Maximilienne
Known for: Acting
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
Filmography
Film
À Nous la Liberté
Une invitée au diner
1931
Film
Mountain Man
Mme Malten
1934
Film
The Murderer Lives at Number 21
Miss Cuq
1942
Film
Tartarin of Tarascon
Mme Ladevèze
1934
Film
The Baker's Wife
Melle Angèle
1938
Film
We Found a Naked Woman
1934
Film
Shop Girls of Paris
Madame Cabin
1943
Film
Liliom
Mme. Menoux
1934
Film
Simple-Minded
Mademoiselle Aimée, teacher
1942
Film
The Enigma of the Folies-Bergère
Mrs. Rosenthal
1959
Film
Mon curé chez les riches
Patroness
1938
Film
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
Madame Bleubois
1952
Film
Monsieur Vincent
Une dévote à l'église (uncredited)
1947
Film
Étienne
Aunt Valérie
1933
Film
À nous deux, madame la vie
1937
Film
Prête-moi ta femme
1936
Film
Adhémar or the Toy of Destiny
La soeur du Marquis
1951
Film
Last Hour, Special Edition
Mademoiselle Thomasson
1949
Film
Pardon My French
Madame Bleubois
1951
Film
The Man from Nowhere
La tante Scholastique
1937
Film
Scandals of Clochemerle
Justine Putet
1948
Film
July 14
La locataire (uncredited)
1933
Film
The Secrets of the Red Sea
1937
Film
Tête blonde
Madame Rabichou
1950
Film
Cartacalha, reine des gitans
Machanalli
1942
Film
Cavalcade of Love
Old comedienne
1939
Film
Premier mai
Nun (uncredited)
1958
Monsieur est saisi
1936
Film
600,000 francs per month
Madame Brochet
1933
Film
The Congress of Mother-in-Laws
Madame Moucaille
1954
Film
Song of the Clouds
Mademoiselle Anaïs
1946
Film
Les surprises du divorce
1933
Film
Drôle de noce
Cornil's Widow
1952
Film
The Treasure of Cantenac
Blandine
1950
Film
The Daughters of the Concierge
Mme Fallempin
1934
Film
Buridan's Donkey
1932
Film
Un meurtre a été commis
Madame Phalempin
1938
Film
No More Vacation for the Good Lord
Aunt Faguet
1950
Film
Rooster Heart
Mme Estelle
1946
Film
Two Women
1940
Film
Voyage d'agrément
1935
Film
Parade in 7 Nights
Ardouin's governess
1941
Film
Fric-frac en dentelles
Madame Mouilletu
1957
Film
Un de la Canebière
1938
Film
La Cage aux souris
Miss Frador aka 'Cul-de-poule'
1954
Film
The Cupboard Was Bare
Salvation Army commander
1948
Film
The Ménard Collection
Young lady Ménard
1944
Film
For One Cent's Worth of Love
Mathilde
1932
Film
Maria Chapdelaine
Azelma Larouche
1934
Film
Trois vieilles filles en folie
Pervenche
1952
Film
Musique en tête
The personnel manager
1951
Incognito
Deaf lady
1934
Film
My Aunts and I
Tante Julie
1937
Film
Picpus
Madame Bertaud (uncredited)
1943
Film
Coup de vent
1936
Film
The Enchanted Road
Mother superior
1938
Film
Houla-Houla
Mlle Lelongbec
1959
Monsieur Octave
1951
Film
Lovers and Thieves
Mrs. Doizeau
1935
Film
Marseille mes amours
Aunt Églantine
1940
Film
Our Lord's Vineyard
1932
Film
Prison Without Bars
Madame Appel
1938
Film
Disk 413
Princess
1936
Film
Bubble Gum
1931
Film
Midnight, Place Pigalle
Louise
1934
Film
Gypsy Baron
1935
Film
To the Polls, Citizens
1932
Film
Adhémar Lampiot
1932
Film
Maison hantée
1933
Film
Clodoche
1938