The woman we know as Empress Josephine of France was born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie in Martinique in 1763 to French parents. When her younger sister died, she was sent to France to marry Alexandre de Beauharnais in her sister’s place. The couple had two children. During the French Revolution, Alexandre was guillotined while Josephine was imprisoned.
Snite Museum of Art
She met the future emperor Napoleon in 1795 — it was he who gave her the nickname ‘Josephine’ — and became his mistress; the two married the next year. When Napoleon became emperor in 1804, he crowned her empress of the French. Unfortunately Josephine and Napoleon did not have children — her imprisonment may have caused her to go through menopause prematurely — and Napoleon divorced her in order to secure the succession in 1810. She lived her final years at her chateau at Malmaison and continued to have a close relationship with Napoleon.
Thanks to the L’histoire de France à travers le cinéma blog for some of the more obscure French productions!
Napoleon and Josephine (1924)
It’s listed on IMDB but without any further information — not even a cast! So this is all I’ve got.
Madame Sans-Gêne (1925)
An adaptation of the Léonce Perret play (with Gloria Swanson in the lead role), in which a washerwoman becomes a duchess in Napoleon’s court. Josephine is played by Suzanne Bianchetti.
Napoleon (1927)
An epic French silent film, with Albert Dieudonné as Napoleon and Gina Manès as Josehine.
The Fighting Eagle (1927)
“The exploits of Brigadier Gerard who helps expose Foreign Minister Talleyrand as a traitor to Napoleon,” per IMDB. Julia Faye plays Josephine.
Napoleon’s Barber (1928)
Director John Ford’s first talkie, with Natalie Golitzen as the empress.
So Ended a Great Love (1934)
Napoleon divorces Josephine (Erna Morena) in order to marry Marie-Louise.
Anthony Adverse (1936)
An orphan is potentially separated from his love (Olivia de Havilland); Colleen Coloman plays Josephine.
The Pearls of the Crown (1937)
French director Sacha Guitry loved to make epic historical films. This one touches on Henry VIII of England, Elizabeth I, and Napoleon. Josephine is played by Jacqueline Delubac, who also plays Mary, Queen of Scots in the same film.
Romance of Louisiana (1937)
A short film about the Louisiana Purchase, with Suzanne Kaaren as the empress.
A Royal Divorce (1938)
Napoleon and Josephine’s (Ruth Chatterton) relationship from meeting to divorce.
Le Fabuleux destin de Désirée Clary (1942)
Another Sacha Guitry film, about the woman who was engaged to Napoleon before Josephine (Lise Delamare – La Marseillaise).
Pamela (1945)
An adaptation of a play about Louis XVII (son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette). Gisèle Casadesus plays Josephine.
Désirée (1954)
The film that inspired this post — look for my review tomorrow! Another version of the story of Désirée Clary (Jean Simmons), who was briefly engaged to Napoleon (Marlon Brando). Merle Oberon plays Empress Josephine.
Loves of Three Queens (1954)
Framed as a woman deciding which costume to wear to a party, the film tells the story of Helen of Troy, Genevieve of Brabant, and Empress Josephine — all four played by Hedy Lamarr.
Napoléon (1955)
An epic film by French director Sacha Guitry, with Michèle Morgan (Shadow of the Guillotine) as Josephine.
The Story of Mankind (1957)
An adaptation of a classic children’s book telling the history of humankind. Marie Windsor plays the empress.
La caméra explore le temps: L’Exécution du Duc d’Enghien (1958)
La caméra explore le temps was a French TV show whose episodes focused on different stories from history. In this episode, about the duc d’Enghien (who was executed on charges of aiding Britain against the French), Anne Caprile plays Josephine.
Austerlitz (1960)
An epic historical film about Napoleon and the Battle of Austerlitz. Martine Carol (Lucrèce Borgia) plays Josephine.
Vénus impériale (1962)
A French-Italian movie about Napoleon’s sister, Pauline. Micheline Presle (Royal Affairs in Versailles) plays Empress Josephine.
Une journée de l’Empereur (1964)
A French TV (movie? episode of a series?) showing a day at Napoleon’s Tuileries palace. Françoise Seigner plays Josephine.
Eagle in a Cage (1965)
A TV movie about Napoleon’s final years, including his imprisonment on St. Helena, with Jacqueline Bertrand as Josephine.
Amoureuse Joséphine (1974)
A French TV movie, but that’s all I can find out! Évelyne Dandry plays Josephine.
Napoléon and Love (1974)
An ITV miniseries about Napoleon and his various loves, with Billie Whitelaw (Start the Revolution Without Me) as Josephine.
The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1976)
PEOPLE I JUST WORK HERE. I CANNOT EXPLAIN THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE, SUCH AS WHY THIS FILM ABOUT SWASHBUCKLER SCARAMOUCHE TRYING TO ASSASSINATE NAPOLEON AND ENDING UP IN LOVE WITH JOSEPHINE FEATURES URSULA ANDRESS AS JOSEPHINE. THIS IS ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
Les Grandes conjurations: L’Attentat de la rue Niçaise (1978)
Another French TV movie about Napoleon, with Evelyne Dandry reprising her role as Josephine.
The Love Boat (1978)
Apparently one episode features actors Fernando Lamas and Michele Lee dressed as Napoleon and Josephine for a masquerade party. Too funny not to include!
Joséphine ou la comédie des ambitions (1979)
A French TV miniseries focused on Josephine (Danièle Lebrun – Camille Claudel).
Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story (1987)
Armand Assante as Napoleon and Jacqueline Bisset as Josephine, and all the cold-shoulder dresses you could ever want. Someday I will force myself to suffer through this for Snark Week glory. Maybe this year?
