Simone Signoret's face on the Paris Metro movie posters in March 1982 appeared older than her actual age of 61, yet she still maintained her status as a box-office draw. This would be her final theatrical release, starring as the landlady in the film L'étoile du Nord (1982).
Signoret's early film career during World War II was marked by a long apprenticeship, mostly as an extra, occasionally getting to deliver a single line. Due to her father's Jewish heritage, he had fled to England, and Signoret worked without an official permit during the Nazi occupation of France. Despite the challenges, she managed to support her mother and three younger brothers by working almost constantly as an extra.
It wasn't until she was 38 years old that Signoret achieved international stardom with the British film Room at the Top (1958). Her portrayal of Alice Aisgill, an unhappily-married woman who hopes to find true love, radiated genuine warmth in every scene, not just the bedroom scenes. This character was reminiscent of her earlier role as Dedee, a prostitute who finds true love in Dedee (1948),a film directed by her first husband, Yves Allégret, a decade prior.
Hollywood had long beckoned to Signoret, but she and her second husband, Yves Montand, were repeatedly refused visas to enter the United States due to their progressive political activities, which did not align with the ultra-conservative McCarthy-era mentality prevalent in the US at the time. They finally obtained visas in 1960, allowing Montand to perform in New York and San Francisco. Signoret received the Oscar for best actress in March 1960, and they stayed in Los Angeles so Montand could star opposite Marilyn Monroe in Let's Make Love (1960).
The Signoret film that is most frequently shown on television and received a theatrical re-release in 1995, four decades after its initial release, is the French thriller Diabolique (1955). Her chilling character in this film is a testament to her impressive acting abilities. More representative of her personality is the countess in Ship of Fools (1965),a film that also starred Vivien Leigh, which increased its chances of being included in a video-store or library film collection by more than doubling its exposure.
