This page: Brigitte Bardot and Maurice Ronet in Les Femmes, 1969. > Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Brigitte Bardot in a scene from Boulevard du Rhum, 1971; Jean-Pierre Cassel and Brigitte Bardot in The Bear And The Doll (L’Ours et la Poupée), 1969; Bardot on set of À Coeur Joie, 1967; Bardot and Lino Ventura filming Boulevard du Rhum, 1971; Brigitte Bardot, stage name “Camille Javal”, dancing in a scene from the film Two Weeks In September, 1966; Bardot at a press conference for the movie Contempt (Le Mépris) in Rome, Italy, 1963; Bardot starring in Michel Deville’s film The Bear And
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boy the following year to celebrate her 40th birthday, there would no more BB onscreen ever again. In the vacuum of her retirement, BB asserted herself for a cause she had always been close to—animal rights. I recall interviewing George Hamilton, who was the male star of Viva Maria! What was Bardot like? Hamilton, who is never at a loss of innumerable words, replied: “To be honest, all I recall about Bardot is that she was surrounded by animals. Of every kind. That’s it, that’s the impression she made.” She condemned seal hunting, the consumption of horse meat. She became a vegetarian and, naturally, gave away every fur she’d ever owned. In 1986, BB established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation for the Welfare and Protection of Animals. In time she would auction off jewelry and other personal belongings for the cause. “I gave my youth and beauty to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals,” she declared. Bardot also did something else extraordinary—she aged, naturally. The St.Tropez sun had done its damage, the years piled on. BB remained untouched. No lifts, no skin peels, no attempt to stop nature. She appeared in public, gave press conferences and interviews (usually having to do with the an-
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discothèques, tossing her famous mane of blonde hair wildly. There were romances and the paparazzi never tired of catching Bardot and her latest flame lounging half-dressed in St.Tropez. Her fame remained undiminished. BB even agreed to appear briefly—as herself—in an American film, Dear Brigitte. Once again, Hollywood hoped to snare her. She was not inclined. Her homegrown worship was enough. (Likely, she knew she might not survive the cutthroat ways of L.A.’s dealmakers, agents, and PR people. European filmmaking was considerably more relaxed.) Bardot married for the third time in 1966, to German playboy and millionaire Gunther Sachs. It looked good on paper, and in the papers—they were a much sought-after couple—but by 1969, they had had the best of each other, and parted. Now single again, and with her career sputtering, or at least not progressing, BB thought more about retiring before her fans had to face the inevitable—a no longer nubile BB. When she did announce her retirement in 1973, nobody believed her. As usual, many thought she would segue to America and test those waters, but Bardot was as good as her word. Although she did not abandon her image—she posed for Play-
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The Doll; Bardot shopping at Hollywood’s famous Schwab’s drug store, 1965.