Louis de Funès
Encyclopedia
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (lwi də fynɛs; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a very popular French actor who is one of the giants of French comedy
alongside André Bourvil and Fernandel
. His acting style is remembered for its high energy performance, a wide range of facial expressions and an engaging, snappy impatience.
He was enormously successful in several countries for many years, but remained almost unknown in the English-speaking world. He was only noted in the United States in 1974 with the release of The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
. In a 1968 poll, he was voted France's favourite actor. In a personal statement, he claimed to be interested only in films that would draw an audience of at least 500,000.
, Hauts-de-Seine
to parents from Seville
, Spain. His father, Carlos Luis de Funès de Galarza had been a lawyer in Spain, but became a diamond cutter upon arriving in France. His mother, Leonor Soto Reguera was of Spanish and Portuguese extraction. Since the couple's families opposed their marriage,they settled in France in 1904.
Known to friends and intimates as "Fufu", de Funès spoke French, Spanish and English well. As a youth, he was fond of drawing and piano playing. He was an alumnus of the lycée Condorcet
in Paris, a distinction he shared with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
, Paul Valéry
, Paul Verlaine
, Marcel Proust
, Jean Cocteau
, Serge Gainsbourg
, and Claude Lévi-Strauss
amongst others. He later dropped out, and was not successful in his early life; as a youth and young adult, de Funès held modest jobs, from which he was repeatedly fired. He became a pianist
, working mostly as a jazz pianist at Pigalle, famous for being a touristic red-light district. There he made his customers laugh each time he made a grimace. He studied acting for one year at the Simon acting school. There he made some useful contacts, including Daniel Gélin
among others. In 1936, he married Germaine Louise Elodie Carroyer with whom he had one child, a son named Daniel; they were subsequently divorced in late 1942.
During the occupation of Paris in the Second World War, he continued his piano studies at a music school, where he fell in love with a secretary, Jeanne Barthelémy de Maupassant, a grandniece of the famous author Guy de Maupassant
. She had fallen in love with "the young man who played jazz like god"; they married in 1943 and remained together for forty years, until de Funès' death in 1983. They had two sons: Patrick (born on January 27, 1944) and Olivier (born on August 11, 1947). Patrick became a doctor who now practices in Saint-Germain en Laye. Olivier became an actor for a brief while. He became known for the roles he had in his father's films (Les Grandes Vacances, Fantômas se déchaine, Le Grand Restaurant, Hibernatus are the most famous). He is now an aviator for Air France Europe.
Through the early 40's, Funès continued playing piano at clubs, thinking there wasn't much call for a short, balding, skinny actor. His wife and Daniel Gelin encouraged him until he managed to overcome his fear of rejection. His wife supported him in the most difficult moments, while helping him to efficiently manage his career.
, he continued to play theatre. His stage career culminated in a magnificent performance in the play Oscar (a role which he would reprise a few years later in the film version).
in Jean Stelli's La Tentation de Barbizon ("The Temptation of Barbizon
"). De Funès appeared on screen for 40 seconds in the role of the porter of the cabaret
Le Paradis. De Funès accepts the character of Jérôme Chambon at the entrance of the cabaret and invites him to enter inside by "C'est par ici Monsieur" ("Mister, here please"). Chambon declines the invitation, wanting to try to enter through the front door of the room instead, but the door is closed. De Funès then says: "Ben, il a son compte celui-là, aujourd'hui" ("He's had enough today, that one").
He went on to perform in 130 film roles over the next 20 years. However, he played minor roles in over 80 films before he got his first leading roles. During this period, De Funès developed a pattern of daily activities: in the morning he did dubbing for recognized artists such as Totò
, an Italian comic from this era, during the afternoon he worked in film, and in the theater in the evening.
From 1945-1955 he appeared in 50 films, usually as an extra or walk-on. A break came in 1956, when he appeared as the black-market pork butcher Jambier (another small role) in Claude Autant-Lara
's well-known film World War II comedy, La Traversée de Paris
. He achieved stardom in 1963 with Jean Girault
's film, Pouic-Pouic
. This success film guaranteed de Funès top billing in all of his subsequent films. At the age of 49, De Funès unexpectedly became a major star of international celebrity with the success of Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez
. After their first successful collaboration, director Jean Girault had perceived de Funès as the ideal actor to play the part of the accident prone gendarme. The first film lead to a series of six 'Gendarme' films.
Funès's collaboration with director Gerard Oury
produced a memorable tandem of Funès with Bourvil
, another great comic actor, in the 1964 film, Le Corniaud
. The success de Funès-Bourvil partnership was repeated two years later in La Grande Vadrouille
, one of the most successful and the largest grossing film ever made in France, drawing an audience of 17,27 million. It remains his greatest success. Oury envisaged a further reunion of the two comics in his film La Folie des grandeurs, but Bourvil's death in 1970 led to the unlikely pairing of de Funès with Yves Montand in this film.
Eventually he became France's leading comedian. Between 1964 and 1979, he topped France's box-office of the year's most successful movies seven times. His most popular movie ever was La Grande Vadrouille (1966).
He went on to star in such films as Ah! Les belles bacchantes
and The Sheep Has Five Legs
. He co-starred with many of the major French actors of his time, including Jean Marais
and Mylène Demongeot
in the Fantomas
trilogy, and also Jean Gabin
, Fernandel
, Coluche
, Annie Girardot
, and Yves Montand
. He also worked with Jean Girault
in the famous 'Gendarmes' series. In a departure from the Gendarme image, Funès collaborated with Claude Zidi
, who wrote for him a new character full of nuances and frankness in L'aile ou la cuisse
(1976), which is arguably the best of his roles. Later De Funès' considerable musical abilities were showcased in films such as Le Corniaud
and Le Grand Restaurant. In 1964 he debuted in the first of the Fantômas
series, which launched him into superstardom.
In 1975, de Funès was hospitalized for heart problems and forced to take a rest from acting. After his recovery, he appeared opposite another comic genius, Coluche
, in L'Aile ou la cuisse
. In 1980, de Funès realised a long-standing dream to make a film version of Molière
's play, L'Avare.
Louis de Funès made his final film, Le Gendarme et les gendarmettes
in 1982.
's The Miser
(L'Avare), these characteristics are greatly muted, percolating just beneath the surface.
, a 17th-century monument, located in the commune of Le Cellier, which is situated 27 kilometers (17 mi) from Nantes in France. This castle, overlooking the Loire River, was inherited by his wife, a descendant of the Maupassant family. De Funès was an aficionado of roses. He planted a rose garden on the château grounds and a variety of rose
has been named for him (the Louis de Funès rose
). A monument honoring him was erected in the rose garden of his wife's castle.
In his later years, he suffered from a heart condition after having suffered a heart attack
caused by straining himself too much with his stage antics. Louis de Funès died of a massive stroke on 27 January 1983, a few months after making his final film. He was laid to rest in the Cimetière du Cellier, the cemetery situated in the grounds of the château.
One of his sons, Olivier de Funès
, pursued an acting career alongside him (often playing the son of Louis's character) before becoming an Air France
pilot. Another son, Patric de Funès, became a medical doctor.
. The character "Skinner" in Ratatouille
(2007) was loosely based on him.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
alongside André Bourvil and Fernandel
Fernandel
Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin , better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born in Marseille, France, he was a comedy star who first gained popularity in French vaudeville, operettas, and music-hall revues...
