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Capucine Lefebvre 1928 - 1990

Capucine Lefebvre of Lausanne, Lausanne District County, VD Switzerland was born on January 6, 1928 in Saint-Raphaël, Var County, Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur France, and died at age 62 years old on March 17, 1990 in Lausanne, Lausanne District County, VD Switzerland. Capucine Lefebvre was buried at Details of burial secret..

Capucine Lefebvre

Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre

Lausanne, Lausanne District County, VD Switzerland

January 6, 1928

Saint-Raphaël, Var County, Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur, 83700, France

March 17, 1990

Lausanne, Lausanne District County, VD, Switzerland

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Capucine Lefebvre Capucine Lefebvre (1928 - 1990)

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Capucine Lefebvre's History: 1928 - 1990

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Introduction

Early life Capucine was born Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre on 6 January 1928 in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France. She often confused the issue of her birth by saying that she was born in 1931 or 1933, and most sources indicate those years. She attended school in Saumur, France, and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign languages. In 1945, at age 17, while riding in a carriage in Paris, Lefebvre was noticed by a commercial photographer. Adopting the name "Capucine" (French for nasturtium), she became a fashion model, working for fashion houses Givenchy and Christian Dior. Capucine met Audrey Hepburn while modeling for Givenchy in Paris. They remained close friends for the rest of Capucine's life. Career Early films Capucine made her film debut in Jean Cocteau's The Eagle with Two Heads (1948). She only had a small unbilled role. She also appeared in Jacques Becker's Rendezvous in July (1949) and Robert Dhéry's Crazy Show (1949). She was in My Friend Sainfoin (1950) and Dhery's Bernard and the Lion (1951). After a break of a few years Capuncine appeared in Mademoiselle from Paris (1955) and Frou-Frou (1955). Charles K. Feldman In 1957, film producer Charles K. Feldman spotted Capucine while she was modeling in New York City. Feldman put her under contract at $150 a week. He brought her to Hollywood to learn English and study acting under Gregory Ratoff. She took the stage name "Capucine" (French for "nasturtium") saying, "Two names are interesting and I hope one is interesting." She was signed to a seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures in 1958. After unsuccessfully auditioning for the role of Feathers in Rio Bravo (1959) she landed her first English-speaking role in the film Song Without End (1960), a biopic of Franz Liszt where Capucine played Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Producer William Goetz said "You can teach a girl to act but nobody can teach her how to look like a princess. You've got to start with a girl who looks like a princess." "Every time I get in front of the camera I think of it as an attractive man I am meeting for the first time," she said in 1960. "I find him demanding and aloof so I must do all I can to interest him." Capucine said, "I got much better as we went on," she said."As the scenes warmed up, so did I." She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. Capucine followed this with North to Alaska (1960), a comedy which had been set up by Feldman at 20th Century Fox. She played a prostitute who becomes the love interest of John Wayne. It was successful at the box office. Capucine returned to Europe to co star in Le triomphe de Michel Strogoff (1961) with Curt Jurgens, a sequel to Michel Strogoff (1956). Back in Hollywood, she was second billed in Walk on the Wild Side (1962), produced by Feldman, in which she portrayed a redeemed hooker. Costar Laurence Harvey complained that Feldman cut his part to build Capucine's role. She was then William Holden's love interest in The Lion (1962). During filming Capucine began a romance with Holden which led to the end of her romantic relationship with Feldman but the producer remained loyal professionally. Feldman announced he would put Capucine in Mary Magdelene and Waltz of the Toreadors but neither happened. She moved to Switzerland in 1962. The Pink Panther Capucine in The Pink Panther (1963) Blake Edwards cast Capucine in The Pink Panther playing the wife of Inspector Clouseau who is having an affair with a jewel thief played by David Niven. It was a huge hit and led to a number of sequels. In 1964 Capucine said the directors she had learned most from were Edwards and Henry Hathaway. Capucine was reunited with Holden in The 7th Dawn (1964) produced by Feldman; it was a box-office disappointment. Far more successful was another film she did for Feldman, the comedy What's New Pussycat? (1965), which costarred Sellers and Peter O'Toole, and was filmed entirely in France. Capucine was one of several European stars in Sex Quartet (1966) for Columbia (originally The Queens[19]) then Feldman put her in The Honey Pot (1967) directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. She was announced for Feldman's Casino Royale but did not appear in the film. Feldman died in May 1968 and Capucine's career never regained its former momentum. She inherited the rights to the book Zandy from his estate and sold them to the makers of Zandy's Bride. Post-Feldman Capucine had a support role in Fraulein Doktor (1968) and the lead in the Spanish thriller The Exquisite Cadaver (1969). She was in the supporting cast of Fellini's Satyricon (1969). Fellini said "she had a face to launch a thousand ships... but she was born too late." In 1968 she told an Italian magazine she wished she didn't always have to be elegant, that she longed to play a "dishevelled woman", but "since the directors know I was a model, it is obvious that they can't see me as anything else." Dirk Bogarde suggested her for the role of Tadzio's mother in Death in Venice (1971), but Luchino Visconti turned her down saying "She has a horrible voice and too many teeth. She looks like a horse, a beautiful horse, I know that, I was a trainer. I know all about horses, but I don't want a horse." Capucine had a supporting role in the Western Red Sun (1971)[23] and guest starred on Search Control (1972), her first TV series.[24] She supported Jean Paul Belmondo in Incorrigible (1975) and Richard Burton in Jackpot, which ultimately was abandoned. She appeared on television in Cinéma 16, and La pêche miraculeuse (1976), and had roles in The Con Artists (1976), Per amore (1976), Ecco noi per esempio... (1977), Nest of Vipers (1978), From Hell to Victory (1979), Atrocious Tales of Love and Death (1979), Neapolitan Mystery (1979), Arabian Adventure (1979), Jaguar Lives! (1979), and Martin Eden (1979). 1980s Capucine was in episodes of Orient Express, and Hart to Hart. She went to Europe to make Les invités (1982), Aphrodite (1982), Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), and Curse of the Pink Panther (1983).[25] Capucine can be seen in episodes of Série noire, Voglia di cantare, Murder, She Wrote, Honor Thy Father, Sins, Delirium (1987), My First Forty Years (1987), Gila and Rik (1987), Una verità come un'altra (1989), Quartier nègre (1989), Blaues Blut [fr] (1990) and Il giudice istruttore. Personal life Capucine met Pierre Trabaud on the set of Rendez-vous (1949) and they married the next year. The marriage lasted only eight months, and she never married again. She had an affair with Charles K. Feldman, who produced her films What's New Pussycat? The 7th Dawn and The Honey Pot. This affair ended when Capucine met William Holden, but the two remained close until Feldman's death. He left her $75,000. Capucine met actor William Holden in the early 1960s. They starred in the films The Lion (1962) and The 7th Dawn (1964). Holden was married to Brenda Marshall, but the two began a two-year affair. After the affair ended, she and Holden remained friends until Holden's death in 1981. When he died, he left her $50,000. She reportedly also had affairs with women. On 17 March 1990, at age 62, Capucine jumped to her death from her eighth-floor apartment in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she had lived for 28 years, having reportedly suffered from illness and depression for some time. The police said an investigation left no doubt that she committed suicide. Neighbors said she had led a reclusive life with her three cats, hardly ever leaving her apartment and spending most of her time reading. Capucine Lefebvre: Obituary
01/6

