Brigitte Bardot

[Rob C]

She passed away today; the end of a legend.

R.I.P.

[Chris Kern]

She passed away today; the end of a legend.

Do you still have any copies of the photos you made of her, Rob?

[Rob C]

Hi Chris, yes, I have the ancient WSG Kodak prints that I used to carry in my portfolio, her thank you card and envelope, some digital prints I made here in Mallorca from scans of the negatives and, of course, the negatives. Sadly, my lovely HP B 9180 A3+ printer died and HP had abandoned both servicing and inks, which is ironic, as I think that printer was actually developed in Barcelona.

I remember when I was an apprentice engineer, chatting with some guys about her - we were fans - never dreaming that one day she’d grace my Exakta and Rolleiflex. The news of her demise hit hard: I owe her quite a lot. If he’s still around, about my only hero left alive is David Bailey. Oh the fun of turning into an antique! Still, better than filling an ash can. ;-)

[Robert Roaldi]

Hi Chris, yes, I have the ancient WSG Kodak prints that I used to carry in my portfolio, her thank you card and envelope, some digital prints I made here in Mallorca from scans of the negatives and, of course, the negatives. Sadly, my lovely HP B 9180 A3+ printer died and HP had abandoned both servicing and inks, which is ironic, as I think that printer was actually developed in Barcelona.

I remember when I was an apprentice engineer, chatting with some guys about her - we were fans - never dreaming that one day she’d grace my Exakta and Rolleiflex. The news of her demise hit hard: I owe her quite a lot. If he’s still around, about my only hero left alive is David Bailey. Oh the fun of turning into an antique! Still, better than filling an ash can. ;-)

Good memories. For me, it was Françoise Hardy.

[KLaban]

Sad news indeed. Beautiful, talented, multifaceted and controversial.

For me it still is Juliette Binoche and Charlotte Gainsbourg. 

[Rob C]

Sad news indeed. Beautiful, talented, multifaceted and controversial.

For me it still is Juliette Binoche and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

There’s something about the French.

I can’t recall ever being much impressed by any British actress, and of the Hollywood tribe, I think Michelle Pfeiffer rang the loudest bell.

[Chris Kern]

I can’t recall ever being much impressed by any British actress, and of the Hollywood tribe, I think Michelle Pfeiffer rang the loudest bell.

My wife recalls a visit hace mucho años to a supermarket in southern California where a young Michelle Pfeiffer was working as a cashier.  (Sic!  As Casey Stengel used to say, "you can look it up.")  She (i.e., my wife) says Pfeiffer was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen.  As Pfeiffer was ringing up her purchases, my wife told her she was going to be a movie star.  Not a bad prediction.

[Rob C]

My wife recalls a visit hace mucho años to a supermarket in southern California where a young Michelle Pfeiffer was working as a cashier.  (Sic!  As Casey Stengel used to say, "you can look it up.")  She (i.e., my wife) says Pfeiffer was the most beautiful girl she had ever seen.  As Pfeiffer was ringing up her purchases, my wife told her she was going to be a movie star.  Not a bad prediction.

Few people manage to create that impression in the flesh. That said, I used to distrust my own eye when I used to do castings for the various calendars I produced, and alway brought my wife along to such events simply because I understood she could look right through chat and smiles, and see flaws at once. For instance, she detected an appendectomy scar that I simply didn’t notice; this was before Photoshop, so it mattered a lot! Another thing I learned was that being photogenic is not the same thing as being pretty.

Regarding my not being too impressed by British actresses, that wasn’t the case with models: Jean Shrimpton blew my socks off right from the start; those eyes, those cheekbones, the hair, that profile - I’d swear she did as much for Bailey’s career as ever he could have for hers.

[Robert Roaldi]

Few people manage to create that impression in the flesh. That said, I used to distrust my own eye when I used to do castings for the various calendars I produced, and alway brought my wife along to such events simply because I understood she could look right through chat and smiles, and see flaws at once. For instance, she detected an appendectomy scar that I simply didn’t notice; this was before Photoshop, so it mattered a lot! Another thing I learned was that being photogenic is not the same thing as being pretty.

Regarding my not being too impressed by British actresses, that wasn’t the case with models: Jean Shrimpton blew my socks off right from the start; those eyes, those cheekbones, the hair, that profile - I’d swear she did as much for Bailey’s career as ever he could have for hers.

I was going to take issue with you because I've always had a soft spot for Kirstin Scott Thomas. Turns out she lives part-time in Paris, so maybe you have a point.

[KLaban]

There’s something about the French.

I can’t recall ever being much impressed by any British actress, and of the Hollywood tribe, I think Michelle Pfeiffer rang the loudest bell.

It depends if we are talking about actresses best known for their acting talent in their chosen profession or those who happen to have model looks.

There are a plethora of the former.

[Manoli]

I was going to take issue with you because I've always had a soft spot for Kirstin Scott Thomas. Turns out she lives part-time in Paris, so maybe you have a point.

Well, not really part-time, she was married to a French obstetrician, had three children with him and actually lived in Paris throughout those 20-odd years. She’s been London based since recently re-marrying.

[Rob C]

It depends if we are talking about actresses best known for their acting talent in their chosen profession or those who happen to have model looks.

There are a plethora of the former.

I wouldn’t define it that way: the nub of the matter is whether or not they give me a sense of “wow!”.

Watching a lot of junk movies on the iPad over the years, I see the occasional girl who looks amazing, but I have no idea of her identity because it’s quite a different world today, and everything's disposable and nothing lasts. It’s exactly the same with cars now: they pretty much all look alike, are hardly even cars, but get closer and closer to the idea of boxes on wheels. The harm that things like Range Rover did to shapes! Some of those SUV things, with all their body creases, look as if crash distortions have become part of the design ethic. Perhaps one of the greatest travesties of all is what became, recently, of the British version of the Ford Capri; maybe the electrical Mustang is the US equivalent of identity murder. What a way to leave 2025! ;-)