Jean Servais (; 24 September 1910 – 17 February 1976) was a Belgian film and stage actor. IMDb profile: Jean Servais
/ref> He acted in many 20th century

French cinema French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...

productions, from the 1930s through the early 1970s. He was married to Gilberte Graillot, and later actress

Dominique Blanchar Dominique Blanchar (born Dominique Marie Thérèse Blanchard; 2 June 1927 – 19 November 2018) was a stage, television, and film actress from France. She won two Molière Awards in her career. Personal life Dominique Blanchar was born in Pari ...

Career

Servais trained at the Brussels Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, where he won the Second Prize. His acting skills came to the attention of

Raymond Rouleau Raymond Rouleau (4 June 1904 – 11 December 1981) was a Belgian actor and film director. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1928 and 1979. He also directed 22 films between 1932 and 1981. Rouleau studied at the Royal Conservatory of B ...

, and he was hired at the

Théâtre du Marais The Théâtre du Marais has been the name of several theatres and theatrical troupes in Paris, France. The original and most famous theatre of the name operated in the 17th century. The name was briefly revived for a revolutionary theatre in 1791 ...

, where he acted in ''Le mal de jeunesse'', which was successful in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

and in Paris. He was also a member of

Jean-Louis Barrault Jean-Louis Bernard Barrault (; 8 September 1910 – 22 January 1994) was a French actor, director and mime artist who worked on both screen and stage. Biography Barrault was born in Le Vésinet in France in 1910. His father was 'a Burgundia ...

theatre company Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

. His first film role was as the simple country dweller who was the victim of an error by the justice system in the film ''Criminel'' (1932), directed by Jack Forrester. Servais's film career continued in the 1930s with roles in films such as ''La Chanson De L'Adieu'' (1934) and ''La Vie Est Magnifique'' (1938). After a break in acting during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he returned to the screen with roles in films such as ''La Danse De Mort'' (1948). In the 1950s, he appeared in the

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

Rififi ''Rififi'' (french: Du rififi chez les hommes) is a 1955 French crime film adaptation of Auguste Le Breton's novel of the same name. Directed by American Hollywood blacklist, blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin, the film stars Jean Servais as the ...

'' (1955), which

François Truffaut François Roland Truffaut ( , ; ; 6 February 1932 – 21 October 1984) was a French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. After a career of more tha ...

ranked as the best

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

,Los Angeles Times Review: 'Rififi' screening a welcome return of cracking good classic
by Kenneth Turan, 4 September 2015. directed by American

Jules Dassin Julius "Jules" Dassin (December 18, 1911 – March 31, 2008) was an American film and theatre director, producer, writer and actor. A subject of the Hollywood blacklist in the McCarthy era, he subsequently moved to France, and later Greece, whe ...

, in which he played a leader of a gang of jewel thieves.IMDb: Rififi (1955) - Full Cast & Crew
/ref> He appeared in another film directed by Jules Dassin in 1957, '' He Who Must Die (Celui qui doit mourir)''. He also appeared in a film written and directed by

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...

, ''

La fièvre monte à El Pao ''La fièvre monte à El Pao'' ("''Fever Mounts at El Pao''", also known in English as ''Republic of Sin'') is a 1959 film by director Luis Buñuel. Gérard Philipe died four months after the filming. This was his last film. Plot On the remote Ca ...

'' (1959). In the 1950s and 1960s, Servais rejoined the Renaud-Barrault theatre troupe for several plays, including '' La Répétition ou l'Amour puni'' (1950), ''

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perform ...

'' (1955), and ''

Marat/Sade ''The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade'' (german: Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats dargestellt durch die Schauspielgrupp ...

'' (1966). In the 1960s, Servais took small character roles in popular international fare such as '' The Longest Day'' (1962), an epic recreation of the

Allied invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norma ...

