• 1909
Because of a car accident, Mireille Balin was born prematurely (2 months in advance) in Monte-Carlo, July 20, 1909 (certain sources say 1911).
Her family was living rather comfortably, her father was a journalist at the « Tribune de Geneve ». Mireille Balin goes to school in Marseilles, then in a fancy high school in Paris, avenue Victor Hugo. She learns Italian, German, English, practices horseriding and studies piano at the academy.

• 1930
Mireille Balin is now working as a model for Jean Patou, then for Martial and Armand. She does fashion shows, magazines covers, advertisings...

• 1931
First minor part in VIVE LA CLASSE, a film by Maurice Cammage.

• 1932
February : Mireille Balin is contacted by Georg-Wilhelm Pabst, who saw her in a advertisement, and proposes her a role in his new film, DON QUICHOTTE. Shooting takes place near Nice, with Fédor Chaliapine (russian opera singer) in the main role.
Third film : VIVE LA COMPAGNIE, by Claude Moulins, then LE SEXE FAIBLE (WEAKER SEX), by Robert Siodmak, with Pierre Brasseur.
At this time, Mireille Balin lives quite a glamorous life : the Opera, La Coupole, the Fouquet's, Maxim's... She has a love affair with Victor Younki, aka Young Perez, a boxer from tunisia, who was World Flyweight Champion in 1931.

• 1933
October : she meets Raymond Patenôtre (1900-1951), billionaire, politician, future minister and owner of newspapers. She begins a passionate love affair with him.
New movie : ADIEU LES BEAUX JOURS, by Andre Beucler and Johannes Meyer, with Jean Gabin and Brigitte Helm.

• 1934
Mireille Balin moves to a new flat, 47 rue Spontini (Paris 16e). She travels in Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England...) and in Egypt. She appears in a new movie called SI J’ETAIS LE PATRON, by Max Dearly and Fernand Gravey, written by Jacques Prévert. The film turns out to be a huge success.
Next film is ON A TROUVE UNE FEMME NUE, by Léo Joannon, in which Mireille Balin really appears nude. She makes a first (and only) attempt at the theatre with Edouard Bourdet, but it's a failure. She travels to Morocco, and writes the story of this trip in Cinémonde magazine (# 343, May 16, 1935. Morocco, Voyage Au Bout Du Soleil)..

• 1935
MARIE DES ANGOISSES, by Michel Bernheim, followed by LE ROMAN D’UN SPAHI, also by Michel Bernheim (from a script written by Pierre Loti). She meets Julien Duvivier, who offers her a part (the berber girl) in his next movie, La Bandera. But she has health troubles and has to refuse the role, which would be taken by Annabella. JEUNES FILLES DE PARIS, by Claude Vermorel, with Michel Simon.

• 1936
PEPE the MOKO, another Julien Duvivier’s masterpiece, starring Jean Gabin. She has a small love affair with Gabin. The film is a great success, Mireille Balin becomes a star.

• 1937
GUEULE D’AMOUR (LADY KILLER), with Jean Gabin, by Jean Grémillon, on a script written by Charles Spaak, taken from a book by Andre Beucler. The shooting takes place in Berlin, where Jean Gabin almost really strangle Mireille Balin at the final scene. The film is another huge success. From now on, Mireille Balin is the vamp, the femme fatale.
She meets Tino Rossi, and begins a long love affair with the singer, with who she plays in NAPLES AU BAISER DE FEU (THE KISS OF FIRE), by Augusto Genina, with Michel Simon and Viviane Romance.
In October, Mireille Balin goes to Hollywood. She signs a contract with the MGM, but no project will see the light of the day.

• 1938
February : Mireille Balin breaks her contract with the MGM. She decides to move back to Paris with Tino Rossi, where they take an appartment together on the Boulevard Suchet.
New movie : LA VENUS DE L’OR (GOLDEN VENUS), by Charles Méré and Jean Delannoy.
She buys a 20 rooms villa on the Riviera, in Cannes, and call it Catari, from a Tino Rossi song. The house had 3 previous owners: 2 committed suicide, the third one lost everything gambling...
She plays in TERRE DE FEU, by Marcel L’Herbier, then LE CAPITAINE BENOIT, by Maurice de Canonge. At this point, she lives quite a glamourous life, despite jealousy fights with Tino Rossi.