Fernand Gravey
Encyclopedia
Fernand Gravey also known as Fernand Gravet in America
, was the son of actors Georges Mertens and Fernande Depernay, who have appeared in silent films produced by pioneer "Belge Cinéma Film" (a subsidiary of Pathé).
, he received an education in Britain
, so could speak both French
and English
fluently - something which would become useful in his movie roles.
During the First World War, Gravet, who stood about five feet nine inches tall, went into the British Merchant Marine Corp.
, which would become more famous in its 1940 incarnation
with Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
.
In 1937, after several other French and British films, Gravet became the focus of an extravagant Hollywood publicity campaign, instructing moviegoers to pronounce his name properly: "Rhymes with 'Gravy'".
The roles offered to him were rather standard and he was cast in the same type Louis Jourdan would be cast in the 50's and 60's. The first two films he made in America were for Warner Bros.
' The King and the Chorus Girl (1937), his fifth film in English (opposite Joan Blondell
and Jane Wyman
) and Fools for Scandal
(1938), opposite Carole Lombard
and Ralph Bellamy
. He then signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
and was cast as Johann Strauss in the enormously expensive biopic The Great Waltz
, opposite Luise Rainer
and Miliza Korjus
.
He returned to France just before the Nazi occupation. Although he had agreed to star in German
-approved French films, he was also a great underminer of the invaders as a member of the French Secret Army and the Foreign Legion
.
Gravet returned to film a war hero, and continued to star in such productions as La Ronde
(with Danielle Darrieux
), and Royal Affairs in Versailles
(1954).
Among his last English language performances were How to Steal a Million
(1966), Guns for San Sebastian (1968) and The Madwoman of Chaillot
(1969), in which he played the police inspector.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was the son of actors Georges Mertens and Fernande Depernay, who have appeared in silent films produced by pioneer "Belge Cinéma Film" (a subsidiary of Pathé).
Early life
He started performing at the age of five, under his father's direction. Prior to World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he received an education in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, so could speak both French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
fluently - something which would become useful in his movie roles.
During the First World War, Gravet, who stood about five feet nine inches tall, went into the British Merchant Marine Corp.
Film career
He had made four silent films in 1913 and 1914, but his first film of any importance was L'Amour Chante in 1930. In 1933, he made his first English language film, Bitter SweetBitter Sweet (1933 film)
Bitter Sweet is a musical romance film directed by Herbert Wilcox and released by United Artists in 1933. It was the first film adaptation of Noel Coward's 1929 operetta Bitter Sweet. It starred Anna Neagle and Fernand Gravey, with Ivy St. Helier reviving her stage role as Manon.It tells the story...
, which would become more famous in its 1940 incarnation
Bitter Sweet (1940 film)
Bitter Sweet is a 1940 Technicolor American musical film directed by W. S. Van Dyke, based on the operetta by Noel Coward and previously filmed in 1933; see Bitter Sweet . It was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Cinematography and the other for Best Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons and...
with Jeannette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy
Nelson Eddy
Nelson Ackerman Eddy was an American singer and actor who appeared in 19 musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, as well as in opera and on the concert stage, radio, television, and in nightclubs. A classically trained baritone, he is best remembered for the eight films in which he costarred...
.
In 1937, after several other French and British films, Gravet became the focus of an extravagant Hollywood publicity campaign, instructing moviegoers to pronounce his name properly: "Rhymes with 'Gravy'".
The roles offered to him were rather standard and he was cast in the same type Louis Jourdan would be cast in the 50's and 60's. The first two films he made in America were for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
' The King and the Chorus Girl (1937), his fifth film in English (opposite Joan Blondell
Joan Blondell
Rose Joan Blondell was an American actress who performed in movies and on television for five decades as Joan Blondell.After winning a beauty pageant, Blondell embarked upon a film career...
and Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman
Jane Wyman was an American singer, dancer, and character actress of film and television. She began her film career in the 1930s, and was a prolific performer for two decades...
) and Fools for Scandal
Fools for Scandal
Fools for Scandal is a 1938 comedy film starring Carole Lombard, Fernand Gravey, and Ralph Bellamy. It is now best remembered today as one of Lombard's worst films and one that set her on the course for seeking dramatic roles for the next few years.-Plot:...
(1938), opposite Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard
Carole Lombard was an American actress. She was particularly noted for her comedic roles in the screwball comedies of the 1930s...
and Ralph Bellamy
Ralph Bellamy
Ralph Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned sixty-two years.-Early life:He was born Ralph Rexford Bellamy in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lilla Louise , a native of Canada, and Charles Rexford Bellamy. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and managed to get into a road show...
. He then signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
and was cast as Johann Strauss in the enormously expensive biopic The Great Waltz
The Great Waltz
The Great Waltz is a musical conceived by Hassard Short with a book by Moss Hart and lyrics by Desmond Carter, using themes by Johann Strauss I and Johann Strauss II. It is based on a pasticcio by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Julius Bittner called Walzer aus Wien, first performed in Vienna in 1930...
, opposite Luise Rainer
Luise Rainer
Luise Rainer is a former German film actress. Known as The "Viennese Teardrop", she was the first woman to win two Academy Awards, and the first person to win them consecutively. She was discovered by MGM talent scouts while acting on stage in Austria and Germany and after appearing in Austrian...
and Miliza Korjus
Miliza Korjus
Miliza Elizabeth Korjus was an Estonian coloratura soprano opera singer, who later appeared in Hollywood films.-Early life:...
.
He returned to France just before the Nazi occupation. Although he had agreed to star in German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-approved French films, he was also a great underminer of the invaders as a member of the French Secret Army and the Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
.
Gravet returned to film a war hero, and continued to star in such productions as La Ronde
La Ronde (1950 film)
La Ronde is a 1950 film directed by Max Ophüls and based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1897 play of the same name. The title means "the round-dance".The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Writing and Best Art Direction...
(with Danielle Darrieux
Danielle Darrieux
Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux is a French actress and singer, who has appeared in more than 110 films since 1931. She is one of France's great movie stars and her eight-decade career is among the longest in film history....
), and Royal Affairs in Versailles
Royal Affairs in Versailles
Royal Affairs in Versailles is a 1954 French historical drama directed by Sacha Guitry, which tells some episodes through portrayal of the personalities who lived in Versailles' castle...
(1954).
Among his last English language performances were How to Steal a Million
How to Steal a Million
How to Steal a Million is a 1966 heist comedy film, directed by William Wyler and starring Peter O'Toole, Audrey Hepburn, and Hugh Griffith. It is set and filmed in France, though the characters speak entirely in English...
(1966), Guns for San Sebastian (1968) and The Madwoman of Chaillot
The Madwoman of Chaillot
The Madwoman of Chaillot is a play, a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, written in 1943 and first performed in 1945, after his death. The play has two acts and follows the convention of the classical unities...
(1969), in which he played the police inspector.
Selected filmography
- Du Guesclin (film)Du Guesclin (film)Du Guesclin is a French film from 1948, directed by Bernard de Latour, written by Bernard de Latour, and starring by Fernand Gravey. The film was starred by Louis de Funès ....
(1949) - My Wife Is FormidableMy Wife Is FormidableMy Wife Is Formidable , is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by André Hunebelle, written by Jean Halain, starring Fernand Gravey and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Fernand Gravey : Raymond Corbier, sculptor and husband of Sylvia...
(1951) - Courte têteCourte têteCourte tête , is a French comedy film from 1956, directed by Norbert Carbonnaux, written by Michel Audiard, starring Fernand Gravey and Louis de Funès...
(1956)