Editing Jean Renoir (section)

===Last years===
Renoir's last film is ''[[The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir|Le Petit théâtre de Jean Renoir]]'' (''The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir''), released in 1970.<ref>Bazin, p. 306</ref> It is a series of three short films made in a variety of styles. It is, in many ways, one of his most challenging, avant-garde and unconventional works.<ref>''My Life and My Films'', pp. 277–278.</ref><ref>Rohmer, Eric. "''Notes sur Le Petit théâtre de Jean Renoir''", in ''Cinema 79'' No. 244, April 1979, pp. 20–24</ref>

Unable to obtain financing for his films and suffering declining health, Renoir spent his last years receiving friends at his home in Beverly Hills, and writing novels and his memoirs.<ref>Thompson and LoBianco, pp. 509–553</ref>

In 1973 Renoir was preparing a production of his stage play, ''[[Carola]],'' with [[Leslie Caron]] and [[Mel Ferrer]] when he fell ill and was unable to direct. The producer [[Norman Lloyd]], a friend and actor in ''The Southerner'', took over the direction of the play. It was broadcast in the series program ''Hollywood Television Theater'' on WNET, Channel 13, New York on 3 February 1973.<ref name="Faulkner, page 40">Faulkner, p. 40</ref>

Renoir's memoir, ''[[My Life and My Films]]'', was published in 1974. He wrote of the influence exercised by [[Gabrielle Renard]], his nanny and his mother's cousin, with whom he developed a mutual lifelong bond. He concluded his memoirs with the words he had often spoken as a child, "Wait for me, Gabrielle."<ref>''My Life and My Films'', p. 282</ref> 

In 1975 Renoir received a lifetime [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for his contribution to the motion picture industry. That same year a retrospective of his work was shown at the [[BFI Southbank|National Film Theatre]] in London.<ref>Faulkner, pp. 40–41</ref> Also in 1975, the government of France elevated him to the rank of commander in the [[Légion d'honneur]].<ref name="Interview page 18">''An Interview: Jean Renoir'', p. 18</ref>