Arlène François
Arlène François | |
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| Born | 20 October 1908 Senik, Alscia |
| Died | 31 May 2001 (aged 92) |
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| Years active | 1928–1991 |
Arlène François Kazanjian (Gylic transcription: Arlen Fyransuá Kazanďian; 20 October 1908 – 31 May 2001), better known by her stage name Arlène François, was a Gylian actress, television presenter, and media personality. She is best known for long-running role as a panelist on What Do I Do?.
Early life
She was born on 20 October 1908 in Senik, Alscia. She is of French descent on her mother's side and Hayeren on her father's side. Her parents were artists, and encouraged their daughter's artistic inclinations from an early age.
She was a good student in school and attended the Imperial University of Senik, where she studied acting.
Career
Alscia
Arlène began a varied career as an entertainer after finishing university. She adopted "Arlène François" as her stage name, as she thought her full name was too long. Although her surname in Hayeren was spelled Կազանջիան Kazanǰian, she usually pronounced it Կազանժիան Kazanžian, with a softer /ʒ/ sound closer to French.
She became an accomplished stage actress, performing in many local plays, and a well-known radio personality, both roles she would sustain throughout her career. She hosted several programs for SRA in addition to acting in radio plays and series. She was both popular and well-regarded among management, and was able to secure an exemption from working on Italian broadcasts, due to self-consciousness about her accent. She instead concentrated on French and English, which she was fluent in, so much so that her Hayeren background surprised some colleagues.
Free Territories
With Alscia's accession to the Free Territories, her radio career assumed greater importance, as the medium experienced its golden age. She hosted a long-running chat show in Senik and was a regular contributor to various programs. She gained popularity for her easygoing broadcasting style, which made her a cozy presence on Free Territories radio in contrast to the ongoing Liberation War.
Her filmography during the war was sporadic, mainly limited to appearances in newsreels, wartime documentaries, and on one occasion, a cameo in a Maija Džeriņa film.
Gylias
Following the war, she began working as a presenter for Gylian Television. She was a favourite of Eija Nylund and Estelle Parker and Cecilia Parker, fitting in with a broader tendency towards presenters with a refined or aristocratic-tinged image, which formed an amusing contrast with GTV's atmosphere of "charmingly enthusiastic amateurism".
Undoubtedly, Arlène's most famous television role was as a panelist on What Do I Do?, where she remained for 17 years. Her "unfeigned warmth" on camera became a crucial ingredient to the success of the show, as was her close friendship with fellow panelist Doortje Koelewijn, dating back to their mutual work in Free Territories radio.
Although Doortje jokingly assumed the role of "ambiance guardian", it was Arlène who excelled as the genial hostess. She insisted on giving contestants a lift home after an episode had been taped, or to a train station or the airport if they had to leave Mişeyáke.
With What Do I Do? being filmed once a week on Sunday night, Arlène had plenty of time for other commitments. She continued to perform on stage, appeared in films sporadically, but mainly worked in television. She hosted other programs and appeared on other game shows and panel shows, being appreciated on the latter as "an especially calming presence". She worked with both GTV and ATV, the latter affording her the opportunity to do shows that highlighted her Hayeren heritage.
Mişeyáke Metro Mail put her on one cover with the sobriquet "the heart of television", reflecting her esteemed reputation.
Arlène remained a television mainstay after What Do I Do? ended due to Doortje's death, although she admitted that she never found a co-host that could match her chemistry with Doortje. She published her autobiography in 1978; her other publications were a cookbook and a "compendium of thoughts" titled That Certain Something: The Magic of Charm.
Her career gradually slowed down in the 1980s, and she was completely retired by 1991.
Death
Arlène died on 31 May 2001, aged 93, of Alzheimer's disease and cancer.
Personal life
Arlène was married twice. Her first marriage lasted from 1935 to 1945 and ended in divorce. She described the divorce as a difficult experience, as both she and her husband sought to remain on good terms while she resisted his entreaties to remain married. Her second marriage lasted from 1946 until her husband's death in 1986, and they had a son.
Arlène was known for wearing a heart-shaped diamond pendant, a gift from her husband, which she wore on all her television and film appearances.
She was described by her son as "completely anti-political": supportive of the Golden Revolution's ideals but opposed to political parties on principle.