Maximilienne
Acting
Born: November 28, 1884 · Paris, France
Died: August 28, 1978 (aged 93)
Highest Rated
Biography
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
Movies (67)
Monsieur Vincent
Une dévote à l'église (uncredited)
Premier mai
Nun (uncredited)
The Murderer Lives at Number 21
Miss Cuq
Mountain Man
Mme Malten
The Baker's Wife
Melle Angèle
À Nous la Liberté
Une invitée au diner
The Cupboard Was Bare
Salvation Army commander
Tartarin of Tarascon
Mme Ladevèze
Scandals of Clochemerle
Justine Putet
Liliom
Mme. Menoux
Houla-Houla
Mlle Lelongbec
Shop Girls of Paris
Madame Cabin
Prête-moi ta femme
1936
The Enigma of the Folies-Bergère
Mrs. Rosenthal
Adhémar or the Toy of Destiny
La soeur du Marquis
Maria Chapdelaine
Azelma Larouche
We Found a Naked Woman
1934
Picpus
Madame Bertaud (uncredited)
Mon curé chez les riches
Patroness
Rooster Heart
Mme Estelle
Étienne
Aunt Valérie
Simple-Minded
Mademoiselle Aimée, teacher
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
Madame Bleubois
Tête blonde
Madame Rabichou
The Daughters of the Concierge
Mme Fallempin
Cartacalha, reine des gitans
Machanalli
La Cage aux souris
Miss Frador aka 'Cul-de-poule'
Fric-frac en dentelles
Madame Mouilletu
Un de la Canebière
1938
The Enchanted Road
Mother superior
Parade in 7 Nights
Ardouin's governess
Last Hour, Special Edition
Mademoiselle Thomasson
The Man from Nowhere
La tante Scholastique
The Secrets of the Red Sea
1937
Two Women
1940
Drôle de noce
Cornil's Widow
The Congress of Mother-in-Laws
Madame Moucaille
My Aunts and I
Tante Julie
The Treasure of Cantenac
Blandine
600,000 francs per month
Madame Brochet
Buridan's Donkey
1932
À nous deux, madame la vie
1937
July 14
La locataire (uncredited)
Pardon My French
Madame Bleubois
Song of the Clouds
Mademoiselle Anaïs
Cavalcade of Love
Old comedienne
No More Vacation for the Good Lord
Aunt Faguet
Our Lord's Vineyard
1932
Les surprises du divorce
1933
Musique en tête
The personnel manager
Voyage d'agrément
1935
Trois vieilles filles en folie
Pervenche
Un meurtre a été commis
Madame Phalempin
For One Cent's Worth of Love
Mathilde
Disk 413
Princess
Marseille mes amours
Aunt Églantine
Prison Without Bars
Madame Appel
Coup de vent
1936
The Ménard Collection
Young lady Ménard
Lovers and Thieves
Mrs. Doizeau
Adhémar Lampiot
1932
Bubble Gum
1931
Midnight, Place Pigalle
Louise
To the Polls, Citizens
1932
Maison hantée
1933
Clodoche
1938
Gypsy Baron
1935