[OT] Waiting for Catherine Deneuve (in the rain, with an umbrella)

[John Savard]

I remember, when I was a wee lad, a commercial came on the television.
I think it may have been for Chanel perfume. It began with Catherine
Deneuve saying "I am Catherine Deneuve".

My mother reacted to that by perceiving it as vain and egotistical.
Who was Catherine Deneuve supposed to be anyways?

Well, I hadn't heard of her either, but I simply assumed she must have
been a famous actress or model of whom I happened not to have heard.

I never gave the matter much thought. But today the song "I Will Wait
for You" came into my mind, and I went to look up performances of it.
It turns out that it was from the movie "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg"
(The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), and not only was this very acclaimed
movie one in which Catherine Deneuve appeared, but, in fact, she was
in the scene in which this song, with its original French lyric, was
sung in the movie.

John Savard

[Charles Packer]

Post by John Savard
I remember, when I was a wee lad, a commercial came on the television.
I think it may have been for Chanel perfume. It began with Catherine
Deneuve saying "I am Catherine Deneuve".
My mother reacted to that by perceiving it as vain and egotistical. Who
was Catherine Deneuve supposed to be anyways?
Well, I hadn't heard of her either, but I simply assumed she must have
been a famous actress or model of whom I happened not to have heard.
I never gave the matter much thought. But today the song "I Will Wait
for You" came into my mind, and I went to look up performances of it. It
turns out that it was from the movie "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg" (The
Umbrellas of Cherbourg), and not only was this very acclaimed movie one
in which Catherine Deneuve appeared, but, in fact, she was in the scene
in which this song, with its original French lyric, was sung in the
movie.
John Savard

A couple of things. First, if you can recall the year of your
mother's remark, we could figure out if she should have heard of
Catherine Deneuve, based on the star's career arc as gleaned
from Wikipedia, et. al.

Second, aspects of your posting gave some of us, I'm sure, an
opportunity to think about Samuel Beckett.

Finally, let me express my gratitude to you for keeping this
newsgroup from becoming purely a gumball machine for dispensing SF
reviews, given that, in the past couple of years, some other
regular OTers have faded away.

[John Savard]

On Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:00:07 -0000 (UTC), Charles Packer

Post by Charles Packer
A couple of things. First, if you can recall the year of your
mother's remark, we could figure out if she should have heard of
Catherine Deneuve, based on the star's career arc as gleaned
from Wikipedia, et. al.

Well, it was definitely after 1970, so she had already had some of her
more famous movie roles.

John Savard

[Charles Packer]

Post by John Savard
On Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:00:07 -0000 (UTC), Charles Packer

A couple of things. First, if you can recall the year of your mother's
remark, we could figure out if she should have heard of Catherine
Deneuve, based on the star's career arc as gleaned from Wikipedia, et.
al.

Well, it was definitely after 1970, so she had already had some of her
more famous movie roles.
John Savard

But for directors such as Luis Bunuel? How did she become famous
beyond the art house crowd?

[Charles Packer]

Post by John Savard
On Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:00:07 -0000 (UTC), Charles Packer

A couple of things. First, if you can recall the year of your mother's
remark, we could figure out if she should have heard of Catherine
Deneuve, based on the star's career arc as gleaned from Wikipedia, et.
al.

Well, it was definitely after 1970, so she had already had some of her
more famous movie roles.
John Savard

But for directors such as Luis Bunuel? How did she become famous beyond
the art house crowd?

I can answer my own question by delving into newspapers.com.
The answer is the American publicity machine, via nationally syndicated
gossip columnists. In 1968 they touted her has the successor to Brigitte
Bardot as the new cinema sex symbol. This was in connection with the
movie "Benjamin."

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Charles Packer

Post by John Savard
On Sun, 16 Jun 2024 08:00:07 -0000 (UTC), Charles Packer

A couple of things. First, if you can recall the year of your mother's
remark, we could figure out if she should have heard of Catherine
Deneuve, based on the star's career arc as gleaned from Wikipedia, et.
al.

Well, it was definitely after 1970, so she had already had some of her
more famous movie roles.
John Savard

But for directors such as Luis Bunuel? How did she become famous beyond
the art house crowd?

I can answer my own question by delving into newspapers.com.
The answer is the American publicity machine, via nationally syndicated
gossip columnists. In 1968 they touted her has the successor to Brigitte
Bardot as the new cinema sex symbol. This was in connection with the
movie "Benjamin."

Just to explain... Brigitte Bardot was the French Raquel Welch. This likely
makes Catherine Deneuve the French Jayne Mansfield. Deneuve could act too.
--scott

[Charles Packer]

Post by Scott Dorsey
Just to explain... Brigitte Bardot was the French Raquel Welch. This

likely makes Catherine Deneuve the French Jayne Mansfield. Deneuve
could act too. --scott

What's interesting to me is that the spikes in American
newspaper coverage for Bardot and Deneuve were exactly 10
years apart -- 1958 and 1968.

[Scott Dorsey]

Post by Charles Packer

Post by Scott Dorsey
Just to explain... Brigitte Bardot was the French Raquel Welch. This

likely makes Catherine Deneuve the French Jayne Mansfield. Deneuve
could act too. --scott

What's interesting to me is that the spikes in American
newspaper coverage for Bardot and Deneuve were exactly 10
years apart -- 1958 and 1968.

