Biography
Real name: Josette Dagory, was born on July 31, 1914 in Paris. At the age of five she appeared in her first movie and from 1919 to 1922 she made 3 films under her real name, Josette Dagory.
From 5 - 9 years of age she became a dancer, her first love. An injury curtailed her career in dance at the ripe old age of 9 years!
She returned to the cinema just as cinema was moving from the silent era to the talkies. After two short films she changed her name to "Day". Throughout the thirties she made numerous films, sometimes as many as seven in a year! Her first great role was as Patricia Amoretti in La Fille du puisatier (1940).
Most of her films have been forgotten through the passage of time. It is for her role as Beauty / Belle in Jean Cocteau's classic movie, the unforgettable La Belle et la bête (1946) that she will always be remembered in the history of French cinema.
In the early 50s she retired from the movies and married a wealthy Belgium businessman. Josette Day died on June 29, 1978 having devoted the last years of her life to charitable work.
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Official La Belle et la Bête UK DVD on eBay UK
La Belle et la Bête vintage posters, photographs and more on eBay France
Filmography
- Amour, Madame, L' (1952) .... Herself
Love, Madame (International: English title) - Swiss Tour (1949) .... Suzanne
Four Days Leave (1950) (USA) - Parents terribles, Les (1948) .... Madeleine
The Storm Within - Révoltée, La (1947)
Stolen Affections (USA) - Belle et la bête, La (1946) .... Beauty
Beauty and the Beast (1947) (USA) - Arlette et l'amour (1943) .... Arlette Milloix
- Croisée des chemins, La (1942) .... Laurence Chassal
- Prière aux étoiles, La (1941) .... Florence
- Fille du puisatier, La (1940) .... Patricia Amoretti
The Well-Digger's Daughter (1946) (USA) - Monsieur Brotonneau (1939)
- Cinq sous de Lavarède, Les (1939) .... Miss Aurett Murlington
The Five Cents of Lavarede (International: English title) - Accord final (1938) .... Suzanne Favre
Final Accord (International: literal English title) - Éducation de prince (1938)
Bargekeepers Daughter (1945) (USA) - Patriote, Le (1938) .... Nadia
The Mad Emperor - Monsieur Begonia (1937)
- Soeurs d'armes (1937)
- Flamme, La (1936)
The Flame (International: English title) - Homme du jour, L' (1936) .... Suzanne Petit
The Man of the Hour - Ménilmontant (1936)
- Messieurs les ronds de cuir (1936)
The Bureaucrats (International: English title) - Club de femmes (1936) .... Juliette
Girls' Club - Jeunesse d'abord (1935)
- Lucrèce Borgia (1935) .... Sancia, Lucrezia's companion
Lucrezia Borgia (1937) (USA) - Son excellence Antonin (1935)
- Sonnette d'alarme, La (1935)
- Une fille à papa (1935) .... Colette de la Bretière
- Antonia, romance hongroise (1934)
- Aristo, L' (1934)
- Aux portes de Paris (1934) .... Marthe
- Bibi-la-Purée (1934)
- Filles de la concierge, Les (1934)
- N'aimer que toi (1934)
- Abenteuer des Königs Pausole, Die (1933) .... Aline
The Adventures of King Pausole (International: English title) - Aventures du roi Pausole, Les (1933) .... Aline
- Barbier de Séville, Le (1933) .... Suzanne
The Barber of Seville (1936) (USA) - C'était un musicien (1933) .... Lili Vandernyff
- Colomba (1933)
- Coralie et Cie (1933)
Coralie and Company (International: English title) - Couché de la mariée, Le (1933) .... Raymonde
- Miss Helyett (1933)
- Merry Monarch, The (1933) .... Aline
- Champion du régiment, Le (1932)
The Regiment's Champion (International: English title) - Léon tout court (1932)
- Allo Berlin? Ici Paris! (1931) .... Lily
Here's Berlin (International: English title)