. His acting style is remembered for its high energy performance, a wide range of facial expressions and an engaging, snappy impatience.
He was enormously successful in several countries for many years, but remained almost unknown in the English-speaking world. He was only noted in the United States in 1974 with the release of The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob is a 1973 French comedy film directed by Gérard Oury, starring Louis de Funès and Claude Giraud.-Plot:...
. In a 1968 poll, he was voted France's favourite actor. In a personal statement, he claimed to be interested only in films that would draw an audience of at least 500,000.
Biography
Louis de Funès was born in CourbevoieCourbevoie
Courbevoie is a commune located very close to the centre of Paris, France. The centre of Courbevoie is situated 2 kilometres from the outer limits of Paris and 8.2 km...
, Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
to parents from Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain. His father, Carlos Luis de Funès de Galarza had been a lawyer in Spain, but became a diamond cutter upon arriving in France. His mother, Leonor Soto Reguera was of Spanish and Portuguese extraction. Since the couple's families opposed their marriage,they settled in France in 1904.
Known to friends and intimates as "Fufu", de Funès spoke French, Spanish and English well. As a youth, he was fond of drawing and piano playing. He was an alumnus of the lycée Condorcet
Lycée Condorcet
The Lycée Condorcet is a school founded in 1803 in Paris, France, located at 8, rue du Havre, in the city's IXe arrondissement. Since its inception, various political eras have seen it given a number of different names, but its identity today honors the memory of the Marquis de Condorcet. The...
in Paris, a distinction he shared with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa or simply Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern...
, Paul Valéry
Paul Valéry
Ambroise-Paul-Toussaint-Jules Valéry was a French poet, essayist, and philosopher. His interests were sufficiently broad that he can be classified as a polymath...
, Paul Verlaine
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
, Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
, Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
, Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
, and Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, and has been called, along with James George Frazer, the "father of modern anthropology"....
amongst others. He later dropped out, and was not successful in his early life; as a youth and young adult, de Funès held modest jobs, from which he was repeatedly fired. He became a pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, working mostly as a jazz pianist at Pigalle, famous for being a touristic red-light district. There he made his customers laugh each time he made a grimace. He studied acting for one year at the Simon acting school. There he made some useful contacts, including Daniel Gélin
Daniel Gélin
Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin was a French actor, occasional director and screenwriter.-Early life:Gélin was born in Angers, Maine-et-Loire. When he was 10 his family moved to Saint-Malo where Daniel went to college until he was expelled for 'uncouthness'. His father then found him a job in a shop that...
among others. In 1936, he married Germaine Louise Elodie Carroyer with whom he had one child, a son named Daniel; they were subsequently divorced in late 1942.
Guy de Maupassant
Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant was a popular 19th-century French writer, considered one of the fathers of the modern short story and one of the form's finest exponents....
. She had fallen in love with "the young man who played jazz like god"; they married in 1943 and remained together for forty years, until de Funès' death in 1983. They had two sons: Patrick (born on January 27, 1944) and Olivier (born on August 11, 1947). Patrick became a doctor who now practices in Saint-Germain en Laye. Olivier became an actor for a brief while. He became known for the roles he had in his father's films (Les Grandes Vacances, Fantômas se déchaine, Le Grand Restaurant, Hibernatus are the most famous). He is now an aviator for Air France Europe.
Through the early 40's, Funès continued playing piano at clubs, thinking there wasn't much call for a short, balding, skinny actor. His wife and Daniel Gelin encouraged him until he managed to overcome his fear of rejection. His wife supported him in the most difficult moments, while helping him to efficiently manage his career.
Theatrical career
De Funès began his show business career in the theatre, where he enjoyed moderate success. He pursued a theatrical career while playing smallish roles in films. Even after he attained the status of movie starMovie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
, he continued to play theatre. His stage career culminated in a magnificent performance in the play Oscar (a role which he would reprise a few years later in the film version).
Film career
In 1945, thanks to his contact with Daniel Gélin, he made his film debut at the age of 31 with a bit partBit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
in Jean Stelli's La Tentation de Barbizon ("The Temptation of Barbizon
The Temptation of Barbizon
The Temptation of Barbizon is a French fantasy-romance film from 1946, directed by Jean Stelli, written by André-Paul Antoine and Marc-Gilbert Sauvajon, and starring Simone Renant and François Périer. It was the first film of French actor Louis de Funès, who appeared in a 40-second, uncredited role...
"). De Funès appeared on screen for 40 seconds in the role of the porter of the cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
Le Paradis. De Funès accepts the character of Jérôme Chambon at the entrance of the cabaret and invites him to enter inside by "C'est par ici Monsieur" ("Mister, here please"). Chambon declines the invitation, wanting to try to enter through the front door of the room instead, but the door is closed. De Funès then says: "Ben, il a son compte celui-là, aujourd'hui" ("He's had enough today, that one").
He went on to perform in 130 film roles over the next 20 years. However, he played minor roles in over 80 films before he got his first leading roles. During this period, De Funès developed a pattern of daily activities: in the morning he did dubbing for recognized artists such as Totò
Totò
Prince Antonio Focas Flavio Angelo Ducas Comneno De Curtis di Bisanzio Gagliardi, best known by his stage name Totò and nicknamed il principe della risata was an Italian comedian, film and theatre actor, writer, singer and songwriter...
, an Italian comic from this era, during the afternoon he worked in film, and in the theater in the evening.
From 1945-1955 he appeared in 50 films, usually as an extra or walk-on. A break came in 1956, when he appeared as the black-market pork butcher Jambier (another small role) in Claude Autant-Lara
Claude Autant-Lara
Claude Autant-Lara , was a French film director and later Member of the European Parliament .-Biography:...
's well-known film World War II comedy, La Traversée de Paris
La Traversée de Paris (film)
La Traversée de Paris , is a French comedy drama film from 1956, directed by Claude Autant-Lara, written by Marcel Aymé, starring Jean Gabin, Bourvil and Louis de Funès...
. He achieved stardom in 1963 with Jean Girault
Jean Girault
Jean Girault was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed more than thirty films between 1960 and 1982.-Filmography:Director* Les pique-assiette * Les Moutons de Panurge...
's film, Pouic-Pouic
Pouic-Pouic
Pouic-Pouic, is a French comedy film from 1963, directed by Jean Girault, written by Jean Girault and Jacques Vilfrid, starring Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "Casamento a Propósito" , "El pollo de mi mujer" , "Quietsch... quietsch.....
. This success film guaranteed de Funès top billing in all of his subsequent films. At the age of 49, De Funès unexpectedly became a major star of international celebrity with the success of Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez
Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez
Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez is a 1964 French comedy film with Louis de Funès. The film mostly takes place in Saint-Tropez, a fashionable resort on the French Riviera. Louis de Funès plays Ludovic Cruchot, the sergeant of gendarmerie of Saint-Tropez...
. After their first successful collaboration, director Jean Girault had perceived de Funès as the ideal actor to play the part of the accident prone gendarme. The first film lead to a series of six 'Gendarme' films.
Funès's collaboration with director Gerard Oury
Gérard Oury
Gérard Oury was a French film director, actor and writer. His real name was Max-Gérard Houry Tannenbaum.- A commercially successful French filmmaker :...
produced a memorable tandem of Funès with Bourvil
Bourvil
André Bourvil, born André Robert Raimbourg was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy, most notably in his collaboration with Louis de Funès in La Grande Vadrouille .-Biography:His father was killed in the First World War before Bourvil was born...