, and '' That Man from Rio'' (1964). Other films in which he acted include ''Le Sahara brûle'' (1961), ''Un Soir Par Hasard'' (1964), and ''Avec la peau des autres'' (1966). He had roles in several films in the early 1970s, such as ''

The Devil's Nightmare ''The Devil's Nightmare'' (french: La plus longue nuit du diable, lit=The Devil's Longest Night, it, La terrificante notte del demonio, lit=The Terrifying Night of the Demon) is a 1971 supernatural horror film directed by Jean Brismée and starrin ...

'' (1971), an Italian horror series, and ''Le Protecteur'' (1974), about a recently released prisoner who tries to find his daughter who has fallen into the underworld of prostitution.

Selected filmography

Films with roles played by Jean Servais include: * ''

Mater dolorosa Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...

'' (1932) * ''

Criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Can ...

'' (1933) - Bob Graham * ''

Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

'' (1933) - Pierre * ''

The Faceless Voice ''The Faceless Voice'' (French: ''La voix sans visage'') is a 1933 French drama film directed by Leo Mittler and starring Lucien Muratore, Véra Korène and Jean Servais.Oscherwitz & Higgins p. 281 Plot The singer Saltore is accused of murder ...

'' (1933) - Gérard * ''

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 ...

'' (1934) - Marius Pontmercy * ''

Angèle Angèle is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Angèle (singer) (born Angèle Van Laeken, 1995), Belgian singer * Angèle Dola Akofa Aguigah (born 1955), Togolese archaeologist * Angèle Arsenault (1943–2014), Canadian-Acadi ...

'' (1934) - Albin * '' Amok'' (1934) - Jan * ''

Song of Farewell ''Song of Farewell'' (French: ''La chanson de l'adieu'') is a 1934 historical film, historical musical film, musical drama film directed by Albert Valentin and Géza von Bolváry and starring Jean Servais, Janine Crispin and Lucienne Le Marchand.M ...

'' (1934) - Frédéric Chopin * ''Dernière heure'' (1934) - Jean Benoit * ''Bourrasque'' (1935) - Marcel Bardet * ''Rose'' (1936) - Jean Sergent * ''Valse éternelle'' (1936) - Pierre Kramer * ''Une fille à papa'' (1936) - Henri Guiraud * ''Les réprouvés'' (1937) - Prieur * ''Gigolette'' (1937) - Docteur Jacques Bernais * ' (1937) - l'ingénieur Philippe Dancourt * ' (1939) - Maxime / Massimo * ' (1939) - Le docteur Maire * ''Quartier sans soleil'' (1939) - Jo * ' (1940) - Paul * ' (1941) - Monval * ''Fromont jeune et Risler aîné'' (1941) - Fromont jeune * ''

Patricia Patricia is a female given name of Latin language, Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word ''Patrician (ancient Rome), patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick (given name), Patrick. The name Patr ...

'' (1942) - Fabien * ' (1943) - Anders * ''Finance noire'' (1943) - François Carré * ''

Mahlia the Mestiza ''Mahlia the Mestiza'' (French: ''Mahlia la métisse'') is a 1943 French drama film directed by Walter Kapps and starring Käthe von Nagy, Jean Servais and Georges Paulais.Bock & Bergfelder p.336 The film had a lengthy and troubled production, as ...

'' (1943) - Henri de Roussière -le fils des parents adoptifs de Mahlia * ' (1944) - Le vicomte Roland de la Chaume - un oisif * ''

The Seventh Door ''The Seventh Door'' or ''The Seventh Gate'' (French: ''La septième porte'') is a 1947 French drama film directed by André Zwoboda and starring Georges Marchal, María Casares and Aimé Clariond.Spaas p.148 The film's sets were designed by t ...

'' (1947) - Le chauffeur du car * ''

Prelude to Madness ''Prelude to Madness'' or ''Loveless Lovers'' (Italian: ''Amanti senza amore'') is a 1948 Italian drama film directed by Gianni Franciolini and starring Clara Calamai, Roldano Lupi and Jean Servais. It is inspired by the 1889 novella ''The Kreutz ...

