Dany Robin

This pert, petite, delicate, dreamy-eyed French dish of post-war filming with the piled-high blonde hairdo was a one-time threat to the sexy, kittenish pedestal 'Brigitte Bardot' (qv) stood on during the 1950s. While working for such legendary directors as 'Marcel Carné' (qv), 'Marc Allégret' (qv), link=nm0245213], 'Henri Decoin' (qv) and 'René Clair' (qv), she also got to work opposite France's most handsome leading men, including 'Georges Marchal' (qv), 'Jean Marais' (qv), 'Jean Servais' (qv), 'François Périer' (qv), 'Daniel Gélin' (qv), 'Jacques Sernas' (qv) and singer 'Marcel Amont' (qv), Dany became the epitome of the romantic, virginal heroine in light comedy souffles, although she was just as entrancing and touching in dramatic works.Born Danielle Robin on April 4, 1927, the lithe Dany trained as a ballerina as a child and eventually made her way dancing with the Opera de Paris. At age 19, however, she opted for a movie career and decided to study at the Paris Conservatoire. Making her screen debut with a bit part in _Die Gräfin von Lunegarde (1946)_ (qv), she first turned heads in the romantic dramedy _Man About Town (1947)_ (qv) directed by Clair and starring 'Maurice Chevalier' (qv).Dany continued to touch pulses with her naïve lovelies throughout the 50's with such pictures as _Naughty Martine (1947)_ (qv); _Monelle (1948)_ (qv); four films co-starring heartthrob 'Georges Marchal' (qv), whom she married in 1951 -- _La passagère (1949)_ (qv), _The Unexpected Voyager (1950)_ (qv), _La soif des hommes (1950)_ (qv) and _Valley of Fire (1951)_ (qv); _Sie und Er (1952)_ (qv); _Two Pennies Worth of Violets (1951)_ (qv); _Frou-Frou, die Pariserin (1955)_ (qv); the title role in the films _Holiday for Henrietta (1952)_ (qv) and _Julietta (1953)_ (qv); the US/French co-production _Act of Love (1953)_ (qv) starring 'Kirk Douglas' (qv); _Napoléon (1955)_ (qv) (as Desiree); _Frou-Frou, die Pariserin (1955)_ (qv); _Maid in Paris (1956)_ (qv); _It Happened in Aden (1956)_ (qv); _Bonsoir Paris (1956)_ (qv); _In Six Easy Lessons (1958)_ (qv); _School for Coquettes (1958)_ (qv); the title role in _Mimi Pinson (1958)_ (qv); and _The Chasers (1959)_ (qv).Though most of her films were produced in her own homeland, Dany branched out internationally from time to time in the 1960's, appearing in the British sex comedy _Waltz of the Toreadors (1962)_ (qv) opposite 'Peter Sellers' (qv) and the innocuous, teen-oriented flick _Follow the Boys (1963)_ (qv) starring singing teen pop idol 'Connie Francis' (qv) here in the U.S. She matured with roles in _Love and the Frenchwoman (1960)_ (qv), _Der Graf mit der eisernen Faust (1962)_ (qv), _Mandrin, der tolle Musketier (1962)_ (qv), _X-Ray of a Killer (1965)_ (qv) and a pair of British comedies _Don't Lose Your Head (1967)_ (qv) and _The Best House in London (1969)_ (qv). She would last appear on film in the 'Alfred Hitchcock' (qv) thriller _Topaz (1969)_ (qv), an American production.Divorced from first husband Marchal, the father of her two children, in 1968, Dany married British agent/producer Michael Sullivan the following year and retired quietly. On May 25, 1995, the 68-year-old former actress was tragically killed, along with Sullivan, in a fire that consumed their Paris apartment.::Gary Brumburgh / [email protected]