Jean-Alfred Villain-Marais (11 December 1913 – 8 November 1998), known professionally as Jean Marais (), was a French actor, film director, theatre director, painter, sculptor, visual artist, writer and photographer. He performed in over 100 films and was the
muse
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...
and lover of acclaimed director
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
. In 1996, he was awarded the
French Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
for his contributions to French Cinema.
Early life
A native of
Cherbourg,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Marais was a son of Alfred Emmanuel Victor Paul Villain-Marais and his wife, the former Aline Marie Louise Vassord.
[Trambouze, Claude]
Jean Marais : Un Homme aux milles
''PORTRAIT'' (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2015.
Career
Early films
Marais' first role was an uncredited bit in ''
Song of the Streets'' (1933) and he was in ''
Etienne'' (1933). Filmmaker
Marcel L'Herbier
Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...
put him in ''
The Sparrowhawk'' (1933) with
Charles Boyer
Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
; ''
The Scandal'' (1934), with
Gaby Morlay
Gaby Morlay (born Blanche Pauline Fumoleau; 8 June 1893 – 4 July 1964) was a film actress from France. ; ''
Happiness
Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...
'' (1934) again with Boyer, ''
The Venturer'' (1934) with
Victor Francen
Victor Francen (born Victor Franssens, 5 August 1888 – 18 November 1977) was a Belgian-born actor with a long career in French cinema and in Hollywood.
Biography
Francen was born in 1888 in Tienen, the son of a chief of police.
According ...
; ''
The New Men
''The New Men'' is the sixth novel in C. P. Snow's series '' Strangers and Brothers''.
Plot synopsis
Lewis Eliot, his brother Martin, and Cambridge fellow, Walter Luke become involved with the scientific community and reaction to the developmen ...
'' (1934) with
Harry Baur
Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor.
Initially a stage actor, Baur appeared in about 80 films between 1909 and 1942. He gave an acclaimed performance as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the biopic ''Beethoven's Gr ...
; and ''
Nights of Fire
''Nights of Fire'' (French: ''Nuits de feu'') is a 1937 French drama film directed by Marcel L'Herbier and starring Gaby Morlay, Victor Francen and Madeleine Robinson. The scenario is based on the 1901 work ''The Living Corpse'' by Leo Tolstoy.Go ...
'' (1937) with Morlay and Francen.
Marcel Carné gave Marais a small role in ''
Bizarre, Bizarre'' (1937) and the actor was in ''
Abused Confidence
''Abused Confidence'' (french: Abus de confiance) is a 1938 French drama film directed by Henri Decoin and starring Danielle Darrieux and Charles Vanel.
Plot
A female law student pretends to be the daughter of a famous historian.
Selected cast ...
'' (1937) by
Henri Decoin; ''
The Patriot'' (1938), a biopic of
Paul I of Russia
Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III of Russia, Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he w ...
with Baur, directed by
Maurice Tourneur; and ''
Remontons les Champs-Élysées'' (1938) directed by
Sacha Guitry.
Jean Cocteau
These were small roles. Marais also appeared on stage. He was in a 1937 stage production of ''Oedipe'' directed by
Charles Dullin
Charles Dullin (; 8 May 1885 – 11 December 1949) was a French actor, theater manager and director.
Career
Dullin began his career as an actor in melodrama:185 In 1908, he started his first troupe with Saturnin Fabre, the ''Théâtre de Foir ...
, where he was seen by
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
. Marais impressed Cocteau, who cast the actor in his play ''
Les Chevaliers de la table ronde''.
Marais appeared in Cocteau's play ''
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 ...
'' (1938), supposedly based on Marais' home life, which was a great success.
Marais had bigger film parts in ''
The Pavilion Burns
''The Pavilion Burns'' (French: ''Le Pavillon brûle'') is a 1941 French comedy drama directed by Jacques de Baroncelli, written by Solange Térac, starring Pierre Renoir and Jean Marais.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Serge P ...
