Claire Maurier, 1929 – 2026

French actress Claire Maurier, 97, died on May 3. She is most familiar to US audiences as the harried mother in The 400 Blows, Simone (Renato’s baby mamma) in La Cage aux Folles, and as the café owner in Amélie. Maurier started her career onstage, and after WWII, she turned to films and TV. Some of the vehicles which reached the US include The Adventures of Gil Blas, The Parisian, Rendezvous, A Mistress for the Summer, My Wife’s Husband, and A Bad Son; she also had supporting roles in the TV series Laure, Viva la Vie, Le Provocatuer, Joëlle Mazart, Faites comme Chez Vous, and, most recently, La Famille Katz.