And if the sum is plotted on a time axis, the resulting plot looks like a
pair of breasts. Concidence? I think not.
--scott

[BCFD 36]

Post by John Savard
I remember, when I was a wee lad, a commercial came on the television.
I think it may have been for Chanel perfume. It began with Catherine
Deneuve saying "I am Catherine Deneuve".
My mother reacted to that by perceiving it as vain and egotistical.
Who was Catherine Deneuve supposed to be anyways?
Well, I hadn't heard of her either, but I simply assumed she must have
been a famous actress or model of whom I happened not to have heard.
I never gave the matter much thought. But today the song "I Will Wait
for You" came into my mind, and I went to look up performances of it.
It turns out that it was from the movie "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg"
(The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), and not only was this very acclaimed
movie one in which Catherine Deneuve appeared, but, in fact, she was
in the scene in which this song, with its original French lyric, was
sung in the movie.
John Savard

Similarly, there was a commercial or maybe series of commercials that
had someone in it/them that said, "I'm Rula Lenska." My thought at the
time was,"Who the $%^# is Rula Lenska?" Now of course you can just look
it up. Back then, not so easy.

Catherine Deneuve was making Chanel commercials in the very early 1970s.
I was VERY aware of her as she was one of the most beautiful women this
14 year old had ever seen. She was stunning, right up until I saw her
smoking. Then, not so much.

[John Savard]

Post by BCFD 36
Similarly, there was a commercial or maybe series of commercials that
had someone in it/them that said, "I'm Rula Lenska." My thought at the
time was,"Who the $%^# is Rula Lenska?" Now of course you can just look
it up. Back then, not so easy.

I remember those commercials myself.

I thought it was sort of sexy how she rolled that R, but I paid it
little attention otgherwise. However, I looked her up now. I see that
she was a concentration camp survivor! Also, she was famous as an
actress in Britain.

However, you are still in good company. After looking her up, to get
an idea of her claim to fame, I learned that Johnny Carson actually
used "Who the heck is Rula Lenska" as a running joke on his show.

John Savard

[Gary R. Schmidt]

Post by BCFD 36

Post by John Savard
I remember, when I was a wee lad, a commercial came on the television.
I think it may have been for Chanel perfume. It began with Catherine
Deneuve saying "I am Catherine Deneuve".
My mother reacted to that by perceiving it as vain and egotistical.
Who was Catherine Deneuve supposed to be anyways?
Well, I hadn't heard of her either, but I simply assumed she must have
been a famous actress or model of whom I happened not to have heard.
I never gave the matter much thought. But today the song "I Will Wait
for You" came into my mind, and I went to look up performances of it.
It turns out that it was from the movie "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg"
(The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), and not only was this very acclaimed
movie one in which Catherine Deneuve appeared, but, in fact, she was
in the scene in which this song, with its original French lyric, was
sung in the movie.
John Savard

Similarly, there was a commercial or maybe series of commercials that
had someone in it/them that said, "I'm Rula Lenska." My thought at the
time was,"Who the $%^# is Rula Lenska?" Now of course you can just look
it up. Back then, not so easy.

Ooh, Rula Lenska was in "Rock Follies", and quite a few other things.
She was married to Dennis Waterman, mayhap still is?!

Post by BCFD 36
Catherine Deneuve was making Chanel commercials in the very early 1970s.
I was VERY aware of her as she was one of the most beautiful women this
14 year old had ever seen. She was stunning, right up until I saw her
smoking. Then, not so much.
I suppose having a Mum who was a film fanatic and worked in a Cinema

meant I had a, shall we say, broader, introduction to the stars of the
silver screen. Being plonked in a seat to watch whatever has perhaps
been replaced by being plonked in front of the streaming device these
days. ;-)

Cheers,
Gary B-)

[Kevrob]

Post by Gary R. Schmidt

Post by BCFD 36

Post by John Savard
I remember, when I was a wee lad, a commercial came on the television.
I think it may have been for Chanel perfume. It began with Catherine
Deneuve saying "I am Catherine Deneuve".
My mother reacted to that by perceiving it as vain and egotistical.
Who was Catherine Deneuve supposed to be anyways?
Well, I hadn't heard of her either, but I simply assumed she must have
been a famous actress or model of whom I happened not to have heard.
I never gave the matter much thought. But today the song "I Will Wait
for You" came into my mind, and I went to look up performances of it.
It turns out that it was from the movie "Les Parapluies de Cherbourg"
(The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), and not only was this very acclaimed
movie one in which Catherine Deneuve appeared, but, in fact, she was
in the scene in which this song, with its original French lyric, was
sung in the movie.
John Savard

Similarly, there was a commercial or maybe series of commercials that
had someone in it/them that said, "I'm Rula Lenska." My thought at the
time was,"Who the $%^# is Rula Lenska?" Now of course you can just
look it up. Back then, not so easy.

Ooh, Rula Lenska was in "Rock Follies", and quite a few other things.
She was married to Dennis Waterman, mayhap still is?!

Post by BCFD 36
Catherine Deneuve was making Chanel commercials in the very early
1970s. I was VERY aware of her as she was one of the most beautiful
women this 14 year old had ever seen. She was stunning, right up until
I saw her smoking. Then, not so much.
I suppose having a Mum who was a film fanatic and worked in a Cinema

meant I had a, shall we say, broader, introduction to the stars of the
silver screen.  Being plonked in a seat to watch whatever has perhaps
been replaced by being plonked in front of the streaming device these
days.  ;-)
    Cheers,
        Gary    B-)

Ms Lenska played Lintilla and clones on h2g2, among other sfnal parts.

I also remember the shampoo ads and the Carson joke.

I also remember the shampoo brand, VO5. I actually have some of that,
bought at the Dollar Tree, sitting on a shelf in my shower.

Dollar Tree shampoo.Because while my hair isn't worth L'Oreal, I
still do have _some_.

Cybil Shepherd drummed for L'Oreal.

https://hitchhikers.fandom.com/wiki/Rula_Lenska

Cybil was the Gold Girl in _Americathon_.