Suzanne Cloutier | |
|---|---|
 Cloutier with Peter Ustinov and daughter | |
| Born | July 10, 1923 Ottawa, Canada |
| Died | December 2, 2003 (aged 80) Montreal, Quebec |
| Occupation | Actress |
Suzanne Cloutier (10 July 1923 – 2 December 2003)[1][a] was a Canadian actress, best known for her role as Desdemona in the 1951 film Othello.
Early life
editSuzanne was born on 10 July 1923 in Ottawa to Edward and Helene Cloutier (née Saint-Denis), the oldest of six children.[4][5] Her father was the King's Printer.[6] Cloutier was educated at Catholic schools in Ottawa, Montreal, and Trois-Rivières. In 1946, she married doctor François LaFlèche, who served in the Royal 22nd Regiment; shortly after their marriage, Cloutier travelled to New York, where she become a model for Vogue.[7][8] Her marriage to LaFlèche was never consummated and was later annulled.[2]
Career
editCloutier began modelling in 1946, after she was discovered by an agent at New York City's Grand Central Station.[9] Her first acting role was in the film Temptation, released the same year. She worked for Charles Laughton's theatre company, before moving to France to join Jean Dasté's Comedie Francaise.[1] Cloutier acted in two French films: Au royaume des cieux in 1949, and Juliette, or Key of Dreams in 1950.[2] When Orson Welles saw Au royaume des cieux at the Venice Film Festival, he offered her a role in his film based on Shakespeare's tragedy Othello.[8] The film, released in 1951, was received with acclaim by critics, winning the Palme d'Or at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival, though it was a commercial failure.[5] She starred in the 1952 British film Derby Day, where she was described by journalist Leonard Mosley as "smart as a tic-tac man, as wide-eyed as the punter who picks the winner with a pin, as lovely to look at as Tulyar."[10]
By 1952, Cloutier was well-known throughout Europe, though still relatively unknown in Canada.[11] She signed a six-month contract with Paramount Pictures to star in a film titled Persian Gulf alongside Alan Ladd, but after Ladd broke his contract the film was postponed indefinitely.[12]
Later life and death
editFilmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Temptation | Yvonne Dupont | [13] |
| 1949 | Au royaume des cieux | Maria Lambert | [1] |
| 1951 | Juliette, or Key of Dreams | Juliette | [5] |
| 1951 | Othello | Desdemona | [2] |
| 1952 | Derby Day | Michele Jolivet | [9] |
| 1954 | Doctor in the House | Stella | [8] |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Williams, Kimberly (19 December 2003). "Suzanne Cloutier". Variety. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Bergan, Ronald (11 December 2003). "Suzanne Cloutier". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Suzanne Cloutier, Canada Census, 1931". FamilySearch. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Cloutier, Mrs. Helene". Ottawa Journal. 16 January 1978. p. 30.
- ^ a b c Hustak, Alan (9 May 1993). "Desdemona Revived". The Gazette. p. 43.
- ^ Wilson, Phyllis (28 February 1952). "In Movies With Wilding And Welles, But "It's Wonderful To Be Home"". Ottawa Citizen. p. 34.
- ^ "Miss Suzanne Cloutier Weds Lieut. Francois LaFleche". Ottawa Journal. 31 August 1946. p. 13.
- ^ a b c Hustak, Alan (5 December 2003). "Canadian actress starred in Othello by Orson Welles". The Gazette. p. 5.
- ^ a b Johnson, Erskine (25 June 1952). "Suzanne Cloutier Is A Rising Star". Akron Beacon Journal. p. 10.
- ^ "Canadian Actress Wins U.K. Acclaim". Vancouver Sun. 30 May 1952. p. 49.
- ^ Nielson, Robert (24 May 1952). "Suzanne Cloutier: Star from Ottawa". Star Weekly. p. 16.
- ^ "Suzanne Ends $500 Per Week Film "Holiday"". Ottawa Citizen. 7 August 1952. p. 1.
- ^ "Ottawa Girl Plays First Screen Role". Ottawa Citizen. 29 May 1946. p. 1.