Philatelic Document - Michèle Morgan 1920–2016

Michèle Morgan: Timeless and Contemporary... When Michèle Morgan was reminded of the legend she had become, the actress used to reply, “I’m just a woman who’s worked her whole life.” ” She appeared in 74 films, from 1935—with a brief cameo in *Mademoiselle Mozart*, starring Danielle Darrieux—to 1990, opposite Marcello Mastroianni in *Ils vont tous bien*; she played eight roles on television; four stage roles, including that of Esther, at the age of 72, in Jean Cocteau’s *Les Monstres sacrés* with Jean Marais. Painting was an added passion. Her encounter with the painter Moïse Kisling, who had taken refuge in the United States during the war, was a turning point. One of her last exhibitions in Paris took place at the Artistes en lumière gallery in April 2009. “I don’t plan anything; I have a pencil, I put the pencil on the canvas, and it does whatever it wants.” “The most beautiful eyes in cinema”—whose turquoise hue Gérard Oury would confirm—have never lost their sparkle, and the timbre of her crystalline, deep, and caressing voice, so strikingly modern, has not changed over time. From her earliest roles, particularly those with Jean Gabin, the actress has allowed us to share in her restrained emotions—whose impact is no less profound—and to explore their often enigmatic depth. In 1946, at the Cannes Film Festival, she received the Grand Prix for Best Actress for her role as Gertrude in Jean Delannoy’s *La Symphonie pastorale*, as well as the Victoire Award for Most Popular French Actress. These two awards aptly reflect her body of work—ranging from films by major directors to lighter comedies—as well as the variety of her roles. Michèle Morgan excelled at portraying characters who were sometimes on the margins of society, often seeking independence and freedom, “... by elevating the aspirations of ordinary women of her time for greater fulfillment, autonomy, respect, and equality in a deeply patriarchal and repressive society.” Michèle Morgan is timeless and remains our contemporary.

Timbre-poste (Héliogravure) : mise en page Atelier YOUPI d'après photographie © Giancarlo Botti/GAMMA RAPHO. Document philatélique et cachet d'oblitération : mise en page Atelier YOUPI d'après photographie Michael Holtz/Photo12 Texte : Brigitte Chapelain