Napoleon (2002)
A big-budget, incredibly boring TV miniseries about Napoleon, with Isabella Rossellini as Josephine (as well as Gerard Depardieu as Fouché, John Malkovich as Talleyrand, and costumes by Pierre-Jean Larroque).
Who’s YOUR Empress Josephine on-screen?
Isabella Rossellini and the costumes are tdf. Billie Whitlaw was acceptable
I’d like to see Rossellini as Josephine; I can imagine her enchanting a younger man.
However, I was just pleased to see something/anything about Josephine; I’ve been reading about her since I was a teenager, and am now rereading Sandra Gulland’s trilogy, which is very well researched and equally well written. Josephine is sometimes dismissed as a mere light-weight charmer, but she was quite gutsy in her own way. (And perhaps some of her earlier biographers didn’t really consider what it would be like to spend two months in prison expecting every morning to be carted off and publicly executed. PTSD, anyone? I wonder whether any of the movies mentioned this.)
Exquisite taste as well: https://en.musees-nationaux-malmaison.fr/chateau-malmaison/
I agree the books are very good.
That pic of Ursula Andress! I can’t even hahahahahahaha
Now I want to watch the 2002 miniseries. Or just wear those dresses shown in your screencaps of it. All of them. So lovely.
Maybe I’ll put it on in the background someday, just to see the costumes! And to watch Isabella Rossellini. :)
I have a massive soft spot for Rossellini.
Napoleon and Love was boring and the costumes were underwhelming, and the characterization of Josephine was terrible. I know she was upset by the divorce but they turned her into a cringey stage-5 clinger.
The 2002 miniseries would have been better had they cut all the boring fucking battle/campaign scenes, but I think that’s where most of their budget went. Oh well!
I would agree the battle scenes weren’t that well done and certainly don’t give a sense of scale that previous efforts did. But, making a series about Napoléon’s life and not showing warfare makes literally zero sense. The series that excise what Napoléon did for a living wildly miss the point.
That is definitely Gloria Swanson on the right. Also, I’ve put off watching Desiree, despite the presence of Marlon Brando. For some reason it seems cringe-worthy. Would love to read your review.
Marlon Brando makes a yummy Napoleon.
I was just about to write, “Yes, Gloria! Right in the middle, ’cause she was the star!” G.S. does have a certain intensity, even when playing ingenues.
I adore Desiree, despite the obvious historical problems, it’s just so PRETTY. All I can say about the costumes is they are lovely and at least the silhouette is right.
I saw the Abel Gance film many years ago. It was pretty impressive. I also saw the Napoleonic exhibition when it was at the Met. Seeing the real clothing, especially the uniforms and the clerical robes was fantastic. What was especially interesting was the size of some of the manikins required for the women’s dresses. They weren’t all tiny. And, of course, the cup… My other encounter with la famille Bonaparte was coming across the grave of Princess Murat in Tallahassee. I’ll go with Rosellini for Josephine.
I felt a lot of onscreen Josephine’s were serviceable but not memorable. Isabella Rossellini was the best to my mind; actually given a character, exudes Josephine’s noteworthy charm, and has a passable resemblance to the personage. It’s a shame the rest of the series wasn’t up to that standard.
Speaking of Joséphine ou la comédie des ambitions (1979), the actor for Napoléon in that series – Daniel Mesguich – had the most uncanny resemblance to the younger Napoléon. I used to think Albert Dieudonné was foremost in that regard until I saw Mesguich.
Honestly, the 1987 show/film looks like it was inspired by the stage production of Les Liasions Dangerouses(sp?)
Complete with lounging man in white…. sorry, dude. Rickman did it better. ;)
The 2002 miniseries was so boring and the dialogues so stupid, that it did hurt me. Depardieu as Fouché was one of the greatest miscasts of the decade (just compare him with the real Minister and maybe with Claude Brausseur in “Le Souper” (1992)). However Christian Clavier was a miscast too and Isabella Rossellini stood out in the cast.
I haven’t seen any of these films. However, I must admit that I am not a fan of Josephine’s.
I like the moment in the silent Napoleon (dir. Abel Gance) when the guard at the prison calls out “Beauharnais” and both he and she step forward. The guard requires only one by that name to be executed, so the husband says something like, “My dear, you and I often disagreed, but allow me to win this argument,” and off he goes to be guillotined. Now, that’s class!
Josephine really loved Napoleon, enough to let him divorce her so he could have an heir. And apparently he loved her too. Her name was the last word he muttered in his final delerium.
I know it’s cheesy, but the 1987 Napoléon and Joséphine was one of the pieces that began my love of historical costume movies. Therefore, it will always hold a special place in my heart. That said, there is definitely a lot to snark, so snark away!
The 1979 French series was great. I remember watching it on TV when I was in high school, but I wonder whether it would still hold up as I haven’t seen it since.
There was a movie/ mini-series supposedly about Josephine’s cousin, I believe- based on a story (people debate the truth of it) that she ended up at the Ottoman court…
I have a vague memory of seeing the trailer a lifetime ago- I do recall F Murray Abraham was one of the sultans, & a Bond-girl was a ‘favourite’ wife or something…
God, it kills me I can’t remember it (if you ladies found what it was, from my nonsensical blather, could you review it?) – Middle Eastern fashion in film always seems to go with the erotic fantasy, rather than the reality- you just have to look at ‘Magnificent Century’- & that was made by the country it’s representing, not a ‘Western’ interpretation, like say ‘Aladdin’ or an older film like ‘The Son of Ali Baba’ (don’t judge, my standards for historical-looking movies were very low when I was young).