1928

Birthday

January 6, 1928

Birthdate

Saint-Raphaël, Var County, Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur 83700, France

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Born in Toulon, France, as Germaine Lefebvre, Capucine first studied painting and then became a model. She won Hollywood fame in films of the late 1960s. Beautiful, tall and dark-haired, Capucine was the slinky femme fatale in the first of the “Pink Panther” comedy films with Sellers playing the loony French police inspector. She chose the stage name Capucine from the French for an exotic ornamental South American flower with large petals that are typically orange.
Nationality & Locations

Capucine was born in France and lived most of her life there. She also lived in Lausanne Switzerland.
Early Life & Education

She attended school in Saumur, France, and attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign languages.
Professional Career

Capucine was a famous Actress and Model. The Pink Panther: (1963) Blake Edwards cast Capucine in The Pink Panther playing the wife of Inspector Clouseau who is having an affair with a jewel thief played by David Niven. It was a huge hit and led to a number of sequels. In 1964 Capucine said the directors she had learned most from were Edwards and Henry Hathaway. Capucine was reunited with Holden in The 7th Dawn (1964) produced by Feldman; it was a box-office disappointment. Far more successful was another film she did for Feldman, the comedy What's New Pussycat? (1965), which costarred Sellers and Peter O'Toole, and was filmed entirely in France. Capucine was one of several European stars in Sex Quartet (1966) for Columbia (originally The Queens[19]) then Feldman put her in The Honey Pot (1967) directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. She was announced for Feldman's Casino Royale but did not appear in the film. Feldman died in May 1968 and Capucine's career never regained its former momentum. She inherited the rights to the book Zandy from his estate and sold them to the makers of Zandy's Bride. Post-Feldman: Capucine had a support role in Fraulein Doktor (1968) and the lead in the Spanish thriller The Exquisite Cadaver (1969). She was in the supporting cast of Fellini's Satyricon (1969). Fellini said "she had a face to launch a thousand ships... but she was born too late." In 1968 she told an Italian magazine she wished she didn't always have to be elegant, that she longed to play a "dishevelled woman", but "since the directors know I was a model, it is obvious that they can't see me as anything else." Dirk Bogarde suggested her for the role of Tadzio's mother in Death in Venice (1971), but Luchino Visconti turned her down saying "She has a horrible voice and too many teeth. She looks like a horse, a beautiful horse, I know that, I was a trainer. I know all about horses, but I don't want a horse." Capucine had a supporting role in the Western Red Sun (1971) and guest starred on Search Control (1972), her first TV series. She supported Jean Paul Belmondo in Incorrigible (1975) and Richard Burton in Jackpot, which ultimately was abandoned.
03/17