, another great comic actor, in the 1964 film, Le Corniaud
Le Corniaud
Le Corniaud is a French, Italian and Spanish comedy film by Gérard Oury, released in 1965.-Plot:While leaving his flat in Paris for vacation, Antoine Maréchal has an car accident. His 2CV is totally wrecked by Léopold Saroyan's Bentley, the director of an import-export company...
. The success de Funès-Bourvil partnership was repeated two years later in La Grande Vadrouille
La Grande Vadrouille
La Grande Vadrouille is a 1966 Franco-British comedy film about how the crew of a Royal Air Force B-17 shot down over Paris must then make their way through German-occupied France with the main help of two French citizens with very different mindsets.For over forty...
, one of the most successful and the largest grossing film ever made in France, drawing an audience of 17,27 million. It remains his greatest success. Oury envisaged a further reunion of the two comics in his film La Folie des grandeurs, but Bourvil's death in 1970 led to the unlikely pairing of de Funès with Yves Montand in this film.
Eventually he became France's leading comedian. Between 1964 and 1979, he topped France's box-office of the year's most successful movies seven times. His most popular movie ever was La Grande Vadrouille (1966).
He went on to star in such films as Ah! Les belles bacchantes
Ah! Les belles bacchantes
Ah! Les belles bacchantes , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Jean Loubignac, written by Francis Blanche, starring Robert Dhéry and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "Femmes de Paris", "Peek-a-boo" .- Plot :...
and The Sheep Has Five Legs
The Sheep Has Five Legs
The Sheep Has Five Legs is a 1954 French film directed by Henri Verneuil. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story.- Cast :*Fernandel as Édouard Saint-Forget / Les quintuplés : Alain, Bernard, Charles, Désiré...
. He co-starred with many of the major French actors of his time, including Jean Marais
Jean Marais
-Biography:A native of Cherbourg, France, Marais starred in several movies directed by Jean Cocteau, for a time his lover, most famously Beauty and the Beast and Orphée ....
and Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot is a French actress, who has appeared in 72 films since 1953. She was born Marie-Hélène Demongeot in Nice, Southern France....
in the Fantomas
Fantômas
Fantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
trilogy, and also Jean Gabin
Jean Gabin
-Biography:Born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé in Paris, he grew up in the village of Mériel in the Seine-et-Oise département, about 22 mi north of Paris. The son of cabaret entertainers, he attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly...
, Fernandel
Fernandel
Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin , better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born in Marseille, France, he was a comedy star who first gained popularity in French vaudeville, operettas, and music-hall revues...
, Coluche
Coluche
Michel Colucci , better known as Coluche, was a French comedian and actor, famous for his irreverent sense of humour....
, Annie Girardot
Annie Girardot
Annie Girardot was a French actress.She began performing in 1955, making her film debut in Treize à table. Girardot won the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti in 1956, and in 1977 won the César Award for Best Actress portraying the title character in Docteur Françoise Gailland...
, and Yves Montand
Yves Montand
-Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in...
. He also worked with Jean Girault
Jean Girault
Jean Girault was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed more than thirty films between 1960 and 1982.-Filmography:Director* Les pique-assiette * Les Moutons de Panurge...
in the famous 'Gendarmes' series. In a departure from the Gendarme image, Funès collaborated with Claude Zidi
Claude Zidi
Claude Zidi is a French film director and screenwriter who is noted for his mainstream burlesque comedies. Born in Paris, he started as a cameraman and then cinematographer, and made his directorial and screenwriting debut in 1971...
, who wrote for him a new character full of nuances and frankness in L'aile ou la cuisse
L'aile ou la cuisse
L'aile ou la cuisse is a 1976 French comedy film directed by Claude Zidi, starring Louis de Funès and Coluche.-Plot:Charles Duchemin is the editor of an internationally known restaurant guide...
(1976), which is arguably the best of his roles. Later De Funès' considerable musical abilities were showcased in films such as Le Corniaud
Le Corniaud
Le Corniaud is a French, Italian and Spanish comedy film by Gérard Oury, released in 1965.-Plot:While leaving his flat in Paris for vacation, Antoine Maréchal has an car accident. His 2CV is totally wrecked by Léopold Saroyan's Bentley, the director of an import-export company...
and Le Grand Restaurant. In 1964 he debuted in the first of the Fantômas
Fantômas
Fantômas is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre .One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared in a total of 32 volumes written by the two collaborators, then a subsequent 11...
series, which launched him into superstardom.
In 1975, de Funès was hospitalized for heart problems and forced to take a rest from acting. After his recovery, he appeared opposite another comic genius, Coluche
Coluche
Michel Colucci , better known as Coluche, was a French comedian and actor, famous for his irreverent sense of humour....
, in L'Aile ou la cuisse
L'aile ou la cuisse
L'aile ou la cuisse is a 1976 French comedy film directed by Claude Zidi, starring Louis de Funès and Coluche.-Plot:Charles Duchemin is the editor of an internationally known restaurant guide...
. In 1980, de Funès realised a long-standing dream to make a film version of Molière
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's play, L'Avare.
Louis de Funès made his final film, Le Gendarme et les gendarmettes
Le gendarme et les gendarmettes
The gendarme and the gendarmettes is the sixth and last movie of the Gendarme series starring Louis de Funès, in his final performance. This was also director Jean Girault's final film.- Synopsis :...
in 1982.
Style
Unlike the characters he played, de Funès was said to be a very shy person in real life. Capable of an extremely rich and rapidly changing range of facial expressiveness, de Funès was nicknamed "the man with forty faces per minute". In many of his films, he played the role of a humorously excitable, cranky, middle-aged or mature man with a propensity to hyperactivity, bad faith, and uncontrolled fits of anger. Along with his short height, (he measured ) and his facial contortions, this hyperactivity produced a highly comic effect. This was particularly visible when he was paired with Bourvil, who was always given roles of calm, slightly naive, good-humoured men. In de Funès' successful lead role in a cinematic version of MolièreMolière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's The Miser
The Miser
L'Avare is a 1668 five-act satirical comedy by French playwright Molière. Its title is usually translated as The Miser when the play is performed in English....
(L'Avare), these characteristics are greatly muted, percolating just beneath the surface.
Later years and death
In the later part of his life, De Funès achieved great prosperity and success. He became a knight of France's Légion d'honneur in 1973. He resided in the Château de ClermontChâteau de Clermont
The Château de Clermont, built between 1643 and 1649, is located in the commune of Le Cellier, 27 kilometres from Nantes in France...
, a 17th-century monument, located in the commune of Le Cellier, which is situated 27 kilometers (17 mi) from Nantes in France. This castle, overlooking the Loire River, was inherited by his wife, a descendant of the Maupassant family. De Funès was an aficionado of roses. He planted a rose garden on the château grounds and a variety of rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
has been named for him (the Louis de Funès rose
Louis de Funès (rose)
The rose Louis de Funès is a cultivar .It was named by Meilland after the famous French comedian Louis de Funès in 1982.- Sources:...
). A monument honoring him was erected in the rose garden of his wife's castle.
In his later years, he suffered from a heart condition after having suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
caused by straining himself too much with his stage antics. Louis de Funès died of a massive stroke on 27 January 1983, a few months after making his final film. He was laid to rest in the Cimetière du Cellier, the cemetery situated in the grounds of the château.
