#when he was 26 and 7 years into fame 5 years into movie stardom and 2 years into megastardom back in *1988*

[marisatomay]

I got bad news for you honey lol

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Robert Montgomery (/mɒntˈɡʌməri/; born Henry Montgomery Jr.; May 21, 1904 – September 27, 1981) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer. He began his acting career on the stage, but was soon hired by MGM. Initially assigned roles in comedies, he soon proved he was able to handle dramatic ones as well. He appeared in a wide variety of roles, such as a weak-willed prisoner in The Big House (1930), an Irish handyman in Night Must Fall (1937) and a boxer mistakenly sent to Heaven in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941). The last two earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

During World War II, he drove ambulances in France until the Dunkirk evacuation. When the United States entered the war on December 8, 1941, he enlisted in the Navy, and was present at the invasion at Normandy. After the war, he returned to Hollywood, where he worked in both films and, later, in television. He was also the father of actress Elizabeth Montgomery

Henry Montgomery Jr. was born in Fishkill Landing, New York (now Beacon, New York), to Henry Montgomery and his wife, Mary Weed Montgomery (née Barney). His early childhood was one of privilege, as his father was president of the New York Rubber Company. Though when he was about two and a half years old he had a terrible fall that left his face disfigured. When he was about five years old he went to the Azusa street revival in California. While there he was prayed for in the name of Jesus and was miraculously healed. Even the scars from his accident disappeared. His father committed suicide in 1922 by jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge, and the family's fortune was gone.

Montgomery settled in New York City to try his hand at writing and acting. He established a stage career, and became popular enough to turn down an offer to appear opposite Vilma Bánky in the film This Is Heaven (1929). Sharing a stage with George Cukor gave him an entry to Hollywood and a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he debuted in So This Is College (also 1929). One writer claimed that Montgomery was able to establish himself because he "proceeded with confidence, agreeable with everyone, eager and willing to take suggestions". Author Scott Eyman wrote he had an "off-screen reputation as one of the chilliest, most pompous actors ever to find his way to Hollywood."

During the production of So This Is College, Montgomery learned from and questioned crew members from several departments, including sound crew, electricians, set designers, camera crew, and film editors. In a later interview, he confessed, "it showed [him] that making a motion picture is a great co-operative project." So This Is College gained him attention as Hollywood's latest newcomer, and he was put in one production after another, his popularity growing steadily.

Montgomery initially played exclusively in comedy roles; his first dramatic role was in The Big House (1930). MGM was initially reluctant to assign him the role, until "his earnestness, and his convincing arguments, with demonstrations of how he would play the character" won him the assignment. From The Big House on, he was in constant demand. He appeared as Greta Garbo's romantic interest in Inspiration (1930).

Norma Shearer chose him to star opposite her in The Divorcee (1930), Strangers May Kiss (1931), and Private Lives (1931), which led him to stardom. In 1932, Montgomery starred opposite Tallulah Bankhead in Faithless, though the film was not a success. During this time, Montgomery appeared in the original pre-Code film version of When Ladies Meet (1933), which starred Ann Harding and Myrna Loy. In 1935, Montgomery became president of the Screen Actors Guild, and was elected again in 1946. Montgomery played a psychopathic murderer in the thriller Night Must Fall (1937), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

After World War II began in Europe in September 1939, and while the United States was still officially neutral, Montgomery enlisted in London for the American Field Service and drove ambulances in France until the Dunkirk evacuation. He then returned to Hollywood and addressed a massive rally on the MGM lot for the American Red Cross in July 1940.

Montgomery returned to playing light comedy roles, such as Alfred Hitchcock's Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) with Carole Lombard. He continued his search for dramatic roles. For his role as Joe Pendleton, a boxer and pilot in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Montgomery was nominated for an Oscar a second time. After the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, he joined the United States Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander, and served on the USS Barton (DD-722) which was part of the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.

In 1945, Montgomery returned to Hollywood, making his uncredited directing debut with They Were Expendable, where he directed some of the PT boat scenes when director John Ford was unable to work for health reasons. Montgomery's first credited film as director and his final film for MGM was the film noir Lady in the Lake (1947), adapted from Raymond Chandler's detective novel, in which he starred as Chandler's most famous character, Phillip Marlowe. It was filmed entirely from Marlowe's vantage point; Montgomery only appeared on camera a few times, three times in a mirror reflection. He also directed and starred in Ride the Pink Horse (1947), also a film noir.

