Suzanne Flon (28 January 1918 – 15 June 2005) was a French stage, film, and television actress. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in the 1961 film Thou Shalt Not Kill. Flon also received two César Awards and two Molière Awards in her career.

Early life

Her father was a railway worker and her mother crafted jewellery. Prior to becoming an actress, Flon worked as an English translator at the Paris department store Au Printemps and then as personal secretary to Édith Piaf. The great love of her life was the legendary film director John Huston. She never married.

Theatre roles

Flon's stage credits included plays by Jean Anouilh (L'Alouette, Antigone, Roméo et Jeannette), André Roussin (La Petite Hutte), and Loleh Bellon (La Chambre d'amis, Les Dames du jeudi, Changement à vue, and Une Absence). Her English-language theatrical roles included Katherine (The Taming of the Shrew) and Rosalind (As You Like It).

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1941Ce n'est pas moiPetit rôleJacques de BaroncelliUncredited
1943Colonel ChabertAlbertineRené Le HénaffUncredited
1947Captain BlometAndrée Feix
1949Suzanne and the RobbersSuzanne SeguinYves Ciampi
Last LoveSimoneJean Stelli
Cage of GirlsMadame EdithMaurice Cloche
1950Bed for Two; Rendezvous with LuckBlanche Pidoux-BobinEmil-Edwin Reinert
1951The Beautiful ImageLucienne ChenalClaude Heymann
1952Trial at the VaticanMother Agnès de JésusAndré Haguet
Moulin RougeMyriamme HayamJohn Huston
1954Your Favorite StoryLeslie Goodwins & Jacques NahumTV series (1 Episode)
1955Mr. ArkadinBaroness NagelOrson Welles
1958Prisons de femmesMaurice Cloche (2)
1960Un beau dimanche de septembreAdrianaMarcel CravenneTV movie
1961Tu ne tueras pointKordijeova's motherClaude Autant-LaraVolpi Cup for Best Actress
Madame se meurtNarratorJean Cayrol & Claude DurandShort
Famous Love AffairsMargravine UrsulaMichel Boisrond(segment "Agnès Bernauer")
1962Le mal courtAlcaricaAlain BoudetTV movie
A Monkey in WinterSuzanne QuentinHenri Verneuil
The TrialMiss PittlOrson Welles (2)
1963The Bread PeddlerJeanne FortierMaurice Cloche (3)
Nutty, Naughty ChateauAgatheRoger Vadim
1964The TrainMademoiselle VillardJohn Frankenheimer
1967If I Were a SpyGeneviève LaurentBertrand Blier
Le soleil des voyousMarie-Jeanne FarrandJean Delannoy
1968Tante ZitaYvetteRobert Enrico
Le franciscain de BourgesMadame ToledanoClaude Autant-Lara (2)
1969Délire à deuxVousMichel MitraniTV movie
Under the Sign of the BullChristine RaynalGilles Grangier
JeffMrs. de GrooteJean Herman
La chasse royaleCélineFrançois Leterrier
1970TeresaTeresaGérard VergezTaormina Film Fest - Best Acting Performance
1971Aussi loin que l'amourThe CaptainFrédéric Rossif
1973Les volets closRosalieJean-Claude Brialy
Escape to NowhereJeanneClaude Pinoteau
Au théâtre ce soirHélèneGeorges FolgoasTV series (1 Episode)
1974Le tour d'écrouElizabeth GriddersRaymond RouleauTV movie
Les enquêtes du commissaire MaigretAline CallasMarcel Cravenne (2)TV series (1 Episode)
Un amour de pluieMadame EdithJean-Claude Brialy (2)
Nouvelles de Henry JamesElizabethRaymond Rouleau (2)TV series (1 Episode)
1975Le voyage en provinceAlain's motherJacques TréfouelTV movie
Le renard dans l'îleAunt MartineLeïla SenatiTV movie
1976Docteur Françoise GaillandGeneviève LiénardJean-Louis Bertucelli
Monsieur AlbertMan-LouiseJacques Renard
Monsieur KleinThe conciergeJoseph Losey
BoomerangMadame GrimaldiJosé Giovanni
Hôtel BaltimoreMillieArcadyTV movie
1977La vérité de Madame LangloisThérèseClaude SantelliTV movie
Black-OutBarmaidPhilippe Mordacq
1979Les héritiersJeanneJean-Pierre GalloTV series (1 Episode)
1980Le noeud de vipèresIsaJacques TréboutaTV movie
Une voixDominique CrèvecoeurShort
Le curé de ToursMademoiselle GamardGabriel AxelTV movie
1981QuartetMadame HautchampJames Ivory
Mon meilleur NoëlThe grand motherGabriel Axel (2)TV series (1 Episode)
1983One Deadly SummerNine CognataJean BeckerCésar Award for Best Supporting Actress
1984Le dialogue des CarmélitesMadame de CroissyPierre CardinalTV movie
Le coeur sur la mainMarcelleHervé BasléTV movie
Mademoiselle ClarisseMademoiselle ClarisseAnge CastaTV movie 7 d'Or for Best Actress
Le dernier civilMademoiselle FabriciusLaurent HeynemannTV movie
1985La robe mauve de ValentineMariePatrick BureauTV movie
1986Cinéma 16GeorgetteFranck ApprederisTV series (1 Episode)
Triple secYves ThomasShort
1987Série noireRenéeMarcel BluwalTV series (1 Episode)
Dagboek van een Oude DwaasDenise HamelinckLili Rademakers
GigiMadame AlvarezJeannette HubertTV movie
Chacun sa véritéMadame FrolaJean-Daniel VerhaegheTV movie
Noyade interditeHazellePierre Granier-Deferre
1988En toute innocenceClemenceAlain Jessua
1989La vouivreLouise MuselierGeorges WilsonCésar Award for Best Supporting Actress
1990Gaspard et RobinsonMamieTony Gatlif
1992Voyage à RomeThe motherMichel Lengliney
1999The Children of the MarshlandOld Cri CriJean Becker (2)
Je suis né d'une cigogneThe neighborTony Gatlif (2)
2001A Crime in ParadiseThe mistressJean Becker (3)
2002Le miroir d'AliceMaura Le BellecMarc RivièreTV movie
Mille millièmesMadame ChartreuxRémi Waterhouse
2003The Flower of EvilAunt LineClaude Chabrol
Effroyables jardinsMarie GerbierJean Becker (4)
2004The BridesmaidMadame CrespinClaude Chabrol (2)
2005Joyeux NoëlChatelaineChristian Carion
2006Avenue MontaigneMadame RouxDanièle Thompson(final film role)

Awards and nominations

César Awards

YearCategoryFilmResult
1984Best Supporting ActressL'Été meurtrierWon
1990La VouivreWon

Molière Awards

YearCategoryPlayResult
1987Best ActressLéopold le bien-aiméWon
1989Une absenceNominated
1992L'AntichambreNominated
1995La Chambre d'amisWon
2000L'Amante anglaiseNominated

Venice Film Festival

YearCategoryFilmResult
1961Volpi Cup for Best ActressTu ne tueras pointWon

Tributes

Director Danièle Thompson dedicated Avenue Montaigne to Flon, who had here her last film appearance. Writer-director John Huston described Flon as "the most extraordinary woman I have ever known."

External links

  • at IMDb
  • [dead link] at The Independent on 3 September 2005