Serge Reggiani
Encyclopedia
Serge Reggiani was an Italian-born French singer and actor. He was born in Reggio Emilia, Italy and moved to France with his parents at the age of eight. For many years, he struggled with alcoholism, caused in part by the 1980 suicide of his son Stephan.
After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by Jean Cocteau
and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles
("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance.
His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("Gates of the Night
"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or
, Les Misérables
(1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos
, Il Gattopardo
, La terrazza
, The Pianist
(1998).
In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre
’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona
. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret
and her husband Yves Montand
and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson
" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners.
His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was Boris Vian
(Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience.
In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004.
In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork.
Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel
. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery
.
After acting school (Conservatoire des arts cinématographiques) he was discovered by 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...
and appeared in a wartime production of Les Parents terribles
Les parents terribles
Les Parents terribles is a 1938 French play written by Jean Cocteau. Despite initial problems with censorship, it was revived on the French stage several times after its original production, and in 1948 a film adaptation directed by Cocteau himself was released...
("The Terrible Parents"). During World War II, he left Paris to join the French resistance.
His first feature film came in 1946 with his role in Les portes de la nuit ("Gates of the Night
Gates of the Night
Gates of the Night is a 1946 French film directed by Marcel Carné. It starred Serge Reggiani and Yves Montand. The script was written by Carné's long-time collaborators, Jacques Prévert and Joseph Kosma...
"). He later went on to perform in 80 films including Casque d'or
Casque d'or
Casque d'or is a 1952 French film directed by Jacques Becker. It is a Belle Époque tragedy, the story of an ill-fated love affair between characters played by Simone Signoret and Serge Reggiani.-Plot:...
, Les Misérables
Les Misérables (1958 film)
Les Misérables is a film version of the Victor Hugo novel released in France on March 12, 1958. Written by Michel Audiard and René Barjavel, the film was directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois...
(1958),Tutti a casa, Le Doulos
Le Doulos
Le Doulos is a 1962 French crime film directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It was released theatrically as The Finger Man in the English-speaking world, but all video and DVD releases have used the French title...
, Il Gattopardo
Il gattopardo
Il gattopardo may refer to:*The Leopard, a novel*The Leopard , a film based on the novel...
, La terrazza
La terrazza
La terrazza is a 1980 Italian drama film directed by Ettore Scola. It is starred by the best of Italian Cinema on those days: Marcello Mastroianni, Ugo Tognazzi, Vittorio Gassman, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Serge Reggiani, Stefano Satta Flores, Stefania Sandrelli, Carla Gravina, Ombretta Colli,...
, The Pianist
The Pianist (1998 film)
The Pianist was a 1998 Catalan-language film directed by Mario Gas, and based on a novel by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. It tells the story of two musicians, played in their old age by Serge Reggiani and Laurent Terzieff and in their youth by Pere Ponce and Jordi Mollà, who were friends at the onset...
(1998).
In spite of never quite reaching the peak with his acting career, he did triumph in the theatre in 1959 with his performance in Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
’s play Les Séquestrés d'Altona
The Condemned of Altona
The Condemned of Altona is a play written by Jean-Paul Sartre, known in Great Britain as Loser Wins. It was first produced in 1959 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. It was one of the last plays Sartre wrote, followed only by his adaptation of Euripides' The Trojan Women...
. In the meantime, though, in 1965 he began a second career, that of a singer (at the age of 43), with the help of Simone Signoret
Simone Signoret
Simone Signoret was a French cinema actress often hailed as one of France's greatest movie stars. She became the first French person to win an Academy Award, for her role in Room at the Top...
and her husband 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...
and later with great assistance of the French diva Barbara. Reggiani became one of the most acclaimed performers of French "Chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
" ("song") and although he was in his 40s, his bad-boy rugged image made him popular with both young and older listeners.
His best known songs include Les loups sont entrés dans Paris ("The Wolves Have Entered Paris") and Sarah (La femme qui est dans mon lit) ("The Woman Who Is In My Bed"), the latter written by Georges Moustaki. However, one of his regular songwriters throughout his career was 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...