1990

Death

March 17, 1990

Death date

Suicide - jumped from 8th floor apartment

Cause of death

Lausanne, Lausanne District County, VD Switzerland
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Details of burial secret.
Burial location
Obituary

From the LA TImes MARCH 20, 1990 12 AM PT LAUSANNE, Switzerland — French actress Capucine, who played the slinky seductress in the first “Pink Panther” movie, jumped to her death from her eighth-floor apartment, police reported today. The 57-year-old actress, who starred in movies with such Hollywood stars as John Wayne, Stewart Granger and Peter Sellers, took her life Saturday, police said. Swiss media said friends who knew her since she moved to Lausanne on Lake Geneva 28 years ago reported that she had lately been ill and depressed. Born in Toulon, France, as Germaine Lefebvre, Capucine first studied painting and then became a model. She won Hollywood fame in films of the late 1960s. Beautiful, tall and dark-haired, Capucine was the slinky femme fatale in the first of the “Pink Panther” comedy films with Sellers playing the loony French police inspector. She chose the stage name Capucine from the French for an exotic ornamental South American flower with large petals that are typically orange.

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Capucine Lefebvre lived 11 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 62.

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13 Memories, Stories & Photos about Capucine

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

01/16/2024

Capucine Lefebvre

A fan posted this on her birthday.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

01/06/2024

Capucine Lefebvre

Movie star.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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AncientFaces

411 favorites

07/29/2022

Some entertainers are known by only one name (Cher, Madonna, Dino) and one of them in the 1960s was the model and actress Capucine (1928 - 1990) .

Born Germaine Hélène Irène Lefebvre in France, her beauty brought her international fame as first a model and then as an actress, most famously as the wife of Peter Sellers (Inspector Clouseau) in "The Pink Panther". Tragically, her beauty, talent and fame didn't bring happiness - she killed herself at the age of 62 by jumping out of her 8th floor apartment in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Capucine lives on through her movies and memorial,

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07/29/2022

You're still beautiful baby

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

11/25/2020

Capucine Lefebvre

Gary Cooper and Capuchine.

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

Comments

Amanda S. Stevenson

17.8k+ favorites

03/24/2020

Capucine

Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.

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Capucine Lefebvre's Family Tree & Friends

Capucine Lefebvre's Family Tree

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Capucine Lefebvre Jan 6, 1928 - Mar 17, 1990

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Other Biographies

Other Lefebvre Family Biographies

Lafaive, Louis Jean (Born Jan 2, 1873) Lefebvre, Alexandre (Born Jan 10, 1846) Lefebvre, Joseph (Aug 6, 1897 - Jun 1973) Lefebvre, George (Aug 15, 1910 - Nov 11, 1971) Lefebvre, Rudolph (Sep 8, 1906 - Jun 1981) Lefebvre, Clara (Apr 19, 1907 - Jan 23, 1995) Lefebvre, Wilbrod (Jul 16, 1911 - Aug 30, 1994) Lefebvre, Edward (Jul 23, 1915 - Jan 27, 1999) Lefebvre, Ulric (Jul 30, 1912 - Oct 1973) Lefebvre, Walter (Dec 29, 1913 - Oct 28, 1992)

Lefebvre, Louise (Feb 16, 1915 - Feb 1986) Lefebvre, Roland (Jun 30, 1912 - Dec 1984) Lefebvre, Alice (Apr 10, 1903 - Jul 22, 1990) Lefebvre, Rachel (May 2, 1918 - Nov 4, 2003) Lefebvre, Andrew (Jul 14, 1908 - Feb 1980) Lefebvre, Gerard (Jul 22, 1913 - Aug 1987) Lefebvre, Paul (Oct 30, 1909 - Nov 1981) Lefebvre, Robert (Jul 9, 1915 - Mar 11, 1990) Lefebvre, Odias (Feb 10, 1900 - Feb 1973) Lefebvre, Daisy (Jul 17, 1891 - Oct 1969)

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Capucine Lefebvre 1928 - 1990

Capucine Lefebvre's History: 1928 - 1990

Introduction

Birthday

Ethnicity & Family History

Nationality & Locations

Early Life & Education

Professional Career

Death

Gravesite & Burial

Obituary

13 Memories, Stories & Photos about Capucine

Capucine Lefebvre's Family Tree & Friends

Capucine Lefebvre's Family Tree

Capucine's Friends

Other Lefebvre Family Biographies