'' (1948) - Enrico Miller - il violinista * ''

The Dance of Death The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

'' (1948) - Kurt * ''

Une si jolie petite plage Une is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Eastern Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre is located at an altitude of at a distance of from the capital Bogotá. The municipality borders Chipaque in the no ...

'' (1949) - Fred * ''Mademoiselle de La Ferté'' (1949) - Lord Osborne * ''Le furet'' (1950) - Stadler * ''

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) * ''

'' (1950) - Laurent Bertal (French version) * ''

Le Plaisir ''Le Plaisir'' (English title, ''House of Pleasure'') is a 1952 French comedy-drama anthology film by German-born film director Max Ophüls (1902–1957) adapting three short stories by Guy de Maupassant — " Le Masque" (1889), " La Maison ...

'' (1952) - L'ami de Jean / La voix de Maupassant (segment "Le Modèle") * ''Mina de Vanghel'' (1953) - Ruppert * ''Rue de l'Estrapade'' (1953) - Jacques Christian * ''Tourbillon'' (1953) - Fred Maurin * ''

Le Chevalier de la nuit ''The Knight of the Night'' french: Le Chevalier de la nuit, is a French comedy film from 1953, directed by Robert Darène, written by Jean Anouilh, starring Renée Saint-Cyr, Jean-Claude Pascal and Louis de Funès. The film is known under the ...

'' (1953) - Le châtelain * ''Les crimes de l'amour'' (1953) - Ruppert (segment 1 : 'Mina de Vanghel') * ''

'' (1955) - Tony le Stéphanois * '' Heroes and Sinners'', ''Les héros sont fatigués'' (1955) - François Séverin * ''Le couteau sous la gorge'' (1955) - Marc Hourtin * ''

The Lebanese Mission ''The Lebanese Mission'' (also known as ''Châtelaine du Liban, La'') is a 1956 French thriller film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Jean-Claude Pascal, Gianna Maria Canale, Jean Servais and Luciana Paluzzi. Omar Sharif also appeared i ...

'' (1956) - Maj. Charles Hobson * ''

He Who Must Die ''He Who Must Die'' (french: Celui qui doit mourir) is a 1957 French-Italian film directed by Jules Dassin. It is based on the novel ''Christ Recrucified'' (also published as ''The Greek Passion'') by Nikos Kazantzakis. It was entered into the ...

'' (1957) - Priest Fotis * ''La roue'' (1957) - Pierre Pelletier * '' Quand la femme s'en mêle'', ''He Who Must Die'' (1957) - Henri Godot * ''

Tamango ''Tamango'' is a 1958 France, French/Italy, Italian film directed by John Berry (film director), John Berry, a Hollywood Blacklist, blacklisted United States, American director who exiled himself to Europe. The film stars Dorothy Dandridge, Curd ...

'' (1958) - Doctor Corot * ''

That Night ''That Night'' (originally titled ''One Hot Summer'') is a 1992 American coming-of-age romantic drama film written and directed by Craig Bolotin and starring C. Thomas Howell and Juliette Lewis. It is based on the 1987 novel of the same name b ...

'' (1958) - André Reverdy * ''Les Jeux dangereux'' (1958) - Fournier, le détective privé * ''

La Fièvre Monte à El Pao ''La fièvre monte à El Pao'' ("''Fever Mounts at El Pao''", also known in English as ''Republic of Sin'') is a 1959 film by director Luis Buñuel. Gérard Philipe died four months after the filming. This was his last film. Plot On the remote Ca ...

'' (1959) - Alejandro Gual * ''

Murder at 45 R.P.M. ''Murder at 45 RPM'' is a 1960 French psychological thriller film directed by Étienne Périer. It is based on a novel by Boileau-Narcejac. Reception According to MGM records the film made a profit of $9,000. References External links *''Murd ...

