One of the most famous stars ever to grace the screen, former French actress and superstar Brigitte Bardot (b. 1934) has not been involved in motion pictures ever since her retirement from the screen in 1973. That’s over forty years ago now. Yet, as a many-faceted and eternal screen icon of her time whose screen career only covered two decades, Miss Bardot—wherever she went and whatever she did—was permanently in the spotlights as, among others, an actress, a singer, a fashion trendsetter, a fashion model, and a role model which would define modern women in the 1960s. Miss Bardot was partout—everywhere. Her bright optimism, her broad smile, her endless energy and her frivolous spontaneity, her lust for life and her urge for freedom, along with her ravenous sensuality and great style, and feeling no restraints, made her a worldwide phenomenon. She became a sex symbol, adored by many, questioned by others. But the impact she had and still has on society, even up until today, can’t be ignored.

“And God Created Woman” (1956), the film which launched her career internationally and also created Bardot the myth, marked her first collaboration with Parisian filmmaker and screenwriter Roger Vadim (1928-2000, also her first husband) and Antwerp-born producer-screenwriter Raoul J. Lévy (1922-1966). Her provocative wriggle of her hips, her mouth, her hips, they all pushed the film to the limits of an X certificate and caused quite a controversy. As British movie critic Paul Dehn (also Oscar-winning screenwriter whose screen credits include “Goldfinger” [1964], “The Taming of the Shrew” [1967], and “Murder on the Orient Express” [1974]), summed it up at the time in London’s daily newspaper News Chronicle: ‘For those with some eyes, Mademoiselle Bardot is quite a sight. She has Vivien Leigh’s neck, Simone Signoret’s mouth, Veronica Lake’s hair, Marilyn Monroe’s walk, and my best wishes for a less tediously vulgar picture next time.’ But if the public is always right, Miss Bardot was the only raison d’être for the film and its huge success, and she became an international and controversial sensation.

“Et Dieu créa la femme” (1956, American trailer)

Along with Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, she turned out to be one of the very few non-English continental actresses of her generation to attract mass media attention in the U.S. After she had appeared previously in almost twenty films in the early 1950s, capitalizing on the success solely in her home country, she appeared in a few English-language films opposite Dirk Bogarde and Kirk Douglas, until she instantly became an international star in “And God Created Woman” (1956, directed by Vadim, produced by Lévy, written by both), with her vivid portrayal at age twenty-two of an immoral teenager living in a respectable small town. For the press and the audience, BB, the French equivalent of America’s MM (Marilyn Monroe), was born.

She then remained one of France’s most important leading ladies. Before she retired from acting in 1973 at age 39 after nearly fifty features, she worked for several French top film directors such as Julien Duvivier, Henri Verneuil, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Louis Malle, Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Enrico, Édouard Molinaro and Roger Vadim (six films) in some of their best achievements—turning Ms. Bardot into an all-round pillar of French cinema and proving her versatility as a hugely talented screen actress capable of handling all kinds of roles in various film genres. As time went by, the audience preferred to see her on the screen as a comedienne, but Ms. Bardot was more at ease playing interesting in-depth character roles in films as Clouzot’s “La vérité” (1960, considered to be one of her best films) or Godard’s “Le mépris” (1963). For her role in Louis Malle’s “Viva Maria!” (1965), she was nominated for a BAFTA Award as Best Foreign Actress.

After her retirement from acting, she used her name and fame when she got involved with various animal rights causes, becoming one of the leading animal rights activists worldwide when she founded the Paris-based Fondation Brigitte Bardot, dedicated to protecting animal rights. Miss Bardot, a vegetarian, breast cancer survivor, and highly successful author of several best-selling books (the first one being her autobiography “Initiales B.B.” published in 1996), became at times a very outspoken woman on numerous subjects, including on political and social issues. “The most beautiful woman in the world” may have chosen to leave the limelight in 1973—while still at the peak of her fame and beauty—to dedicate her life to animals, yet she has never ceased to be a controversial figure.

Haunted for most of her life by tourists, reporters, and paparazzi, Ms. Bardot has become a recluse, residing at her private estate La Madrague in St. Tropez, on the French Riviera. Like some of her colleagues and other stars of the screen, as Greta Garbo, Norma Shearer or Marlene Dietrich did before her, they all looked for a quiet and peaceful time and place, once they had vanished from the public spotlight. Former screen diva Brigitte Bardot is following in their footsteps; allowing us a written interview only via correspondence—which has its restrictions—it made sense all the more when her answers were arriving via mail when we got to know a woman who finally hoped to lead the life she had never been able to in the past sixty years.

