Françoise Arnoul

Who is Françoise Arnoul?

Françoise Arnoul is a French actress, who achieved popularity during the 1950s.

Born Françoise Annette Marie Mathilde Gautsch in Constantine, France, as the daughter of stage actress Janine Henry and artillery general Charles Gautsch, she has two brothers. While her father continued military service in Morocco, the rest of family moved to Paris in 1945.

After learning drama there, she was noticed by director Willy Rozier, who offered her a major role in the film L'Épave.

Arnoul starred in such films as Henri Verneuil's Forbidden Fruit, Jean Renoir's French Can-Can, Des gens sans importance with Jean Gabin, Henri Decoin's La Chatte, Le Chemin des écoliers with Bourvil, and Jean Cocteau's Testament of Orpheus.

Later in life, she moved into television, appearing in different TV movies and mini-series and also turning to character parts. She published her autobiography entitled Animal doué de bonheur in 1995.

In 1956, Arnoul was married to publicity agent Georges Cravenne whom she had met two years previously, but they separated in 1960. From 1964, she became the companion of French director/scriptwriter Bernard Paul, a relationship which lasted until his death in 1980.