Lucien Rozenberg (11 June 1874 – 1 November 1947) was a French actor, theatre director, playwright and film director. He was principally known as a stage performer, but during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he starred in a series of short comedy films, and in the 1930s returned to the screen in films by, among others,

Abel Gance Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...

. During his stage career Rozenberg played in a wide range of plays from verse tragedy by

Catulle Mendes Gaius Valerius Catullus (; 84 - 54 BCE), often referred to simply as Catullus (, ), was a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic who wrote chiefly in the neoteric style of poetry, focusing on personal life rather than classical heroes. His s ...

farce Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...

by Georges Feydeau to

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

. In addition to starring in Parisian theatres he appeared in the French provinces, and during the 1920s was seen in twenty plays during a long tour of South America. During the

Second World War 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 ...

Rozenberg had to hide from the Germans during their occupation of Paris; his plans to re-establish himself after the war were unrealised.

Life and career

Early years

Rozenberg was born in the 4th arrondissement of Paris on 11 June 1874, the son of Levis Rozenberg and his wife Florence, ''née'' Levy. He began his theatrical career towards the end of the 19th century. In 1899 he appeared in the

''La Mariée du Touring-Club'' by Tristan Bernard at the

Théâtre de l'Athénée The Théâtre de l'Athénée is a theatre at 7 rue Boudreau, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Renovated in 1996 and classified a historical monument, the Athénée inherits an artistic tradition marked by the figure of Louis Jouvet who dire ...

."Lucien Rozenberg"
L'archives du spectacle. Retrieved 13 December 2022 In 1902 he was a member of the company headed by

Jean Coquelin Jean Coquelin (1865–1944) was a French film and stage actor and the son of Benoît-Constant Coquelin Benoît-Constant Coquelin (; 23 January 184127 January 1909), known as Coquelin aîné ("Coquelin the Elder"), was a French actor, "one of the ...

Paul Anthelme Paul Anthelme Bourde (23 May 1851 – 27 October 1914) was a French journalist, author and colonial administrator. Self-taught, he became a respected contributor to ''Le Temps'', writing on a broad range of subjects. He was hostile to the poets a ...

's ''Nos deux consciences'' at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin. In addition to acting he was an occasional playwright: in 1903 he was co-author of a farce, ''Tonton'' presented at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal, and in 1909

Alexandre Germain Alexandre Germain was the stage name of the French actor Germain Alexandre Poinet (17 June 1847 – 31 November 1938). He created leading comic roles in several of Georges Feydeau's most successful farces. Life and career Germain was born in Pari ...

starred in Rozenberg's one-act comedy, ''Le Pavé de l'ours''. Between those two productions Rozenberg appeared at the Théâtre de la Gaîté in Coquelin's production of ''Scarron'' by

Catulle Mendès Catulle Mendès (22 May 1841 – 8 February 1909) was a French poet and man of letters. Early life and career Of Portuguese Jewish extraction, Mendès was born in Bordeaux. After childhood and adolescence in Toulouse, he arrived in Paris in 185 ...

, and at the

Théâtre des Nouveautés The Théâtre des Nouveautés ("Theatre of the New") is a Parisian theatre built in 1921 and located at 24 boulevard Poissonnière (Paris, 9th arr.). The name was also used by several earlier Parisian theatre companies and their buildings, begin ...

in ''La Petite Madame Dubois'' by

Paul Gavault Paul Armand Marcel Gavault (1 September 1866 - 25 December 1951) was a French dramatist, playwright and former director of the théâtre de l'Odéon. Biography He enjoyed a hit with his 1906 comic play '' Mademoiselle Josette, My Woman'' whi ...

and ''Irrésistible'' by Auguste Germain. In April 1907 Rozenberg appeared at the Bouffes-Parisiens as Chaumette in ''Papillon''. At the Variétés in February 1910 he played Mareuil in ''Le Rubicon''. He reurned to the Bouffes-Parisiens in March 1910 as Le Breautiere in

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's ''Le jeune homme candide''. He was then appointed Directeur de la scène at the Théâtre Michel, and appeared there in 1912 in Georges Feydeau's ''On purge bébé!'' and Jean Kolb and André de Fouquières' ''Le Tiers Porteur''.Parker, p. 962 In 1913 he appeared in "Les honneurs de la guerre" by

Maurice Hennequin Maurice Hennequin (10 December 1863 – 3 September 1926) was a French-naturalized Belgian playwright. Biography A great-grandson of the painter Philippe-Auguste Hennequin, Maurice Hennequin was the son of Alfred Hennequin (1842–1887), himse ...