Brigitte Bardot singing ‘La Madrague’ for a French TV special in the late 1960s

It’s an incredibly high price you have to pay when you try to live a life of your own while you’re known all over the world. As if the world has the right to own you with every breath you take. Consequently, with other priorities in her life now, she enjoys and is seduced by “little miracles like the blossoming of a flower, the dance of a bee, the vastness of the sea and of course animals, because of their purity, their courage, and their loyalty,” she claims. Meanwhile, she ages naturally and, while not being afraid of the cruel gaze of the mirror—unlike Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, or almost any movie queen of her stature—BB has never resorted to cosmetic surgery. What you see is what you get. Voilà!

Miss Bardot, how have you been doing? How about your health? Are you okay?

I live, I’m doing fine, thank you.

To what extent does your Foundation take up most—or maybe all—of your time? Is there any time left to hear some music, watch TV, read a book, write, and take care of your personal correspondence?

I spend all of my time working for The Foundation. But while I am working, I like to listen to classical music. Television doesn’t interest me at all. What they show is worthless. As far as reading is concerned, I only have time to read—and answer—my mail. I get fifty to a hundred letters each day, that’s enormous. Most of the letters deal with animal rights and the urgency to do something about it. And I don’t intend to write any more books now, simply because I am no longer interested in doing so.

Are you a happy woman?

Honestly, I can’t be happy anymore, looking around me and seeing the sadness every day.

For more than sixty years, you have been one of the most famous women in the world. How have you been able to live a life, knowing you had no privacy at all during all these years?

Well, I never had any kind of privacy, that’s basically the story of my life. Even up until today, I am haunted by tourists and paparazzi. It is always the same when I leave my home; I can’t even go to the dentist without being followed or photographed.

You made several interesting films in your career. Which ones would you consider your proudest achievements?

There are a few, like “Et Dieu créa la femme” [1956], “En cas de maleur” [1958], “La vérité” [1960], “Vie privée” [1962], “Viva Maria!” [1965] and “L’Ours et la poupée” [1970].  If there were only one film of mine that would survive, I hope it be “La vérité” [U.S. title “The Truth”].

You were a very talented and popular actress. How would you define your contribution to French, European, and international cinema? And what about the influence you had on the public worldwide?

You know, I don’t think anymore about the films I made. I don’t watch them; I certainly don’t buy them. I wish people would forget about me; then I’d finally be left alone and enjoy some peace.

Is there anyone in particular in the world of cinema who had a major influence on you?

Not really. Besides, I was never really was a ‘fan’ of any actor or actress.

What about other people, not related to cinema, who were important in your life?

People like the Dalai Lama have been very important to me. He is an honorary member of The Foundation, by the way.

Would you consider your popularity a blessing or a curse?

That depends. It can be a blessing when you’re known wherever you go when working for The Foundation. But it’s really a curse when I look at my own, private life.

Has there anything been written about you in the press that upsets or disturbs you?

There has been written so much about me all those years that it doesn’t make much of a difference anymore if they write a little bit more or less about me.

Marilyn Monroe wanted to be more than a sex symbol; she wanted to be recognized as an actress. Did you feel the same way in the 1950s and 1960s? Did it bother you when you were described as a ‘sex kitten’?

I liked it when they referred to me as a ‘sex kitten’; I thought it was cute, it didn’t upset me.

Was being an actress, playing a character in front of the camera, an easy thing to do for you?

Each character I have played came from inside of me. I didn’t really act; it was as if I became the character. That was my approach.

Who is your equivalent in today’s cinema?

There’s no one I can think of right now.

Your Foundation gets financial support from all over the world, but is it sufficient to finance all the projects you’re backing?

There is never enough money to finance all the work we do. We don’t get any funds from the government, so we have to rely on gifts from our sponsors.

Which projects are most important for your Foundation at this point?

There are so many of them; what would really be helpful is a government that would back us financially. That’s most crucial.

Do you still go to Paris or abroad to support the activities of your Foundation?

