Suzanne Cloutier(1923-2003)

Lovely French Canadian actress Suzanne Cloutier, the daughter of the director of the National Printing Office, was born into a large family. She had indeed no fewer than six brothers and sisters. After happily growing up in the heart of nature (her parents had a house in the woods), she became a model in New York. A photograph of her was noticed by director-producer George Stevens who offered her a contract but, as she did not speak English well enough yet, she declined. Later on, having improved her level in Shakepeare's language, she was hired by a drama company featuring Charles Laughton. Which did not hinder her from playing in French for, after her American experience, she chose to join Jean Dasté's company in France. It is when she appeared in one of the plays produced by Dasté that she was hired by Julien Duvivier for her first major role in the movies, the unfortunate Marie Lambert in Au royaume des cieux (1949). Another interesting role in an interesting movie followed ( Juliette, Gérard Philipe 's dream lover in'Marcel Carné''s poetic Juliette ou la Clef des songes (1951). To crown it all, 'Orson Welles' chose her to play Desdemona in his admirable adaptation of 'William Shakespeare''s Othello (1951). Suzanne Cloutier really excelled in the pathetic role of the beautiful but doomed wife of the jealous Moor. It looked as if Suzanne was then on the threshold of a great career. In fact, It was the contrary that happened due to the fact that she chose family life instead . Indeed after marrying Peter Ustinov she practically retired from artistic life. Too bad for the frustrated spectator but so much the better for her as she always declared herself happy with her married life.