André Robert Raimbourg (; 27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil (), and
mononymously
A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...
as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with
Louis de Funès
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fil ...
in the films ''
Le Corniaud'' (1965) and ''
La Grande Vadrouille
''La Grande Vadrouille'' (; literally "The Great Stroll"; originally released in the United Kingdom as ''Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!'') is a 1966 French-British comedy film set in 1942 about French civilians who help the crew of a Royal ...
'' (1966). For his performance in ''Le Corniaud'', he won a Special Diploma at the
4th Moscow International Film Festival
The 4th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 5 to 20 July 1965. The Grand Prix was shared between the Soviet film ''War and Peace'' directed by Sergei Bondarchuk and the Hungarian film ''Twenty Hours'' directed by Zoltán Fábri.
J ...
.
Biography
His father was killed in the First World War before Bourvil was born. As a result, he spent his entire childhood in the village of
Bourville, from which he took his stage name. He married Jeanne Lefrique on 23 January 1943. After a battle with
Kahler's syndrome, which attacks the
bone marrow, he died at the age of 53. He is buried in
Montainville, Yvelines.
Career
In his comic performances Bourvil principally played roles of gentle and well-meaning characters who were often a bit obtuse or naïve, such as his roles opposite the hyperactive, dishonest and bossy ones played by
Louis de Funès
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fil ...
. Bourvil's characters not only managed to make viewers laugh, but also to save themselves, often unwittingly, from the
Machiavellian designs of his adversaries.
Bourvil was, however, also capable of more dramatic roles such as the handyman in ''
L'Arbre de Noël'' (1969). In this role he observes the relationship between a man he works for and the young son who has fallen ill. The audience can identify with the character played by Bourvil, just as they can in his comic roles, so often as a simple man. One can also note his role of
Monsieur Thénardier
( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of respec ...
in the film adaptation of ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'' (1958), and his penultimate role as the policeman Mattei in
Jean-Pierre Melville
Jean-Pierre Melville (; born Jean-Pierre Grumbach; 20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973) was a French filmmaker and actor. Among his films are ''Le Silence de la mer'' (1949), '' Bob le flambeur'' (1956), ''Le Doulos'' (1962), '' Le Samouraï'' (19 ...
's ''
Le Cercle rouge
''Le Cercle Rouge'' (, "The Red Circle") is a 1970 Franco-Italian crime film set mostly in Paris. It was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and stars Alain Delon, Andre Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté, François Périer and Yves Montand. It is known ...
'' (1970).
In March 1948, Bourvil took part in the complete recording of
Offenbach's ''
The Tales of Hoffmann
''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died i ...
'' with artists of the Paris
Opéra-Comique conducted by
André Cluytens
André Cluytens (, ; born Augustin Zulma Alphonse Cluytens; 26 March 19053 June 1967)Baeck E. ''André Cluytens: Itinéraire d’un chef d’orchestre.'' Editions Mardaga, Wavre, 2009. was a Belgian-born French conductor who was active in the con ...
, playing the four 'servant' roles.
Filmography
*1942: ''
Croisières sidérales'' as Extra (uncredited)
*1943: ''
Une étoile au soleil''
*1945: ''
La Ferme du pendu'' as Saddler
*1946: ''
Not So Stupid'' as Léon Ménard
*1947: ''
Le Studio en folie'' as himself
*1947: ''
Par la fenêtre'' as Pilou
*1947: ''
Blanc comme neige'' as Léon Ménard
*1948: ''
The Heart on the Sleeve'' as Léon Ménard
*1949: ''
Le Roi Pandore'' as Léon Ménard
*1950: ''
Miquette'' as Urbain de la Tour-Mirande
*1950: ''
Le Rosier de Madame Husson'' as Isidore Pastouret
*1951: ''
Mr. Peek-a-Boo'' as Léon Dutilleul
*1951: ''
Alone in Paris'' as Henri Milliard
*1952: ''
Le Trou normand'' as Hippolyte Lemoine
*1953: ''
A Hundred Francs a Second
''A Hundred Francs a Second'' (French: ''Cent francs par seconde'') is a 1953 French comedy film directed by Jean Boyer and starring Henri Génès, Philippe Lemaire and Jeannette Batti.Krautz p.476 It is a spin-off from the French radio game sh ...
'' as Himself
*1953: ''
The Three Musketeers
''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...
'' as Planchet
*1954: ''
Royal Affairs in Versailles'' (directed by
Sacha Guitry) as Versailles Museum Guide
*1954: ''
Poisson d'avril'' as Émile Dupuy
*1954: ''
Cadet Rousselle'' as Jérôme Baguindet
*1954: ''
Le Fil à la patte'' as Bouzin
*1955: ''
Les Hussards
''Les Hussards'' ( en, Cavalrymen), is a French comedy film from 1955, directed by Alex Joffé, written by Gabriel Arout, starring Bernard Blier, Giovanna Ralli, Bourvil, and with Georges Wilson, Virna Lisi, Louis de Funès playing supporting ...
'' as Flicot
*1956: ''
La Traversée de Paris'' as Marcel Martin
*1956: ''
The Singer from Mexico'' as Bilou
*1958: ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its origin ...
'' (directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois) as
Thénardier
*1958: ''
Le Miroir à deux faces'' as Pierre Tardivet
*1958: ''
Un drôle de dimanche'' as Jean Brévent
*1958: ' as Me Jérôme Quilleboeuf
*1959: ''
Le chemin des écoliers'' as Charles Michaud
*1959: ''
The Green Mare
''The Green Mare'' () is a humorous novel by French writer Marcel Aymé first published by Gallimard in 1933.