Olivier de Funès
Olivier de Funès , a French film actor, son of Louis de Funès.- Selected filmography :* 1965 : Fantômas se déchaîne of André Hunebelle : Michou...
, pursued an acting career alongside him (often playing the son of Louis's character) before becoming an Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
pilot. Another son, Patric de Funès, became a medical doctor.
De Funès' legacy
Louis de Funès is portrayed on a postage stamp issued on October 3, 1998 by the French Post Office. He is the uncle of actress Isabelle De Funès. He was portrayed as a gambler in the "The One-Armed Bandit" issue of the cult comic book series Lucky LukeLucky Luke
Lucky Luke is a Belgian comics series created by Belgian cartoonist, Maurice De Bevere better known as Morris, the original artist, and was for one period written by René Goscinny...
. The character "Skinner" in Ratatouille
Ratatouille (film)
Ratatouille is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the eighth film produced by Pixar, and was directed by Brad Bird, who took over from Jan Pinkava in 2005...
(2007) was loosely based on him.
Filmography
- 1945: La Tentation de Barbizon
- 1946: Six heures à perdreSix Hours to LoseSix Hours to Lose is a French romance film from 1946, directed by Alex Joffé, written by Alex Joffé and Jean Lévitte, starring André Luguet. The film was starred by Louis de Funès. The film based on the novel of Robert Brasillach, with the same title Six heures à perdre, edited posthumously in...
- 1946: Dernier refugeLast RefugeLast Refuge is a French film from 1947, directed by Alex Joffé, written by Maurice Griffe and Marc Maurette, and starring Raymond Rouleau. The film was starred by Louis de Funès. The film is based on the novel Le Locataire by Georges Simenon.- Cast :...
- 1947: Antoine et AntoinetteAntoine and AntoinetteAntoine and Antoinette is a 1947 French comedy film directed by Jacques Becker. It was entered into the 1947 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Roger Pigaut as Antoine Moulin* Claire Mafféi as Antoinette Moulin* Noël Roquevert as M. Roland...
- 1947: Croisière pour l'inconnuCruise for the Unknown OneCruise for the Unknown One is a French film from 1948, directed by Pierre Montazel, written by Pierre Montazel, and starring by Claude Dauphin. The film was also starred by Louis de Funès . The film was based on the novel of G...
- 1948: Du GuesclinDu 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: Vient de paraîtreVient de paraîtreVient de paraître is a French film from 1949, directed by Jacques Houssin, written by Michel Duran, and starring by Pierre Fresnay. The film was also starred by Louis de Funès .- Cast :* Pierre Fresnay : Moscat...
- 1949: Mon ami SainfoinMy Friend SainfoinMy Friend Sainfoin is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Paul-Adrien Schaye, written by Bernard de Latour, and starring by Pierre Blanchar...
- 1949: Mission à TangerMission in TangierMission in Tangier is a 1949 French drama film directed by André Hunebelle and starring Raymond Rouleau, Gaby Sylvia and Mila Parély. It was the first in the trilogy of films featuring dashing reporter Georges Masse, it was followed in 1950 by Méfiez-vous des blondes...
- 1949: Millionnaires d'un jourMillionnaires d'un jourMillionnaires d'un jour is a French comedy film from 1949, directed by André Hunebelle, written by Alex Joffé, and starring by Gaby Morlay. The film was starred by Louis de Funès .- Cast :* Gaby Morlay : Hélène Berger, wife of Pierre...
- 1949: Au revoir M. GrockClear the RingClear the Ring, French title Au revoir M. Grock , is a French comedy drama film from 1949, directed by Pierre Billon, written by Christian-Falaize, and starring by Grock. The film was starred by Louis de Funès. German title of film: "Grock: Der Mann der die Welt zum Lachen brachte" or "Manege frei"...
- 1949: Rendez-vous avec la chanceBed for Two; Rendezvous with LuckBed for Two; Rendezvous with Luck , is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Emil-Edwin Reinert, written by André-Paul Antoine, and starring by Henri Guisol. The film was starred by Louis de Funès...
- 1949: Pas de week-end pour notre amourNot Any Weekend for Our LoveNot Any Weekend for Our Love , is a French film from 1950, directed by Pierre Montazel, written by Pierre Montazel, and starring by Luis Mariano...
- 1949: Un certain monsieurA Certain MisterA Certain Mister , is a French crime film from 1950, directed by Yves Ciampi, written by Yannick Boysivon, and starring Louis de Funès. The scenario was written on the basis of Jean Le Hallier's novel, Prix du Quai des Orfèvres .- Cast :...
- 1949: Je n'aime que toiI Like Only YouI Like Only You , is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Pierre Montazel, written by Jean Montazel, and starring by Luis Mariano and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Louis de Funès : pianist of the orchestra...
- 1949: Le jugement de DieuJudgement of GodJudgement of God , is a French drama film from 1952, directed by Raymond Bernard, written by Jean Montazel, and starring by Andrée Debar and Louis de Funès. The scenario was written on the basis of German legend from the 15th century...
- 1950: La rue sans loiStreet Without a KingStreet Without a King , is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Marcel Gibaud, written by Dubout, and starring by André Gabriello and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Andrée Gabriello : Sparadra, gangster* Paul Demange : Anatole...
- 1950: Adémaï au poteau-frontièreAdémaï au poteau-frontièreAdémaï au poteau-frontière , is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Paul Colline, written by Paul Colline, and starring by Paul Colline and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Paul Colline : Adémaï, the peasant* Sophie Carral : La contrebandière...
- 1951: Dr. KnockDr. KnockDr. Knock, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Guy Lefranc, written by Georges Neveux, and starring by Louis Jouvet and Louis de Funès . French title of the film is Knock.- Cast :* Louis Jouvet : Dr. Knock* Jean Brochard : Dr...
- 1951: Les joueursLes joueursLes joueurs, is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Claude Barma, and starring Louis de Funès. The scenario was written on the basis of a Gogol's comedy The Gamblers .- Cast :* Louis de Funès : Piotr Petrovitch Spotniev...
- 1951: Un amour de parapluieUn amour de parapluieUn amour de parapluie , is a French short cinema film from 1950, directed by Jean Laviron, written by Paul Armont, and starring by Jacques-Henry Duval...
- 1951: Bibi FricotinBibi FricotinBibi Fricotin, is a French comedy film from 1950, directed by Marcel Blistène, written by Arthur Harfaux, and starring by Maurice Baquet. It was also starring by Louis de Funès .- Cast :* Maurice Baquet : Bibi Fricotin...
- 1951: Boniface somnambuleBoniface somnambuleBoniface somnambule, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Maurice Labro, written by Gérard Carlier, starring Fernandel and Louis de Funès...
- 1951: Boîte à vendreBoîte à vendreBoîte à vendre, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Claude André Lalande, written by Jean Broussolle, starring Jeannette Allouin and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Jeannette Allouin* Irène Hilda : A singer* Simone Alma : A singer* Maurice Schutz...
- 1951: Sans laisser d'adresse
- 1951: La rose rougeThe Red RoseThe Red Rose, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Marcello Pagliero, written by Robert Scipion, starring by Françoise Arnoul and Louis de Funès...
