Text by Linda, webmaster - January 2011

I confess the day I launched the « Catherine de Montsalvy » website 2008, I did not imagine in my wildest dreams, that two years and four months later, I would be able to write a report on my website saying:
 

On September 2010 I was able to announce on my website, that thanks to my friend Gérard Chambre (Jean de Xaintrailles), Frédérique and I were able to get in contact with the one and only Claudine Ancelot, who incarnated our heroine Catherine de Montsalvy to perfection.

Claudine had written to us that she would go through her « Catherine-Souvenirs » and she would happily share them with us! A thought which made my webmaster heart go almost wild! Imagining, seeing photos from the filming back in 1984 - 1985, maybe some images no one had ever seen, or read some rare, long forgotten articles? About Claudine Ancelot of whom no one had heard or seen a photo for many years?

I remembered a sentence Pierre Deny (who played Jean de Dunois) had written to me in 2009:

« I was intrigued to learn that Catherine de Montsalvy has been given a second youth thanks to you. Well done for your work » !

 

I have talked on my site many times of dreams come true. Like having the unbelievable honour, to call Juliette Benzoni my dearest friend ! Should it really be written somewhere, that I, who always stayed young in my heart and did not even live in France, should one day meet the beautiful and talented woman, who was for us, the more than perfect Catherine de Montsalvy?

The classical Novel and then film Gone with the Wind had been one of my all-time favourite books, before I read Catherine, one love is enough in the Sixties! I mention this, because when I saw the TV-Series Catherine, il suffit d'un amour, I was so impressed by Marion Sarraut's directing and of Claudine Ancelot’s performance, and that of the other great stars in Catherine, that it reminded me of David O'Selznick's timeless masterpiece. Here was someone at work who took it very seriously and stuck to the original as closely as possible.

I knew already that I would go to Paris on January 6 2011, to meet my friend Frédérique, and friends of the Laurent le Doyen fan club - plus to visit the following day Juliette Benzoni to wish each other a belated Happy New Year!

Whenever my voyage brings me to France via Switzerland, I love to believe, that the good fairies favour me. I get ideas - and all of a sudden some unforeseen marvellous action takes place - just like by a magic hand...!

So why not ask Claudine if she would come and meet us while I was in Paris? A new email went in the direction of France and ----------------- yes Claudine Ancelot  replied that she would be delighted to meet us in Paris on January 6, at the international well-known Restaurant Angelina Rue de Rivoli near the 'Louvre Museum' !

I am sure, all of you can understand that for me, the Webmaster of the official 'Catherine de Montsalvy website', this was almost too much of a forthcoming pleasure!
I was so excited and thrilled... and that train on that morning was travelling far too slow for me!

When I arrived in Paris, I was hugged by a smiling Frédérique, who had come to meet me.We met our friends Hélène and Magali - yet we know what happens, when girls meet! Frédérique looked at her watch said: oops... we must go now...but don't worry I never travel without my GPS!

I am sure you know what is coming... yes... the GPS had decided it was time for a break this afternoon...! I looked at my friend, trying not to panic! But then, why would she panic? The girl who had no trouble to travel last year to Saint-Mandé when a tempest was on its way to Paris? Wood on the highway - family, friends and also Juliette Benzoni calling us on our Smartphone, worried what we would do to avoid nature's power?

Have you ever been to Paris around two o'clock on a busy Saturday afternoon ? I shall leave it up to your imagination! Then on top of that, we missed the entrance to the parking lot at the Louvre museum ! All the while pretending, all was fine - me thinking: « we shall be late, we shall be late! How embarrassing...» !

Finally we entered and logically it was not easy to find a free spot. Great compliment to my friend, who stayed calm and even joked about saying: « You know what Linda, it will look better  not to be too early »! (but you must know that Frédérique, is one of the most punctual person I know in this world! I joke sometimes and tell her she is like our Swiss watches !
 

Finally we got out of the car and started to run in the direction of the exit! Out we came into the street in search of the Restaurant Angelina! The first thing we saw was the waiting line to enter! We looked at each other and laughed, just like teenagers, who have never been to town! We gave each other courage, overplaying the fact that we felt not comfortable, to be late for our Rendez-vous. Frédérique saying: « can you see Claudine » ?  I laughed and said: « no way to see inside with all these people, but who knows, maybe it is the woman right in front of us » ? To my utter amazement, the woman in front of us, turned around holding a cell phone on her ear (she told me later that she had tried to phone me..) - and I recognized her  « Claudine Ancelot, our Catherine de Montsalvy » !
We hugged spontaneously and our joy was immensely, to meet the adorable and beautiful actress, who looked as fair and beautiful as if no time had gone by!

