Les liaisons dangereuses of 1960, directed by Roger Vadim was paradoxically a huge success; it is said to be a worse movie than the previous ones. (Webmistress' note: I don't know too much on movies, but I know what I like, and this movie is absolutely fantastic; Gérard Philipe is probably the best in all of his movie career.) Apparently Roger Vadim was only persuaded by the producers in favour of Gérard Philipe for the main role. Naturally, Gérard dug deep into his role's psychological layers and enhanced all the coldness and cruelty he found in Valmont. Parallel to this movie, Gérard was also part of La fievre monte a El Pao directed by legendary Luis Bunuel after the novel of Henri Castillou, shot entirely in Mexico. On the theatrical stage he was Perdican in On ne badine pas evc l'amour. He and director René Clair had discovered a perfect work relationship during Les grandes manaeuvres and they both wanted to take it to the next level in the play.

About El Pao, director Bunuel states: "It is a movie like I have made many before"; but he had wanted to direct Gérard Philipe for years, and there have been several endeavours on their part to work together. Gérard dearly wished to play Robinson Crusoe under the direction of Bunuel; he did not even care that Bunuel had already directed his Robinson Crusoe years before. In this case, everything was given: a popular novel, finances, an international distribution. Gérard travelled to Mexico acompanied by Anne; the shooting of the movie took place in a studio in Mexico and Acapulco. Both Gérard and Luis Bunuel were are said to have been highly amused at this movie that neither of them took very seriously. By the day of the premiere, January 6 of 1960, Gérard Philipe had been dead for forty-two days.

At returning to Paris, Gérard started complaining of fatigue. A few weeks spent with his family under the shady gardens and vineyards in Provence had always been enough to make him feel better; this time, he would never be his old self again. Despite feeling weak, he travelled to Stratford on Avon to watch Laurence Olivier play Shakespeare on stage. When they got back, doctors discovered a benign abcess of his liver, and an operation was decided for the beginning of November. When Anne accompanied him to the hospital and waited for his results, doctors told her Gérard was suffering from primary cancer. He could not be saved. He would have from fifteen days to several months to live.

He never knew he was to leave this life so early. He was making plans, listened to music, made notes from his favourite classics, envisaged playing Hamlet, for whom he finally felt ready. Anne Philipe found her husband dead on the afternoon of November 25, 1959.

Let us not dwell on the pain, on the tears, on the disgust at despicable magazines which promised eight millions of centimes for anyone who takes a photograph of the dead actor; let us not feel anger at people who never liked Gérard Philipe because of his political beliefs; let us not feel regret and disillusionment at the knowledge that he was so young, and he could have offered so much more to the world. Let us remember that he was happier than most of us: he had a wonderful, loving wife, two wonderful children, and he lived his life to the full. He conveyed hundreds of emotions through dozens of characters on stage and screen; he proved that a star can be humble, forever learning, patient yet eager to step on new grounds, always keen on speaking of his work yet defending his private life like a lion.

Rest in peace, Gérard. We will never forget you.

GéRARD PHILIPE
December 4, 1922
November 25, 1959