Jean Seberg

'Shame on us' writes LA Times Columnist re: Damage Done to Jean Seberg by Haber' Piece

Nicholas Goldberg, an associate editor and OP-ED columnist for the Los Angeles Times, reached out to us, and spoke with Garry McGee, co-director of Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon and author of "Jean Seberg: Breathless", to talk about the 50th anniversary of Joyce Haber's gossip piece--leaked to the L.A. Times by the FBI--which ultimately led to the destruction of Jean Seberg's life.*

As former Black Panther Party leader and Jean's friend Elaine Brown said during her interview for Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist Icon as she read Joyce Haber's piece, "It's so short. But did so much damage..."

Opinion Column: How the FBI and the Los Angeles Times destroyed a young actress’ life 50 years ago

By NICHOLAS GOLDBERG, COLUMNIST 
Los Angeles Times

JUNE 7, 2020  

Fifty years ago, a senior editor at the Los Angeles Times came into possession of a dangerous piece of gossip, leaked to the paper by the FBI. The Times printed it without fact-checking it, and the life of a famous young actress was destroyed.

The leak was malicious and the information was almost certainly wrong. It was intended by the FBI to damage the reputation of the actress, Jean Seberg, as punishment for what the bureau saw as her radical political beliefs. When Times gossip columnist Joyce Haber published the item in the spring of 1970, Seberg — the 31-year-old star of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless” and Otto Preminger’s “St. Joan,” among other films — spiraled into a long-term depression that led directly to her suicide on a Paris street a decade later.

On its 50th anniversary, the story seems every bit as tragic as it was at the time, but also relevant again. This was an example, after all, of what can happen when unbridled power rests in the hands of irresponsible officials. It’s about the accountability and influence of the media, and the danger of dishonest, ad hominem attacks by government on individuals. It’s about the subversion of the rule of law.

Read the rest of the Los Angeles Times story HERE.

*Important Note: Garry McGee did not discuss Jean's death with Nicholas Goldberg. Jean's lifeless body was found on September 8, 1979 in her white Renault, parked just three blocks from her Paris apartment, nine days after she was reported missing. Her death was ruled a 'probable suicide' by the French Police. There were a number of inconsistencies found in the investigation that raised questions on whether her death was assisted by someone--enough disparity in the evidence to cause the French Police to not rule her death 'intentional suicide'.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, and all things Jean Seberg.

"Cataclysmic changes are taking place... But we made them happen."

"We help cause crime if we elect the wrong legislators, or if we don't see the police have enough manpower to do their job properly. We have to do these things, and in too many cases, we're trying to pass the buck.... Ask me if I'm scared. I'm terrified--and excited too. Cataclysmic changes are taking place in American life. But we made them happen, and we have to learn to live with them." Jean Seberg, Senior Scholastic interview, spring 1968.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, and all things Jean Seberg.

Michel Piccoli, Jean Seberg's Co-Star in "L'attentat" ("French Conspiracy") Dies

French actor Michel Piccoli renowned for performances for directors  Alfred Hitchcock, Luis Bunuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Louis Malle, has died at age 94. 

Piccoli began acting in the 1940s, and starred in films until as late as 2014, among them Jean Renoir’s French Cancan (1955), as Brigitte Bardot's husband in Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt (1963), Luis Buñuel's  Belle de Jour (1967), Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz (1969) and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972).

 

Piccoli starred in director Yves Boisset's political thriller L'attentat (also known as Assassination, French Conspiracy-1972) with Jean Seberg and Roy Scheider.

 

Piccoli won the Best Actor Award at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival for A Leap in the Dark. In 1982, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival for his role in Strange Affair. In 2001 he was the recipient of the Europe Theatre Prize.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, and all things Jean Seberg.

Jean Seberg documentary receives generous support from Meskwaki, Inc.

International actress Jean Seberg.

As a child growing up in Marshalltown, Iowa, Jean Seberg was well aware of the Meskwaki Nation (Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi--Red Earth People) settlement in nearby Tama. 

In September 1970, while visiting her parents following the burial of her daughter, Nina Hart Gary, actress Jean Seberg made several trips to the settlement and met Donald Wanatee for the first time.  She witnessed the impoverished state in which the American Indians lived, and asked what she could do to help.

Interviewing Meskwaki elder Don Wanatee for Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon.

"There were no jobs, no housing, no running water. It was extreme poverty," said Meskwaki elder Don Wanatee who befriended Jean. "I think she was a real educated person. She was worried about what was happening in the state and in the world, especially concering minorities. She was welcome to come here anytime."