'' (1941) directed by
Jacques de Baroncelli
Jacques de Baroncelli (25 June 1881 – 12 January 1951) was a French film director best known for his silent films from 1915 to the late 1930s. He came from a Florence, Florentine family who had settled in Provence in the 15th century, occupying ...
, and ''
The Four Poster'' (1942) directed by
Roland Tual
Roland Tual (10 November 1902 – 29 August 1956) was a French director and producer.
First married to Colette Jéramec, the daughter of a rich Parisian industrialist, Tual then married the producer and director Denise Piazza, also known under th ...
.
On stage he appeared in ''La Machine à ecrire'' (1941) by Cocteau and he directed and designed Racine's ''Britannicus'' (1941). He performed briefly with the
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
, then left acting for a time for fight in Alsace with the
Free French Forces
__NOTOC__
The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...
, winning the
Croix de Guerre.
Stardom
Marais' first film as leading man was ''
L'Éternel retour
''The Eternal Return'' (French: ''L'Éternel retour'') is a 1943 French romantic drama film directed by Jean Delannoy and starring Madeleine Sologne and Jean Marais. The screenplay was written by Jean Cocteau as a retelling of Tristan and Iso ...
'' (1943), a re-telling of
Tristan and Isolde
Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...
set in 1940s France, written by
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
. It was directed by
Jean Delannoy
Jean Delannoy (12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director.
Biography
Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a P ...
and co-starred
Madeleine Sologne
Madeleine Sologne (12 October 1912 – 31 March 1995) was a French film actress.
Sologne was born Madeleine Simone Vouillon in La Ferté-Imbault, Loir-et-Cher. She was married to the art director Jean Douarinou.
Selected filmography
* ''Adri ...
. It was popular and made him a star.
[Jean Marais: F EditionThe Times 10 Nov 1998: 21.]
Marais was the male lead in ''
Voyage Without Hope
''Voyage Without Hope'' (French: ''Voyage sans espoir'') is a French 1943 French crime drama film directed by Christian-Jaque and starring Simone Renant, Jean Marais and Paul Bernard. It was shot at the Saint-Maurice Studios in Paris. The film's ...
'' (1943) with
Simone Renant
Simone Renant (19 March 1911 – 29 March 2004) was a French film actress. She appeared in more than 40 films between 1934 and 1983. She was born in Amiens, France and died in Garches, France.
Partial filmography
* ''La folle nuit'' (1932 ...
directed by
Christian-Jaque.
Christian-Jaque also directed Marais in ''
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
'' (1944) with
Viviane Romance
Viviane Romance (born Pauline Ronacher Ortmanns; 4 July 1912 – 25 September 1991) was a French actress.
Viviane Romance was born in Roubaix, France. She began her career as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris and was elected Miss Paris of 19 ...
. This was one of the most popular films in France when it was released.
[French box office of 1945](_blank)
at Box Office Story
''Beauty and the Beast'' and Jean Cocteau
Marais became a star in ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'' (1946), written and directed by Cocteau.
He performed in a popular revival of Cocteau's 1938 play ''
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 ...
'' on stage.
Marais' next films were ''
The Royalists
''The Royalists'' (French: ''Les Chouans'') is a 1947 French historical drama film directed by Henri Calef and starring Paul Amiot, Roland Armontel and Roger Bontemps. It is an adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's 1829 novel '' Les Chouans''.
...
'' (1947), a historical adventure film directed by
Henri Calef
Henri Calef (20 July 1910 – 18 August 1994) was a French screenwriter and film director.
Selected filmography Director
* ''Jericho'' (1946)
* ''The Royalists'' (1947)
* ''Crossroads of Passion'' (1948)
* '' Shadow and Light'' (1951)
* '' ...
from a novel by Balzac; and ''
Ruy Blas
''Ruy Blas'' is a tragic drama by Victor Hugo. It was the first play presented at the Théâtre de la Renaissance and opened on November 8, 1838. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, the play was initially met with only average ...
'' (1948) with
Danielle Darrieux
Danielle Yvonne Marie Antoinette Darrieux (; 1 May 1917 – 17 October 2017) was a French actress of stage, television and film, as well as a singer and dancer.