I have difficulties moving around a lot now because of osteoarthritis of the hips, and I need crutches when walking around.

What is the best way to promote the cause of your Foundation?

The best promotion we can get is when radio, television, or the internet report about our work and as many people as possible get to see it.

You’ve written several books so far. What was your driving force to do so?

If I write, it’s because I got something to say. I take my time for it, I do it on my own, and I am proud of what I have written. Especially because they were all best-sellers, they sold thousands and thousands of copies and were translated into twenty-eight languages.

Besides being engaged in social and political issues, what has your career as an actress and your work as an animal activist brought to you personally?

I have learned that humanity has been destructive, this planet has been polluted enormously, and animals have been massacred in their own environment. The ecological system of our planet, which has been in balance for so many centuries, is in great danger, and it is now way out of balance.

What are your ambitions with The Foundation at this very moment?

To stop this incessant carnage.

Where do you put yourself among other iconic figures in French history, such as Édith Piaf, Louison Bobet, Charles de Gaulle, Jean-Paul Sartre,…?

I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t really care.

Interview by correspondence,
August 2012

Jean-Luc Godard’s “Le mépris” (1963, trailer)

FILMS

LE TROU NORMAND, U.S. title CRAZY FOR LOVE (1952) DIR Jean Boyer PROD Jacques Bar SCR Arlette de Pitray CAM Charles Suin MUS Paul Misraki ED Franchette Mazin CAST Bourvil, Jeanne Marken, Brigitte Bardot (Javotte Lermoine), Nadine Basile, Jeanne Fusier-Gir, Noël Roquevert

MANINA, LA FILLE SANS VOILE, U.K. title THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER, U.S. title THE GIRL IN THE BIKINI (1952) DIR – PROD Willy Rozier SCR Xavier Vallier CAM Michel Rocca MUS Jean Yatove ED Suzanne Baron CAST Brigitte Bardot (Manina), Jean-François Calvé, Howard Vernon, Españita Cortez, Raymond Cordy

LES DENTS LONGUES, a.k.a. THE LONG TEETH (1952) DIR Daniel Gélin PROD Jacques Roitfeld SCR Michel Audiard, Marcel Camus, Daniel Gélin (novel by Jacques Robert) CAM Robert Juillard MUS Paul Misraki CAST Danièle Delorme, Daniel Gélin, Jean Chevrier, Louis Seigner, Jean Debucourt, Olivier Hussenot, Brigitte Bardot (Marriage Witness [uncredited]), Roger Vadim

LE PORTRAIT DE SON PÈRE, a.k.a. THE IMAGE OF HIS FATHER (1953) DIR André Berthomieu SCR André Berthomieu CAM Georges Million MUS Henri Betti ED C. Natot CAST Jean Richard, Michèle Philippe, Brigitte Bardot (Domino), Mona Goya, Duvalles

ACT OF LOVE, French title QUELQUE PART DANS LE MONDE (1953) DIR – PROD Anatole Litvak SCR Irwin Shaw, Joseph Kessel (novel ‘The Girl in the Via Flaminia’ by Alfred Hayes) CAM Armand Thirard MUS Michel Emer, Joe Hajos ED Léonide Azar CAST Kirk Douglas, Dany Robin, Barbara Laage, Robert Strauss, Gabrielle Dorzia, Grégoire Aslan, Marthe Mercadier, Fernand Ledoux, Serge Regianni, Brigitte Bardot (Mimi), Gilberte Géniat

SI VERSAILLES M’ÉTAIT CONTÉ, a.k.a. IF VERSAILLES COULD TALK (1953) DIR – SCR Sacha Guitry PROD Sacha Guitry, Ignace Morgenstern CAM Pierre Montazel MUS Jean Françaix ED Raymond Lamy CAST Sacha Guitry, Georges Marshall, Jean Marais, Claudette Colbert, Micheline Presle, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Gino Cervi, Gérard Philippe, Orson Welles, Martine Carol, Lena Marconi, Brigitte Bardot (Mademoiselle de Rozille [uncredited]), Édith Piaf, Madeleine Lebeau