Active in Republican politics and concerned about communist influence in the entertainment industry, Montgomery was a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. The next year, 1948, Montgomery hosted the Academy Awards. He hosted an Emmy Award-winning television series, Robert Montgomery Presents, which ran from 1950 to 1957. The Gallant Hours (1960), a film Montgomery directed and co-produced with its star, his friend James Cagney, was the last film or television production with which he was connected in any capacity, as actor, director, or producer. In 1955 Montgomery was awarded a Tony Award for his direction of The Desperate Hours.

In 1954, Montgomery took an unpaid position as consultant and coach to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, advising him on how to look his best in his television appearances before the nation. A pioneering media consultant, Montgomery had an office in the White House beginning in 1954.

Montgomery has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for movies at 6440 Hollywood Boulevard, and another for television at 1631 Vine Street.

On April 14, 1928, Montgomery married actress Elizabeth Bryan Allen (December 26, 1904 – June 28, 1992), sister of Martha-Bryan Allen. The couple had three children: Martha Bryan, who died at 14 months of age in 1931; Elizabeth (April 15, 1933 – May 18, 1995); and Robert Jr. (January 6, 1936 – February 7, 2000). They divorced on December 5, 1950.

His second wife was Elizabeth "Buffy" Grant Harkness (1909 – 2003), whom he married on December 9, 1950, four days after his divorce from Allen was finalized.

Montgomery died of cancer on September 27, 1981, at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. His body was cremated and the ashes were given to the family. His two surviving children, Elizabeth and Robert Montgomery Jr., both died of cancer, as well.

[astrognossienne]

scandalous beauty: brigitte bardot - an analysis

“My wild and free side unsettled some, and unwedged others.“ - Brigitte Bardot

When Brigitte Bardot appeared in Roger Vadim’s And God Created Woman in 1957, her beauty set the world alight. She helped to popularize French cinema, the bikini, free love and St Tropez. Along with Doris Day, she’s also an astrognossienne star analysis rarity: one of the few old-style movie stars still alive. She was discovered at 14 by director Roger Vadim who dyed her hair blonde and shaped her provocative image, which made her an international sensation. She had a life as epic as her fame and with the drama of her films. She was rumoured to have had more than 100 lovers, including women. She also tried to kill herself at least four times, the same number of husbands she has had. What a classic, glamorous beauty. One of my top 5 faces and figures of all time. In her youth she was the most beautiful woman imaginable, and when I saw her in And God Created Woman, I fell in love with not just how she looked but, more importantly, with her attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Marilyn Monroe, but Bardot wasn’t a victim like Monroe, as airy and bright as she came across, essentially was. Bardot seemed stronger. She had spirit, a joie de vivre…she was a woman with a sense of adventure and sexual curiosity.  She was raw and her appetites were those of a young animal: sex, warmth, light and air. Has a beautiful sensitivity yet is steely, and her animal welfare work shows that she has a beautiful heart as well. But Bardot was more than just a sex symbol with a noble cause: she was a daring actress who worked with some of cinema’s most-revered directors, including Jean-Luc Godard and Louis Malle.

Brigitte Bardot, according to astrotheme, is a Libra sun and Gemini moon. She was born in Paris to  a Catholic bourgeois family who lived not too far from the Eiffel Tower. Her father Louis was an engineer, and her mother Anne-Marie was a strict and cultured woman with a particular interest in music and dance. Her younger sister Mijanou was born in 1938. By then the family had moved to the bourgeois heartland of the 16th arrondissement. In their formative years, both girls were sent to a Catholic school. At 7, Brigitte attended ballet classes and at the age of 13 was with a prestigious ballet conservatory, studying ballet for 3 years. At the age of 13, through one of her mother’s contacts, Brigitte was hired to model in a fashion show in 1949 She soon modeled for various French magazines which led to her being picked up by Elle magazine. Incidentally, this was the magazine that rookie director Roger Vadim and was so taken with her that he arranged for her to audition for director Marc Allégret, which didn’t go anywhere. That didn’t stop Vadim’s infatuation with her; against Bardot’s parents’ wishes, they began to see each other, and soon after her fifteenth birthday, Brigitte announced that she and Vadim would be married. Vadim carefully constructed her image, pout, and persona, which all paid off with Brigitte’s appearance at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. When Bardot showed up in a bathing suit, the photographers, orchestrated by Vadim, immediately focused their attention on her. Still a relative unknown, she had stolen the limelight from some of the biggest film stars in the world. Roger Vadim was still only 26 years old when he wrote the screenplay for the film that would catapult Bardot to international stardom and launch his own directing career.