Later, in 1972, Jean returned to Marshalltown and learned from one of the residents of the Indian settlement that the Meskwaki boys' basketball team had no uniforms. Shortly after, she donated money for the purchase of new uniforms. Though Jean preferred her contributions to any cause remain private, the donation became public knowledge.

Jean did not live to witness the transformative conditions on the Sac & Fox settlement over the years: the Meskwaki Nation's successful enterprises and casino/hotel; the work to provide health services, senior services, family services, youth services, higher education and housing to its people; efforts for historic preservation, language preservation, and cultural celebration; the establishment of Meskwaki, Inc., a family of companies dedicated to the Meskwaki mission of developing and operating successful tribally-owned business enterprises; providing meaningful jobs and opportunities for its Tribal members; and providing its Tribe with an adequate income stream from its business operations so the Tribe may reach total economic self-sufficiency. 

We are deeply grateful to the leaders of Meskwaki for the generous contribution, through our fiscal sponsor the Historical Society of Marshall County, to Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon in honor of Jean's memory. Thank you, Meskwaki, Inc. for helping us bring Jean's TRUE story to public awareness!

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, and all things Jean Seberg.

 

Jean Seberg's "Moment to Moment" co-star Honor Blackman dies

Honor Blackman and Jean Seberg in Mervyn LeRoy's Moment to Moment (1966).

Honor Blackman, Jean Seberg's co-star in the movie Moment to Moment, has died at age 94 of natural causes. 

Blackman, who became a household name in the 1960s as Cathy Gale in The Avengers and had a career spanning eight decades, is best known for playing the Bond girl Pussy Galore in the James Bond film Goldfinger.

Honor Blackman & Jean Seberg on the Moment to Moment set.

In a statement to the Guardian, Blackman's family said: “It’s with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Honor Blackman, aged 94. She died peacefully of natural causes at her home in Lewes, Sussex, surrounded by her family. She was much loved and will be greatly missed by her two children Barnaby and Lottie, and grandchildren Daisy, Oscar, Olive and Toby... she was an adored mother and grandmother who possessed an extraordinary combination of beauty, brains and physical prowess..."

Blackman starred in Mervyn LeRoy's 75th and final film Moment to Moment. The 1966 American Technicolor psychological thriller starred Jean Seberg as a married woman who has an affair with Naval ensign (Sean Garrison). The affair leads to murder, and a neighbor (Honor Blackman) helping to get rid of the body.

Blackman was married twice, the first time to Bill Sankey from 1948 to 1956. Five years after their divorce, Blackman married British actor Maurice Kaufmann, with whom she adopted two children, Lottie and Barnaby.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, and all things Jean Seberg.

Jean Seberg's "Mousey" Co-Star Kirk Douglas Dies at 103

Actor Kirk Douglas died on Wednesday, February 5th according to his son, actor Michael Douglas. He was 103.

“It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103,” son Michael Douglas said in a statement obtained by People magazine. “To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to.”

It took several months, many years ago, of letter writing and faxing back and forth, but Jean Seberg's biographer Garry McGee was able to have a telephone conversation with Mousey director Dan Petrie, Sr. for the book biography he was working on, Jean Seberg -- Breathless. In the meantime, the movie Petrie made with Kirk Douglas and Jean Seberg (Mousey) had played on cable and McGee sent him a copy as an early thank you for his time. "I wondered who sent that," he said when we finally spoke. "I haven't seen it in years, and didn't have a copy in my collection. Thank you for doing that." 

 

Mousey is the nickname of a timid and introverted biology teacher whose wife divorces him and remarries, taking their son with her. The son of whom he is so proud, however, is not his child: Mousey had married his wife after she became pregnant by another man. The loss of his wife and beloved stepson turns the humiliated man into psychotic stalker bent on revenge.

 

In the United States, Mousey aired on ABC-TV as part of a weekly series of thrillers in 1974. Outside the U.S. it received a theatrical release under the title Cat and Mouse. "It wasn't very good," Petrie said to McGee. "We did our very best and made it as scary as it could possibly be, but I don't think the script was too solid."

 

Petrie enjoyed working with the cast. Douglas delivered as always, and Seberg acceptable. "It really wasn't a demanding role (for her). She had to show 'fear' and she could handle that quite easily. She came ready with her lines memorized and didn't put any demands on me at all," he said. Douglas, however, wished to explore the role more, and Petrie allowed him to expand upon what was written resulting in a memorable performance that they both felt was right for the work. Seberg and Douglas got along during the filming as both were professionals and understood what was expected of them.

