Geneviève Page
Biography
Geneviève Bonjean (13 December 1927 – 14 February 2025), known professionally as Geneviève Page, was a French actress with a film career spanning fifty years and also numerous English-speaking film productions. She was the daughter of French art collector Jacques Paul Bonjean (1899–1990).
Page was born in Paris on 13 December 1927, to a family of aesthetes, like her father Jacques Bonjean, who collected art from 17th century France, and her mother Germaine (born Lipman) Bonjean. Her mother's family was Jewish, and had founded LIP. At the age of six, her godfather Christian Dior played the piano with Page's mother, and talked to Page about talking to adults. She recalls, "He had no money at the time, and drew hats for big houses. He had lunch every other day at home and played the piano, with my mother in my room, with four hands. I took refuge in the bathroom to learn my lessons." At the age of twelve, Page read some works by Voltaire, and to her mother's surprise, her father replied "If she can't read Voltaire, she can't read anyone." Despite this, she was a very talented young girl, playing Musset at Théâtre National Populaire and entering the Conservatory.
Her film début was in Pas de pitié pour les femmes (1951), followed by Fanfan la Tulipe (1952), in which she played Madame de Pompadour alongside Gérard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida. Later, she appeared in Italian, French, British, and American films. She co-starred with Robert Mitchum and Ingrid Thulin in Foreign Intrigue (1956), Dirk Bogarde and Capucine in Song Without End (1960), Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren in El Cid (1961), and was seen in Grand Prix (1966) with James Garner, and Belle de Jour (1967), with Catherine Deneuve and directed by Luis Buñuel. She appeared with Deneuve again when she played Countess Larisch in Mayerling (1968), also co-starring with Ava Gardner and James Mason.
Billy Wilder cast her as the mysterious widow in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) because the character she played used her sex appeal to manipulate Holmes. She appeared in Robert Altman's Beyond Therapy (1987) and continued to act until 2003.
She acted in 1943 in Le Soulier de Satin and in Oh! Les Beaux Jours, both of which were directed by Jean-Louis Barrault Madeleine Renaud Co. Her theatre career continued in the 1980s and 1990s, with Les larmes amères de Petra von Kant (The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant) (1980), La nuit des rois (Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare), La femme sur le lit (The Woman on the Bed, Franco Brusati) 1994, and Delicate Balance (1998).
Page was educated at École du Louvre and Conservatoire national des arts et métiers. Page was married to Jean-Claude Bujard from 1959 until his death on 29 August 2011; the couple had two children. In an interview from 2013, she said she was having stewardship problems in her house and that she was "not used to talking anymore".
Page died in Paris on 14 February 2025, at the age of 97.
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Known for
ITV Playhouse
ITV Playhouse is a British comedy-drama TV series that ran from 1967 to 1983, which featured contributions from playwrights such as Dennis Potter, Rhys Adrian and Alan Sharp. The series began in black and white, but was later shot in colour and was produced by various companies for the ITV network, a format that would inspire Dramarama. Actors appearing in the series included Leslie Anderson, Gwen Nelson, Ricky Alleyne, Pat Heywood, Michael Elphick, Ian Hendry, Edward Woodward, Margaret Lockwood, Jessie Matthews and Lloyd Peters.
Deadly Circuit
A P.I. is obsessed with a cute woman, who seduces and kills rich men around W. Europe.
Mayerling
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria clashes with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, over implementing progressive policies for their country. Rudolf soon feels he is a man born at the wrong time in a country that doesn't realize the need for social reform. The Prince of Wales, later to become Britain's King Edward VII, provides comic relief. Rudolf finds refuge from a loveless marriage with Princess Stéphanie by taking a mistress, Baroness Maria Vetsera. Their untimely demise at Mayerling, the imperial family's hunting lodge, is cloaked in mystery.
Belle de Jour
Beautiful young housewife Séverine Serizy cannot reconcile her masochistic fantasies with her everyday life alongside dutiful husband Pierre. When her lovestruck friend Henri mentions a secretive high-class brothel run by Madame Anais, Séverine begins to work there during the day under the name Belle de Jour. But when one of her clients grows possessive, she must try to go back to her normal life.
Tender Scoundrel
Tony Maréchal is a professional seducer. Having conquered countless women, proclaims that there is none that can resist his charm. To prove this makes a difficult challenge: to seduce baroness Minna von Strasshofer.
Les gens ne sont pas forcément ignobles
A fight happens during a a big party organized by a couple for their housewarming
Lettre ouverte
Martial, Colette 's husband, is madly jealous. One day, he catches his wife writing a letter and he does want to know what this message contains, to no avail.
Italian Postcards
Lidia (Christiana Borghi) passes herself off as a stage actress to interview international star Silvana (Genevieve Page) for her writer boyfriend (David Brandon). Her first obstacle is the boarding house owner and former stage star Pola Mareschi, who is very protective of her tenant's privacy. Lidia is robbed by a motorcycle gang in the middle of the living room and is caught up in a performance put on by the residents. Lidia soon finds herself wanting to stay with the quirky actors as she becomes a performer in their offbeat antics.
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
When a bored Sherlock eagerly takes the case of Gabrielle Valladon following an attempt on her life, the search for her missing husband leads to Loch Ness and the legendary monster.
El Cid
Epic film of the legendary Spanish hero, Rodrigo Diaz ("El Cid" to his followers), who, without compromising his strict sense of honour, still succeeds in taking the initiative and driving the Moors from Spain.
Grand Prix
The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. After a spectacular wreck in the first of a series of races, American wheelman Pete Aron is dropped by his sponsor. Refusing to quit, he joins a Japanese racing team. While juggling his career with a torrid love affair involving an ex-teammate's wife, Pete must also contend with Jean-Pierre Sarti, a French contestant who has previously won two world titles.
Strange Desire of Mr. Bard
A terminally ill Mr. Bard, a casino bus driver forced to quit his job, miraculously wins a fortune playing roulette. Instantly becoming a millionaire, he wants to fulfill his life's dream: to become a father. This plan is opposed by his greedy relatives who would go any low to take this money away from him. They are being led by a small-time crook. Mr. Bard's natural shyness and good heart lead him to the journey of self-exploration and finding his true love.