Beginning in 1931, she appeared in more than 110 films. She was one of France's g ...
, from a play by
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
and script by Cocteau, directed by
Pierre Billon.
Marais' second film with Cocteau as director was ''
The Eagle with Two Heads
''The Eagle with Two Heads'' (French title ''L'Aigle à deux têtes'') is a French film directed by Jean Cocteau released in 1948. It was adapted from his own play ''L'Aigle à deux têtes'' which was first staged in 1946, and it retained the pri ...
'' (1948) with
Edwige Feuillère
Edwige Feuillère (born Edwige Louise Caroline Cunatti; October 29, 1907 – November 13, 1998) was a French stage and film actress.
Biography
She was born Edwige Louise Caroline Cunatti to an Italian architect father and an Alsace-born mo ...
. He did ''
To the Eyes of Memory
''To the Eyes of Memory'' (French: ''Aux yeux du souvenir'') is a 1948 French romantic drama film directed by Jean Delannoy and starring Michèle Morgan, Jean Marais and Jean Chevrier. Delannoy co-wrote screenplay with Henri Jeanson and George ...
'' (1948) with
Michele Morgan for director
Jean Delannoy
Jean Delannoy (12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director.
Biography
Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a P ...
, a big commercial success, then ''
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 ...
'' (1949) for Cocteau again.
Marais was reunited with Delannoy for ''
The Secret of Mayerling
''The Secret of Mayerling'' (French: ''Le secret de Mayerling'') is a 1949 French Historical drama film directed by Jean Delannoy and starring Jean Marais, Dominique Blanchar and Jean Debucourt. It set around the 1889 Mayerling Incident when th ...
'' (1949), about the
Mayerling incident. He did ''
Orpheus
Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with Jaso ...
'' (1950) with Cocteau, which was soon regarded as a classic.
Post-Cocteau stardom
Marais and Morgan were in ''
The Glass Castle
''The Glass Castle'' is a 2005 memoir by American author Jeannette Walls. Walls recounts her dysfunctional and nomadic yet vibrant upbringing, emphasizing her resilience and her father's attempts toward redemption. Despite her family's flaws, t ...
'' (1950) directed by
René Clément
René Clément (; 18 March 1913 – 17 March 1996) was a French film director and screenwriter.
Life and career
Clément studied architecture at the École des Beaux-Arts where he developed an interest in filmmaking. In 1936, he directed hi ...
. Marais did two films for
Yves Allegret: ''
Miracles Only Happen Once
''Les Miracles n'ont lieu qu'une fois'' (''Miracles Only Happen Once'') is a 1951 France, Franco-Italy, Italian film, directed by Yves Allégret. The film is about a "psychic war-casualty" played by Jean Marais.
Synopsis
The educational year is e ...
'' (1951) with
Alida Valli
Alida Maria Laura, '' Freiin'' Altenburger von Marckenstein-Frauenberg (31 May 1921 – 22 April 2006), better known by her stage name Alida Valli (or simply Valli), was an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films in a 70-year career, ...
and ''
Leathernose'' (1952).
Marais was in ''
L'appel du destin'' (1953) for
Georges Lacombe; ''
The Lovers of Midnight
''Lovers of Midnight''
(French: ''Les Amants de minuit'') is a 1953 French drama film directed by Roger Richebé and starring Dany Robin, Jean Marais and Louis Seigner.Roger Richebé
Roger Richebé (3 December 1897, Marseille - 10 July 1989 in Ville-d'Avray), born Roger Gustave Richebé, was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer.
Selected filmography
* ' (1930) (producer)
* '' La donna di una notte'' (1930) (pr ...
; ''
Voice of Silence'' (1953), an Italian film from
G. W. Pabst
Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic.
...
; ''
Inside a Girls' Dormitory'' (1953); ''
Julietta
''Juliette'' is an opera by Bohuslav Martinů, who also wrote the libretto, in French, based on the play ''Juliette, ou La clé des songes'' (''Juliette, or The Key of Dreams)'' by the French author Georges Neveux. A libretto in Czech was later pre ...
