Pierre Étaix
Encyclopedia
Pierre Étaix is a French clown
, comedian
and filmmaker. Étaix made a series of acclaimed short- and feature
-length films in the 1960s, many of them co-written by influential screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière
. He has won an Academy Award. Due to a legal dispute with a distribution company
, these films have been unavailable for a long period of time. They have now been restored and are available again.
As an actor, assistant director
and gag writer, Étaix has worked with the likes of Jacques Tati
, Robert Bresson
, Nagisa Oshima
, Otar Iosseliani
and Jerry Lewis
, who cast the comedian in his unreleased film The Day the Clown Cried
.
, France, Pierre Étaix moved to Paris in 1954. to work as an illustrator and cabaret
performer He met the filmmaker and clown Jacques Tati
, and began to help Tati work on the project that later became Mon Oncle
, on which Étaix served as assistant director
. Two years later, Étaix made his first short films: Rupture and Heureux Anniversaire; the latter won Étaix an Academy Award for Best Short Subject. The films also marked the first produced screenplays of Étaix's co-writer, Jean-Claude Carrière
, who would go on to an acclaimed career as the favorite collaborator of Luis Buñuel
's late period.
Étaix continued making films throughout the 1960s before resuming his career as a clown in 1971, when he joined the touring company of the Pinder Circus. Since then he has authored several plays and books, including writing on film and clowning.
Étaix was married to the Algeria
n-born clown and actress Annie Fratellini
until her death in 1997.
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and filmmaker. Étaix made a series of acclaimed short- and feature
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
-length films in the 1960s, many of them co-written by influential screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière is a screenwriter and actor. Alumnus of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, he was a frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel...
. He has won an Academy Award. Due to a legal dispute with a distribution company
Film distribution
The distribution of a film is the process through which a movie is made available to watch for an audience by a film distributor...
, these films have been unavailable for a long period of time. They have now been restored and are available again.
As an actor, assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
and gag writer, Étaix has worked with the likes of Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker, working as a comedic actor, writer and director. In a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly of the Greatest Movie Directors Tati was voted the 46th greatest of all time...
, Robert Bresson
Robert Bresson
-Life and career:Bresson was born at Bromont-Lamothe, Puy-de-Dôme, the son of Marie-Élisabeth and Léon Bresson. Little is known of his early life and the year of his birth, 1901 or 1907, varies depending on the source. He was educated at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, close to Paris, and...
, Nagisa Oshima
Nagisa Oshima
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. After graduating from Kyoto University he was hired by Shochiku Ltd. and quickly progressed to directing his own movies, making his debut feature A Town of Love and Hope in 1959....
, Otar Iosseliani
Otar Iosseliani
- Filmography :* Akvarel * Sapovnela * April / Ap'rili* Tudzhi * Falling Leaves, / Giorgobistve* Georgian Ancient Songs / Dzveli qartuli simgera...
and Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
, who cast the comedian in his unreleased film The Day the Clown Cried
The Day the Clown Cried
The Day the Clown Cried is an unfinished and unreleased 1972 film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It is based on a script of the same name by Joan O'Brien, who had co-written the original script with Charles Denton 10 years previously. The film was met with controversy regarding its premise...
.
Biography
Born and raised in RoanneRoanne
Roanne is a commune in the Loire department in central France.It is located northwest of Lyon on the Loire River.-Economy:...
, France, Pierre Étaix moved to Paris in 1954. to work as an illustrator and 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...
performer He met the filmmaker and clown Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati
Jacques Tati was a French filmmaker, working as a comedic actor, writer and director. In a poll conducted by Entertainment Weekly of the Greatest Movie Directors Tati was voted the 46th greatest of all time...
, and began to help Tati work on the project that later became Mon Oncle
Mon Oncle
Mon Oncle is a 1958 film comedy by French filmmaker Jacques Tati. The first of Tati's films to be released in colour, Mon Oncle won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a Special Prize at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign...
, on which Étaix served as assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
. Two years later, Étaix made his first short films: Rupture and Heureux Anniversaire; the latter won Étaix an Academy Award for Best Short Subject. The films also marked the first produced screenplays of Étaix's co-writer, Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière
Jean-Claude Carrière is a screenwriter and actor. Alumnus of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, he was a frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel...
, who would go on to an acclaimed career as the favorite collaborator of Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
's late period.
Étaix continued making films throughout the 1960s before resuming his career as a clown in 1971, when he joined the touring company of the Pinder Circus. Since then he has authored several plays and books, including writing on film and clowning.
Étaix was married to the Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n-born clown and actress Annie Fratellini
Annie Fratellini
Annie Fratellini was a French circus clown and film actress.She was born Annie Violette Fratellini in Algiers, Algeria to a Pied-noir family of Italian descent. The fourth generation of one of Europe's most famous circus families, The Fratellini Family. Her father was Victor Fratellini. Her...
until her death in 1997.
As director
- Insomnie (1961) Short unreleased
- Heureux AnniversaireHeureux AnniversaireHeureux Anniversaire is a 1962 short comedy film directed by Pierre Étaix. It won an Academy Award in 1963 for Best Short Subject.-Cast:* Robert Blome* Pierre Étaix* Lucien Frégis* Laurence Lignières...
(1962) Short - Le SoupirantThe SuitorThe Suitor is a 1962 French comedy film directed by and starring Pierre Étaix. It was entered into the 13th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Pierre Étaix - Pierre, the Suitor* Laurence Lignères - Laurence* Claude Massot - Father...
(1962) Short - Nous n'irons plus au bois (1961) Short unreleased
- YoyoYo YoYo Yo is a 1965 film by Pierre Étaix. It was entered into the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:Yo Yo is a 1920s billionaire who, although having everything he fancies and living in a cavernous old castle, is not happy because he is in love with a beautiful circus artist. The stock-exchange crashes...
(1965) - Tant qu'on a la santé (1966)
- Le Grand amour (1969)
- Pays de cocagne (1971) Documentary
- Souris noireSouris noireSouris noire is a French television series which debuted 1987 on France 3. The series focuses on a teenage girl whom tries to solve different mysteries undercover as her alter ego "Black Mouse" and ends up experiencing all sorts of adventures....
(1987) Episode of TV series - L'âge de Monsieur est avancé (1987)
- Méliès 88: Rêve d'artiste (1988) TV short
- J'écris dans l'espace (1989)
- En pleine forme (2010) Short
Awards
- Louis Delluc PrizeLouis Delluc PrizeLe Prix Louis-Delluc is a French film award.For every year It has been awarded since its creation in 1937 , it has been bestowed on the second Thursday of December. The jury is composed of 20 members, made up of a group of film critics and personalities who are cultural significance. Gilles Jacob...
, 1962, for Le Soupirant - Academy Award, Best Short Subject, Live Action Subjects (1963), for Heureux anniversaire shared with Jean-Claude CarrièreJean-Claude CarrièreJean-Claude Carrière is a screenwriter and actor. Alumnus of the École normale supérieure de Saint-Cloud, he was a frequent collaborator with Luis Buñuel...
- Telluride Film Festival Silver MedallionTelluride Film Festival Silver MedallionThe Silver Medallion is an award given by the Telluride Film Festival in recognition of achievements in the film industry.-History of the Silver Medallion:...
, 2011