 

We sat down and ordered something to eat and drink and got to know each other. Claudine as we may call her from now on, is one of the sweetest and gentlest woman I have ever met. Without wanting to exaggerate, it took us only a short time to feel as if we had known each other for a long time! We were overwhelmed by her gentleness and willingness to share anecdotes with us.

 

There was an Aura around us of happiness and joy. We did not even hear the other guests talking, and that speaks for itself at Angelina's...! I admit, we were spellbound by Claudine. She told us that she had started to read Catherine, one love is enough, as a young girl, when her mother used to buy everyday the newspaper France-Soir... The story of Catherine was printed in form of a Cliff-hanger - something which used to be very popular in the Sixties.

I could not resist to tell her that in our eyes and that of her million fans, she had been absolutely perfect in that role! No one else could have played the heroine Catherine de Montsalvy better than she did.
I can already inform you, that Claudine has sent me by e-mail the answers to my Mistral's 12 questions in form of a letter, where we can read in her own words about the shooting of the television series. I can highly recommend her report.
 

During our meeting, we had already noticed that Claudine had come with a heavy Backpack. All of a sudden she smiled put the Backpack on the table and took out a heavy transparent portfolio! She opened it up and there lay, nicely and in order, the most stunning and some never seen photos of the shooting of « Catherine » She took every photo and every article into her hands and told us, among other things, funny anecdotes that made us laugh and listen attentively.

She told us back stage memories and really amazing stories! I am sure you will forgive me, if I cannot repeat all what we have been told in confidence! The more photos she showed us, the more we began to realize what a real exclusiveness Claudine Ancelot was offering to us!

There were many black and white studio pose photos, I am sure, have never been seen by anyone! There were some newspaper article's she had herself collected and of which she had made copies for each of us !  
 

Claudine smiled and said: « Bien, this is all I have, you can take the material with you, and return it to me on our next meeting ». Honestly, we were astonished and very touched by the trust Claudine showed towards us! I do not have to repeat how honoured we felt by all this. I took the folder to me, smiled at Frédérique and we were already thinking, what all the fans of the Claudine series would say, when they were able to see this timeless and priceless treasure on our websites!

A treasure which had slumbered on a save place at Claudine's home, just like my very old Catherine copies - whom I had read again and again until some pages were already loose...  but then at least ten years after I had re-read them the last time - seemed to call me, to re-read them again - and that is when I decided to create this website in 2007 - 2008.

At the last moment, I asked Claudine, if she would allow me to take a picture of her. I had not been sure of that, since we knew that Claudine had withdrawn from acting! Without hesitating one second, she said she would be delighted to do that. So there I was, taking a photo of Claudine Ancelot, thinking at the same time, that I was dreaming ! It was her who asked one of the friendly waitresses to take a photo from the three of us.
 

She fulfilled also our wishes, for an autograph, signed patiently our own creations we had carried with us. One was to be for her fans, the other for us and even her signature on one of the DVD's cover of Catherine she signed.
 

Over two hours had gone by and almost reluctantly we got up and left together with Claudine the Restaurant. We embraced affectionately and said good bye to each other - one last wave  - and our new friend Claudine was gone! Leaving behind two happy devotees who agreed in one accord, that they had just spent one of the most extraordinarily afternoon's in their life. 

I would like to give Claudine, my most heartfelt thank you, for making my dream come true in meeting us. To share with us her memories and unbelievable magnificent photos. Leaving them in our care - everything, which she had saved for so many years - to be shown now to her faithful fans after twenty-five years! And most of all, having the sweetness, to trust two completely strangers she had never met before her treasures!

Dear Claudine, the meeting with you was such an unforgettable, adorable moment. We shall treasure it and not exchange it with anything in the world. We wish you all the best for your future and thank you again for the enchanting afternoon you bestowed on us.

I confess, we really believed on that day, we sat opposite the beautiful Countess Catherine de Montsalvy...