Aymé probably wrote ''La Jument verte'' during 1932 and early 1933. The novel was published to great success in June 1933, but provo ...
'' (''La Jument verte'') as Honoré Haudouin
*1959: ''
Le Bossu'' as Passepoil
*1960: ''
Le Capitan'' as Cogolin
*1960: ''
Fortunat'' as Noël Fortunat
*1961: ''
Dans la gueule du loup'' as Drugged Man
*1961: ''
All the Gold in the World'' as Dumont and his sons: Mathieu, 'Toine, Martial
*1961: ''
Le Tracassin
''Le Tracassin ou Les Plaisirs de la ville'' is a French comedy film directed by Alex Joffé, released in 1961.IMDb: Le tracassin ou Les plaisirs de la ville'
Plot
The stress of urban living, his sister's new baby and problems with his desire to ...
ou les plaisirs de la ville'' ("The Busybody",
Alex Joffé
Alex Joffé (18 November 1918 – 18 August 1995) was a French film director and screenwriter, known for ''Les cracks'' (1968), ''Fortunat'' (1960) and ''La grosse caisse'' (1965). He was the father of the director Arthur Joffé, as well as Mar ...
) as André Loriot
*1962: ''
The Longest Day'' as Alphonse Lenaux, Mayor of
Colleville-sur-Orne
*1962: ''
Tartarin de Tarascon'' as Priest
*1962: ''
Un clair de lune à Maubeuge'' as Television Singer
*1962: ''
Les Culottes rouges'' as Fendard
*1963: ''
Les Bonnes Causes'' as Albert Gaudet
*1963: ''
Un drôle de paroissien'' as Georges Lachaunaye
*1963: ''
Le Magot de Josepha'' as Pierre Corneille
*1963: ' as André Colombey
*1964: ''
La Grande Frousse'' as Inspector Simon Triquet
*1965: ''
Le Corniaud'' (The Sucker) (directed by
Gérard Oury) as Antoine Maréchal
*1965: ''
Le Majordome'' as True Groom (uncredited)
*1965: ''
Guerre secrète'' as Lalande
*1965: ''
La Grosse Caisse'' as Louis Bourdin
*1965: ''
The Wise Guys'' as Hector Valentin
*1966: ''
Trois enfants dans le désordre'' as Eugène Laporte
*1966: ''
La Grande Vadrouille
''La Grande Vadrouille'' (; literally "The Great Stroll"; originally released in the United Kingdom as ''Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!'') is a 1966 French-British comedy film set in 1942 about French civilians who help the crew of a Royal ...
'' (directed by
Gérard Oury) as Augustin Bouvet
*1967: ''
Les Arnaud'' as Le juge Henri Arnaud
*1968: ''
Les Cracks'' as Jules Auguste Duroc
*1968: ''
La Grande Lessive'' as Armand Saint-Just
*1969: ''
Le Cerveau'' (directed by
Gérard Oury) as Anatole
*1969: ''
Monte Carlo or Bust'' (''Gonflés à bloc'') (directed by
Ken Annakin
Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE (10 August 1914 – 22 April 2009) was an English film director.
His career spanned half a century, beginning in the early 1940s and ending in 2002, and in the 1960s he was noticed by critics with large-scale adventu ...
) as Monsieur Dupont
*1969: ''
The Christmas Tree'' (L'Arbre de Noël), (directed by
Terence Young) as Verdun
*1970: ''
L'Étalon'' (directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky) as William Chaminade
*1970: ''
Le Mur de l'Atlantique'' (Atlantic Wall) directed by
Marcel Camus
Marcel may refer to:
People
* Marcel (given name), people with the given name Marcel
* Marcel (footballer, born August 1981), Marcel Silva Andrade, Brazilian midfielder
* Marcel (footballer, born November 1981), Marcel Augusto Ortolan, Brazilian ...
as Léon Duchemin
*1970: ''
Le Cercle rouge
''Le Cercle Rouge'' (, "The Red Circle") is a 1970 Franco-Italian crime film set mostly in Paris. It was directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and stars Alain Delon, Andre Bourvil, Gian Maria Volonté, François Périer and Yves Montand. It is known ...
'' directed by
Jean-Pierre Melville
Jean-Pierre Melville (; born Jean-Pierre Grumbach; 20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973) was a French filmmaker and actor. Among his films are ''Le Silence de la mer'' (1949), '' Bob le flambeur'' (1956), ''Le Doulos'' (1962), '' Le Samouraï'' (19 ...
as Le Commissaire Mattei
*1971: ''
Clodo'' as Gaston (final film role)
Songs
Nearly 300, among which the best known are:
* "La tendresse"
* "
Salade de fruits"
* "Les crayons"
* "La Tactique du gendarme" (from the film ''Le roi Pandore'')
* "Ballade irlandaise"
* "Un clair de lune à Maubeuge"
* "Petit bal perdu" (C'était bien)
* "Ma p'tite chanson"
References
External links
*
French links
Biography SiteBourvil on Encinematheque
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourvil
1917 births
1970 deaths
Deaths from multiple myeloma
People from Seine-Maritime
Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners
French comedians
French comedy musicians
French male film actors
French male stage actors
French male radio actors
20th-century French male actors
Légion d'honneur refusals
20th-century French comedians
20th-century French male singers
Deaths from cancer in France