- 1951: Champions JuniorsChampions JuniorsChampions Juniors, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Pierre Blondy, written by Roger Cauvin, starring Louis de Funès. It is a short film.- External links :* at the Films de France...
- 1951: Le roi du bla bla blaThe King of the Bla Bla BlaThe King of the Bla Bla Bla, is a French comedy crime film from 1951, directed by Maurice Labro, written by Claude Boissol, starring by Paul Azaïs and Louis de Funès...
- 1951 La PassanteLa PassanteLa Passante , is a French drama film from 1951, directed by Henri Calef, written by Henri Calef, starring Henri Vidal and Louis de Funès. The scenario is based on the novel "La Femme sans passé" of Serge Groussard...
- 1951: La PoisonLa poisonLa Poison, is a French comedy drama film from 1951, directed by Sacha Guitry, written by Sacha Guitry, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès.- Cast :*Michel Simon : Paul Louis Victor Braconnier, horticulturist...
- 1951: Pas de vacances pour Monsieur le MaireNo Vacation for Mr. MayorNo Vacation for Mr. Mayor , is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Maurice Labro, written by Christian Duvaleix, starring Grégoire Aslan and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Grégoire Aslan : Mr Beaudubec* André Claveau : Philippe Lebon, the singer...
- 1951: Le DindonLe DindonLe Dindon , is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Claude Barma, written by Georges Feydeau, starring by Nadine Alari and Louis de Funès...
- 1951: L'amant de pailleThe Straw LoverThe Straw Lover , is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Gilles Grangier, written by Carlo Rim, starring by Nadine Alari and Louis de Funès...
- 1951: Folie douceFolie douceFolie douce, is a French comedy film from 1951, directed by Jean-Paul Paulin, written by Marcel-Éric Grancher, starring Anne Beressy and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Anne Beressy :* Lisette Jambel : Yolande* Marthe Mercadier : Juliette...
- 1951: Ma femme est 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: Le Voyage en AmériqueLe Voyage en AmériqueLe Voyage en Amérique , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Henri Lavorel, written by Roland Laudenbach, starring Madeleine Barbulée and Louis de Funès...
- 1952: Les Sept péchés capitauxLes Sept péchés capitauxLes Sept péchés capitaux is a 1962 film composed of seven different segments, one for each of the seven deadly sins.- External links :...
- 1952: Ils étaient cinqIls étaient cinqIls étaient cinq, is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Jack Pinoteau, written by Roland Laudenbach, starring by Marcel André and Louis de Funès...
- 1952: Les Dents longuesThe Long TeethThe Long Teeth , is a French comedy drama film from 1952, directed by Daniel Gélin, written by Michel Audiard, starring by Danièle Delorme and Louis de Funès...
- 1952: Agence matrimonialeAgence matrimonialeAgence matrimoniale , is a French comedy drama film from 1952, directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois, written by Jean-Paul Le Chanois, starring by Bernard Blier and Louis de Funès.- Cast :*Bernard Blier : Noël Pailleret, modest clerk of bank...
- 1952: La Fugue de Monsieur PerleLa Fugue de Monsieur PerleLa Fugue de Monsieur Perle , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, written by Loïc Le Gouriadec, starring Noël-Noël and Louis de Funès. The English title is "Run Away Mr. Perle".- Cast :* Noël-Noël : Mr...
- 1952: Innocents in ParisInnocents in ParisInnocents in Paris is a 1953 British French international co-production comedy film produced by Romulus Films, directed by Gordon Parry and starring Alastair Sim, Jimmy Edwards, Claire Bloom, Margaret Rutherford, James Copeland and Ronald Shiner as Dicky Bird...
- 1952: Elle et moiElle et moiElle et moi , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Guy Lefranc, written by Michel Audiard, starring François Périer and Louis de Funès. The English international title of the film is "She and Me"...
- 1952: Je l'ai été trois foisJe l'ai été trois foisJe l'ai été trois fois , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Sacha Guitry, written by Sacha Guitry, starring Sacha Guitry and Louis de Funès...
- 1952: Monsieur TaxiMonsieur TaxiMonsieur Taxi , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed André Hunebelle, written by Jean Halain, starring by Michel Simon and Louis de Funès. It is about Pierre Verger, who is nicknamed Monsieur Taxi and always in company of a smart young dog called "Gangster". -Plot:Monsieur Taxi comes across...
- 1952: Monsieur Leguignon LampisteMonsieur Leguignon LampisteMonsieur Leguignon lampiste , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Maurice Labro, written by Claude Boissol, starring Yves Deniaud and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Yves Deniaud : Diogène Leguignon* Roland Armontel : Mr. Maltestu...
- 1952: Le Huitième Art et la ManièreLe Huitième Art et la ManièreLe Huitième Art et la Manière , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Maurice Regamey, written by Armand Jammot, starring Christian Alers and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Christian Alers : Un présentateur* Luc Andrieux : Le bruiteur...
- 1952: Moineaux de ParisMoineaux de ParisMoineaux de Paris , is a French comedy drama film from 1952, directed by Maurice Cloche, written by Maurice Cloche, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Louis de Funès....
- 1952: L'amour n'est pas un péchéL'amour n'est pas un péchéL'amour n'est pas un pêché , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Claude Cariven, written by Claude Cariven, starring Robert Dhéry and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Robert Dhéry : Jacques Loursier, president of the l'U.R.A.F...
- 1952: La Putain respectueuseLa Putain respectueuseLa Putain respectueuse , is a French drama film from 1952, directed by Charles Brabant, written by Alexandre Astruc, starring Barbara Laage and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Barbara Laage : Lizzie Mac-Kay, singer hostess...
- 1952: Les loups chassent la nuitWolves Hunt at NightWolves Hunt at Night , is a French comedy film from 1952, directed by Bernard Borderie, written by Bernard Borderie, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Jean-Pierre Aumont : Cyril Dormoy, an agent of Mollert...
- 1953: Les Compagnes de la nuitLes Compagnes de la nuitLes Compagnes de la nuit , is a French drama film from 1953, directed by Ralph Habib, written by Paul Andréota, starring Françoise Arnoul and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Françoise Arnoul : Olga Viterbo* Raymond Pellegrin : Jo Verdier...
- 1953: La Vie d'un honnête hommeLa Vie d'un honnête hommeLa Vie d'un honnête homme , is a French comedy drama film from 1953, directed by Sacha Guitry, written by Sacha Guitry, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Michel Simon : Albert and Alain Ménard-Lacoste...
- 1953: Le rireLe Rire (film)Le Rire , is a French comedy film from 1953, directed by Maurice Regamey, starring Louis de Funès. Louis de Funès gives a definition of the laugh.- External links :* at the Films de France...
- 1953: L'Étrange Désir de monsieur BardL'Étrange Désir de monsieur BardL'Étrange Désir de monsieur Bard , is a French drama film from 1954, directed by Géza von Radványi, written by Géza von Radványi, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Michel Simon : Auguste Bard* Yves Deniaud : Antonio...
- 1953: Dortoir des grandesDortoir des grandesDortoir des grandes , is a French crime drama film from 1954, directed by Henri Decoin, written by François Chalais, starring Jean Marais and Louis de Funès...
- 1953: Au diable la vertuAu diable la vertuAu diable la vertu , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Jean Laviron, written by François Chalais, starring Henri Génès and Louis de Funès...