TRADITA, French title HAINE, AMOUR ET TRAHISON, US title NIGHT OF LOVE (1954) DIR Mario Bonnard PROD Gaston Hakim SCR Nino Novarese, Mario Bonnard (play by Jules Baccar, Aldo de Benedetti) CAM Tonino Delli Colli MUS Jules Daccar ED Nella Nannuzzi CAST Brigitte Bardot (Anna), Pierrre Cressoy, Lucia Bose, Giorgio Albertazzo, Camillo Pilotto, Henri Vidon

HELEN OF TROY (1954) DIR Robert Wise SCR John Twist, Hugh Gray, N. Richard Nash CAM Harry Stradling MUS Max Steiner ED Thomas Reilly CAST Rosanna Podesta, Jacques Sernas, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Stanley Baker, Niall McGinniss, Robert Douglas, Torin Thachter, Harry Andrews, Janette Scott, Ronald Lewis, Brigitte Bardot (Andraste), Eduardo Ciannelli, Marc Lawrence, Maxwell Reed

LE FILS DE CAROLINE CHÉRIE, a.k.a. THE SON OF CAROLINE CHÉRIE (1954) DIR Jean Devaivre PROD François Chavane SCR Jean Devaivre (novel by Cécil Saint-Laurent) CAM Maurice Berry MUS Georges Van Parys ED Germaine Artus CAST Jean-Pierre Pascal, Jacques Dacqmine, Brigitte Bardot (Pilar), Magali Noël, Micheline Gary, Sophie Desmarets

FUTURES VEDETTES, a.k.a. FUTURE STARS (1955) DIR Marc Allégret PROD Gilbert Cohen-Seat SCR Roger Vadim (novel by Vicki Baum) CAM Robert Juillard MUS Jean Wiener ED Suzanne de Troye CAST Jean Marais, Brigitte Bardot (Sophie Dimater), Denise Noël, Mischa Auer, Isabelle Pia, Yves Robert, Lila Kedrova, Mylène Demongeot

DOCTOR AT SEA (1955) DIR Ralph Thomas PROD Betty Box SCR Nicholas Phipps, Jack Davies (novel by Richard Gordon) CAM Ernest Stewart MUS Bruce Montgomery ED Frederick Wilson CAST Dirk Bogarde, Brigitte Bardot (Hélène Colbert), Brenda de Banzie, James Robertson Justice, Maurice Denham, Michael Medwin, Hubert Gregg, Diane Dors

LES GRANDS MANOEUVRES, U.K. title SUMMER MANŒUVRES (1955) DIR René Clair PROD René Clair, André Daven SCR René Clair, Jérome Jéronimo, Jean Marsan (novel by Courteline) CAM Robert Le Fèbvre MUS Georges Van Parys ED Denise Natot, Louisette Hautecoeur CAST Michèle Morgan, Gérard Philippe, Brigitte Bardot (Lucie), Yves Robert, Simon Valère, Jean Desailly, Jacques François, Michel Piccoli

LA LUMIÈRE D’EN FACE, U.K. title THE LIGHT ACROSS THE STREET (1955) DIR Georges Lacombe PROD Jacques Gauthier SCR Louis Chavance, René Masson (story by Jean-Pierre Aurel) CAM Louis Page MUS Norbert Glanzberg ED Raymond Leboursier CAST Brigitte Bardot (Olivia Marceau), Raymond Pellegrin, Roger Pigaut, Claude Romain, Guy Pierraud, Lucien Herbert, Berval

CETTE SACRÉE GAMINE, a.k.a. THAT CRAZY KID, UK title MAM’ZELLE PIGALLE (1955) DIR Michel Boisrond PROD Albert Mazaleyrat SCR Roger Vadim, Michel Boisrond (original idea by Jean Périne) CAM Joseph Brun MUS Henri Colla, Hubert Rostaing, René Deconcin ED Jacques Mavel CAST Brigitte Bardot (Brigitte Latour), Jean Bretonnière, Françoise Fabian, Bernard Lancret, Raymond Bussières, Michel Serrault, Mischa Auer, Darry Cowl

MIO FIGLIO NERONE, French title LES WEEK-ENDS DE NÉRON, UK title NERO’S WEEKEND (1956) DIR Steno [Stefano Vanzina] PROD Franco Cristaldi SCR Rodolfo Sonego, Alessandro Continzena, Diego Fabbri, Ugo Guerra (story by Steno [Stefano Vanzina]) CAM Mario Bava MUS A.F. Lavagnino ED Giuliana Attenni, Mario Serandrei CAST Alberto Sordi, Brigitte Bardot (Poppea), Vittorio De Sica, Gloria Swanson, Giogia Moll, Ciccio Barbi, Mario Carotenuto, Mino Doro