While filming And God Created Woman, Brigitte had fallen in love with her co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant. Vadim, for his part, took it pragmatically and maturely, and their 1957 separation was a civilized affair. They stayed good friends and he remained an important confidant for her in the years to come. At the end of 1958 she was the numer one star in France. But she wasn’t just popular in her native country; she was beginning to top popularity lists in countries across the world. Such immense fame brought with it the constant attention of the press, who pursued her relentlessly. She often felt trapped and admitted to friends that she felt she was missing out on a normal life. Her relationship with Trintignant had lasted only six months, after which she had even briefer flings with actor Gustavo Rojo and singer Gilbert Becaud. When she met actor Jacques Charrier, they fell in love and she wound up pregnant, which terrified and repulsed her. In her own words, she couldn’t raise a child when she still needed her mother. Nonetheless, she gave birth to a son, Nicholas on January 11, 1960. Bardot would only see Nicholas intermittently through his childhood, and not until she was in her sixties and he was married with two children, would they have a lasting reconciliation. Shortly after, she attempted suicide by slashing her wrists as well as overdosing on barbiturates and was within a hair of actually dying. Within a few weeks after leaving the hospital, she was seen shopping in the village as normal accompanied by Roger Vadim who had helped her through the crisis. Bardot’s divorce from Jacques Charrier was finalized in 1962. In an uncontested plea, Charrier was awarded custody of Nicholas.

She continued to make films, have affairs, and occasionally sing, notably on Serge Gainsbourg’s infamous song “Je t’aime moi non plus” but chickened out on the racy song and made Gainsbourg re-record it with Jane Birkin instead. In 1973, at the age of 39, she decided she had had enough and retired from the entertainment business for good, settling down with her final and current husband and dedicating the rest of her life to animal activism. In 1986, she established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals. She raised three million francs to fund the foundation by auctioning off jewelry and other personal belongings.

So she is quite a woman. Regardless of the criticisms and controversies that have surrounded her, Brigitte Bardot remains a major cultural icon of the twentieth century. But to be fair, let me not wax too poetic about her; she definitely has her faults. Her views on feminism (which I share) and her views on foreigners in France (which I part ways with, for the most part) are a couple of “flaws” that people really like to fuss over and have a problem with, obviously. However, the most glaring flaw she has, to me, was her contempt for her son. The fact that she was never able to connect with her son is interesting (what is it with Libras and parenthood? LOL). If she couldn’t connect with him when she had him because she wasn’t in a mentally sound place to do so, then so be it, but she’s never cared much for him ever, which again, is interesting. In fact, she wrote a rather candid autobiography, and in it, she referred to her unborn son as a “cancerous tumour” and said she would have “preferred to give birth to a little dog”. Understandably, she wasn’t invited to his wedding for those little tidbits of information. However, she was astute enough to realize her shortcomings on that; years later, she confessed:

“I’m not made to be a mother. I’m not adult enough – I know it’s horrible to have to admit that, but I’m not adult enough to take care of a child.”

Kudos to her for admitting that and being honest about this; most women bring kids into the world for their own selfish purposes, or for no rhyme or reason at all, just because that’s what they think they’re “supposed to do”. Well, that wasn’t for her and she was frank about it. I completely understand (and personally share) her views on being a mother. Her execution of those views, however, left a lot to be desired, but I think they’ve made up in recent years (which, I’m sure, was accelerated with the birth of her grandchild). As for her life at 84, she’s a reluctant legend who has been making headlines for her nationalistic views as well as her most recent incendiary views as of late. At any rate, she holds the courage of her convictions, however controversial and outdated by today’s standards, and I respect that even if I don’t necessarily agree with them all. Classy dame. Love her.

Next week, I’ll focus another star who has caused unwitting controversy; an action hero whose luster was tarnished when old words of his were posthumously unearthed: Gemini John Wayne. 

