Released in 1982, The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes is constantly being rebroadcast on television to the great delight of fans. The opportunity to focus on those who made the success of this final opus of the saga with Louis de Funès: the gendarmettes, therefore. Among them, Marianne Bonnet did not fail to attract the attention of the public. What happened to her interpreter Elisabeth Etienne, and what does she look like today? Answers.
Started in 1964 with The Gendarme of Saint-Tropezthe famous saga of Jean Girault, and led by Louis de Funès and Michel Galabru – among others – ended a little less than twenty years later. Released in 1982, The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes is in fact the 6th and final feature film in the franchise.
Featuring, as its name suggests, for the first time a brigade of women, the film is inspired by the recent feminization of the National Gendarmeriebut could have never seen the light of day. The project was indeed born following the abandonment of an opus featuring the revenge of the aliens from the 5th part, and this after the success of Cabbage Soup.
The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes could have never come out!
So finally, it’s good with The Gendarme and the Gendarmettes that the public had an appointment to say goodbye to Cruchot and the others. Farewells that were mixed with the discovery of new faces, those of Yo Macumba, Christine Rocourt, Isabelle Leroy and Marianne Bonnet. Making up the quartet of auxiliaries of the Saint-Tropez brigade, imposed by the hierarchy, these young women quickly became emblematic for the fans. That’s why Serieously wondered what they looked like today.
If we now know what happened to Catherine Serre, alias Christine Rocourt in the cult film, what about the actress who plays Marianne Bonnet? Aged 25 at the time of the release of the Gendarme and the GendarmettesÉlisabeth Étienne, known as Babeth Étienne, took her first steps in cinema with this filmand didn’t really continue on the path of comedy. After a role in Women of no onein 1984, then in The City of Lost Childrenin 1995, the Suresnoise moved away from the film sets… but not from the spotlights.
Elisabeth Etienne, alias Marianne Bonnet, from Johnny Hallyday’s wife to policewoman!
And for good reason, even before appearing in The Gendarme and the gendarmettes, Elisabeth Etienne became known for her marriage to…. Johnny Hallyday! It was after meeting him at Eddy Mitchell’s wedding thatShe married the Boss in 1981, in Los Angeles. If the couple has divorced in 1983the singer did not hesitate to say all the good things he thought of his ex-wife afterwards: ” When we got divorced […] she didn’t try to take advantage of the situation. In hindsight, I realize that she was one of the most worthy women in my life” he confided to Gala.
For her part, Élisabeth Étienne has therefore been rare on screen, but published the book in 2020 I remember us in which she discusses her story with Johnny Hallyday. Reconverted into fashion and at the head of a boutique in Paris – according to information from Star – the former policewoman had a son in 1988 with her companion Otto Kern, a wealthy German industrialist. In April 2024, she participated in an interview with the Association “ In the footsteps of Louis de Funès » from the commune of Cellier (where the actor rests) to share his memories.