EN EFFEUILLANT LA MARGUERITE, U.S. title PLEASE MR. BALSAC, UK title MAM’SELLE STRIPTEASE (1956) DIR Marc Allégret PROD Pierre Schwab, Claude Ganz SCR Marc Allégret, Roger Vadim (original idea by William Benjamin) CAM Louis Page MUS Paul Misraki ED Suzanne de Troeye CAST Brigitte Bardot (Agnès Dumont), Danie’l Gélin, Robert Hirsch, Darry Cowl, Nadine Tallier, Luciano Paoluzzi, Mischa Auer

ET DIEU CRÉA LA FEMME, U.S. title AND GOD CREATED WOMAN, UK title AND WOMAN… WAS CREATED (1956) DIR Roger Vadim PROD Raoul J. Lévy SCR Roger Vadim, Raoul J. Lévy CAM Armand Thirard MUS Paul Misraki ED Victoria Mercanton CAST Brigitte Bardot (Juliette Hardy), Curt Jurgens, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Christian Marquand, Georges Poujouly, Jeanne Marken, Isabele Corey

LA MARIÉE EST TROP BELLE, U.S. title THE BRIDE IS MUCH TOO BEAUTIFUL, UK title THE BRIDE IS TOO BEAUTIFUL (1956) DIR Pierre Gaspard-Huit PROD Christine Gouze-Renal SCR Philippe Agostini, Juliette Saint-Giniez (novel by Odette Joyeux) CAM Louis Page MUS Norbert Glansburg ED Louisette Hautecoeur CAST Brigitte Bardot (Chouchou), Micheline Presle, Louis Jourdan, Jean-François Calvé, Marcel Amont, Roger Dumas

UNE PARISIENNE, U.K. title PARISIENNE (1957) DIR Michel Boisrond PROD Francis Cosne SCR Annette Wademant, Jean Aurel (adaptation by Michel Boisrond, Jean Aurel, Jacques Emmanuel) CAM Marcel Grignon MUS Henri Crolla, Hubert Rostaing, André Hodeir ED Claudine Bouché CAST Charles Boyer, Henri Vidal, Brigitte Bardot (Brigitte Laurier), Noël Roquevert, Madeleine Lebeau, André Luguet, Nadia Gray, Robert Pizani

LES BIJOUTERIES DU CLAIR DE LUNE, U.S. title THE NIGHT HEAVEN FELL, UK title HEAVEN FELL THAT NIGHT (1957) DIR Roger Vadim PROD Raoul J. Lévy SCR Roger Vadim, Peter Viertel (novel by Albert Vidalie) CAM Armand Thirard MUS Georges Auric ED Victoria Mercanton CAST Brigitte Bardot (Ursula), Alida Valli, Stephen Boyd, Pépé Nieto, Maruchi Fresno, Adriana Dominguez

EN CAS DE MALHEUR, U.K. title LOVE IS MY PROFESSION (1957) DIR Claude Autant-Lara PROD Raoul J. Lévy SCR Jean Aurenche, Pierre Boast (novel by Georges Simenon) CAM Jacques Natteau MUS René Cloërec ED Madeleine Gug CAST Jean Gabin, Brigitte Bardot (Yvette Maudet), Edwige Feuillière, Nicole Berger, Franco Interlenghi, Madeleine Barbulée, Jean-Pierre Cassel

LA FEMME ET LE PANTIN, U.S. title THE FEMALE, U.K. title A WOMAN LIKE SATAN (1958) DIR Julien Duvivier PROD Christine Gouze-Renal SCR Julien Duvivier, Jean Aurenche, Marcel Achard, Albert Valentin (novel by Pierre Louys) CAM Roger Hubert MUS Jean Wiener, José Rocca ED Jacqueline Sadoul CAST Brigitte Bardot (Eva), Antonio Vilar, Españita Cortez, Michel Roux, Lila Kedrova, Jacques Mauclier, Dario Moréno