Stats

birthdate: September 28, 1934

major planets:

Sun: Libra

Moon: Gemini

Rising: Sagittarius

Mercury: Libra

Venus: Virgo

Mars: Leo

Midheaven: Libra

Jupiter: Libra

Saturn: Aquarius

Uranus: Taurus

Neptune: Virgo

Pluto: Cancer

Overall personality snapshot: She has a youthful, engaging personality and, as is characteristic of youth, she has lots of questions. Direct questions about people and the world are never far from her quick, persuasive lips, but she is never really satisfied with the answers she gets. Of the many questions life poses her, some of the key ones center around her relationships with others. She likes attention and to be accepted and well-thought-of by others, but she also gets bored easily and likes to play devil’s advocate, to have her say and let others think what they will. She could aspire to social elegance and propriety, yet find that she instinctively took a much more ad-lib, happy-go-lucky approach to things. Although deep friendships and one-to-one relationships were central to her life, she could be remarkably carefree, flippant and outrageously flirtatious. She likes to see herself as a thinker who lives a reflective life, and indeed she possesses real intellectual potential. In order to make the most of it, however, she needs to cultivate some perseverance. She glibly agrees with the maxim that the unexamined life is not worth living, yet she easily gets by without examining too deeply. She has definite ideas about most things, which she could put over with great charm and persuasion. What she think, and what other people thought, was all important to her, and she enjoys exchanging gossip, games and good times. Ideally, however, she likes to have a mind so clear that it sees beyond opinions.

Sociability and lively discussion with friends is her lifeblood. She wants to live her life as smoothly and intelligently as she can, and this may lead her to espouse some particular ‘ism’ or collection of dependable mottos which, in general, work most of the time. Although she prefers harmonious intercourse, she has a gift for seeking and arguing both sides of any question. In other words, she cannot help stirring up a bit of healthy controversy. This characteristic is welcome since she worked in the films, but it is not as appreciated in close relationships where you use that cunning wit of yours to wriggle out of tight corners and irksome responsibilities. This she may do when her own feelings or the emotional demands of others seem threatening, for although she’s romantic enough, she does not suffer emotional inquisitions gladly. Naturally articulate, versatile, socially skilled and humane, she can readily slip into other ways of looking at things. This is because she is truly interested in ideas, and she will do almost anything for a laugh. She uses her logical approach to explore and reconcile the irreconcilable; that is, the enigmatic behaviour of people and society in general. She works well with others, and her easy-going, adaptable nature, and her relaxed, jokey, yet courteous approach to human relations, make her a natural diplomat who can be guaranteed to make any collaborative effort run smoothly.

She was a drop-dead gorgeous woman, with perfect features. Her legs were long and gangling. Her most outstanding feature, other than her extraordinary figure, was her wide brilliant smile, shining out of her open face. Although she prefers dressing casually most times, when she does dress up, she was and still is absolutely stunning. Her natural curiosity and sympathetic understanding of a situation allows her to use her good judgement. Because she’s aware of so many options, she could find herself unable to come to a decision. She usually needs someone or something else to provide motivation. However, even though she may be slow in coming to a decision, once she’s made it, she sticks to it if she believes she is in the right. She makes a welcome addition to any social gathering, because she’s so charming in her communication skills. She also has the welcome ability to bring people together. She’s best suited to working in a partnership of some kind, or at least in a joint effort with other people. She’s very aware of how others might have been able to help further her career or social ambitions. Most importantly, she needed pleasant and congenial work conditions and a job which she felt was artistic, or at least creative in some way. She knows how to make people feel at ease and instinctively knows how to resolve conflict. You are easy-going, frank and optimistic. She’s quite sociable and expects other people to behave well at all times. She’s eager for close personal relationships, so she tends to have a wide circle of friends. Self-indulgence can be a problem for her, as could laziness and conceit in relationships. She tends to be impatient with superficial details, preferring large-scale situations, and she dislikes being tied down by obligations over which she has little control.

She was willing to accept responsibility and didn’t want to depend on others for anything. She concentrated on efforts to improve her mind and would take up any intellectual pursuits that gave full rein to her imagination. She has an original mind and used every skill she possessed to gain control of her affairs. She was willing to tolerate austerity for as long as it was justified. She respects institutions for as long as they serve her purpose. She belongs to a determined, practical and stubborn generation that was interested in acquiring out new or unusual possessions. As a member of this generation, she has fairly fixed views on things and finds it difficult to accept change and disruptions in their life, unless she fully understands and agrees with the reasons why. She belonged to a generation with a practical and materialistic frame of mind, and which was critical of standards of religion and government. As a member of this generation, she tries to restore order where chaos and injustice rule, although sometimes her aims and objectives are  misunderstood. Changes were also experienced in the relationships between parents and children, with the ties becoming looser. In Bardot’s case, her relationship with her son was at times, strained at best. Was part of a generation known for its devastating social upheavals concerning home and family. The whole general pattern of family life experiences enormous changes and upheavals; as a Cancer Plutonian, this aspect is highlighted by Bardot not having a great relationship with her parents, particularly her mother.

