Yvette Lebon: Movies & Filmography

Yvette Lebon was born on 14 August 1910 in Paris, France, and would go on to become one of the most enduring figures in French cinema, living to the remarkable age of 103 before her death on 28 July 2014 in Cannes. Before embarking on her acting career, she dedicated herself to the study of music and art, cultivating a refined artistic sensibility that would serve her throughout her decades-long tenure in the entertainment industry. Her cinematic journey began in 1931 and spanned four decades until 1971, during which she appeared in numerous French films that showcased her versatility and screen presence. Among her notable early works were Rive gauche (1931), He Is Charming (1932), and the iconic Zouzou (1934) starring alongside Josephine Baker. She demonstrated her dramatic capabilities in films such as Divine (1935), Michel Strogoff (1936), and The Marriages of Mademoiselle Levy (1936), establishing herself as a reliable talent in the pre-war French film industry. Her career continued through the tumultuous years of World War II and beyond, with appearances in productions like Gibraltar (1938), where she acted alongside her first husband, Roger Duchesne, and later roles in Romance of Paris (1941) and Le Destin fabuleux de Désirée Clary (1942).

Lebon's personal life was marked by complex relationships that intersected with the dark history of the French Occupation during World War II. She was the mistress of Jean Luchaire, a powerful journalist and press baron who was ultimately executed for collaboration with Nazi occupiers, a relationship that she later admitted brought her significant privilege including champagne and freedom from ration books while others suffered. Her first marriage to actor Roger Duchesne also ended in controversy when he was sanctioned for collaboration after the war. Later, she married Nat Wachsberger, an American film producer, with whom she relocated to the United States, living there until his death in 1992. The couple had one son, Patrick, who followed his parents into the film industry as a producer. Additionally, she maintained a relationship with the prominent dramatist and filmmaker Sacha Guitry, who faced charges of colluding with the enemy though he was eventually acquitted. After turning 103 in August 2013, Lebon held the distinction of being France's oldest surviving actress until her death, and she was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, concluding a life that bridged the golden age of French cinema with the modern era.