Charles Denner
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(September 2014) |
Charles Denner | |
|---|---|
 Marie-Pierre de Gérando et Charles Denner | |
| Born | 29 May 1926 Tarnów |
| Died | 10 September 1995(aged 69) Dreux |
| Occupation | Film actor |
Charles Denner(29 May 1926 – 10 September 1995) was a French actor born to a Jewish family inTarnów,Poland. During his 30-year career he worked with some of France's greatestdirectorsof the time, includingLouis Malle,Claude Chabrol,Jean-Luc Godard,Costa-Gavras,Claude LelouchandFrançois Truffaut,who gave him two of his most memorable roles, as Fergus inThe Bride Wore Black(1968) and as Bertrand Morane inThe Man Who Loved Women(1977).[1]
Early life[edit]
Charles Denner was born in 1926 to a Jewish family in the city ofTarnówin south-easternPoland.When he was four, they emigrated to France.
DuringWorld War II,his family took refuge inBrive-la-Gaillarde,where they were helped by RabbiDavid Feuerwerker.Denner served as aFree Frenchpartisan in the Vercors mountains and destroyed aNaziSStruck with agrenade;he was wounded and later received theCroix de Guerrefor this operation.
Passionate about theatre from his childhood, Denner became a student ofCharles Dullin,a famous theatre teacher of his time, under whose guidance he remained until 1945. Another great figure of French theatre,Jean Vilar,impressed by Denner's performance atLes mamelles de Tirésias(The Breasts of Tiresias), called him four years after he left Vilar to join theThéâtre National Populaire(TNP). It was there that he gave some of his earliest stage performances, in plays such asHeinrich von Kleist'sPrinz Friedrich von HomburgandAlfred de Musset'sLorenzaccio,among others.
Career[edit]
In 1955, directorYves Allégretoffered Denner a small role inLa Meilleure part(The Best Part), thus introducing him for the first time to cinema audiences. Two years later, in 1957, he secured another secondary role inLouis Malle'slegendaryElevator to the Gallows,alongsideJeanne Moreau,a co-performer of his from the days of the TNP.
In 1963 Denner was offered his first leading role byClaude ChabrolinLandru,a film considered by many as his greatest on-screen performance. Despite his growing recognition on the big screen, the stage remained his true passion. He gave his most memorable performances in plays such asMolière'sLes Fourberies de Scapin(Scapin's Schemings) andBrecht'sDrums in the Night.
Death[edit]
On 10 September 1995 Denner died of pneumonia inDreux,France.
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Poisson d'avril | a guest in a café | Gilles Grangier | Uncredited |
| 1954 | Men in White | Un interne | Ralph Habib | |
| La Meilleure Part | Un ingénieur adjoint | Yves Allégret | ||
| 1958 | Elevator to the Gallows | L'adjoint du commissaire Cherrier | Louis Malle | |
| 1963 | Bluebeard | Henri Désiré Landru | Claude Chabrol | |
| 1964 | La Vie à l'envers | Jacques Valin | Alain Jessua | |
| Les plus belles escroqueries du monde | the swindler | Claude Chabrol | (segment "Le Grand Escroq" ) (scenes deleted) | |
| Les Pieds nickelés | Filochard | Jean-Claude Chambon | ||
| Mata Hari, Agent H21 | Soldier #1 | Jean-Louis Richard | Uncredited | |
| 1965 | Marie-Chantal contre le docteur Kha | Johnson | Claude Chabrol | |
| The Sleeping Car Murders | Bob Vaski - l'amant de Georgette | Costa-Gavras | ||
| 1966 | YUL 871 | L'ingénieur européen | Jacques Godbout | |
| 1967 | The Thief of Paris | Jean-François Cannonier | Louis Malle | |
| The Two of Us | Monsieur Langmann | Claude Berri | ||
| 1968 | The Bride Wore Black | Fergus | François Truffaut | |
| La trêve | Julien | Claude Guillemot | ||
| 1969 | Z | Manuel | Costa-Gavras | |
| Le corps de Diane | Julien Keller | Jean-Louis Richard | ||
| 1970 | Le Voyou | Monsieur Gallois | Claude Lelouch | |
| 1971 | The Married Couple of the Year Two | the traveller | Jean-Paul Rappeneau | |
| Law Breakers | Graziani | Marcel Carné | ||
| 1972 | L'aventure, c'est l'aventure | Simon Duroc | Claude Lelouch | |
| Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me | Arthur | François Truffaut | ||
| 1973 | The Inheritor | David Loweinstein | Philippe Labro | |
| Un officier de police sans importance | Serge Monnier | Jean Larriaga | ||
| Défense de savoir | Jean Ravier | Nadine Trintignant | ||
| 1974 | The Holes | Ministre des travaux publics | Pierre Tchernia | |
| And Now My Love | David Goldman | Claude Lelouch | ||
| 1975 | Peur sur la ville | Inspector Moissac | Henri Verneuil | |
| Vous ne l'emporterez pas au paradis | Nicolas | François Dupont-Midi | ||
| 1976 | If I Had to Do It All Over Again | the lawyer | Claude Lelouch | |
| Mado | Reynald Manecca | Claude Sautet | ||
| La Première Fois | Father | Claude Berri | ||
| 1977 | The Man Who Loved Women | Bertrand Morane | François Truffaut | |
| 1978 | Robert et Robert | Robert Goldman | Claude Lelouch | |
| 1980 | La verdad sobre el caso Savolta | Lepprince | Antonio Drove | |
| Le coeur à l'envers | Guillaume | Franck Apprederis | ||
| 1982 | Mille milliards de dollars | Walte | Henri Verneuil | |
| A Captain's Honor | Maître Gillard - un avocat | Pierre Schoendoerffer | ||
| 1983 | Rock 'n Torah | Joseph, le père d'Isaac | Marc-André Grynbaum | |
| Stella | Richard | Laurent Heynemann | ||
| 1986 | L'unique | Vox, le producteur | Jérôme Diamant-Berger | |
| Golden Eighties | M. Schwartz | Chantal Akerman | (final film role) |
References[edit]
- ^Riding, Alan (1995-09-12)."Charles Denner, 69, French Star Of Truffaut and Lelouch Films".The New York Times.Retrieved2013-07-15.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1926 births
- 1995 deaths
- 20th-century Polish Jews
- Deaths from pneumonia in France
- 20th-century French male actors
- French male stage actors
- French male film actors
- People from Tarnów
- Actors from Lesser Poland Voivodeship
- People from Eure-et-Loir
- Actors from Centre-Val de Loire
- Polish emigrants to France
- Naturalized citizens of France
- Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France)