'' (1953) for
Marc Allegret Marc or MARC may refer to:
People
* Marc (given name), people with the first name
* Marc (surname), people with the family name
Acronyms
* MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging,
* MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...
with
Dany Robin
Dany Robin (; 14 April, 1927 – 25 May, 1995) was a French actress of the 1950s and the 1960s.
Career
Robin was born Danielle Robin in Clamart. She performed with Peter Sellers in ''The Waltz of the Toreadors'', and co-starred opposite Kirk D ...
and
Jeanne Moreau; the all-star ''
Boum sur Paris
''Boum sur Paris'', is a French comedy film from 1953, directed by Maurice de Canonge.
Plot
In the early 1950s, the popular radio program "La Kermesse aux Étoiles", hosted by the famous Jean Nohain, mixing lottery games and performances of va ...
'' (1953); and ''
The Faith Healer
''The Faith Healer'' is a lost 1921 American silent drama film directed by George Melford and written by Z. Wall Covington and Mrs. William Vaughn Moody from William Vaughn Moody's play. The film stars Milton Sills, Ann Forrest, Fontaine La Ru ...
'' (1954).
Marais starred in a version of ''
The Count of Monte Cristo
''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (french: Le Comte de Monte-Cristo) is an adventure novel written by French author Alexandre Dumas (''père'') completed in 1844. It is one of the author's more popular works, along with ''The Three Musketeers''. Li ...
'' (1954) that was hugely popular.
He then made some all-star Guitry films, ''
Royal Affairs in Versailles'' (1954), ''
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
'' (1955) (playing
Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon
Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon (21 July 1783 – 21 August 1853) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars. He chose to go into exile on Saint Helena with the ex-Emperor after Napoleon's second abdication.
Early life and career
Montho ...
) and ''
If Paris Were Told to Us
''If Paris Were Told to Us'' (french: Si Paris nous était conté) is a 1956 French historical film directed and written by Sacha Guitry. The admissions in France were 2,813,682 people.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048616/business
Principal cas ...
'' (1956); ''
School for Love'' (1955) for Allegret, with a young
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a former French actress, singer and model. Famous for portraying sexually emancipated characters with hedonistic lifestyles, she was one of the ...
, a box office flop; ''
Kiss of Fire'' (1956) for
Robert Darène
Robert Darène (10 January 1914 – 15 January 2016) was a French actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in twelve films between 1934 and 1959, and directed nine films between 1951 and 1963.
Selected filmography
* '' Le Chevalie ...
; and ''
The Whole Town Accuses
''The Whole Town Accuses'' (French: ''Toute la ville accuse'') is a 1956 French comedy drama film directed by Claude Boissol and starring Jean Marais, Etchika Choureau and Noël Roquevert. Andrew & Gillain p.253 The film was known under the wor ...
'' (1956).
Marais did ''
Elena and Her Men'' (1956) with
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...
and
Mel Ferrer
Melchor Gastón Ferrer (August 25, 1917 – June 2, 2008) was an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He achieved prominence on Broadway before scoring notable film hits with ''Scaramouche'', ''Lili'' and ''Knights of the Round ...
for
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent film, silent era to the end of the 1960s. ...
. He followed it with ''
Typhoon Over Nagasaki
''Typhoon Over Nagasaki'' (French: ''Typhon sur Nagasaki'') is a 1957 French-Japanese romantic drama film directed by Yves Ciampi and starring Danielle Darrieux, Jean Marais, Keiko Kishi and Gert Fröbe.Parish p.361
It was shot in Japan in N ...
'' (1957) with Darrieux; ''
S.O.S. Noronha'' (1957); ''
White Nights
White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to:
* White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles
* White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held ...
'' (1957) for
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...
, with
Maria Schell
Maria Margarethe Anna Schell (15 January 1926 – 26 April 2005) was an Austrian-Swiss actress. She was one of the leading stars of German cinema in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1954, she was awarded the Cannes Best Actress Award for her performance ...
and
Marcello Mastroianni
Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...