Love/sex life: Her approach to sex comes as close to shy and self-effacing as is possible with this type. She has a way of bringing the high flying egotism of Mars in Leo down to earth and making sex seem less like an art form and more like a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Her taste for the big, dramatic love affair is tempered by her physical needs. For this reason her love life is likely to have two tracks: one for the “big” affairs in which she can fully express her pride and artistry and one for the “little” engagements about which she was not so proud. She would like to maintain the upper-hand in her relationship but her earthy nature often places her at a disadvantage. Unlike other lovers of this type, she can't simply walk away from a relationship that fails to feed her ego. She has to also give practical consideration to the quality of the sex and if the sex is good enough, she might just be willing to put her bossy egotism on hold for a while.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Aquarius

Lilith: Leo

Vertex: Cancer

Fortune: Leo

East Point: Capricorn

Her North Node in Aquarius dictated that she needed to try not to let herself fall in the trap of overemphasizing her own importance. She needs to be able to share with others more readily and to be prepared to see issues from their perspective. Her Lilith in Leo dictated that she was the ultimate diva whose creative output, talents, and pure raw chutzpah worked like a magic spell. She was a trail-blazing game changer. She was a true performer; her work was immortal and her one true love was her art. She was magical, outrageously talented, and adored. Her Vertex in Cancer, 8th house meant that she had a dream for an almost womblike environment that shut out all discordant noise or interference from the outside. There are very deep desires regarding the ideal structure or family and home life. When she committed herself in a relationship she was really deeply committed and if she felt that her partner wasn’t similarly serious she struck out at them in defense. Her expectations of others, ultimately, were unrealistic and were based on her own feelings of insecurity, which were profound. An internal yearning for an inseparable union with and total commitment from another, come what may. This need was so intense that she fantasized all manner of unspeakable actions and reactions if the final dream, once attained, was even threatened.

The dark side is that when the reality of her partner didn’t fit this model (and it rarely did totally) she had a difficult time adjusting when faced with a breach of contract of any sort. Once badly hurt there was a tendency to become jaded and guarded in future relationships, thereby passing up the opportunity to explore interactions which might just have fulfilled out her intense needs perfectly. Her Part of Fortune in Leo and Part of Spirit in Aquarius dictated that her destiny would bring money into her life. Her wealth came through her father. Happiness and good fortune lay within her home and family, which provided emotional and financial security. Her soul’s purpose was to create practical and long-lasting achievements. She felt spiritual connections and saw the spark of the divine when she observed her progress through life and saw it take a form and structure that will outlive her. East Point in Capricorn dictated that her identification is more with the conditional love parent (her father). She faced reality young. From an early age, she was constantly fighting against the rules of the game, the ordinary limitations of society. She fought against time; she may have broken the law, and she acted and continues to act against the accepted conventions of our culture and society in a number of ways.

elemental dominance:

air

fire

She was communicative, quick and mentally agile, and she liked to stir things up. She was likely a havoc-seeker on some level. She was oriented more toward thinking than feeling. She carried information and the seeds of ideas. Out of balance, she lived in her head and could be insensitive to the feelings of others. But at her best, she helped others form connections in all spheres of their daily lives. She was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. She generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. She was exciting to be around, because she was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, she could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, she chose the latter. Confident and opinionated, she was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because she was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—she was be bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at her best, her confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves.

modality dominance:

cardinal

She was happiest when she was doing anything new, and she loved to begin new ventures. She enjoyed the challenge of claiming territory. She tended to be an initiator—and a bit territorial as well. Also, she had a tendency to start more things than she could possibly finish.

house dominants:

10th

9th

6th

Her ambition in relation to the outside world, the identity she wished to achieve in regard to the community at large, and her career aspirations were all themes that were emphasized throughout her life. All matters outside the home, her public image and reputation were very important to her. Her attitude to people in authority, and how she viewed the outside world, as well as the influence of her mother and her own attitude to her was highlighted. Traveling, whether physically across the globe, on a mental plane or expanding through study was a major theme in her life. She was not only concerned with learning facts, but also wanted to understand the connections formed between them and the philosophies and concepts they stand for. Her conscience, as well as foreign travel, people and places was also of paramount importance in her life, as is evidenced in her massive crossover appeal in America. Her workplace in respect to her colleagues, and the type of work she did as well as her attitude to it was emphasized in her life. Her everyday life and routine and the way she handled it was highlighted. How she went about being of service to others in a practical way, and the way she adjusted to necessities of mundane existence was a them in her life. Also, how she aspired to refine and better herself was of importance as well.  

