Philippe Clay
Encyclopedia
Philippe Clay, born Philippe Mathevet, (March 7, 1927 – December 13, 2007) was a French mime artist, singer and actor.
He was known for his tall and slim silhouette (he was 1,90 m tall) and for his interpretations of songs by Charles Aznavour
, Claude Nougaro
, Jean-Roger Caussimon
, Boris Vian
, Serge Gainsbourg
, Jean Yanne
, Léo Ferré
, Jacques Datin, Jean-Claude Massoulier or Bernard Dimey. He interpreted “La Complainte des Apaches” for the TV series Les Brigades du Tigre, written by Henri Djian and composed by Claude Bolling.
As an actor, he appeared in many movies (Bell, Book and Candle
) and television films. One of his famous roles is in the Jean Renoir
film, French Cancan
, where he played Casimir le Serpentin (a character inspired by Valentin le désossé
).
He was known for his tall and slim silhouette (he was 1,90 m tall) and for his interpretations of songs by Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour
Charles Aznavour, OC is an Armenian-French singer, songwriter, actor, public activist and diplomat. Besides being one of France's most popular and enduring singers, he is also one of the best-known singers in the world...
, Claude Nougaro
Claude Nougaro
Claude Nougaro was a French songwriter and singer.Claude Nougaro was born in Toulouse to a respected French opera singer, Pierre Nougaro, and an Italian piano teacher, Liette Tellini. He was raised by his grandparents in Toulouse where he heard Glenn Miller, Édith Piaf and Louis Armstrong on the...
, Jean-Roger Caussimon
Jean-Roger Caussimon
Jean-Roger Caussimon was a French singer-songwriter and film actor. He appeared in 90 films between 1945 and 1985 but is better known for having worked with poet-singer Léo Ferré.- Discography :...
, Boris Vian
Boris Vian
Boris Vian was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer. He is best remembered today for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan were bizarre parodies of criminal fiction, highly controversial at the time of their...
, 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...
, Jean Yanne
Jean Yanne
Jean Yanne is the artist name of Jean Gouyé, born the 18 July 1933 in Les Lilas who died the 23 May 2003 in Morsains...
, Léo Ferré
Léo Ferré
Léo Ferré was a Franco-Monegasque poet, composer, singer and musician.Born in Monaco, Ferré mixed love and melancholy with moral anarchy, lyricism with slang, rhyming verse with prose monologues...
, Jacques Datin, Jean-Claude Massoulier or Bernard Dimey. He interpreted “La Complainte des Apaches” for the TV series Les Brigades du Tigre, written by Henri Djian and composed by Claude Bolling.
As an actor, he appeared in many movies (Bell, Book and Candle
Bell, Book and Candle
Bell, Book and Candle is a romantic comedy directed by Richard Quine based on the hit Broadway play by John Van Druten. It starred James Stewart and Kim Novak in their second on-screen pairing . The film, adapted by Daniel Taradash, was Stewart's last film as a romantic lead...
) and television films. One of his famous roles is in the Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
film, French Cancan
French Cancan
French Cancan is a 1954 French musical film written and directed by Jean Renoir and starring Jean Gabin and María Félix.-Plot:Set in 1890s Paris, Henri Danglard is the owner of a cafe, which features his mistress, Lola, as a belly dancer...
, where he played Casimir le Serpentin (a character inspired by Valentin le désossé
Valentin le désossé
Valentin le désossé - Valentin the Boneless - was the stage name of Jacques Renaudin, a French Cancan dancer and partner of La Goulue.He was the son of a notary from Sceaux...
).
Selected filmography
- The Hunchback of Notre DameThe Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956 film)The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1956 French film version of Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, directed by Jean Delannoy and produced by Raymond Hakim and Robert Hakim. The film is the first version of the novel to be made in color.It stars Mexican actor Anthony Quinn as Quasimodo and Gina...
(1956) - 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...
(1961) - Man from CocodyMan from CocodyMan from Cocody is a French adventure film from 1965 set in Cocody, Ivory Coast. It was directed by Christian-Jaque, written by Christian-Jaque and Jacques Emmanuel, starring Jean Marais...
(1965) - ShanksShanks (film)Shanks is a 1974 American horror film about a puppeteer able to manipulate dead bodies like puppets. Mime Marcel Marceau, in his first major film role, plays the titular Malcolm Shanks. It was the last film directed by producer-director William Castle....
(1974) - CatherineCatherine (1986 TV series)Catherine - a French TV series produced for Antenne 2 channel in 1986. It was based on the series of "Catherine" novels written by Juliette Benzoni. The series was directed by Marion Sarraut, who had already successfully brought on TV another of Madame Benzoni's work - Marianne...
(1986) (TV series) - La Rivière EspéranceLa Rivière EspéranceLa Rivière Espérance is a French TV series, 9 episodes of 90 minutes each, directed by Josée Dayan based on the novel by Christian Signol and shown in 1995 on France 2.-Synopsis:...
(1995) (TV series) - TuvaluTuvalu (film)Tuvalu is a 1999 experimental movie from Germany. The style evokes early 20th Century Silent movies and motifs commonly found in German expressionism. The sparse dialog is presented in a mix of European languages...
(1999)