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French Actor Alain Delon’s Dramatic Life Ends

Alain Delon at the photocall for French actor Alain Delon receiving the Palme D Or D Honneur at the 72nd Festival de Cannes, May 19, 2019. (Photo: Paul Smith © Featureflash| Dreamstime.com

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By Staff Middle Land

August 19, 2024
5:57 pm
Los Angeles, CA

Alain Delon, the iconic French film star, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2024, at his home in Douchy, France, surrounded by his loved ones. His life, marked by a blend of extraordinary talent and controversial episodes, left an indelible mark on the world of cinema and beyond. Born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, a suburb of Paris, Delon experienced a tumultuous childhood. His parents divorced when he was just four years old, leading to a turbulent upbringing as he was passed between foster homes and relatives. At 14, he dropped out of school and, after a brief stint working in his stepfather’s butcher shop, enlisted in the French Navy at the age of 17. Delon’s time in the military was a defining period in his life. He

Born on November 8, 1935, in Sceaux, a suburb of Paris, Delon experienced a tumultuous childhood. His parents divorced when he was just four years old, leading to a turbulent upbringing as he was passed between foster homes and relatives. At 14, he dropped out of school and, after a brief stint working in his stepfather’s butcher shop, enlisted in the French Navy at the age of 17.

Delon’s time in the military was a defining period in his life. He served in the First Indochina War, where he experienced the harsh realities of combat, and his rebellious nature often led him into trouble. He was eventually dishonorably discharged for stealing a jeep which fell into a stream, an episode that might have crushed another man’s spirit but instead seemed to propel Delon toward his future stardom.

Young Alan Delon (Photo: oscarzine.foroactivo)

After his discharge, Delon returned to Paris, where his striking good looks quickly caught the attention of filmmakers looking for new talent. Delon’s breakthrough came in 1957 where Yves Allégret was convinced by his wife Michéle Cordoue to hire him for a role in Quand la femme s’en mêle (Send a Woman When the Devil Fails). In 1960 he starred in Plein Soleil (Purple Noon), directed by René Clément. His portrayal of Tom Ripley, a charming and manipulative killer, earned him international acclaim and established him as a rising star in European cinema. This role was followed by a string of successes, including L’Eclisse (1962), Le Samouraï (1967), and La Piscine (1969), which further cemented his status as one of the most charismatic and enigmatic actors of his generation.

Alain Delon & Sophie Daumier “Quand la femme s’en méle”,1957. (Photo: Cineteca/Facebook)

Delon’s personal life was as eventful as his film career. In 1958, he met the Austrian actress Romy Schneider on the set of Christine, and the two quickly became one of the most glamorous couples in Europe. Their relationship was intense and passionate, but it was also fraught with difficulties. They were engaged for several years, but in 1964, Delon ended their relationship. Decades later, in a 2018 interview, he admitted that not marrying Schneider was one of his greatest regrets and that she was the love of his life.

Alain Delon and Romy Schneider in 1959. (Photo: AP)

The same year he broke off his engagement with Schneider, Delon married Nathalie Barthelemy. Their marriage was brief, lasting only five years, but it produced a son, Anthony Delon, who would later follow in his father’s footsteps as an actor. Despite the end of their marriage in 1969, Delon remained close to Nathalie and their son.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Delon’s love life was the subject of much media scrutiny. He had well-publicized affairs with actresses such as Marisa Mell, Ann-Margret, and Lana Wood, both before and after his marriage to Nathalie. These relationships only added to his reputation as a true Hollywood heartthrob, but they also brought him into the orbit of darker controversies.

Scene from Il gattopardo (1963). (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

One of the most notorious episodes in Delon’s life was the death of Stevan Marković, his former bodyguard. On October 1, 1968, Marković’s body was discovered in a public dump near Paris. Delon and François Marcantoni, a known Corsican gangster, were drawn into the investigation after a letter written by Marković to his brother surfaced, stating, “If I get killed, it’s 100% the fault of Alain Delon and his godfather François Marcantoni.” The investigation took on a sensational nature, even involving soon-to-be-Prime Minister Georges Pompidou. Rumors swirled that compromising photographs from wild parties were at the heart of the scandal, but Delon was never charged in connection with the case.

Delon’s life was marked by other legal troubles as well. In 1969, he was sentenced in absentia to four months in an Italian jail for assaulting a photographer, a sentence that further fueled his bad-boy image. In February 2024, the aging star made headlines again when police raided his home and seized 72 firearms and 3,000 rounds of ammunition. Delon, who was not authorized to own firearms, faced legal consequences, adding another chapter to his complex legacy.

Alain Delon in ‘The Silence of a Man’. (Photo: 20minutos.es)

In his later years, Delon’s health began to decline. He suffered a stroke in June 2019 and was hospitalized after experiencing severe dizziness and headaches. Though he recovered in a Swiss hospital, his health continued to deteriorate. In September 2022, he began experimental treatment for lymphoma, but by the summer of 2023, his children made the difficult decision to stop the treatment as it was weakening him further.

Alan Delon (Photo:.diariodecultura.com.ar)

On August 18, 2024, Alain Delon passed away at the age of 88. His death marked the end of an era for French cinema, but his legacy as one of the most captivating and complex figures in the film industry endures. Despite the controversies and regrets that shadowed his life, Delon’s contributions to cinema and his iconic status remain undisputed.