Says Brigitte's mother, "My dnughter.
her with
typlent religious and bourgeois upbring- ing, exched Vadim.
"He once said to me: "That's the amusing thing, to take a girl like her and make it appear as if she has gone completely off the rails."
The voice of the other and was demanding, but tactful
THIEN FILMS
10
"We know your daughter is not a professional model and doesn't pose for cover pictures.
sal: "Would you like But, just this once, wouldn't you allow her to? She is exactly the go on the films? If you would, und it would interest you to type of young girl we want for next week's cover. Don't worry, make a test, telephone me. My there won't be any publicity, name is Mare Allegret,"
the letter Brigitte ran with initials, we'll just USC her Mile. 1.0." Snid Brigitte's to her mother.
"*1 let
"Ob mother." she said "Let's myself be mother:
Perhaps I did the answer it right away." persuaded.
They went to the home of Bui Brigite was wrong thing.
with Marc Allegret, reping up and down
just oft The whole thing house excitement.
Elysees. was a great game to her.
"[ "Brigitte was never a proles- sional cover girl. Like any girl Madame Bandot thought of 15 she was thrilled to see there was no harm in it. So her picture or the front vover she and Brigitte went along 10 of a magazine. She used to walk by the kiosk at the ee:ner of the offices of the magazine.
"And," said Madame Bardot, dragging aver in five the street to see i "It was all
school friends with it went off just like that." minutes." said Madame Bardot, her little
girl
The young
this puse for me afternoon has got scarlet fever, May I borrow Brigitte? She is preity and just the type I want for the picture."
her
growing up to become this?
IN the years between ... when gawkiness gives way to woman- hood... Bardot never let slip the petulant expression that marks her out today. The fair hair, still free, the pout, still firm, the eyes still upwards, questioning. But the middle-class child with the ballet school buck- ground
aged 15, in
holiday mood on the left soon shed the conventions. Engaged at 16, married at 18... and those lips, well, it was later said that when she kissed she made a love scene really a work of art.
** *
on holiday to Biarritz, leaving we Brigitte, my younger daughter, Mijanou, and my mother in our apartenenti
was
time was
"We had been away about a week when I got a telephone call from my mother.
some
Finally, Marc Allegret said "Well, madame, suppese leave things as they are."
Afterwards, privately, he said Vadim, who Wok present: I don't want that girl. 1 can't stand the mother."
That
the first
"She said: "There are Brigitte met the man who funny things going on. There's later to become her first hus- * most extraordinary young band and guided her life both man, very strange indeed, who In putille and in private.
keeps on coming to the apart She wasn't impressed with ment. He spends hours with him then. As Ahe and her Brigitte. He says he is rehears- mother left the apartment, the ing her for a tiim test she is
said: to make with Mare Allegret 15-year-old Brigitte "Mother, did you notice that
and "Oh Indred, I thought, queer-looking man? He's got a decided I'd better come back to very odd face, don't you think?" Paris at once to see what was
goleg on.
NOT LOVE
an apartment the Chumps-
"It's true," said Mme. Bardot, decided," said Madame "He in a curlous-looking young Bardot, "to play the heavy enon.
"It certainly wasn't love at mother because I didn't really want her to get into the Alms at first sight on her part.
as i was concerned the incident all. I wanted her to keep
was over and Anished with. with her dancing.
"That was in July. In Sep- lember my husband and I went
ch
As for
"I found Vadim, who by then зату had got quite a hold daughter and fascinated by hun."
she was
TOMORROW:
:
Vadim Svengali
or husband?
TOURING THE WORLD-ON HK$48 EACH
London.
TWO young Canadian cousins are touring the
world on a three-year holiday
HK$96 between them.
with only
By a Special Correspondent
there, we travelled up Edinburgh, Scotland, and
the
have
of scen use it until it falls What we timur lo
50 tar is really opart, and then we'll discard it. Highlands
breathtaking. It beats Pasily "This is the only kind of the scenery we have at home." holiday for us," sald David. "It's great to feal free and in- They are collecting photo- dependent, meeting R new graphs and newspaper cuilings and will make challenge every day and just of incir Journey
a scrapbook of them when they "We brought a tent with us, taking things as they come," rald David, "and we camp out.
David and Phil intend go get home. cooking our own food. On one ing to Aberdeen next, and will
"We will go to Spain, France, while still crossing ako visit Balmoral, where the cccasion
Highland home
Germany, Russia and any other "To Get money," he said, Canada we slept in our little Queen's
countries we can get into-and "We worked at various tent while u blizzard howled situated.
"Then," they said, "we will out of," they said, places, doing anything from around us."
fake in some of the country Phil added: "We hope to be washing dishes to making lec In Edinburgh they bought a
Scotland. in South Africa by Christmas." lollipops, and saving money car for £10 out of their wages round the North of
and, sald David: "We'll just ez-
They are Phil Stooshnov (21) and David Chernenkoff (23) from Calgary, Alberta; and when arrival they reached Inverness, Scotland, they both agreed: to "This is the most wonderful place we have been then Inverness. in so far."
theyour way three
thousand miles Then they told of how had started their holiday on across Canada before boarding n boat at Montreal to sail to April 18 with only HK$48 ench.
England. hitch-hiked Liverpool,
On cur Sald Phil: "We
NEW!
from our wages."
B & H-Angenieux ZOOM LENS
FOR 16MM MOVIE CAMERAS
give way on Berlin
BARDOT combs her unruly hair that has "Sex become a trademark. She said once: appeal is no tape measure. It's the way a mind controls the body."
BARDOT with the hint of the catlike grace that earned her a place in a San Francisco students' list of the 10 Best Undressed Women in the World.
The régima
Imagine if 1
-our satellites will be encouraged To break away
contented factions in the
USSR will rise
Our solidarity
·will split.
will fall,
and we will have to fly
to China
FAST, COMPACT,
F2.2 LENS
ZOOMS FROM 17MM TO OUMM-FOCAL LENGTHS. AT THE TURN OF A LEVER!
THROUGH THE LENS FOCUSING! SHARP FOCUSING FACILITATED BY GROUNDGLASS SPOT IN CENTER OF VIEW- FINDER FIELDI
OVERALL LENGTH OF LENS BARREL: 41⁄4”!
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TO BE REMOVED FOR RELOADING CAMERAI
ZOOM LEVER
„LAND LOCH LEVEK,
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MLUSTELO MIYAUNG NIPIG
Devonny and MF 4N LENS CAR
- ANUALED LOCKING KHON
- VM LENY LENT CRM.
HAGNIAM BA mutan
* TWINJICIT, P SCREW ALUCI
VIE WAAREYH MADH CONTROL NING
FOCUSING CONTROL RING
PYYNIEŠI SHIFTTEN CÔNTHON
Supposing.! gave way
on Berlin
NATO will break up, we Americans will have to leave, Europe -
First Germany. then Italy, France and Britain will fall to The Communists
¿The Reds will
organise Europe
to crush
America
We will be undermined and blown up. and Democracy will perish
Oblaluable
At All Lending Photographle Dealers-
SOLE AGENTS FILMO DEPOT MARINA HOUSE
17/19, QUEEN'S ROAD, C.
PATTERNS OF FEAR
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