R.I.P. Jeanne Moreau

French actress Jeanne Moreau -- best known for her roles in such movies as Jules et Jim and The Bride Wore Black -- caught her last bouquet on July 31, 2017, at age 89.

She will be missed.

R.I.P. Louis Jourdan

French actor Louis Jourdan -- best-known for his starring roles in such movies as the 1958 movie musical Gigi and the 1983 James Bond thriller Octopussy -- stopped being bored on February 14 at age 93.

He will be missed.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Colette!

AKA Sidonie Gabrielle Colette.

Born January 28, 1873. Died August 3, 1954.

She was an internationally famous writer whose literary work was once cited by one of my college teachers as proof that the very French are very different from us in the same way that the very rich were very different from us. She is most famous for her novel Gigi -- which inspired the play and movie of the same name -- but my world literature teacher would probably prefer that I also acknowledge her two novels Cheri and The Last of Cheri.

In any event, I have always found her work to be very interesting and I wish that more people were aware of it.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Édouard Manet!

Born January 23, 1832. Died April 30, 1883.

He was a famous French painter responsible for such famous works as Le déjeuner sur l'herbe. One of his paintings even managed to shock the normally unshockable Mark Twain.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Colette!

AKA Sidonie Gabrielle Colette.

Born January 28, 1873. Died August 3, 1954.

She was an internationally famous writer whose literary work was once cited by one of my college teachers as proof that the very French are very different from us in the same way that the very rich were very different from us. She is most famous for her novel Gigi -- which inspired the play and movie of the same name -- but my world literature teacher would probably prefer that I also acknowledge her two novels Cheri and The Last of Cheri.

In any event, I have always found her work to be very interesting and I wish that more people were aware of it.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Édouard Manet!

Born January 23, 1832. Died April 30, 1883.

He was a famous French painter responsible for such famous works as Le déjeuner sur l'herbe. One of his paintings even managed to shock the normally unshockable Mark Twain.