Marpressa Down or Don is a French black actress, singer and dancer of American descent. In France, she is best known as the gypsy Marpessa Don Menor. In the rest of the world - as a leading role in the film "Black Orpheus".
Biography
Born January 3, 1934 on a farm near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to an African American and Filipina family. As a teenager, she worked as a laboratory assistant in New York, and later moved to Europe.
Career
Despite the fact that the main occupation of the black young girl was working as a servant, Marpress was able to make her debut in England with cameo roles on television.
At the age of 19, she moved to France. Trying to break into the world of cinema, she worked as a governess, then as a singer and dancer in nightclubs. Everything has changed since the time she met French filmmaker Marcel Camus. The meeting took place in the West Indian cabaret of Montmartre "La Canne a sucre", where Marpressa worked as a singer.
In 1958, Marcel Camus invited Marpress Down to play the lead female role of Eurydice in his new film, Black Orpheus. The film won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, as well as the 1960 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
After that, Marpressa began to be invited to various roles in French films and on television. In addition, the famous actress also appeared in theatrical roles. Her best known theater role is the starring role in the successful stage comedy Cherie Noire, which has been popular with audiences for seven years and has become famous on the stages of theaters in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.
The last successful role of Marpressa was the role of Fernando Arrabal in Delphine Seyrig 1969.
The last role in the film was the role of herself in the documentary film "In Search of Black Orpheus" by Vinicius de Moraes, as well as in the original play, which Vinicius de Moraes adapted to a scene from the film "Black Orpheus".
Personal life
Marpressa Down was considered an extraordinary beauty, and as soon as she became recognizable (thanks to the role of Eurydice), her photographs began to be published in all fashion magazines of that time, along with such beauties as Dorothy Dandridge, Holly Bury, Vanessa Williams and Lena Horn.
Immediately after filming the film "Black Orpheus" director Marcel Camus invited her to become his wife.
Marseille and Marpressa were married in 1959, but the marriage did not last long. For unknown reasons, the couple divorced.
The second husband of Marpressa was the Belgian actor Eric Vander.
Since the 1970s, Marpressa has lived a humble and almost obscure life in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.
She died on August 25, 2008 from a heart attack. Marpressa outlived her partner in "Black Orpheus" Brazilian actor Brino Mello by only 42 days. At the time of her death in Paris, she was 74 years old. The actress found her last refuge at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
After the death of the actress, she left five children and four grandchildren.
Creation
During her career, Marpressa Down has appeared in more than 10 films. For a black actress in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, this is considered a high achievement.
Eliza (1957) is a French film directed by Roger Richebe. Marpressa plays the role of a black woman.
Eater of Women (1958) is a low-budget black and white Swedish-British horror film. In Great Britain itself it came out only under the name "The Devourer", in Sweden - under the name "Blonde in Slavery". Directed by Charles Saunders, starring George Koulourisi Vera Day. Marpressa Down as one of the victims. The plot tells the story of a mad scientist who feeds women to a carnivorous tree, which in return gives a substance that can revive the dead.
Armchair Theater was a British television series with over 449 episodes that aired on ITV between 1956 and 1974. The episodes from 1956 to 1968 were produced by the United British Corporation (ABC), the rest of the episodes were produced by Thames Television. Mapressa Dowie played minor cameo roles between 1958 and 1962.
Black Orpheus (1959) is a romantic tragedy filmed in Brazil by French filmmaker Marcel Camus. The film is based on the play "Orpheus de Consensau" by Vinicius de Moraes, which, in turn, became an adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the modern context of the slums of Rio de Janeiro and the famous Brazilian carnival. In the role of Orpheus - Brino Mello, in the role of Eurydice - Marpressa Down. The film became a joint production of film studios of three countries: France, Italy and Brazil.
One of the main features of the film is the use of original soundtracks by Brazilian composers Antonio Carlos Hobim and Luis Bonff. Compositions titled "Felicidada" (opens the film), "Magna de Carnaval" and "Samba de Orpheus" have become classics of the musical direction of bossa nova. In the film, the songs were performed by Orpheus, but later re-performed by the singer Agostinho dos Santos. The film was filmed in Rio de Janeiro.
Treasure of the Blue Men (1961) is a French-Spanish film directed by Edmond Agabra. Mapressa as Maliki.
"Canzoni Nel Mondo" (1963) - the role of herself.
Au theater ce soir (1966) is a French theatrical production. Marpressa played in the episode "Sherry Noir".
The Ball of Count Orgel (1970) is a French film directed by Marc Allegre, which became his last work in cinema. Participated in screenings at the Cannes Film Festival in 1970, but was not included in the main competition. Marpress played the role of Marie.
"The Nightingale's Pact" is a French film directed by Jean Flechet. Marpressa as a woman from a train.
Beautiful Junk (1973) is a French crime film directed by Jean Marbouf. Marpress as the Jouets prostitute.
"Sweet Film" (1974) is an avant-garde comedy-drama film by the Yugoslav director and screenwriter Dusan Makaveev. The film was produced at an international joint venture between film companies in France, Canada and West Germany. Marpressa played the role of mother Commune. The plot follows the relationship between a woman, a Canadian beauty queen representing a modern trading firm, and a failed communist revolutionary, now the captain of a candy and sugar ship.
"Sept En Attente" (1995) - the final role of the film.