BABETTE S’EN VA-T-EN GUERRE, U.K. title BABETTE GOES TO WAR (1959) DIR Christian-Jacque PROD Raoul J. Lévy SCR Jacques Emmanuel, Jean Ferry (story by Raoul J. Lévy, Gérard Oury) CAM Armand Thirard MUS Gilbert Bécaud ED Jacques Desagneaux CAST Brigitte Bardot (Babette), Jacques Charrier, Hannes Messemer, Yves Vincent, Ronald Howard, Francis Blanche, René Havard

VOULEZ-VOUS DANSER AVEC MOI?, U.S.-U.K. title COME DANCE WITH ME (1959) DIR Michel Boisrond PROD Francis Cosne SCR Annette Wademant, L.C. Thomas, Jean-Charles Tacchella, Gérard Oury (novel ‘The Blonde Died Dancing’ by Kelley Roos) CAM Robert Le Fèbvre MUS Henri Crolla, André Hodeir ED Claudine Bouché CAST Brigitte Bardot (Virginie Dandieu), Henri Vidal, Dawn Addams, Noël Roquevert, Dario Moréno, Philippe Nicaud, Serge Gainsbourg

L’AFFAIRE D’UNE NUIT, a.k.a. IT HAPPENED AT NIGHT (1960) DIR Henri Verneuil PROD Christine Gouze-Renal SCR Jean Aurenche, Henri Jeanson (book by Alain Moury) CAM Robert Le Fèbvre MUS Martial Solal ED Léonide Azar CAST Pascale Petit, Roger Hanin, Pierre Mondy, Robert Dalban, Émile Genevois, Brigitte Bardot (Herself, Woman in the Restaurant), Henri Verneuil, Christine Gouze-Renal

LE TESTAMENT D’ORPHÉE, OU NE ME DEMANDEZ PAS POURQUOI! (1960) DIR – SCR Jean Cocteau PROD Jean Thullier ASSOC PROD François Truffaut CAM Roland Pontoizeau ED Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte CAST Jean Cocteau, Claudine Auger, Charles Aznavour, Brigitte Bardot (Herself), Yul Brynner, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Jean Marais, Françoise Sagan, Roger Vadim

LA VÉRITÉ, U.K. title THE TRUTH (1960) DIR Henri-Georges Clouzot PROD Raoul J. Lévy SCR Henri-Georges Clouzot, Véra Clouzot, Christiane Rochefort, Simone Drieu, Jérôme Géronimo, Michèle Perrein CAM Armand Thirard MUS Stravinsky, Beethoven ED Albert Jurgenson CAST Brigitte Bardot (Dominique Marceau), Charles Vanel, Paul Meurisse, Louis Seigner, Marie-José Nat, Sami Frey, Jacques Perrin

LA BRIDE SUR LE COU, U.K. title PLEASE NOT NOW! (1961) DIR Roger Vadim PROD Jacques Roitfeld SCR Roger Vadim, Jean Aurel, Claude Brulé CAM Robert Lefèbvre MUS James Campbell ED Albert Jurgenson CAST Brigitte Bardot (Sophie), Michel Subor, Jacques Riberolles, Joséphine James, Claude Brasseur, Mireille Darc, Edith Zetline, Claude Berri

LES AMOURS CÉLÈBRES, a.k.a. FAMOUS LOVES (1961) DIR Michel Boisrond PROD Gilbert Bokanovski, Armand Bécüe SCR Michel Achard, Michel Audiard (adeptation by Françoise Giroud, Pascal Jardin, France Roche) CAM Robert Lefèbvre MUS Maurice Jarre ED Raymond Lamy CAST Brigitte Bardot (Agnès Bernauer), Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Simone Signoret, Pierre Brasseur, Jean-Claude Brialy, Annie Girardot, Suzanne Flon, Michel Etcheverry, Michel Galabru

VIE PRIVÉE, U.S.-U.K. title A VERY PRIVATE LIFE (1961) DIR Louis Malle PROD Christine Gouze-Renal SCR Louis Malle, Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Jean Ferry CAM Henri Decae MUS Fiorenze Carpi ED Kenout Peltier CAST Brigitte Bardot (Jill), Marcello Mastroianni, Grégoire von Rezzori, Éleanore Hirt, Ursula Kubler, Jacqueline Doyen, Jean-Claude Brialy, Louis Malle

