Maximilienne
In his sketches, popular French comedian'Fernand Raynaud' was often bullied by a self-righteous sharp-tongued spinster called Mademoiselle Lelongbec, the parish organist. Tall, lean and unattractive, Maximilenne (born Henriette Genty in 1884) seemed born to play the part and she WAS the obvious choice for director Robert Darène when, in 1958, he prepared to film a Fernand Raynaud's vehicle entitled "Houla Houla". Donning the attire of Mlle Lelongbec Maximilenne had the distinguished opportunity to nag poor Fernand, on the big screen this time around. A role that epitomizes a long screen career, spanning the three decades between the advent of the sound period and the birth of the French New Wave. During this time, she embodied innumerable female authority figures such as a mother superior ("La route enchantée"), a school mistress ("Simplet"), the headmistress of a reform school("Prison sans barreaux"), a Salvation Army general ("L'armoire volante") or a princess ("Le disque 1413"). She was rarely married in her films, most of the time she was the narrow-minded old maid. She was at her best as such in the role of one of the boarding house guests in Henri-Georges Clouzot's 1942 masterpiece "L'assassin habite au 21". And when she had indeed married in a movie, she was usually a widow: her late husband had chosen to leave life prematurely to escape her! Occasionally one of the old maids and aunts she was given to play were affectionate, notably in Fritz Lang's "Liliom " (1933). But whether her characters were good or bad, Maximilienne had been one of those colorful character actors and actresses the French cinema of the classic era could not do without. And she will be fondly remembered for that. - IMDb mini biography by: Guy Bellinger
For One Cent's Worth of Love
(Mathilde)
Voyage d'agrément
Bubble Gum
To the Polls, Citizens
Our Lord's Vineyard
Buridan's Donkey
Adhémar Lampiot
600,000 francs per month
(Madame Brochet)
Étienne
(Aunt Valérie)
Les surprises du divorce
Maison hantée
Incognito
(Deaf lady)
Midnight, Place Pigalle
(Louise)
The Daughters of the Concierge
(Mme Fallempin)
We Found a Naked Woman
Gypsy Baron
Lovers and Thieves
(Mrs. Doizeau)
Coup de vent
Disk 413
(Princess)
Prête-moi ta femme
The Secrets of the Red Sea
My Aunts and I
(Tante Julie)
À nous deux, madame la vie
Un de la Canebière
Un meurtre a été commis
(Madame Phalempin)
Clodoche
Two Women
The Enchanted Road
(Mother superior)
Simple-Minded
(Mademoiselle Aimée, teacher)
Parade in 7 Nights
(Ardouin's governess)
Cavalcade of Love
(Old comedienne)
The Murderer Lives at Number 21
(Miss Cuq)
Picpus
(Madame Bertaud (uncredited))
Marseille mes amours
(Aunt Églantine)
Cartacalha, reine des gitans
(Machanalli)
The Ménard Collection
(Young lady Ménard)
Song of the Clouds
(Mademoiselle Anaïs)
Rooster Heart
(Mme Estelle)
Monsieur Vincent
(Une dévote à l'église (uncredited))
No More Vacation for the Good Lord
(Aunt Faguet)
The Cupboard Was Bare
(Salvation Army commander)
Tête blonde
(Madame Rabichou)
The Treasure of Cantenac
(Blandine)
Last Hour, Special Edition
(Mademoiselle Thomasson)
Trois vieilles filles en folie
(Pervenche)
Drôle de noce
(Cornil's Widow)
Adhémar or the Toy of Destiny
(La soeur du Marquis)
Musique en tête
(The personnel manager)
The Enigma of the Folies-Bergère
(Mrs. Rosenthal)
The Baker's Wife
(Melle Angèle)
July 14
(La locataire (uncredited))
La Cage aux souris
(Miss Frador aka 'Cul-de-poule')
Fric-frac en dentelles
(Madame Mouilletu)
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
(Madame Bleubois)
Houla-Houla
(Mlle Lelongbec)
Premier mai
(Nun (uncredited))
Monsieur Octave
Mon curé chez les riches
(Patroness)
The Congress of Mother-in-Laws
(Madame Moucaille)
The Man from Nowhere
(La tante Scholastique)
Pardon My French
(Madame Bleubois)
Tartarin of Tarascon
(Mme Ladevèze)
Maria Chapdelaine
(Azelma Larouche)
Prison Without Bars
(Madame Appel)
Liliom
(Mme. Menoux)
Scandals of Clochemerle
(Justine Putet)
À Nous la Liberté
(Une invitée au diner)
Shop Girls of Paris
(Madame Cabin)
Monsieur est saisi
Mountain Man
(Mme Malten)