; ''
Girl in His Pocket'' (1958); ''
King on Horseback'' (1958); ''
Every Day Has Its Secret'' (1958); and the all-star ''
Life Together'' (1958).
Swashbuckler star
Marais starred in the swashbuckler ''
Le Bossu'' (1959), appearing alongside
Bourvil
André Robert Raimbourg (; 27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil (), and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Louis ...
and directed by
André Hunebelle
André Hunebelle (1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director.
Master Glass Artist
After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a mas ...
which was a mammoth hit launched a new stage of his career. He was reunited with Cocteau for ''
Testament of Orpheus
''Testament of Orpheus'' (french: Le testament d'Orphée) is a 1960 black-and-white film with a few seconds of color film spliced in. Directed by and starring Jean Cocteau, who plays himself as an 18th-century poet, the film includes cameo appearan ...
'' (1960). He played
Lazare Carnot
Lazare Nicolas Marguerite, Count Carnot (; 13 May 1753 – 2 August 1823) was a French mathematician, physicist and politician. He was known as the "Organizer of Victory" in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.
Education and early ...
in the all-star ''
The Battle of Austerlitz
The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz i ...
'' (1960), then was reunited with Bourvil and Hunebelle in another swashbuckler, ''
Captain Blood'' (1960).
[Obituary: Jean Marais: INAL EditionKirkup, James. The Independent 10 Nov 1998: 6.]
He did ''
Princess of Cleves'' (1961) for Delannoy with
Marina Vlady
Marina Vlady (born 10 May 1938) is a French actress.
Biography
Vlady was born in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine to White Russian immigrant parents. Her father was an opera singer and her mother was a dancer. Her sisters, now all deceased, were the ac ...
based on a script by Cocteau. It was back to swashbuckling with ''
Captain Fracasse'' (1961) for director
Pierre Gaspard-Huit
Pierre Gaspard-Huit (29 November 1917 – 1 May 2017) was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed the 1963 film '' Shéhérazade'', which starred Anna Karina. He was once married to actress Claudine Auger when she was 18, and he wa ...
, and ''
Blood on His Sword'' (1961) for Hunebelle.
Marais had a supporting role in ''
Napoléon II, l'aiglon'' (1962) then did some films in Italy: ''
Romulus and the Sabines'' (1962) with
Roger Moore, and ''
Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...
'' (1962), where Marais played the title role alongside
Jeanne Crain
Jeanne Elizabeth Crain (May 25, 1925 – December 14, 2003) was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her title role in '' Pinky'' (1949). She also starred in the films '' In the Meantime, Darling'' (194 ...
and
Basil Rathbone
Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was a South African-born English actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume ...
.
He was reunited with Hunebelle for ''
The Mysteries of Paris
''The Mysteries of Paris'' (french: Les Mystères de Paris) is a novel by the French writer Eugène Sue. It was published serially in 90 parts in ''Journal des débats'' from 19 June 1842 until 15 October 1843, making it one of the first seria ...
'' (1962), then did ''
The Iron Mask
''The Iron Mask'' is a 1929 American part-talkie adventure film directed by Allan Dwan. It is an adaptation of the last section of the 1847-1850 novel ''The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French l ...
'' (1962) for Decoin.
Spy films and ''Fantomas''
The success of the James Bond films saw Marais cast in an espionage movie, ''
The Reluctant Spy
''The Reluctant Spy'' (french: L'honorable Stanislas, agent secret, it, Spionaggio senza frontiere, also known as ''How to Be a Spy Without Even Trying'') is a French-Italian spy-comedy film from 1963, directed by Jean-Charles Dudrumet, written ...
'' (1963) for director
Jean-Charles Dudrumet
Jean-Charles and Jean-Carles is a French masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Jean Charles, Chevalier Folard (1669–1752), French soldier and military author
* Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand (1817–1891), French engineer
...