 

Petrie directed such theatrical and television films as A Raisin in the Sun, Sybil, Eleanor and Franklin, and Resurrection. He died in 2004. Douglas made more than 90 movies from the 1940s through 2000s including Spartacus, Paths of Glory, The Bad and the Beautiful, Lonely are the Brave, Champion, and Lust for Life among other classics spreading throughout several genres and extraordinary performances.

The Hollywood Reporter noted: "Nominated three times for best actor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — for Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Lust for Life (1956) — Douglas was the recipient of an honorary Oscar in 1996. Arguably the top male star of the post-World War II era, he acted in more than 80 movies before retiring from films in 2004."

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, all things Jean Seberg, and upcoming news on the film's release.

 

Jean Seberg Remembered on the 40th Anniversary of her Death

The French in particular were moved by Seberg's death, and preempted regular television programming with a showing of Bonjour Tristesse to honor the beloved actress from Marshalltown, Iowa.

It was 40 years ago today that Jean Seberg died.  She was last seen alive on August 30, 1979.  The 40-year-old international actress was discovered in her white Renault automobile several days later, parked not far from her Paris apartment.

So much has been written, talked, debated, dismissed, praised, and recorded about her in these past four decades. We are part of that group to tell her true story with our documentary feature film Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon--which arguably is experiencing the longest gestation period of any project on her. But, we will prevail and have the project completed, hopefully later this year.

Other projects have come and gone, most consumed with a raised eyebrow. Not because of her story, but the alteration of facts, the inclusion of fiction passed as fact, or complete fabrications, which the undiscerning audience will accept as "truth". It is a huge disservice to not only Jean Seberg's memory, but to history itself.

I recall one such instance in which a news reporter interviewed me concerning Jean and the documentary. I warned him not to rely on previous Seberg newspaper clippings in their file or the internet, as there were inaccuracies.  If there was a question, I told him to telephone or email me. When the article came out, it was filled with errors passed as facts. And the cycle continues on and on.

Unfortunately he wasn't the only one.

But thankfully, there are a handful of media products available that tell Jean Seberg's story truthfully--or as factual as possible--with no ulterior motives in either the author's, the interviewees', or the filmmaker's telling.  Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon is one of them.

Until the documentary's release, we continue to support and accept the "real" Jean Seberg. 

Written by Garry McGee
Author of "Jean Seberg: Breathless, Her True Story"
"Neutralized: The FBI vs. Jean Seberg: A story of the 60s civil rights movement"
Co-Producer/Director/Writer Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon

Jean Seberg's grave in Cimetière du Montparnasse, Paris, France. Courtesy/Copyright 2019 Michel Ambruster.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, all things Jean Seberg, and upcoming news on the film's release.

Jean Seberg's "Lilith" Co-star Peter Fonda Dies

Peter Fonda and Jean Seberg in Lilith.

By Garry McGee
Emmy-nominated filmmaker & author

Peter Fonda, who became a counterculture icon when he co-wrote, produced and starred in the seminal 1969 road movie Easy Rider, then three decades later received an Oscar-nomination in Ulee’s Gold, died on August 16 from lung cancer. He was 79.

Peter was considered part of Hollywood "royalty", with his father being the legendary Academy Award-winning actor Henry Fonda, his sister the Oscar-winning actor Jane Fonda, and his daughter Bridget Fonda, the 'it girl' of 80s and 90s movies and television.

In one of his early films, Fonda played a supporting role in Robert Rossen's last work, Lilith, co-starring Warren Beatty, and Jean Seberg in the title role. The film also starred Kim Hunter and Gene Hackman.

During a break in filming in the summer of 1963, Fonda met with his father and sister in New York. The topic of Jean Seberg came up, including her successful film career abroad (by this time Jean was one of France's top actresses). Jane Fonda became fascinated, and shortly after, she moved to France in search of success.

Peter Fonda was quite fond of Jean, but not so much Warren Beatty. In a physical scene involving Seberg and Beatty, Jean was to slap her co-star, but Beatty kept resisting by grabbing Jean's arm, causing bruising.

"It was really hurting her," Fonda said. He allegedly threatened Beatty that if he continued, he'd "beat the shit out of him." Shortly after, Columbia Pictures sent a representative to the east coast set and informed Fonda if he even touched Beatty, "they'd sue my ass", Fonda noted.

To get his point across to Beatty, Fonda showed up shortly afterwards with several friends who had their black belts in karate and positioned themselves on the sidelines on the set. When Lilith wrapped production, a party was held. Beatty left the production and did not attend the party, as he felt Fonda and his group were going to retaliate. They ended up trashing Beatty's dressing room trailer instead.

Although Jean never worked with Peter Fonda or Warren Beatty again, she remained friendly with them, and encouraged Beatty to make his own films.