- 1953: Légère et court vêtueLégère et court vêtueLégère et court vêtue , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Jean Laviron, written by Jean Guitton, starring Madeleine Lebeau and Louis de Funès...
- 1953: Capitaine PantoufleCapitaine PantoufleCapitaine Pantoufle , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Guy Lefranc, written by Alfred Adam, starring Madeleine Lebeau and Louis de Funès. The scenario was based on the work of Alfred Adam – "Many".- Cast :...
- 1953: Le Secret d'Hélène MarimonLe Secret d'Hélène MarimonLe Secret d'Hélène Marimon , is a French drama film from 1954, directed by Henri Calef, written by Henri Calef, starring Isa Miranda and Louis de Funès. The scenario was based on the novel of J. B...
- 1953: Faites-moi confianceFaites-moi confianceFaites-moi confiance , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Gilles Grangier, written by Francis Blanche, starring Zappy Max and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Zappy Max : Happy Max, the unsuccessful illusionist...
- 1953: Mon frangin du SénégalMon frangin du SénégalMon frangin du Sénégal , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Guy Lacourt, written by Norbert Carbonnaux, starring Raymond Bussières and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Raymond Bussières : Jules Pinson, photograph and son "double": César...
- 1954: Poisson d'avrilPoisson d'avril (film)Poisson d'avril , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Gilles Grangier, written by Michel Audiard, starring Zappy Max and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Bourvil : Emile Dupuy, auto mechanic* Louis de Funès : the guard fishes...
- 1954: Ah! Les belles bacchantesAh! Les belles bacchantesAh! Les belles bacchantes , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Jean Loubignac, written by Francis Blanche, starring Robert Dhéry and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "Femmes de Paris", "Peek-a-boo" .- Plot :...
- 1954: Le Blé en herbeLe Blé en herbe (1954 film)Le Blé en herbe is a 1954 French film by Claude Autant-Lara based on the 1923 novel by French novelist Colette. The film stars Edwige Feuillère, Pierre-Michel Beck , Nicole Berger , Robert Berri and Louis de Funès. It is black and white with a monaural soundtrack....
- 1954: Le Chevalier de la nuitLe Chevalier de la nuitLe Chevalier de la nuit , is a French comedy film from 1953, directed by Robert Darène, written by Jean Anouilh, starring Renée Saint-Cyr and Louis de Funès...
- 1954: Les corsaires du Bois de BoulogneLes Corsaires du Bois de BoulogneLes Corsaires du Bois de Boulogne , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed and written by Norbert Carbonnaux, starring Raymond Bussières and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Raymond Bussières : Hector Colomb, street singer...
- 1954: Escalier de serviceEscalier de serviceEscalier de service , is a French comedy drama film from 1954, directed and written by Carlo Rim, starring Etchika Choureau and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Etchika Choureau : Marie-Lou* Louis de Funès : Cesare Grimaldi, the father, Italian artist...
- 1954: Fraternité (TV)Fraternité (TV)Fraternité , is a French comedy TV film from 1954, directed by René Lucot, written by Fernand Fleuret, starring Julien Carette and Louis de Funès....
- 1954: Les hommes ne pensent qu'à çaLes hommes ne pensent qu'à çaLes hommes ne pensent qu'à ça , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Yves Robert, written by Jean Bellanger, starring Jean-Marie Amato and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Jean-Marie Amato : Don Juan* Jean Bellanger : Alfred, the timid lover...
- 1954: Huis closHuis clos (1954 film)Huis clos , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Jacqueline Audry, written by Jean-Paul Sartre, starring Jean-Marie Amato and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Arletty : Inès Serrano, lesbian* Gaby Sylvia : Estelle Rigaud, the infanticide...
- 1954: Les IntrigantesLes IntrigantesLes Intrigantes , is a French crime drama film from 1954, directed by Henri Decoin, written by François Boyer, starring Raymond Rouleau and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Raymond Rouleau : Paul Rémi, the director of theatre...
- 1954: Mam'zelle NitoucheMam'zelle Nitouche (1954 film)Mam'zelle Nitouche , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Yves Allégret, written by Marcel Achard, starring Fernandel and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Fernandel : Célestin, the organist and Floridor the compositor...
- 1954: The Sheep Has Five LegsThe Sheep Has Five LegsThe Sheep Has Five Legs is a 1954 French film directed by Henri Verneuil. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story.- Cast :*Fernandel as Édouard Saint-Forget / Les quintuplés : Alain, Bernard, Charles, Désiré...
- 1954: Papa, maman, la bonne et moiPapa, maman, la bonne et moiPapa, maman, la bonne et moi , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois, written by Marcel Aymé, starring Robert Lamoureux and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Robert Lamoureux : Robert Langlois, the son, future lawyer...
- 1954: Les pépées font la loiLes pépées font la loiLes pépées font la loi , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by Raoul André, written by Raymond Caillava, starring Claudine Dupuis and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Claudine Dupuis : Elvire, a daughter of Flora...
- 1954: La Reine MargotLa Reine Margot (1954 film)La Reine Margot is a 1954 French drama film directed by Jean Dréville, scripted by Abel Gance from the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. It stars Jeanne Moreau and Louis de Funès...
- 1954: Scènes de ménageScènes de ménageScènes de ménage , is a French comedy film from 1954, directed by André Berthomieu, written by Marcel Achard, starring Bernard Blier and Louis de Funès...
- 1954: TourmentsTourmentsTourments , is a French drama film from 1954, directed by Jacques Daniel-Norman, written by Jacques Daniel-Norman, starring Paul Azaïs and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Paul Azaïs : father Bizule, security guard of construction site...
- 1955: NapoléonNapoléon (1955 film)Napoléon is a 1955 French historical epic film directed by Sacha Guitry that depicts major events in the life of Napoleon I of France.The film is notable for its use of location shooting for numerous scenes, especially at the French estates of Malmaison and Fontainebleau, the Palace of Versailles,...
- 1955: Ingrid - Die Geschichte eines FotomodellsIngrid - Die Geschichte eines FotomodellsIngrid - Die Geschichte eines Fotomodells , is a German comedy film from 1955, directed by Geza Von Radvanyi, written by Gerda Corbett, starring Johanna Matz and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Johanna Matz : Ingrid* Louis de Funès : D'Arrigio, modeschöpfer...
- 1955: Les ImpuresLes ImpuresLes Impures , is a French drama film from 1954, directed by Pierre Chevalier, written by Juliette Saint-Giniez, starring Micheline Presle and Louis de Funès...
- 1955: L'impossible Monsieur PipeletL'impossible Monsieur PipeletL'impossible Monsieur Pipelet , is a French comedy drama film from 1955, directed by André Hunebelle, written by Jacques Gut, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles "The Impossible Mr...
- 1955: Les HussardsLes HussardsLes Hussards , is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Alex Joffé, written by Gabriel Arout, starring Bernard Blier and Louis de Funès...
- 1955: La Bande à papaLa Bande à papaLa Bande à Papa , is a French comedy film from 1956, directed by Guy Lefranc, written by Roger Pierre, starring Fernand Raynaud and Louis de Funès...
- 1955: Bonjour sourireBonjour sourireBonjour sourire , is a French comedy film from 1956, directed by Claude Sautet, written by Jean Marsan, starring Henri Salvador and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles "Die tolle Residenz" , "Sourire aux lèvres" .- Cast :* Henri Salvador : himself* Louis de Funès : M...