. He did a comedy, ''
Friend of the Family'' (1964), then had a huge box office success with ''
Fantomas'' (1964), playing the villain and hero, under the direction of Hunebelle.
In 1963, he was a member of the jury at the
3rd Moscow International Film Festival.
Marais did ''
Ivory Coast Adventure'' (1965) directed by Christian-Jaque; ''
Killer Spy'' (1965), directed by
Georges Lampin
Georges Lampin (14 October 1901 – 8 May 1979) was a French actor and film director. He directed twelve films between 1946 and 1963.
Selected filmography Director
* ''The Idiot'' (1946)
* ''Eternal Conflict'' (1948)
* ''Return to Life'' ...
; a sequel to ''The Reluctant Spy''; and ''
Operation Double Cross'' (1965), a spy film; then a ''Fantomas'' sequel, ''
Fantomas Unleashed'' (1965).
He played
Simon Templar
''The Saint'' is the nickname of the fictional character Simon Templar, featured in a series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books un ...
in ''
The Saint Lies in Wait'' (1966) for Christian-Jaque, and a French general in ''
Seven Guys and a Gal'' (1967), directed by
Bernard Borderie Bernard Borderie (10 June 1924 in Paris – 28 May 1978 in Paris) was a French film director and screenwriter. His father, Raymond Borderie, was one of the producers of ''Children of Paradise, Les Enfants du Paradis'' (''Children of Paradise'', 1945 ...
. ''
Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard'' (1967) was the third and final Fantomas, with Hunebelle.
Marais went on to appear in ''
Le Paria
''Le Paria'' () is a French action film from 1969. It was directed by Claude Carliez, written by , starring Jean Marais and Marie-José Nat. The film was also known under the title ''Diamond Rush'' (UK), ' (Spain), ' (Italy).
Plot
Manu faces ...
'' (1969); ''
Renaud et Armide'' (1969), based on a play by Cocteau; and ''
Le jouet criminel'' (1969), a short.
1970s
After 1970, Marais preferred concentrating on his stage work, and his movie performances became fewer.
His film credits included ''
La provocation'' (1970); ''
Donkey Skin
''Donkeyskin'' (french: Peau d'Âne) is a French fairytale fantasy, literary fairytale written in verse by Charles Perrault. It was first published in 1695 in a small volume and republished in 1697 in Perrault's ''Histoires ou contes du temps pa ...
'' (1970) with
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...
, directed by
Jacques Demy; and ''
Robert Macaire
Robert Macaire is a fictional character, an unscrupulous swindler, who appears in a number of French plays, films, and other works of art. In French culture he represents an archetypal villain. He was principally the creation of an actor, Frédér ...
'' (1971) for French TV.
He was in the miniseries ''
Karatekas and co'' (1973) and ''
Joseph Balsamo'' (1973), and did the TV movies ''
Vaincre à Olympie'' (1977) and ''
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 ...
'' (1980), based on the play by Cocteau.
He directed stage productions of ''
Le bel indifférent'' (1975) and ''Les Parents terribles''. He took the latter to London in 1978.
Later career
His later work included ''
Emmenez-moi au théâtre''; ''
Parking
Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions. Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the buildings' ...
'' (1985) directed by Demy; ''
Lien de parenté
''Lien de parenté'' () is a French TV drama film from 1986. It was directed by Willy Rameau and written by Didier Kaminka, starring Jean Marais and Serge Ubrette. The script was based on Oliver Lang's novel "Next of Kin".
Cast
* Jean Mara ...
'' (1986); ''
Les enfants du naufrageur'' (1992); ''
Dis Papa, raconte-moi là-bas'' (1993); ''
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 original ...
'' (1995 film), directed by
Claude Lelouch
Claude Barruck Joseph Lelouch (; born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, screenwriter, writer, cinematographer, actor and film producer, producer. Lelouch grew up in an Algerian Jewish Family. He emerged as a prominent director in the 1 ...