While Lilith was not a commercial success, critics unanimously praised Jean's performance, and several noted Fonda's sensitive, complicated portrayal of a resident who falls in love with and becomes tangled in the web of deceit orchestrated by Lilith.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, all things Jean Seberg, and upcoming news on the film's release.

Notre Dame Fire Stirs Memories of Jean Seberg, Saint Joan, Love of France

"Jean Seberg at Notre Dame circa 1967. It has been several years since I've been in Paris, but I have never forgotten the kindness of the French people to me, the beauty of the country, and the amazing historical preservation that was on-going in Paris during my visits while researching Seberg's life. It was easy to see why she was, as she said, "Paris-struck". Like many things there, Notre Dame was amazing and I'm so fortunate to have visited and experienced it during my visits. The fire is a huge loss in so many unspeakable ways..."

~Garry McGee, producer/director/writer Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon

State of Joan of Arc in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris France.

Jean Seberg as Joan of Arc in SAINT JOAN (1957).

"So much history. So much sorrow. We stand with the rest of the world in silence and shock over the tragic fire that is raging inside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The Cathedral was built from 1163 to 1250 and the statue and monument of Saint Jeanne d'Arc is located inside the Cathedral. Jean Seberg starred as Joan of Arc in Otto Preminger's SAINT JOAN (1957)."

~Kelly Rundle (proder/director/writer: Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon) & Tammy Rundle (producer/writer)

APNews Photo of Notre Dame Catheral in flames. Copyright AP News.

Fire ravages soaring Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris left aghast

PARIS (AP) — A fire swept across the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral while the soaring Paris landmark was under renovations Monday, collapsing its spire and threatening one of the world’s greatest architectural treasures as locals and tourists watched aghast from the streets.

The French president pledged to rebuild a cathedral that he called “a part of us” and appealed for help to do so. The 12th-century church is home to relics, stained glass and other incalculable works of art and is a leading tourist attraction, immortalized by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office said it was treating the fire as an accident, ruling out arson and possible terror-related motives, at least for now. French media quoted the Paris fire brigade as saying the fire was “potentially linked” to a 6 million euro ($6.8 million) renovation project on the spire and its 500 tons of wood and 250 tons of lead.

Despite the dramatic image of the flaming cathedral, no one was killed. One firefighter was injured, among some 400 who battled the flames for hours before finally extinguishing them. Firefighters continued working through the night to cool the building and secure the monument, as residual sparks sprinkled down from the gaping hole where the spire used to be.

Read the rest of the AP Story HERE.

 

McGee's "Jean Seberg: Breathless--Her True Story" Book Released Feb. 13

Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon co-producer/director/writer Garry McGee's newly released second edition biography "Jean Seberg: Breathless--Her True Story" is now available at Amazon.com.

Jean Seberg (1938-1979) was an American and French actress, and a champion of compassion, equality and kindness. She was from a "small town" in Iowa and became the darling of Paris. She alternated between European art films ("The Five-Day Lover", "Dead of Summer") and big Hollywood movies ("Paint Your Wagon", "Airport"), on the way helping Jean-Luc Godard to shape contemporary cinema ("Breathless"). Seberg moved between the worlds of show business and politics, from private and state dinners with leaders to clandestine activities supporting groups and individuals on both sides of the Atlantic. For one whose hope was a better life for those less fortunate, she found herself ultimately destroyed by one powerful institution (the FBI) manipulating another (the news media). "Jean Seberg -- Breathless" tells the story of this unique icon of the French New Wave. Featuring more than thirty photographs and selections from Seberg's private letters and poems, Garry McGee traces Seberg's personal, professional and artistic life through exclusive interviews with several people who knew the woman, some who have never spoken publicly until now. Rich in detail, "Jean Seberg -- Breathless" is the definitive portrait of an international icon whose story has never been told fully or justly until now.

The award-winning documentary Jean Seberg: Actress, Activist, Icon tells the true story of Hollywood and heartbreak, beginning when an unknown 17-year-old Iowa girl who beat out 18,000 actresses to play Saint Joan in Otto Preminger's 1957 film. The documentary goes behind the scenes of her rocky life in the international film spotlight, her civil rights activism that drew FBI attention, and her mysterious death in Paris in 1979 - deemed a "probable suicide." Produced by Emmy-nominated and award-winning filmmakers Garry McGee (McMarr Ltd.), and Kelly Rundle and Tammy Rundle (Fourth Wall Films).

Visit JeanSebergMovie for updates on the documentary, glimpses behind-the-scenes, all things Jean Seberg, and upcoming news on the film's release.