Pierre-Louis Le Bris (6 February 1929 – 6 June 2015), known as Pierre Brice, was a

French actor This is a list of notable actors and actresses from France. ''(Persons are listed alphabetically according to their surname.)'' A * Kev Adams * Isabelle Adjani * Fatima Adoum * Renée Adorée * Anouk Aimée * Madame Albert * Catherine All ...

, best known as portraying fictional Apache-chief

Winnetou Winnetou is a fictional Native American hero of several novels written in German by Karl May (1842–1912), one of the best-selling German writers of all time with about 200 million copies worldwide, including the ''Winnetou'' trilogy. The ch ...

in German films based on Karl May novels.

Life and films

Brice was born in

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

, France. When he was 19, Brice enlisted in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

and fought in the

First Indochina War The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochina War in France, and as the Anti-French Resistance War in Vietnam) began in French Indochina from 19 December 1946 to 20 July 1954 between France and Việt Minh (Democratic Republic of Vi ...

. While patrolling in Indochina, one of his team triggered a mine and its explosion sent Brice whirling through the air, but left him virtually unhurt. Member of the

Commandos Marine The Commandos Marine are the Special Operation Forces (SOF) of the French Navy. The Commandos Marine are nicknamed ''Bérets Verts'' ( Green Berets). They operate under the Sailor Riflemen and Special Operations Forces Command (FORFUSCO) an ...

, special forces units of the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

, he served later as a paratrooper during the Algerian War. From 1962 to 1968 he acted in a total of eleven West German

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

movies adapted from novels by German author

Karl May Karl Friedrich May ( , ; 25 February 1842 – 30 March 1912) was a German author. He is best known for his 19th century novels of fictitious travels and adventures, set in the American Old West with Winnetou and Old Shatterhand as main pro ...

, in which he played the fictional Native American chief

of the Mescalero Apache tribe, alongside

Lex Barker Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably a ...

(7 movies), Stewart Granger (3 movies) and Rod Cameron (1 movie) as co-stars. After the films he also played this role at the ''Karl May Festspiele'' in Elspe from 1977 to 1980 and 1982 to 1986 and at the

Karl May Festival Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer * Karl of Austria, last Austri ...

Bad Segeberg open-air theatre The Kalkberg Stadium (german: Kalkbergstadion) is an open-air theatre built in a former quarry on the Segeberger Kalkberg, a rocky outcropping in the centre of Bad Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It was built as a Thingplatz under the Thi ...

, Germany, from 1988 to 1991; he also worked there until 1999 as director of several open-air theatre productions. (The open-air theatre in Bad Segeberg is dedicated only to productions of Karl May plays.) Besides theatre productions, he was mainly seen in TV-series, including ''

Ein Schloß am Wörthersee ''Ein Schloß am Wörthersee'' is a German–Austrian comedy television series made by Lisa Film and RTL, known internationally as ''Lakeside Hotel''. The series ran for 33 episodes in 3 seasons from 1990 to 1992, followed by a 90-minute speci ...

'' (A Castle by the

Wörthersee Wörthersee (; Slovene: ''Vrbsko jezero'', en, Lake WörthTesch, F. W. 1977. ''The Eel: Biology and Management of Anguillid Eels''. Transl. Jennifer Greenwood. London: Chapman and Hall, p. 195.) is a lake in the southern Austrian state of Carin ...

) and ''Die Hütte am See'' (Lakeview Cottage). In 1979 Brice again played

in a 14-part TV series called '' Mein Freund Winnetou'' (''My friend Winnetou – Winnetou le Mescalero''), which did not originate from Karl May material. In 1997 he appeared in a two-part TV

mini series The Mini is a small, two-door, four-seat car, developed as ADO15, and produced by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors, from 1959 through 2000. Minus a brief hiatus, original Minis were built for four decades and sold during ...

' (''The Return of Winnetou''), which earned devastating criticism from the fans, since the character had died in the movie '' Winnetou III'' and now suddenly returned to life. Again, this did not originate from writings by Karl May. Brice tried to escape the Winnetou character in a 1976 TV series, '' Star Maidens'', and in several movies for the big screen, playing ''

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...

'' in the Italian '' Zorro contro Maciste'' (1963). He also worked with

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...