(Le Déserteur, Arthur où t'as mis le corps, La Java des bombes atomiques). His new young fans identified with his left-wing ideals and antimilitarism, most notably during the 1968 student revolts in France. With age he became more and more acclaimed as one of the best interpreters of the French chanson also bringing the poetry of Rimbaud, Apollinaire and Prévert closer to his audience.
In 1995, he made a comeback to the singing stage, giving a few concerts despite his deteriorated health and personal distress, the last one being held as late as in the year of his death, in spring of 2004.
In later life he became a painter and gave a number of exhibitions of his artwork.
Serge Reggiani died in Paris of a heart attack at the age of 82, one day after the death of another well known French singer Sacha Distel
Sacha Distel
Sacha Distel was a French singer and guitarist who had hits with a cover version of the Academy Award-winning "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" , "Scoubidou", and "The Good Life". He was born in Paris.-Career:Sacha Distel, born Alexandre Distel, was a son of Russian White émigré Leonid Distel...
. He is interred in Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery
Montparnasse Cemetery is a cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter of Paris, part of the city's 14th arrondissement.-History:Created from three farms in 1824, the cemetery at Montparnasse was originally known as Le Cimetière du Sud. Cemeteries had been banned from Paris since the closure, owing to...
.
Selected filmography
- Le voyageur de la ToussaintLe voyageur de la ToussaintLe voyageur de la Toussaint is a 1943 French detective film directed by Louis Daquin and starring Assia Noris, Jules Berry, Gabrielle Dorziat and Guillaume de Sax. It is an adaptation of a story by Georges Simenon...
(1943) - Casque d'orCasque d'orCasque d'or is a 1952 French film directed by Jacques Becker. It is a Belle Époque tragedy, the story of an ill-fated love affair between characters played by Simone Signoret and Serge Reggiani.-Plot:...
(1952) - The Secret PeopleThe Secret People (film)The Secret People is a 1952 British drama film directed by Thorold Dickinson and starring Valentina Cortese, Audrey Hepburn and Serge Reggiani. Hepburn's appearance was her first major starring role in a film . In this suspenseful film, Hepburn plays a ballerina, making use of her extensive training...
(1952) - Act of LoveAct of Love (1953 film)Act of Love is a 1953 romantic drama film directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Kirk Douglas and Dany Robin. It is based on the novel The Girl on the Via Flaminia by Alfred Hayes. A Parisian falls in love with an American soldier near the end of World War II.-Plot:Robert Teller visits a seaport in...
, aka Un acte d'amour (1953) - 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) - The StowawayThe Stowaway (1958 film)The Stowaway is a 1958 French-Australian film co produced by Lee Robinson. It was shot on location in Tahiti. There are French and English versions.-Cast:* Martine Carol* Roger Livesey* Arletty* Serge Reggiani* Carl Boehm* Reg Lye...
(1958) - Paris BluesParis BluesParis Blues is an American feature film filmed on location in Paris, starring Sidney Poitier as expatriate jazz musician Eddie Cook, and Paul Newman as trombone-playing Ram Bowen. The two men romance two vacationing American tourists, Connie Lampson and Lillian Corning respectively...
(1961) - Le DoulosLe DoulosLe Doulos is a 1962 French crime film directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It was released theatrically as The Finger Man in the English-speaking world, but all video and DVD releases have used the French title...
(1962) - Trois milliards sans ascenseurSette cervelli per un colpo perfettoSette cervelli per un colpo perfetto is a 1972 French-Italian film, directed by Roger Pigaut. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti.- Cast :* Michel Bouquet - Albert* Serge Reggiani - Pierrot* Marcel Bozzuffi - Gus* Dany Carrel - Lulu...
(1972) - Il y a des jours... et des lunesIl y a des jours... et des lunes-Cast and roles:* Gérard Lanvin - Truck driver* Patrick Chesnais - Doctor* Annie Girardot - Lone woman* Marie-Sophie L. - Sophie* Francis Huster - Priest* Vincent Lindon - Innkeeper* Philippe Léotard - Singer* Gérard Darmon - Policeman...
(1990)