LE REPOS DU GUERRIER, U.S. title LOVE ON A PILLOW, U.K. title WARRIOR’S REST (1962) DIR Roger Vadim PROD Mario Masini, Francis Cosne SCR Roger Vadim (novel by Christiane Rochefort, adaptation by Claude Choublier) CAM Armand Thirard MUS Michel Magne ED Victoria Mercanton CAST Brigitte Bardot (Geneviève Le Theil), Robert Hossein, James Robert Justice, Macha Meril, Michel Serrault, Yves Barsacq, Jacqueline Porel

LE MÉPRIS, a.k.a. MISTRUST, U.K. titles CONTEMPT and A GHOST AT NOON (1963) DIR Jean-Luc Godard PROD Carlo Ponti, Georges de Beauregard SCR Jean-Luc Godard (novel by Alberto Moravia) CAM Raoul Coutard MUS Georges Delerue ED Agnès Guillemot, Lila Lakshmanan CAST Brigitte Bardot (Camille Javal), Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli, Giorgia Moll, Fritz Lang, Jean-Luc Godard, Linda Veras

UNE RAVISSANTE IDIOTE, U.K. titles A RAVISHING IDIOT and ADORABLE IDIOT and BEWITCHING SCATTERBRAIN (1963) DIR Édouard Molinaro PROD Brigitte Bardot [uncredited], Michel Ardan SCR François Billetdoux, André Tabet, Georges Tabet (novel by Charles Exbrayat) CAM Andreas Winding MUS Michel Legrand ED Robert Isnardon, Monique Isnardon CAST Brigitte Bardot (Penelope ‘Penny’ Lightfeather), Anthony Perkins, Grégoire Aslan, Denise Provence, André Luguet, Hans Verner, Charles Millot

MARIE SOLEIL (1964) DIR Antoine Bourseiller PROD  SCR  CAM Claude Beausoleil MUS François Seyrig ED Sylvie Blane CAST Danièle Delorme, Jacques Charrier, Chantal Dragnet, Michel Piccoli, Roger Blin, Daine Levrier, Brigitte Bardot (Herself [uncredited])

DEAR BRIGITTE (1965) DIR Henry Koster PROD Henry Koster, Fred Kohlmar SCR Hal Kanter (novel ‘Erasmus With Freckles’ by John Haase) CAM Lucien Ballard MUS Charles Duning ED Marjorie Fowler CAST James Stewart, Glynis Johns, Fabian, Cindy Carol, Billy Muny, Jack Kruschen, Ed Wynn, Brigitte Bardot (Herself), James Brolin

VIVA MARIA! (1965) DIR Louis Malle PROD Oscar Dancigers SCR Louis Malle, Jean-Claude Carrière CAM Henri Decae MUS Georges Delerue ED Suzanne Baron, Kenout Peltier CAST Brigitte Bardot (Maria II), Jeanne Moreau, George Hamilton, Grégoire von Rezzori, Paulette Dubost, Claudio Brook, Carlos Lopez Montezuma

MASCULIN FÉMININ, U.K. title MASCULINE-FEMININE (1965) DIR Jean-Luc Godard PROD Anatole Dauman SCR Jean-Luc Godard (stories by Guy de Maupassant) CAM Willy Kurant MUS Jean-Jacques Debout ED Agnès Guillemont CAST Jean-Pierre Léaud, Chantal Goya, Marlène Jobert, Michel Debord, Brigitte Bardot (Woman in Rehearsing Play), Françoise Hardy

À COEUR JOIE, U.K. title TWO WEEKS IN SEPTEMBER (1967) DIR Serge Bourguignon PROD Francis Cosne, Kenneth Harper, Bob Zagury SCR Serge Bourguignon, Pascal Jardin, Vahé Katcha CAM Edmond Séchan MUS Michel Magne ED Jean Ravel CAST Brigitte Bardot (Cécile), Laurent Terzieff, Jean Rochefort, James Robertson Justice, Michael Sarne, Georgina Ward, Carol Lebel