- 1955: Si Paris nous était conté
- 1955: Frou-FrouFrou-FrouFrou-Frou, is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Augusto Genina, written by A.E. Carr, starring Dany Robin and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "The Toy Wife", "Frou-Frou, die Pariserin" .- Cast :...
- 1955: Mädchen ohne GrenzenMädchen ohne GrenzenMädchen ohne Grenzen , is a French drama film from 1955, directed by Géza von Radványi, written by Jacob Geis, starring Sonja Ziemann and Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Sonja Ziemann : Helga Gruber* Ivan Desny : Eric Johnson* Barbara Rütting : Maria Johnson...
- 1956: La Traversée de ParisLa Traversée de Paris (film)La Traversée de Paris , is a French comedy drama film from 1956, directed by Claude Autant-Lara, written by Marcel Aymé, starring Jean Gabin, Bourvil and Louis de Funès...
- 1956: La Famille AnodinLa Famille AnodinLa Famille Anodin , is a French TV serial, in 8 episodes of 45 minutes, from 1956, on RTF.- Cast :*Alfred Adam*Claude Albers*Blanchette Brunoy*Jean-Pierre Cassel*Colette Castel*Yvonne Clech*Pierre Dac*Louis de Funès*Pierre Destailles...
- 1956: Papa, maman, ma femme et moiPapa, maman, ma femme et moiPapa, maman, ma femme et moi , is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois, written by Marcel Aymé, starring Robert Lamoureux and Louis de Funès...
- 1956: Bébés à gogoBébés à gogoBébés à gogo , is a French comedy film from 1956, directed by Paul Mesnier, written by Marcel Franck, starring Jane Sourza and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the title: "Babes a GoGo" .- Cast :...
- 1956: La Loi des ruesLa Loi des ruesLa Loi des rues , is a French drama film from 1956, directed by Ralph Habib, written by Jean Ferry, starring Raymond Pellegrin and Louis de Funès...
- 1956: 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...
- 1957: Comme un cheveu sur la soupeComme un cheveu sur la soupeComme un cheveu sur la soupe , is a French comedy film from 1956, directed by Maurice Regamey, written by Yvan Audouard, starring Louis de Funès. The film is known under the title: "Crazy in the Noodle" or "Kindly Kill Me" ....
- 1958: Taxi, Roulotte et CorridaTaxi, Roulotte et CorridaTaxi, Roulotte et Corrida , is a French comedy film from 1958, directed by André Hunebelle, written by Jean Halain, starring Louis de Funès....
- 1958: Ni vu, ni connuNi vu, ni connu (1958 film)Ni vu, ni connu , is a French comedy film from 1958, directed by Yves Robert, written by Alphonse Allais, starring Louis de Funès. The film is based on the novel "L'Affaire Blaireau" of Alphonse Allais...
- 1958: La Vie à deuxLa Vie à deuxLa Vie à deux , is a French comedy film from 1958, directed by Clément Duhour, written by Clément Duhour, starring Pierre Brasseur and Louis de Funès...
- 1959: I TartassatiI TartassatiI Tartassati, is an Italian comedy film from 1959, directed by Stefano Vanzina, written by Aldo Fabrizi, starring Totò and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "The Overtaxed" , "Fripouillard et Compagnie" ....
(French title: Fripouillard & Cie) - 1959: Totò, Eva e il pennello proibitoTotò, Eva e il pennello proibitoTotò, Eva e il pennello proibito, is an Italian comedy film from 1959, directed by Stefano Vanzina, written by Vittorio Metz, starring Totò and Louis de Funès...
- 1959: Certains l'aiment froideCertains l'aiment froideCertains l'aiment froide, is a French comedy film from 1960, directed by Jean Bastia, written by Guy Lionel, starring Louis de Funès. The film is known under the title: "Les râleurs font leur beurre" ....
- 1959: Mon pote le gitanMon pote le gitanMon pote le gitan , is a French comedy film from 1959, directed by François Gir, written by Alain Blancel, starring Louis de Funès. In Italy the film is known under the title: "Il dottor zivago"....
- 1960: Dans l'eau qui fait des bullesDans l'eau qui fait des bullesDans l'eau qui fait des bulles, is a French comedy film from 1961, directed by Maurice Delbez, written by Marcel Prêtre, starring Louis de Funès...
- 1960: Le Capitaine FracasseLe Capitaine FracasseLe Capitaine Fracasse , is a French comedy film from 1961, directed by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, written by Pierre Gaspard-Huit and Pierre Gaspard-Huit, starring Jean Marais and Louis de Funès...
- 1960: Les TortillardsLes TortillardsLes Tortillards , is a French comedy film from 1960, directed by Jean Bastia, written by Pierre Gaspard-Huit, starring Jean Richard and Louis de Funès. The film was known under the titles: "Io.....
- 1960: Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècleCandide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècleCandide ou l'Optimisme du XXe siècle is a 1960 French comedy drama film directed by Norbert Carbonnaux and written by Carbonnaux and Albert Simonin. It stars Jean-Pierre Cassel as Candide, Pierre Brasseur as Pangloss, Louis de Funès as the officer of the Gestapo, and Daliah Lavi as Cunégonde...
- 1961: Le Crime ne paie pasLe Crime ne paie pasLe Crime ne paie pas is a 1962 French drama film directed by Gérard Oury. The film stars Danielle Darrieux, Michèle Morgan, Edwige Feuillère and Annie Girardot...
- 1961: La Belle AméricaineLa Belle AméricaineLa Belle Américaine , is a French comedy film from 1961, directed by Robert Dhéry, written by Alfred Adam, starring Alfred Adam and Louis de Funès...
- 1962: La VendettaLa Vendetta (1962 film)La Vendetta , is a French comedy film from 1962, directed by Jean Chérasse, written by Albert Valentin, starring Francis Blanche and Louis de Funès. The film was known under the titles: "Bandito sì.....
- 1962: Un clair de lune à MaubeugeUn clair de lune à MaubeugeUn clair de lune à Maubeuge , is a French comedy film from 1962, directed by Jean Chérasse, written by Claude Choublier, starring Claude Brasseur and Louis de Funès...
- 1962: Le Gentleman d'EpsomLe Gentleman d'EpsomLe Gentleman d'Epsom , is a French comedy film from 1962, directed by Gilles Grangier, written by Michel Audiard, starring Jean Gabin and Louis de Funès...
- 1962: Les VeinardsLes VeinardsLes Veinards , is a French comedy film from 1963, directed by Philippe de Broca and Jean Girault, written by Jacques Vilfrid and Jean Girault, starring France Anglade and Louis de Funès...
- 1962: Nous irons à DeauvilleNous irons à DeauvilleNous irons à Deauville , is a French comedy film from 1963, directed by Francis Rigaud, written by Francis Rigaud and Jacques Vilfrid, starring Michel Serrault and Louis de Funès . The film is known under the titles: "We Will Go to Deauville" , "Io.....
- 1962: Le Diable et les Dix CommandementsLe Diable et les Dix CommandementsLe Diable et les Dix Commandements , is a French comedy-drama film from 1963, directed by Julien Duvivier, written by David Alexander and Michel Audiard, starring Michel Simon and Louis de Funès...
