Isabella Souza
Rio newspapers announced that the forecast called for clear skies and temperatures around 30°C for that Tuesday. It would have been an ordinary day in the city of Rio de Janeiro, if not for the anticipation surrounding the arrival of an extraordinary hurricane: French actress Brigitte Bardot.
The film icon was seeking rest and even said she would trade her entire career and fortune for a single day of peace. However, as soon as she set foot on Brazilian soil, she must have realized she wouldn't find what she had come looking for. From the very start of the day, the
paparazzi
occupied Galeão airport hoping for an exclusive shot of the actress, who disembarked from the aircraft wearing a black wig, in a failed attempt to go unnoticed by the crowd.
The commotion surrounding the PANAIR Douglas DC-8-33 caused quite a stir. Fans and photographers quickly took over the landing strip and swarmed the plane in such a way that the only solution the actress found was to jump into a Volkswagen Beetle parked at the foot of the aircraft. From the airport, Bardot left with her Brazilian boyfriend, Bob Zagury, for n° 1988 Av. Atlântica. Once there, she made herself a promise: if they didn't leave her in peace, she would go back to France.
However, the tranquility the actress expected would not come without a trade-off. To seal a truce with the press, which in the midst of the frenzy even set up a camp in front of Zagury's apartment: a press conference and a photo session were granted at the Copacabana Palace. After that, Bardot could, finally, enjoy her long-awaited rest. She spent a few days in the capital and enjoyed the calm of more remote, quieter towns – such as Búzios, which ended up being revealed to the world after her visit. The adventure ended after 4 months. The muse was so enchanted with Rio that she left, but promised to come back soon.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a nighttime scene. On the left side, we see two people with their backs turned, one of them holding a newspaper. In the center, there is a figure dressed in a military uniform, leaning over a railing. On the right, a woman is being helped by a man in a suit, who appears to be reading something in his hands. Everyone is in an artificially lit setting, possibly near a ship or vessel.Chegada de Brigitte Bardot.
Rio de Janeiro, 07/01/1964. Autor desconhecido. Fundo Correio da Manhã / Arquivo Nacional