19 thoughts on “WCW: Madame du Barry

  1. Orson Welles gained all that weight from all the scenery he chewed. He even ended up in a Superman comic book in 18th-century costume. Superman saves him from real Martians. This came out late 49s-early 50s. Fame is where you find it. I remember seeing Black Magic very late one night back in the days of black-and-white TV. Has anyone ever done a halfway decent film about Giuseppe Balsamo? He seems to appear as a supporting character in a lot of stories, but never stars.

    1. Excellent point, thank you for making it. I’ve edited the post to reflect that she “ordered him to quit her service.” Not entirely sure how that works, given that right, he is enslaved. Thanks for keeping us on the right track!

      1. she eventually freed him and he set up a restaurant at the end of her street. it’s still a restaurant, just not the same one.

  2. the poor woman was literally dragged from her home by the tribunal, she was an elderly woman known for her charity work and kindness. the neighborhood granny. when they dragged her up the steps to the national barber, they had to pry her fingers off the railings. she was sobbing and weeping, and begging them for mercy. THAT started the end of the love for the guillotine.
    I rented out her living room when friends and I went to Paris in 2010. the restaurant at the end of the street (il Tambour) was owned by her dwarf, the one who ratted on her to the authorities. her home had been split up into a lot of different apartments, we rented the first floor (european) front rooms. it was lovely, loud and I can say I slept in Madam du Barrys living room. :-)

    1. Yes, the crowd was shocked and very upset. They saw a woman like themselves, acting like a normal, terrified human being instead of an aristo with a stiff upper lip seeming almost inhuman in their composure. That together with du Barry’s good local reputation and by then remote royal connection made people start to rethink what they were doing.

  3. I love Orry-Kelly, so my vote is for a review of his version! The costume with the 1,000 ermine tails is gorgeous!! Out these pics, the women who look most like the portraits of du Barry are Martine Carol from Madame du Barry (1954) and Michele Grellier from Marie Antoinette (1975).

  4. After seeing that Drouais portrait at the beginning of your narrative – I am convinced Maisie Williams must be cast in a new movie about du Barry.

  5. Dubarry was a Lady is one my favorite movies, but people look at me funny when I say that out loud because it’s quasi-obscure.

    Lucille Ball at her most luminous in big, floufy Frenchified dresses!!!! It’s delightful.

  6. I’ve seen the 1919 one, and honestly can’t remember what the costumes were like. I enjoyed it though. I’d love a review of it because I find historical fashion filtered through other historical fashion so interesting.

  7. I have to say, I really love when you do MCM and WCWs for historical figures! It’s really cool to see all the onscreen versions compared.

  8. The 1915 “DuBarry” film may well have started stage actress Mrs Leslie Carter ,a noted stage actress c. 1900-1910s. I don’t know anything about any Mr. Leslie Carter. Some actresses used the Mrs. to signal respectability (Mrs Kendal) or to take it (Mrs Patrick Campbell)

  9. I’m extremely glad to come by this article! People who know me know well enough my deep love for this woman. Ever sice I read her description in Antonia Frasier’s Marie Antoinette bio, I was hooked! This lead me to buying up to 30 or so bios and related books of Du Barry, not to mention had a replica of the diamond necklace made and recently purchased a copy of Pajou’s well-known bust. I own quite a few of the above films in DVD and Bluray, but I still deeply yearn a detail-saturated miniseries (because a movie is too short) with well researched material and proper looking actors to give this woman the cinematic fame she truly deserved! It would be my greatest wish to time-travel to 22nd April 1769 Versailles and see her wearing the presentation gown, which I am sure was the most splendid she ever wore in her life!

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