(still called ''Mario Girotti'' at the time) in '' Shots in Threequarter Time'' (1965), with Lex Barker in a non-Karl May film '' The Hell of Manitoba'' ( ''A Place Called Glory'') (1965) and in the anthology ''

Killer's Carnival ''Killer's Carnival'' (french: Carnaval des barbouzes, german: Gern hab' ich die Frauen gekillt, it, Spie contro il mondo) is a 1966 crime film directed by Alberto Cardone and starring Stewart Granger. Plot A murderer takes refuge in a docto ...

'' (1966). Pierre Brice died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

on 6 June 2015 in a Paris hospital.

Singing career

Like Lex Barker (who recorded two tracks as a singer), Brice tried to sing with the help of German composer

Martin Boettcher Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

, and even managed to issue several singles and CDs. Most of the songs were in German and, as Brice did not understand the language at the time of recording, he had to sing them phonetically. *PIERRE BRICE: Ich steh' allein / Ribanna – DECCA D 19 557 (mono) *PIERRE BRICE: Wunderschön / Keiner weiß den Tag – Decca, D 19 560 *PIERRE BRICE: Winnetou, Du warst mein Freund / Meine roten Brüder – Barclay *PIERRE BRICE: Du fehlst mir / Der große Traum – CBS *Winnetou du warst mein Freund – 1996, sampler CD, Bear Family Records
contains the above songs, as well as Lex Barker songs.

Partial filmography

*''Ça va barder'' (1955) - (uncredited) *''Le Septième Ciel'' (1958) - Un joueur *'' Young Sinners'' (''Les Tricheurs''), directed by Marcel Carné (1958) - Bernard *''

Le Miroir à deux faces ''Le Miroir à deux faces'' is a 1958 French drama film directed by André Cayatte who co-wrote screenplay with Gérard Oury, Jean Meckert and Denis Perret. The film stars Michèle Morgan, Bourvil and Ivan Desny. It was called ''The Mirror Has ...

'' (1958) - Jacques *''

The Restless and the Damned ''The Restless and the Damned'' (also known as ''L'Ambitieuse'') is a 1959 French-Australian film co produced by Lee Robinson. It was shot on location in Tahiti and the Tuamotu Islands. There are French and English-language versions. Synopsis I ...

'' (1959) - (uncredited) *'' The Cossacks'' (1960) - Boris Sarubin *''

Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates back t ...

'' (''Il rossetto''), directed by

Damiano Damiani Damiano Damiani (23 July 1922 – 7 March 2013) was an Italian screenwriter, film director, actor and writer. Poet and director Pier Paolo Pasolini referred to him as "a bitter moralist hungry for old purity", while film critic Paolo Mereg ...

(1960) - Gino Luciani *'' Call Girls of Rome'' (1960) - L'avvocato Aldo *''

Mill of the Stone Women ''Mill of the Stone Women'' ( it, Il mulino delle donne di pietra) is a 1960 Italian horror film directed by Giorgio Ferroni, starring Pierre Brice and Scilla Gabel. It follows a journalist writing a story on a sculptor in 19th-century Holland ...

'' (1960) - Hans von Arnim *''L'Homme à femmes'' (1960) - Laurent Berty *''

The Pharaohs' Woman ''The Pharaohs' Woman'' ( it, La donna dei faraoni) is a 1960 Italian historical drama film directed by Victor Tourjansky and starring John Drew Barrymore. The film is set in Ancient Egypt during the 31st century BCE (shortly after the unific ...

'' (''La Donna dei Faraoni'', 1960) - Amosis the Physician *'' The Bacchantes'' (1961) - Dionysus *'' Akiko'' (1961) - Duilio *''

The Robbers ''The Robbers'' (', ) is the first drama by German playwright Friedrich Schiller. The play was published in 1781 and premiered on 13 January 1782 in Mannheim, Germany, and was inspired by Leisewitz' earlier play ''Julius of Taranto''. It wa ...

'' (1962) - El Señorito *'' Douce violence'' (1962) - Maddy *''

Invasion 1700 ''Invasion 1700'' ( it, Col ferro e col fuoco, french: Par le fer et par le feu, also known as ''With Fire and Sword'' and ''Daggers of Blood'') is a 1962 Italian-French historical epic film directed by Fernando Cerchio. It is based on the 1884 P ...

'' (1962) - Jan Ketusky *''

Treasure of the Silver Lake ''The Treasure of the Silver Lake'' (german: Der Schatz im Silbersee) is a 1962 western film directed by Harald Reinl and starring Lex Barker, Pierre Brice and Karin Dor. It is very loosely based on Karl May's 1891 novel of the same name. It w ...

