Renée Adorée

Biography

Renee Adoree was born Jeanne de la Fontein in Lille in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France, on September 30, 1898. She had what one could call a normal childhood. Her background is, perhaps, one of the most difficult of all actresses to research. What we do know is that her interest in acting surfaced during her teen years with minor stage productions in France. By 1920 she had attracted the attention of American producers and she came to New York. Her first film before US audiences was The Strongest (1920) that same year. That was to be it until 1921, when she appeared in Made in Heaven (1921). The lack of roles led Renee to wonder if she had made the right move by going into motion pictures. Finally MGM saw fit to put her in more films in 1922. Movies such as West of Chicago (1922), Day Dreams (1922), Mixed Faces (1922) and Monte Cristo (1922) saw her with meatier roles than she had had previously. Renee was, finally, hitting her stride. Better roles to be sure, but still she was not yet of first-class caliber. All that changed in 1925 when she starred as Melisande with John Gilbert in The Big Parade (1925). The picture made stars out of Renee, Gilbert and Karl Dane. Based on the film's success, Renee was put in another production, Excuse Me (1925). The movie lacked the drama of the previous picture but it was well-received. In a plot written by Elinor Glyn, Renee starred as Suzette in Man and Maid (1925). This was Renee's most provocative role yet and she was fast becoming one of the sexiest actresses on the screen. In 1927 Renee starred as Nang Ping in Mr. Wu (1927), along with her sister Mira Adoree. The film, with co-stars Ralph Forbes and Lon Chaney, was a hit, but it was Renee's character that carried the film. After several more pictures, her career was slowing down. Although, she had a bit part in Show People (1928) later that year. The following year she had another bit role in His Glorious Night (1929), this time uncredited. MGM then released her from contract, but she was re-discovered by First National Pictures for whom she appeared in The Spieler (1928), playing a struggling carnival manager trying to overcome the dishonesty that went on in her organization. Ill with tuberculosis, she retired in 1930. Less than a week after her 35th birthday, on Oct. 5, 1933, Renee Adoree died in Tujunga, CA.