#Cannes 1955

[gracie-bird]

Grace Kelly enjoys taking pictures with her Rolleiflex during the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955. Photo Kary H Lasch.

#grace kelly #princess grace #taking pictures #rolleiflex #kary h lasch #cannes film festival #cannes #festival du cinema #1955

[betomad]

Le boulevard de la croisette de Cannes, avec l'hôtel InterContinental Carlton à droite (1955)

#1955 #50's #cannes #france #vintage #summer

[chicinsilk]

Grace Kelly in a printed black satin evening dress with French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955.

Grace Kelly dans un robe du soir de satin noir imprimée avec l'acteur français Jean-Pierre Aumont au Festival de Cannes en 1955.

Photo Edward Quinn.

#grace kelly #american actress #icon #jean-pierre aumont #french actor #cannes film festival #festival de cannes #1955 #edward quinn #evening dress #robe du soir

[pretonobranco77]

Grace Kelly takes a picture in Cannes during the international film festival, April 1955, in Cannes, France.

#grace kelly #cannes #1955 #france

[introspect-la]

TO CATCH A THIEF (1955)

#1955 #alfred hitchcock #south of france #Cannes #to catch a thief #fishing #film #cary grant #grace kelly

[disarmluna]

#1955 #cannes film festival #grace kelly #fashion #style

[dayniac]

Doris enjoying the beach in Cannes … 1955

#doris day #classic movies #classic hollywood #1950s

[gatabella]

Grace Kelly, Cannes, 1955

#grace kelly

[sonimage1965]

Sophia Loren

Cannes, 1955

#sophia loren #cannes #50s

[ornithorynquerouge]

Sophia Loren looking out at the sea from her room in the Carlton Hotel. Cannes Film Festival 1955

#sophia loren #actress #Carlton Hotel #cannes film festival #great butt

[gracie-bird]

Grace Kelly kissed on her cheek by a waiter during the 8th Cannes Film Festival in May 1955. Photo taken by Kary H Lasch.

#grace kelly #cannes film festival #cannes #1955

[hollywoodlady]

Hedy Lamarr at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, circa 1955.

#hedy lamarr #50's #hat #by lady hollywood

[kafkasapartment]

Sophia Loren at the Cannes Film Festival, France, 1955. Edward Quinn. Gelatin silver print.

#Black and White #photographs #photography #vintage #actors #actresses #movies #cine #pop culture #1950s #photographie #foto #fotographie #fotografie

[gacougnol]

Brigitte Bardot

Cannes Film Festival

France, 2nd May 1955

(Photo by Bela Zola/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)

#brigitte bardot

[graceandfamily]

Edward Quinn meets Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco

I was lucky to have been there when they first met.

During the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, an editorial director of Paris Match, Gaston Bonheur, suggested that a meeting between the Hollywood star Grace Kelly and the bachelor Prince Rainier of Monaco could make a nice story.

When he was asked, Prince Rainier agreed and an appointment was arranged. As I already knew and had photographed Prince Rainier and also Grace Kelly, I was asked by Match to go with their team. There was Pierre Galante, then married to actress Olivia de Havilland, Jean-Paul Olivier and Michel Simon. Grace kept us late, so the American car that was to bring her had to speed off. Just as we got to the main road, the driver, Monsieur Lapinière, a Metro Goldwyn representative, suddenly braked. As I was driving very close, so as not to be left behind, I could not stop and crashed into the back of Grace’s car. Fortunately, there was no great damage and we were able to go on.

As there had been no time for lunch, Grace said she wouldn’t mind having a sandwich, so we went to the bar of the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo.

Grace Kelly at the bar of Hotel de Paris.

We got to the palace just after three o’clock, the time set for the rendezvous with the prince. Colonel Severac, the commander of the Palace, came to greet us and explained that Prince Rainier was delayed, but he had telephoned to say that Miss Kelly’s visit to the palace could begin without him. One of Prince Rainier’s personal servants, Michel Demorizi, guided us around some of the great number of rooms in the palace.

In the “Salle du Throne”, Monsieur Demorizi explained that all the reigning princes of the Grimaldi family had been enthroned in this room. We moved through the York Chambers, the “Salle des Glaces” and into the Napoleonic museum, where Grace was obviously impressed when she was shown a lock of Napoleon’s hair. The only one amongst us who did not seem to enjoy the visit was Monsieur Lapinière. It was now nearly four o’clock, and he said that Grace had to leave at once if she was to be ready in time for the official American reception for the festival.

After a while, we all got worried and began to think that Prince Rainier might not come. By now even Grace showed some signs of nervousness, but perhaps not for the same reason. She looked around for a mirror to make sure her makeup was alright. While we all waited, Grace questioned us: How does one address a prince? Could Prince Rainier speak English? How old is he?

Finally, the prince arrived and Grace Kelly, who had rehearsed her royal curtsy several times, hardly bent her knee when she was face to face with Prince Rainier. With a reassuring smile and a simple “Hello, pleased to meet you”, the prince seemed to put Grace at ease.

Grace Kelly meets Prince Rainier. The moment of the first formal handshake.

It was amazing, however, that these two famous persons seemed shy and intimidated. Grace looked at Rainier and seemed at loss for words.

Sensing this tension, I thought it might be an appropriate moment to suggest that I would like to take some photos in the palace gardens. This broke the ice. Prince Rainier was relieved and agreed at once. Naturally my main reason for asking them to go outside was just a photographer’s reaction. The light was better outside and of course the garden would make a better setting. Prince Rainier took Grace over to a spot where he could show her the view over his principality. They were both relaxed now. Their conversation became easier and they seemed to be getting on well.

Prince Rainier took Grace down to his exotic gardens and then to his lions’ cage. Grace seemed astonished and quite frightened when Rainier put his arm into the cage and stroked one of the lions. We were all quite happy to prolong this enjoyable visit, but the merciless Monsieur Lapinière seemed on the verge of a nervous fit and kept pointing to his watch. Grace had to take the hint and explained to Prince Rainier that she must go back to Cannes as soon as possible.

Probably not even Prince Rainier realized, while he was doing the honour of showing his palace to Grace Kelly, that she was to be the future sovereign. Grace was quite silent as she was driven back to Cannes. Her only remark was: “He is charming, charming.”

The pictures of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier appeared in Paris Match, but the story was quickly forgotten by most people, except by Prince Rainier and perhaps by Grace Kelly. Prince Rainier arranged for showings of all of Grace Kelly’s films in his private screening room at the palace. According to his friends, the prince was intrigued and fascinated by the cool enigmatic star from Hollywood.

When Prince Rainier visited the U.S. a few months later, there were a few discreet meetings with Grace Kelly, thanks to the kindly American priest who was Prince Rainier’s palace chaplain, Father Tucker.

Prince Rainier asked Grace Kelly to marry him during a private party in New York. The unofficial news of their engagement travelled very fast and on January 4th, 1956, I was awakened in the middle of the night by a telephone call from New York. At that time long distance calls were still an event. It was Charles Eisnitz of the famous Globe Photo Agency, who called to inform me about Prince Rainier’s engagement and asked me to send all the photos I had of the couple.

The end of the story is well known. After the marriage of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, it became more and more difficult to get exclusive pictures. I decided to concentrate my work on the artists, and especially on Pablo Picasso.

Edward Quinn

#grace kelly #prince rainier #edward quinn #1955

[dayniac]

Doris in Cannes … 1955

#doris day #classic movies #classic hollywood #1950s