'' (1962) - Winnetou *''Un alibi per morire'' (1962) *''

The Shortest Day ''The Shortest Day'' ( it, Il giorno più corto) is a 1963 Italian comedy film. It is a parody of the war movie '' The Longest Day'' and stars the popular duo Franco and Ciccio in the leading roles. Dozens of other well-known actors, from both Eu ...

'' (1963) - Un ufficiale austriaco (uncredited) *''

The Invincible Masked Rider ''The Invincible Masked Rider'' ( it, L'invincibile cavaliere mascherato) is a 1963 adventure film directed by Umberto Lenzi. It was based on a novel by Johnston McCulley. The film was released in the US as ''Terror of the Black Mask''.Lucanio,Pat ...

'' (1963) - Don Diego Morales *'' Zorro contro Maciste'' (''Samson and the Slave Queen'', 1963) - Zorro / Ramon *'' Apache Gold'' (''Winnetou 1'', 1963) - Winnetou *''Pacto de silencio'' (1963) - Jean Clausel *''

Old Shatterhand Old Shatterhand is a fictional character in Western novels by German writer Karl May (1842–1912). He is the German friend and blood brother of Winnetou, the fictional chief of the Mescalero tribe of the Apache The Apache () are a g ...

'' (1964) - Winnetou *'' Golden Goddess of Rio Beni'' (1964) - Jim *''

Last of the Renegades ''Last of the Renegades'' (german: Winnetou – 2. Teil and also known as ''Winnetou: Last of the Renegades'') is a 1964 German-Italian Western film directed by Harald Reinl and starring Pierre Brice, Lex Barker, and Anthony Steel. It is based ...

'' (''Winnetou 2'', 1964) - Winnetou *'' Among Vultures'' (1964) - Winnetou *'' Shots in Threequarter Time'' (1965) - Philippe Tissot *'' The Hell of Manitoba'' (1965) - Reese *''

The Oil Prince The Oil Prince (German: ''Der Ölprinz'') is a 1965 West German-Yugoslav western film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice and Harald Leipnitz. It was also known as ''Rampage at Apache Wells''. The screenplay is ...

'' (1965) - Winnetou *''

The Desperado Trail ''The Desperado Trail'' (german: Winnetou – 3. Teil) is a 1965 West German film directed by Harald Reinl. Plot After the Civil War, desperadoes led by a renegade named Rollins, following the settlers moving westward, try to drive a wedge in ...

'' (''Winnetou 3'', 1965) - Winnetou *''

Old Surehand ''Old Surehand'' (german: Old Surehand 1. Teil, also known as ''Flaming Frontier'') is a 1965 German Western film starring Stewart Granger, Pierre Brice and Letitia Roman. The film is based on a novel by Karl May. It was shot at the Spand ...

'' (1965) - Winnetou *'' Dacii'' (1966) - Roman General Septimius Severus *''

'' (1966) - Agent Brice (Rome segment) *''

Winnetou and the Crossbreed ''Winnetou and the Crossbreed'' (German: ''Winnetou und das Halbblut Apanatschi'') is a 1966 West German Western film directed by Harald Philipp and starring Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, Götz George and Uschi Glas. It is part of the series of Kar ...

'' (1966) - Winnetou *''

Winnetou and Old Firehand ''Winnetou and Old Firehand'' (german: Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand) is a 1966 western film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Pierre Brice, Rod Cameron, and Marie Versini. It was made as a co-production between West Germany and ...

'' (1966) - Winnetou *' (1967) - François *'' The Valley of Death'' (1968) - Winnetou *''Un giorno, una vita'' (1970) - Giuliano * '' Erika'' (1971) - Renato Laurana *'' The Night of the Damned'' (1971) - Jean Duprey *''Les coups pour rien'' (1971) - Paul *' (1972) - Barrett *' (1973) - Jacques *''Una cuerda al amanecer'' (1974) - Campanita 'Little Bell' *'' Sex Pot'' (''La pupa del gangster'', 1975) - Commissario Salvatore Lambelli *'' Star Maidens'' (1976, TV series) - Adam *'' Mein Freund Winnetou'' (1980, TV series) - Winnetou *''

'' (1991–1993, TV series) - André Blondeau *' (1993, TV film) - Pierre Latouche

References

Sources

Pierre Brice biography on (re)Search my Trash

External links

*

Almissa.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Brice, Pierre 1929 births 2015 deaths Actors from Brest, France French male film actors French male television actors French pop singers French military personnel of the First Indochina War French military personnel of the Algerian War Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Deaths from pneumonia in France 20th-century French male singers