Louis de Funès
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Louis De Funes | |
 De Funès as the Gendarme of Saint-Tropez |
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| Born | July 31, 1914 Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France |
| Died | 27 January 1983 Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France |
Louis de Funès de Galarza (fyˈnɛs) (July 31, 1914 – January 27, 1983) was a French actor who is considered by many to be one of the giants of French comedy. His acting style is remembered for its high energy performance, a wide range of facial expressions and an engaging, snappy impatience.
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[edit] Biography
Born in Courbevoie, he studied at the lycée Condorcet in Paris.
He was enormously successful in several countries for many years — France, but also Spain, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Poland, Romania, Lebanon, Israel and the Soviet Union — 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 favorite actor. [1] Many of his most successful films such as those in the Gendarme of Saint-Tropez series were pure slapstick, and although de Funès could play serious roles with a good deal of subtlety he was particularly known for his grimacing and outrageous facial contortions as he expressed anger, contempt, and astonishment.
Born to a Spanish family, de Funès was not a success in his early life, always being fired from his modest jobs. He became a pianist and played in bars, his musical talent later being showcased in films such as Le Corniaud and Le Grand Restaurant.
De Funès began his show-business career in the theatre, where he enjoyed moderate success. He became better known as a comedian in films, however, becoming a star with such films as Ah! Les belles bacchantes and Le Mouton à cinq pattes. In a number of these films he co-starred with the major French actors of the time, including Bourvil (in La Grande Vadrouille and Le Corniaud) and Jean Gabin (in Le Tatoué and Le Gentleman d'Epsom). At the age of 49, he unexpectedly became a major star with the success of Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez. For many years, La Grande Vadrouille was the largest grossing film in French history. Even during his career as a movie star, de Funès continued to play theatre.
The characteristic de Funès role in many of his films was that of a middle-aged or older man with a propensity to hyperactivity, bad faith, and uncontrolled anger. Along with his short height and his Jerry Lewis-like facial contortions, this hyperactivity produced a highly comic effect, especially in contrast to Bourvil's roles of calm, stolid, good-humoured men. In de Funès' successful lead role in a cinematic version of Molière's The Miser (L'Avare), these characteristics are greatly muted but are visible nevertheless percolating just beneath the surface.
In his later years, De Funès suffered from a heart condition after having suffered a heart attack for straining himself too much with his stage antics. He eventually died of a massive stroke.
De Funès was said to be a very shy person in real life, unlike the characters he played.
His remains are interred in the garden of his wife's castle; a variety of rose has been named for him (the Louis de Funès rose).
One of his sons, Olivier de Funès, pursued an acting career alongside him before giving up and becoming an Air France pilot.
[edit] Filmography
- 1982 : Le gendarme et les gendarmettes
- 1981 : La soupe aux choux
- 1979 : L'avare
- 1978 : Le gendarme et les extra-terrestres
- 1978 : La zizanie
- 1976 : L'aile ou la cuisse [2]
- 1973 : Les aventures de Rabbi Jacob
- 1971 : Sur un arbre perché
- 1971 : Jo
- 1971 : La folie des grandeurs
- 1970 : Le gendarme en balade
- 1970 : L'homme orchestre
- 1969 : Hibernatus
- 1968 : Le gendarme se marie
- 1968 : Le tatoué
- 1967 : Le petit baigneur
- 1967 : Oscar
- 1967 : Les grandes vacances
- 1966 : Fantômas contre Scotland Yard
- 1966 : Le grand restaurant
- 1966 : La Grande Vadrouille
- 1965 : Les bons vivants
- 1965 : Le gendarme à New York
- 1965 : Fantômas se déchaîne
- 1965 : Le corniaud
- 1964 : Une souris chez les hommes
- 1964 : Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez
- 1964 : Fantômas
- 1963 : Faites sauter la banque!
