Léo Joannon (21 August 1904 – 28 March 1969) was a French writer and film director. Born in
Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...
, Joannon was originally a
law student
Legal education is the education of individuals in the principles, practices, and theory of law. It may be undertaken for several reasons, including to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for admission to legal practice in a particular j ...
who became a novelist and journalist before entering the film industry in the 1920s as a cameraman.
[New York Times/Allmovie profile]
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Career
Joannon first attracted international attention in early 1939 during the production of ''S.O.S. Mediterranean,'' when his attempts to include shots of a German naval ship docked in the port of Tangier
Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...
created a diplomatic incident between the pre-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 ...
French and German governments. The film later won the Grand Prix du Cinema Français.New York Times review, 31 December 1939 (fee required for access)
/ref>
Joannon is best known to international audiences as the director of the comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
''Atoll K
''Atoll K'' is a 1951 Franco-Italian international co-production, co-production film—also known as ''Robinson Crusoeland'' in the United Kingdom and ''Utopia'' in the United States – which starred the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy in their final ...
'' (1951), which was the final motion picture starring the legendary comedic double act Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...
. Among his other better-known films were '' Le Defroqué'' (1954) and '' Fort du Fou'' (''Outpost in Indochina)'' (1962).Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine (; literally 'Neuilly on Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is a commune in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in France, just west of Paris. Immediately adjacent to the city, the area is composed of mostly select residentia ...
.
Selected filmography
* '' Five Anxious Days'' (1928)
* '' The Woman and the Puppet'' (1929)
* ''Durand Versus Durand
''Durand Versus Durand'' (French: ''Durand contre Durand'') is a 1931 French-German comedy film directed by Eugen Thiele and Léo Joannon and starring Roger Tréville, Paul Asselin and Jeanne Helbling.Rège p.537
The film's sets were designed ...
'' (1931)
* '' The Voice of Happiness'' (1931)
* '' Suzanne'' (1932)
* '' 600,000 Francs a Month'' (1933)
* ''Excursion Train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose. Examples are trains to major sporting event, trains run for railfans or tourists, and special trains operated by the railway company for employees and prominent customer ...
'' (1936)
* ''Alert in the Mediterranean
''Alert in the Mediterranean'' (French: ''Alerte en Méditerranée'') is a 1938 French thriller film directed by Léo Joannon and starring Pierre Fresnay, Nadine Vogel and Rolf Wanka. It was the fifth most popular film at the French box office in ...
'' (1938)
* '' The Emigrant'' (1940)
* ''The White Truck
''The White Truck'' (French: ''Le camion blanc'') is a 1943 French comedy drama film directed by Léo Joannon and starring Jules Berry, Blanchette Brunoy and François Périer.
The film's sets were designed by the art director Jean Douarinou.
P ...
'' (1943)
*''Atoll K
''Atoll K'' is a 1951 Franco-Italian international co-production, co-production film—also known as ''Robinson Crusoeland'' in the United Kingdom and ''Utopia'' in the United States – which starred the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy in their final ...
'' (1951)
*'' Le Defroque'' (1954)
*'' Fort du Fou (''1962)
See also
* ''Amour de poche
''Amour de poche'' (''Girl in His Pocket'') is a French comedy fantasy film from 1957, directed by Pierre Kast, written by France Roche, starring Jean Marais. The scenario was based on a novel ''Diminishing Draft'' of Waldemar Kaempffert.< ...
'' (1957)
References
External links
*
1904 births
1969 deaths
French film directors
{{France-film-director-stub