Elvire Popesco

From 1923 when she played the lead in Louis Verneuil's "Ma cousine de Varsovie" to 1978 when she played again (and for the last time) "La Mamma", written specially for her by André Roussin, Elvire Popesco (born near Bucharest in 1894) was the undisputed queen of "Théâtre de Boulevard" (light comedies). For 55 years in a row, la Popesco was that ebullient and charming thick-accented foreigner who graced with her cheerful energy dozens of plays by such witty playwrights such as Louis Verneuil, Jacques Deval, Sacha Guitry, Henri Bernstein, André Roussin, Marcel Achard and many others. She seldom ventured into "serious" territory but Jean Cocteau's "La machine infernale" and Frédéric Dard's "La dame de Chicago" are exceptions that help to back up Tristan Bernard's own definition of her personality: "Elvire Popesco is a glass of champagne with tears at the bottom".

From 1930 to 1985, Elvire Popesco lived in a villa in Mézy-sur-Seine, Yvelines. The villa, designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens for fashion designer Paul Poiret was acquired by Popesco and remodeled in 1932 by architect Paul Boyer. It was declared a historic monument in 1984, but it has since decayed. Bought for 1.8 million French francs in 1999, it is opened occasionally to the public. It has been used as location for movies like Holy Motors.

On the big screen she played the same type of characters as on stage, Burel's incendiary cousin in Carmine Gallone's Ma cousine de Varsovie (1931), the filmed adaptation of her first triumph in Paris; the fiery duchess of Maulévrier in Roger Richebé's hilarious L'habit vert (1937); the boisterous actress Verotchka in Fernand Rivers's La présidente (1938); the cosmopolitan adventuress in Le club des aristocrates (1937). . .

Together with Elena Vacarescu, Anna de Noailles, and Marthe Bibesco, Elvire Popesco is considered to be the inspiration for Henri Matisse's painting, La Blouse Roumaine (1940).

In 1987, Elvire Popesco received the Molière Prize for career achievement.

In 1989, President François Mitterrand conferred upon her the Légion d'honneur.

While married to Manolescu-Strunga, she lived in a house not far from the University of Bucharest. The house, built on a 1,224 m² lot, has 22 rooms, spread over 500 m² of living area; it was put on the market in 2005 for about 2 million Euros.