. At the Athénée in 1914 Rozenberg played the central role of Saint-Franquet in Feydeau's ''

Je ne trompe pas mon mari! ''Je ne trompe pas mon mari!'' (I don't cheat on my husband!) is a three-act farce by Georges Feydeau and René Peter. It was Feydeau's last full-length play. Opening in Paris in 1914, it ran for 200 performances. The plot revolves round the love ...

'', and reprised the role in the same theatre in 1916."Athénée"
''La Rampe: revue des théâtres'', 21 December 1916 During the

he began a series of short film comedies, in which he starred and sometimes directed.

1918−1947

Rozenberg was appointed director of the Athénée in 1918, and appeared there in September 1919 as Marcel Lirois in ''Amour! quand tu nous tiens''. During 1920 he toured France in ''La Belle Aventure'' and ''Le Retour'', and in 1921 he toured in South America, with a repertory of 20 plays. After returning to Paris he played Fougerol in ''Le Paradis Ferme'' at the Athénée in November 1921. In June 1923 he married the actress Madeleine Soria. Among his appearances during the rest of the 1920s were at the Athénée in ''Romance'' by

Robert de Flers Robert Pellevé de La Motte-Ango, marquis de Flers (25 November 1872, Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados – 30 July 1927, Vittel) was a French playwright, opera librettist, and journalist.Pierre Barillet, ''Les Seigneurs du rire: Flers – Caillavet – ...

(1923), ''La Rose de septembre'' by Jacques Deval (1926) and '' La Lettre'', an adaptation of a story by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

(1929). In 's comedy ''Il manquet un homme'' (Athénée, 1929) he played an exiled Russian aristocrat reduced to working as a cabaret singer in Paris ("Rozenberg as the Russian prince singing the balalaika is delicious", said one critic). Although remaining mostly a stage performer, in the 1930s Rozenberg appeared in six films, including 's '' Moutonnet'',"Moutonnet"
British Film Institute. Retrieved 13 December 2022 and

's '' Un grand amour de Beethoven''."Lucien Rozenberg"
Le cinema français. Retrieved 13 December 2022 His stage appearances of the 1930s included ''Signor Bracoli'' by Deval (Nouveautés, 1932), ''L'Affaire de la rue Royale'' by

Max Maurey Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) (1 ...

(Athénée, 1932), ''Cette nuit la ...'' by Lajos Zilahy (Madeleine, 1933, as director and actor), ''Monsieur Beverley'' by Georges Berr (Madeleine, 1936) and ''3 hommes sur un cheval'' by

Jean de Létraz Jean de Létraz, pen name of Jean Félix Deletraz, (23 February 1897 - 3 June 1954) was a French playwright, spécialising in vaudeville, who authored nearly 118 plays, among which the most famous is ''Bichon'' written in 1935. Biography His fir ...

(Madeleine, 1936 as director and actor). During the German occupation of Paris during the

, Rozenberg was hunted by the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...

and was forced to live in difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances. The Germans plundered his collection of art, which contained pieces of great value."Lucien Rozenberg est mort"
''Le Figaro'', 2 November 1947, p. 4 After the war he planned to take the direction of the

Comédie-Caumartin The Comédie-Caumartin is a 380-seat capacity theatre located at 25 rue de Caumartin in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Histoire Inaugurated in 1901 under the name Comédie-Royale, the venue is dedicated to humour and particularly to plays be ...

to mount a revue, but the project fell through. Rozenberg died at

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 ...

on 1 November 1947, aged 73.

Notes, references and sources

Notes

References

Sources

*{{cite book , editor-last = Parker , editor-first = John , year = 1922 , title = Who's Who in the Theatre , location = London , edition = fourth , publisher = Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons , oclc = 473894893 1874 births 1947 deaths 20th-century French actors