There is also evidence of another secret which offers a further clue to her character. On the top floor of the chateau these awards are displayed, as well as her uniform and other evidence of her war work. For her war work she was awarded the Croix de Geurre and was made a Chevalier Legion d‘honneur. Much of the information was hidden within her sheet music and written in invisible ink. As an entertainer she was able to visit neutral countries, where she obtained information for the British about air fields, harbours etc.
#Josephine baker chateau dordogne free
She entertained troops on the Maginot Line and then after the German invasion, she went to live in the Chateau which she and her second husband had bought by then and they hid many Free French, helping them to obtain visas. She was recruited by the French intelligence and at the many glamorous parties she attended was able to gather information about German and military mobilisation as well as troop movements, particularly from the Italian embassy. By this time World War 2 was imminent and that is where her clandestine career really took off and where she showed her true mettle. They bought the Chateau des Milandes where she later installed her mother and other family members to live. She married a French industrialist and became a French citizen. When she returned to the States in 1936, the critics gave her a bad time and this confirmed for her that the colour bar was still alive and kicking. She has been acknowledged as influential on later singers including Shirley Bassey, and more recently, Madonna and Lady Gaga.
#Josephine baker chateau dordogne movie
It must be remembered though that she was the first person of colour to become a movie star and a world class entertainer. All names which describe her physical appearance of course, as that and her original dance routines mesmerised huge audiences and gave her large sums of money. She was often called the ‘Black Pearl’, The Bronze Venus’ or ‘The Creole Goddess’.
%2B-%2BChâteau%2Bdes%2BMilandes%2C%2Bthe%2BJosephine%2BBaker%2Bnest.jpg "josephine baker chateau dordogne")
She had singing lessons and started to sing as well as appearing in films. Josephine branched out on her own then as an ‘erotic’ dancer in Paris, did a tour of Europe, and appeared at the Folies Bergere, where one of her famous dance routines was with a banana skirt. The ‘blackface’ comedy act secured them a tour of Paris which was also an instant success. She joined a Vaudeville troop which went to New York where they had a smash hit on Broadway. She rarely attended school, and spent a lot of time on the streets, and was already divorced by the age of 15. Her parents had a song and dance act in Vaudeville theatre, and she was introduced to stage life at an early age. She was born in 1906 and adopted by former slaves from St Louis Missouri. The real story of Josephine Baker can be discovered on the top floor of the chateau.įirstly though, you may well ask how a black woman came to be living in the heart of such beautiful countryside. They overshadow her dancing career and display her courage, bravery and moral integrity. But, like me, many of these tourists are unaware of her other achievements. The beautiful chateau has numerous lavish bedrooms with splendid bathrooms that were installed after Josephine Baker lived there, and began to adopt orphans of many nationalities. They are displayed on the lower floors of the Chateau. It was the home of the cabaret dancer Josephine Baker, and the glamorous dresses and memorabilia from her career during the 20s and 30s in Paris attract many thousands of visitors.
It is in a spectacular setting on a cliff side of the meandering Dordogne. I’ve visited the Chateau des Milandes on the Dordogne River in France twice now. Josephine Baker (1906 – 1975) – Resistance fighter, Civil Rights activist, writer…
0 kommentar(er)