- 1963 : Carambolages
- 1963 : Pouic-Pouic
- 1963 : Des pissenlits par la racine
- 1962 : Le diable et les dix commandements
- 1962 : Nous irons à Deauville
- 1962 : Les veinards
- 1962 : Le gentleman d'Epsom
- 1962 : Un clair de lune à Maubeuge
- 1961 : Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle
- 1961 : La belle Américaine
- 1961 : Le crime ne paie pas
- 1961 : La Vendetta
- 1960 : Les tortillards
- 1960 : Le capitaine Fracasse
- 1960 : Dans l'eau qui fait des bulles
- 1959 : Mon pote le gitan
- 1959 : Certains l'aiment froide
- 1959 : Totò, Eva e il pennello proibito
- 1959 : I Tartassati
- 1958 : La vie à deux
- 1958 : Ni vu, ni connu
- 1958 : Taxi, Roulotte et Corrida
- 1957 : Comme un cheveu sur la soupe
- 1956 : Courte tête
- 1959 : La loi des rues
- 1956 : Bébés à gogo
- 1956 : Papa, maman, ma femme et moi
- 1956 : La Famille Anodin
- 1956 : La traversée de Paris
- 1955 : Mädchen ohne Grenzen
- 1955 : Frou-Frou
- 1955 : Si Paris nous était conté
- 1955 : Bonjour sourire
- 1955 : La bande à papa
- 1955 : Les hussards
- 1955 : L'impossible Monsieur Pipelet
- 1955 : Les impures
- 1955 : Ingrid - Die Geschichte eines Fotomodells
- 1955 : Napoléon
- 1954 : Tourments
- 1954 : Scènes de ménage
- 1954 : La reine Margot
- 1954 : Les pépées font la loi
- 1954 : Papa, maman, la bonne et moi
- 1954 : Le mouton à cinq pattes
- 1954 : Mam'zelle Nitouche
- 1954 : Les intrigantes
- 1954 : Huis clos
- 1954 : Les hommes ne pensent qu'à ça
- 1954 : Fraternité (TV)
- 1954 : Escalier de service
- 1954 : Les corsaires du Bois de Boulogne
- 1954 : Le chevalier de la nuit
- 1954 : Le blé en herbe
- 1954 : Ah! Les belles bacchantes
- 1954 : Poisson d'avril
- 1953 : Mon Frangin du Sénégal
- 1953 : Faites-moi confiance
- 1953 : Le secret d'Hélène Marimon
- 1953 : Capitaine Pantoufle
- 1953 : Légère et court vêtue
- 1953 : Au diable la vertu
- 1953 : Dortoir des grandes
- 1953 : L'étrange désir de Monsieur Bard
- 1953 : Le rire
- 1953 : La vie d'un honnête homme
- 1953 : Les compagnes de la nuit
- 1952 : La putain respectueuse
- 1952 : L'amour n'est pas un péché
- 1952 : Moineaux de Paris
- 1952 : Le huitième art et la manière
- 1952 : Monsieur Leguignon Lampiste
- 1952 : Monsieur Taxi
- 1952 : Je l'ai été trois fois
- 1952 : Elle et moi
- 1952 : Innocents in Paris
- 1952 : La fugue de Monsieur Perle
- 1952 : Agence matrimoniale
- 1952 : Les dents longues
- 1952 : Ils étaient cinq
- 1952 : Les sept péchés capitaux
- 1951 : Ma femme est formidable
- 1951 : Folie douce
- 1951 : L'amant de paille
- 1951 : Le dindon
- 1951 : Pas de vacances pour Monsieur le Maire
- 1951 : La poison
- 1951 : Le roi du bla bla bla
- 1951 : Champions Juniors
- 1951 : La rose rouge
- 1951 : Sans laisser d'adresse
- 1951 : Boîte à vendre
- 1951 : Boniface Somnambule
- 1951 : Bibi Fricotin
- 1951 : Un amour de parapluie
- 1951 : Les joueurs
- 1951 : Knock
- 1950 : Adémaï au poteau-frontière
- 1950 : La rue sans loi
- 1949 : Le jugement de Dieu
- 1949 : Je n'aime que toi
- 1949 : Un certain monsieur
- 1949 : Pas de week-end pour notre amour
- 1949 : Rendez-vous avec la chance
- 1949 : Au revoir M. Grock
- 1949 : Millionnaires d'un jour
- 1949 : Mission à Tanger
- 1949 : Mon ami Sainfoin
- 1949 : Vient de paraître
- 1948 : Du Guesclin
- 1947 : Croisière pour l'inconnu
- 1947 : Antoine et Antoinette
- 1946 : Dernier refuge
- 1946 : Six heures à perdre
- 1945 : La tentation de Barbizon
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Louis de Funès at the Internet Movie Database
- FufuWorld - a French fan website about Louis de Funès, also available in English
- defunes.de - a German fan website dedicated to Louis de Funès, also available in English
- FilmsdeFrance.com - Louis de Funès overview
- fan-site devoted to Louis de Funès (in Flemish)