planet dominants:

Jupiter

Moon

Mercury

She had luck, and believed in expansion, integration, and growth. She could also be excessive and lazy. She reached out beyond herself and expanded her consciousness. She loved travel, was fairly religious, and liked to integrate herself into the larger social order—church or religion, community, and corporation. She had intellectual and spiritual interests in the most profound sense. She was defined by her inner world; by her emotional reactions to situations, how emotions flowed through her, motivating and compelling her—or limiting her and holding her back. She held great capacity to become a part of the whole rather than attempting to master the parts. She wanted to become whatever it is that she sought. She was intelligent, mentally quick, and had excellent verbal acuity. She dealt in terms of logic and reasoning. It was likely that she was left-brained. She was restless, craved movement, newness, and the bright hope of undiscovered terrains.

sign dominants:

Libra

Gemini

Sagittarius

She loved beauty in all its guises—art, literature, classical music, opera, mathematics, and the human body. She usually was a team player who enjoyed debate but not argument. She was, at her best, an excellent strategist and a master at the power of suggestion. Even though she was likely a courteous, amiable person, she was definitely not a pushover. She tried to use diplomacy and intelligence to get what she wanted. She ventured out to see what else was there and seized upon new ideas that will expand her community. Her innate curiosity kept her on the move. She used her rational, intellectual mind to explore and understand her personal world. She needed to answer the single burning question in her mind: why? This applied to most facets of her life, from the personal to the impersonal. This need to know sent her off to foreign countries, where her need to explore other cultures and traditions ranked high. She was changeable and often moody. This meant that she was often at odds with herself—the mind demanding one thing, the heart demanding the opposite. To someone else, this internal conflict often manifested as two very different people. She loved her freedom and chafed at any restrictions. She sought the truth, expressed it as she saw it—and didn’t care if anyone else agreed with her. She saw the large picture of any issue and couldn’t be bothered with the mundane details. She was always outspoken and likely couldn’t understand why other people weren’t as candid. After all, what was there to hide?

Read more about her under the cut.

Brigitte Bardot was born on September 28, 1934 in Paris, France. Her father had an engineering degree and worked with his father in the family business. Brigitte's mother encouraged her daughter to take up music and dance, and she proved to be very adept at it. By the time she was 15, Brigitte was trying a modeling career, and found herself in the French magazine "Elle". Her incredible beauty readily apparent, Brigitte next tried films. In 1952, she appeared on screen for the first time as Javotte Lemoine in Crazy for Love (1952). Two more films followed and it was also the same year she married Roger Vadim. She wanted to marry him when she was 17, but her parents quashed any marriage plans until she turned 18. The union lasted less than four years. Capitalizing on her success in French films, Brigitte made her first American production in Act of Love (1953) with Kirk Douglas, but she continued to make films in France. Brigitte's explosive sexuality took the United States by storm, and the effect she had on millions of American men who had not seen a woman like her in a long, long time--if ever--was electric. Rise to the phrase "sex kitten" and fascination of her in the United States consisted of magazines photographs and dubbed over French films--good, bad or indifferent, her films drew audiences--mainly men--into theaters like lemmings. In 1965, she appeared as herself in the American-made Dear Brigitte (1965) with James Stewart (she only appeared in one scene). Just before she turned 40, Brigitte retired from movies after filming The Edifying and Joyous Story of Colinot (1973). She prefers life outside of stardom. While it enabled her to become internationally famous, it also carried with it annoyances. It was not anything for her to have "fans" enter her house or wander around the grounds of her home in the hopes of getting a glimpse of her or to take something that belonged to her. Paparazzi constantly hounded her with their cameras. She has been so soft-hearted that some people even have taken advantage of her generosity. After her life in the spotlight, Brigitte went on to become a leading spokesperson for animal rights and started the "Foundation Brigitte Bardot" dedicated solely to that cause. Her work in that realm is, perhaps, far greater than any film she could have made. Brigitte has been married to Bernard d'Ormale since 1992 and they reside in St. Tropez with their nearly 50 pets. (x)