- 1963: Des pissenlits par la racineDes pissenlits par la racine-Plot:When he got out of prison, Jo finds out that his love Rocky was cheating on him with Jockey Jack to get his revenge he sends his man "pom chips" to kill Jockey. But accidentally "Jockey" kills "pom chips". He now has to hide the dead man, so he hides him in a big violin case belonging to...
- 1963: Pouic-PouicPouic-PouicPouic-Pouic, is a French comedy film from 1963, directed by Jean Girault, written by Jean Girault and Jacques Vilfrid, starring Louis de Funès. The film is known under the titles: "Casamento a Propósito" , "El pollo de mi mujer" , "Quietsch... quietsch.....
- 1963: Carambolages
- 1963: Faites sauter la banque!Faites sauter la banque!Faites sauter la banque! , is a French comedy film from 1964, directed by Jean Girault, written by Louis Sapin and Jean Girault, starring Louis de Funès...
- 1964: FantômasFantômas (film)Fantômas is a 1964 French film starring Jean Marais as the arch villain with the same name opposite Louis de Funès as the earnest but outclassed commissaire Paul Juve. In the film Juve teams up with journalist Fandor, also played by Marais, trying to catch Fantômas but never quite succeeding...
- 1964: Le gendarme de Saint-TropezLe gendarme de Saint-TropezLe gendarme de Saint-Tropez is a 1964 French comedy film with Louis de Funès. The film mostly takes place in Saint-Tropez, a fashionable resort on the French Riviera. Louis de Funès plays Ludovic Cruchot, the sergeant of gendarmerie of Saint-Tropez...
- 1964: Une souris chez les hommesUne souris chez les hommesUne souris chez les hommes , is a French comedy film from 1963, directed by Jacques Poitrenaud, written by Michel Audiard and Francis Ryck, starring Dany Saval and Louis de Funès...
- 1965: Le corniaudLe CorniaudLe Corniaud is a French, Italian and Spanish comedy film by Gérard Oury, released in 1965.-Plot:While leaving his flat in Paris for vacation, Antoine Maréchal has an car accident. His 2CV is totally wrecked by Léopold Saroyan's Bentley, the director of an import-export company...
- 1965: Fantômas se déchaîneFantômas se déchaîneFantômas se déchaîne is a 1965 film starring Jean Marais as the arch villain with the same name opposite Louis de Funès as the earnest but outclassed commissaire Juve and the journalist Fandor, also played by Marais. It was France's answer, with the Fantômas trilogy starting in 1964, to the James...
- 1965: Le gendarme à New YorkLe gendarme à New YorkGendarme in New York is the sequel to the French comedy film Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez. It stars Louis de Funès as the gendarme. With Michel Galabru, Christian Marin, Grosso and Modo, Alan Scott-Plot:...
- 1965: Les Bons VivantsLes Bons VivantsLes Bons Vivants , is a French comedy film from 1965, directed by Gilles Grangier, written by Michel Audiard and Albert Kantof, starring Louis de Funès...
- 1966: La Grande VadrouilleLa Grande VadrouilleLa Grande Vadrouille is a 1966 Franco-British comedy film about how the crew of a Royal Air Force B-17 shot down over Paris must then make their way through German-occupied France with the main help of two French citizens with very different mindsets.For over forty...
- 1966: Le Grand Restaurant
- 1966: Fantômas contre Scotland YardFantômas contre Scotland YardFantômas contre Scotland Yard is the final installment of a trilogy of films starring Jean Marais as the arch villain with the same name opposite Louis de Funès as the earnest but outclassed commissaire Juve and the journalist Fandor, also played by Marais. The trilogy was France's answer,...
- 1967: Les grandes vacances
- 1967: OscarOscar (1967 film)Oscar is a French comedy of errors movie from 1967, directed by Édouard Molinaro and starring Louis de Funès. In the movie, Louis de Funès plays an industrialist named Bertrand Barnier who discovers over the course of a single day that his daughter is pregnant, he has been robbed by an employee,...
- 1968: Le Petit Baigneur
- 1968: Le tatouéLe tatouéLe tatoué is a French–Italian comedy movie from 1968, directed by Denys de La Patellière, written by Alphonse Boudard, and starring by Jean Gabin and Louis de Funès.- Cast :...
- 1968: Le gendarme se marieLe gendarme se marieThe Gendarme Gets Married is the continuation of the gendarme series, starring Louis de Funès. It is followed by three more films. The series of comic films was started by Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez, this was the Cruchot's daughter's final appearance....
- 1969: HibernatusHibernatusHibernatus is a 1969 French comedy science fiction film directed by Édouard Molinaro and written by Jean Bernard-Luc. It stars Louis de Funès as an industrialist named Hubert Barrère de Tartas.-Plot:...
- 1970: L'homme orchestreL'homme orchestreL'homme orchestre is a comedy film from 1969 directed by Serge Korber, written by Jean Halain, and starring by Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Louis de Funès : Mr Edouard* Noëlle Adam : Françoise* Olivier de Funès : Philippe Evans...
- 1970: Le gendarme en baladeLe gendarme en baladeThe gendarme to stroll is a continuation of the gendarme series starring Louis de Funès. It is followed by two more films, Le gendarme et les extra-terrestres and Le gendarme et les gendarmettes. It is also preceded by three "Le Gendarme" films....
- 1971: La folie des grandeurs
- 1971: JoJo (film)Jo is a French comedy film, originally released in 1971. It is known in English-language territories either as Joe: The Busy Body or The Gazebo...
- 1971: Sur un arbre perchéPerched on a TreePerched on a Tree is a French comedy movie from 1971, directed by Serge Korber, written by Pierre Roustang, and starring Louis de Funès.- Cast :* Louis de Funès : Henri Roubier* Olivier de Funès : auto-stopper...
- 1973: Les aventures de Rabbi JacobThe Mad Adventures of Rabbi JacobThe Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob is a 1973 French comedy film directed by Gérard Oury, starring Louis de Funès and Claude Giraud.-Plot:...
- 1976: L'aile ou la cuisseL'aile ou la cuisseL'aile ou la cuisse is a 1976 French comedy film directed by Claude Zidi, starring Louis de Funès and Coluche.-Plot:Charles Duchemin is the editor of an internationally known restaurant guide...
- 1978: La Zizanie
- 1978: Le gendarme et les extra-terrestresLe gendarme et les extra-terrestresThe Gendarme and the Extra-Terrestrials is a continuation of the Gendarme series starring Louis de Funès. It is followed by one more film, Le gendarme et les gendarmettes.- Plot :...
- 1980: L'avareL'avare (1980 movie)L'avare is a French comedy movie from 1980, directed by Louis de Funès and Jean Girault, written by Louis de Funès and Jean Girault, and starring by Louis de Funès. The English title of the film is The Miser. It is an adaptation of Moliere's famous comedy L'Avare ou L'École du mensonge .De Funès...
- 1981: La Soupe aux chouxLa soupe aux chouxLa Soupe aux Choux is a 1981 French film directed by Jean Girault, based on a novel by René Fallet. It was the second to last movie made by French comedian Louis de Funès.-Plot:...
- 1982: Le gendarme et les gendarmettesLe gendarme et les gendarmettesThe gendarme and the gendarmettes is the sixth and last movie of the Gendarme series starring Louis de Funès, in his final performance. This was also director Jean Girault's final film.- Synopsis :...
External links
- FilmsdeFrance.com – Louis de Funès overview
- Louis de Funès – Films de France