Yves Montand and Simone Kaminker: all grievances dissolve in Eternity

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

A magnificent Ferrari car glides through the quiet streets of Paris. He seems to behave at ease and uninhibited, like his dazzling master. The scent of an exquisite perfume merges with the scent of expensive interior upholstery. The picture of luxury is complemented by a cashmere coat, stylish caps, fingerless kid gloves and branded sunglasses. A favorite of women, a pop star, listening to whose voice, you want to kneel …

Darling of fate

Ivo Livi was born in Italy to a Catholic and communist family. When the Nazis came to power in the country, Livies migrated to France. At first, the young man worked part-time in a hairdressing salon, and later as a loader in the port, but soon began to "warm up" the audience before movie screenings in cinemas and clubs, performing chanson.

He soon began performing at the music hall under the name Yves Montand. The legend of the stage name dates back to the singer's childhood, when his mother called the boy home: "Ivo, monta!" (Ivo, get up!)"

A mobile, plastic and bright young man with a divine voice was noticed by Edith Piaf. She begins to take part in promoting Yves' career: arranges tours for him, pays attention to his repertoire and sometimes even performs a duet with him. Montand, who was 6 years younger than Piaf, takes on the role of the great singer’s lover. But this office romance does not last long - Yves meets the beautiful Simone.

Mademoiselle Signoret

Simone Kaminker was born into an intelligent family where the girl was literally carried in her arms and her every wish was fulfilled. Sweet and lively Simone with inquisitive fox eyes fascinated not only with her purity and spontaneity, but also surprised with her knowledge of foreign languages at such a young age.

Growing up in Paris, the future screen star absorbed the charm and sensuality of this city. The fate of the girl, whose career began as a messenger for a Parisian newspaper, and then as a stenographer for the editorial office, changed in an instant when she first entered the Cafe Flor in Paris.

Thus, her "path to the top" was started. The film under this title brought her worldwide recognition a year later. All bohemian Paris gathered in the cafe. Poets, actors and artists came here.

Celebrities also delighted with their presence: Jean-Paul Sartre, Guillaume Apollinaire, Pablo Picasso. All this artistic audience attracted Simone, it was her element.

This is probably why she so easily found friends here, thanks to whose support Simone Signoret, taking the sonorous surname of her mother, got on the movie screen.

For four years, the girl participated in extras, until Yves Allegre noticed her. The director saw in Simone not only a talent capable of passing the image reproduced on the screen through every cell of the soul, but also a beautiful woman.

Yves and Simona created not only a creative union, but also a family one. A year later, Simone gave birth to a daughter, Catherine. Fate favored Signora: her career took off at the speed of sound, there was an attentive and loving husband and little daughter nearby. One of the best mansions in Paris, outfits from famous couturiers. What more could a woman want? But the ways of the Lord are inscrutable …

As in a whirlpool

By the time they met, Montand was already an idol of the French music hall, and Simone was successfully coping with the profession of a film actress. The feeling that was born in four days became love for 27 years. Something lightning fast and inevitable. "My heart was breaking into pieces. It was worth falling in love so hard to go on this wonderful journey, "- says Simone.

At one time, the actress was ready to leave her career for the sake of her beloved man. Since Iva's concert activities required constant travel, Simona always accompanied her husband. She stood backstage during his performances, and in the evenings she cooked delicious dinners for him and knitted warm scarves. But only a self-sufficient woman is able to keep a man, and Signoret realized this in time, especially since the roles were offered to her by dozens.

Having started acting again, she became one of the few French artists who received the coveted Oscar, and then the Grammy award. In addition, Simone Signoret has been awarded the title of the best aartist of the year in France on more than one occasion. She received awards in the USA, Great Britain, Japan, Italy.

The lovers traveled a lot around the world. Simone once opened up: In Paris, Montand was Montand, I remained myself, and we were husband and wife. In the capital of Russia I was known as Montana's wife, in New York, before the first concert, he was recognized only as the spouse of a popular artist.

But we liked to love each other, which is what we lived. Love for Signora had a huge impact on Montana's work - he often dedicated songs to her and confessed his love right before concerts. The hall first fell silent, and then rose and applauded. But once the path of their happiness hung on the edge of the abyss.

Betrayal

During filming in Hollywood, the star Monroe drew attention to the elegant handsome Yves Montana, who looked at his wife with love and was cool with his colleague on the set - Marilyn.

"Why did Simone get everything - intelligence, fame, Oscar, such a husband. And me?.." - the blond beast was indignant. Merlin decided, by all means, to seduce Montana. Monroe said that in the next film she will be filmed only with him.

I rented two bungalows - one for myself and my husband (then it was directed by Miller), the other for Montana and Signoret. They began to "make friends with families." Soon, circumstances developed so that Miller went on business to London, and Simone had to urgently fly to Italy to shoot.

Marilyn and Eve were left alone. Montand felt uneasy. He was ashamed of his English, of his role as a page with the highest-grossing actress in Hollywood. Next to him was such a sexy, young and approachable woman.

"This Marilyn stands before our eyes," he wrote, "in plaid slacks, in a blouse with a playfully open collar, with eyes of inexplicable blue."

Would a man ignore such a temptation? Marilyn got her way and tried to keep Willow by her side. But he already regretted this connection. And one day he dropped the beauty out of his car forever.

“And yet it was wonderful,” he will tell over the years, “and it was doomed. I never, for a single moment, had the idea of ending the relationship with my wife. But if she, Simone, slammed the door, I would have died.” …

Montana's betrayal was like a thunderbolt for Simone. She rushed about with grief, then collected things, then returned. She stayed with Yves, but could not forgive until the end. And she began to wash down her grief little by little … But for many years she remained in demand as an actress and a devoted wife.

Epilogue

In Paris, there is a place where lovers come and take an oath of allegiance to each other; this is the grave of Montand and Signoret on Père Lachaise. Here time has brought together two bright personalities. And the bitterness of grievances was dissolved in Eternity.

20 years of love that began with a cinematic novel - a story Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. Not very happy. But who knows what true love is.