; and ''
Stealing Beauty
''Stealing Beauty'' (french: Beauté volée; it, Io ballo da sola) is a 1996 drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Liv Tyler, Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, Sinéad Cusack, and Rachel Weisz. Written by Bertolucci and Susan Mi ...
'' (1996), directed by
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...
.
He performed on stage until his 80s, also working as a sculptor. His sculpture ''Le passe muraille'' (''The Walker Through Walls'') can be seen in the
Montmartre
Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...
Quarter of Paris.
In 1985, he was the head of the jury at the
35th Berlin International Film Festival. He was featured in the 1995 documentary ''Screening at the Majestic'', which is included on the 2003 DVD release of the restored print of ''Beauty and the Beast''. Marais appears on the cover sleeve of
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
single "
This Charming Man
"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Mar ...
".
Personal life
Marais was
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
's lover from 1937 to 1947, his muse and longtime friend. After Cocteau's death, Marais wrote a memoir of Cocteau, ''L'Inconcevable Jean Cocteau'', attributing authorship to "Cocteau-Marais". He also wrote an autobiography, ''Histoires de ma vie'', published in 1975. From 1948 until 1959, his companion was the American dancer
George Reich.
He is rumored to have been among the lovers of
Umberto II of Italy
en, Albert Nicholas Thomas John Maria of Savoy
, house = Savoy
, father = Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
, mother = Princess Elena of Montenegro
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Racconigi, Piedmont, Kingdom of Italy
, ...
.
In spite of being mainly homosexual, in 1942 Marais met and had a two-year liaison with actress
Mila Parély
Mila Parély (7 October 1917 – 14 January 2012), born Olga Colette Peszynski, was a French actress of Polish ancestry best known for the roles of Félicie, Belle's eldest sister, in Jean Cocteau's '' La Belle et la Bête'' (1946), and as Gen ...
, with whom he later performed in Cocteau's ''Beauty and the Beast''. They remained lifelong friends, and since 1976 Parély managed Marais' pottery shop in Paris.
In the early 1960s, Marais adopted a young man, Serge Ayala, who eventually took the name Serge Villain-Marais. This adopted son, who became a singer and an actor, committed suicide in 2012 at age 69 after an inheritance litigation and bouts of loneliness and depression.
Death
Marais died from
cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...
in
Cannes
Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions I ...
,
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it ...
in 1998. He is interred in the Village cemetery at
Vallauris
Vallauris (; oc, Valàuria) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is located in the metropolitan area, and is today effectively an extension of the town of Antibes ...
, near
Antibes
Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of southeastern France, on the French Riviera, Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice.
The town of ...
.
In popular culture
The character
Tragicomix, in the comic book ''
Asterix the Legionary
''Asterix the Legionary'' is the tenth Asterix book in the Asterix comic book series by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. It was first published as a serial in ''Pilote'' magazine, issues 368–389, in 1966.
Synopsis
Asterix and Obelix are set ...
'' of 1967, has his characteristics based on Jean Marais.
His life story became the inspiration for the 1980
François Truffaut film ''
The Last Metro
''The Last Metro'' (french: Le Dernier Métro) is a 1980 historical drama film, written and directed by François Truffaut, that stars Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.
Opening in 1942 during the German occupation of France, it follows th ...
''.
[L'Epervier and ''L'Aventurier'' in 1933]
In 1983, a still shot of him from
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
's 1950 film ''
Orphée'' was featured on the cover of
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...
' ''
This Charming Man
"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Mar ...
''.
Filmography
See also
*
Place Jean-Marais
The Place Jean-Marais is a square in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, in front of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre Church, not afar from the Place du Tertre, on the top of Montmartre.
It was named after the French actor Jean Marais on 26 April 2008. It ...
References
External links
*
*
Eternel Jean Marais*
at the ''Films de France''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marais, Jean
1913 births
1998 deaths
French male film actors
French male stage actors
Bisexual male actors
LGBT actors from France
French military personnel of World War II
Muses
Burials in France
20th-century French male actors
People from Cherbourg-Octeville
César Honorary Award recipients
20th-century LGBT people