HISTOIRES EXTRAORDINAIRES, U.S. title SPIRITS OF THE DEAD, U.K. title TALES OF MYSTERY (1967) DIR Louis Malle, Federico Fellini, Roger Vadim PROD Raymond Eger SCR Louis Malle, Daniel Boulanger (story by Edgar Allen Poe) CAM Tonino Delli Colli, Claude Renoir, Giuseppe Rotunno MUS Nino Rota, Jean Prodromidès, Diego Masson ED Franco Arcalli, Suzanne Baron, Ruggero Mastroianni, Hélène Plemiannkov CAST Brigitte Bardot (Giuseppina), Alain Delon, Jane Fonda, Terence Stamp, James Robertson Justice, Peter Fonda, Vincent Price (narration, voice only)

SHALAKO (1968) DIR Edward Dmytryk PROD Euan Lloyd SCR J.J. Griffith, Hal Hopper, Scot Finch (novel by Louis L’Amour) CAM Ted Moore MUS Robert Farnon ED Bill Blunden CAST Sean Connery, Brigitte Bardot (Countess Irina Lazaar), Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Peter Van Eyck, Honor Blackman, Woody Strode

LES FEMMES, a.k.a. THE WOMEN (1969) DIR Jean Aurel PROD Raymond Danon SCR Jean Aurel, Cécil Saint-Laurent CAM Claude Lecomte, Jean-Marc Ripert MUS Luis Fuentès, Jr. ED Anne-Marie Cotret CAST Brigitte Bardot (Clara), Maurice Ronet, Tanya Lopert, Patrick Gilles, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Christina Holm, Anny Duperey, Maria Schneider

L’OURS DE LA POUPÉE, U.S. title THE BEAR AND THE DOLL (1970) DIR Michel Deville PROD Mag Bodard SCR Michel Deville, Nina Companeez CAM Claude Lecomte MUS Rossini, Eddie Vartan ED Nina Companeez CAST Brigitte Bardot (Félicia), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Daniel Céccaldi, Xavier Gélin, Georges Claisse, Patrick Gilles

LES NOVICES, U.K. title THE NOVICES (1970) DIR Claude Chabrol [uncredited], Guy Casaril PROD André Génovès SCR Guy Casaril, Paul Gégauff CAM Claude Lecomte MUS François de Roubaix ED Nicole Gauduchon CAST Brigitte Bardot (Agnès), Annie Girardot, Jean Carmet, Jacques Duby, Jess Hahn, Jacques Jouanneau, Noël Roquevert

BOULEVARD DU RHUM (1971) DIR Robert Enrico PROD Alain Poiré SCR Robert Enrico, Tony Recoder, Jacques Pecheral (novel by Jacques Pecheral) CAM Jean Boffety MUS François de Roubaix ED Michel Lewin CAST Brigitte Bardot (Linda Larue), Lino Ventura, Bill Travers, Clive Revill, La Polaca, Guy Marchand

LES PÉTROLEUSES, U.K. title: THE LEGEND OF FRENCHIE KING (1971) DIR Christian-Jacque, Guy Casaril PROD Raymond Erger, Francis Cosne SCR Marie-Ange Aniès, Daniel Boulanger, Clément Bywood, Jean Nemours (story by Eduardo Manzanos) CAM Henri Persin MUS Francis Lai ED Nicole Gauduchon CAST Brigitte Bardot (Louise), Claudia Cardinale, Michael J. Pollard, Micheline Presle, Marie-Ange Aniès, Georges Beller

DON JUAN OU SI DON JUAN ÉTAIT UNE FEMME, U.K. title DON JUAN OR IF DON JUAN WERE A WOMAN (1973) DIR Roger Vadim PROD  SCR Roger Vadim, Jean Cau CAM Henri Decaë, Andréas Winding MUS Michel Magne ED Victoria Mercanton CAST Brigitte Bardot (Jeanne), Robert Hossein, Mathieu Carrière, Michèle Sand, Robert Walker Jr., Jane Birkin, Maurice Ronet,

L’HISTOIRE TRÈS BONNE ET TRÈS JOYEUSE DE COLINOT TROUSSE-CHEMISE, a.k.a. THE GAY AND JOYOUS STORY OF COLINOT, THE SKIRT PULLER-UPPER (1973) DIR – SCR Nina Companeez PROD Mag Bodard CAM Ghislain Cloquet MUS Guy Bontempelli ED Raymonde Guyot CAST Francis Huster, Nathalie Delon, Brigitte Bardot (Arabelle), Bernadette Lafont, Ottavia Piccoli, Alice Sapritch, Francis Blanche