'' (1960) - Maurice Faugères * ''Le Sahara brûle'' (1961) - Wagner * '' World in My Pocket'' (1961) - Gypo * ''Les Menteurs'' (1961) - Paul Dutraz * ''Le jeu de la vérité'' (1961) - Jean-François Vérate * ''

The Corsican Brothers ''The Corsican Brothers'' (french: Les Frères corses) is a novella by Alexandre Dumas, père, first published in 1844. It is the story of two conjoined brothers who, though separated at birth, can still feel each other's physical distress. It h ...

'' (1961) - Gerolamo Sagona * ''

Le Crime ne paie pas ''Le Crime ne paie pas'' (US title: ''Crime Does Not Pay'', UK title: ''Gentle Art of Murder'') is a 1962 French drama portmanteau film directed and partly written by Gérard Oury. It consists of four separate episodes, each with its own cast and ...

'' (1962) - Ernest Vaughan (segment "L'affaire Hugues") * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) - Rear Admiral Robert Jaujard * ''

The Cage The Cage may refer to: Sports * West Fourth Street Courts, also known as "The Cage", as of 1978, a public venue for amateur basketball in New York City * Al-Shorta Stadium, 1990-2014, former football stadium of Al-Shorta SC, nicknamed "The Cage ...

'' (1963) - Rispal * ' (1963) - Commissaire Beronnet * ' (1963) - Piort * ''Una spia sulla città'', ''Rififi in the City'' (1963) - Maurice Leprince * '' That Man from Rio'' (1964) - Prof. Norbert Catalan * ' (1965) - Dr. Roussel * ''

Thomas the Impostor ''Thomas the Impostor'' (french: Thomas l'imposteur) is a 1965 French drama film directed by Georges Franju and starring Emmanuelle Riva, Fabrice Rouleau, Sophie Dares, Jean Marais and Charles Aznavour. It is based on a novel of the same name b ...

'' (1965) - Pasquel-Duport * ''

Lost Command ''Lost Command'' (aka ''Les Centurions'') is a 1966 American war film directed and produced by Mark Robson and starring Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, George Segal, Michèle Morgan, Maurice Ronet and Claudia Cardinale. It is based on the best-sel ...

'' (1966) - General Melies * ''Avec la peau des autres'' (1966) - Wegelt * ''Qualcuno ha tradito'' (1967) - Jean * ''

Coplan Saves His Skin ''Coplan Saves His Skin'' (french: Coplan sauve sa peau, it, L'assassino ha le ore contate) is a 1968 French-Italian Francis Coplan Eurospy film directed by Yves Boisset (at his directorial debut) and starring Claudio Brook.Marco Giusti. ''0 ...

'' (1968) - Saroghu * '' Black Jesus'' (1968) - Commander * ''

Better a Widow ''Better a Widow'' ( it, Meglio vedova) is a 1968 Italian comedy film. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti. Cast * Virna Lisi: Rosa Minniti * Peter McEnery: Tom Proby * Gabriele Ferzetti: don Calogero Minniti * Jean Servais: Baron Misceni * Land ...

'' (1968) - Baron Misceni * ''

They Came to Rob Las Vegas ''They Came to Rob Las Vegas'' is a 1968 crime film directed by Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi and starring Gary Lockwood, Elke Sommer, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Palance. The screenplay concerns a crime outfit who plan a heist to rob a hi-tech truck con ...

'' (1968) - Gino * ''Peau d'âne'' (1970) - La voix de (voice) * ''

'' (1971) - Baron von Rhoneberg * ' (1972) - De Gournais, le directeur de la galerie * ''L'Affaire Crazy Capo'' (1973) - Joseph Marchesi, dit Crazy Capo * ''Le Protecteur'' (1974) - Ancelin * ''Un tueur, un flic, ainsi soit-il...'' (1977) - Forzi (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Servais, Jean Belgian male stage actors Belgian male film actors French male film actors 1910 births 1976 deaths Actors from Antwerp Burials at Passy Cemetery 20th-century Belgian male actors

Career

Selected filmography

References

Further reading

External links