Victor Francen (born Victor Franssens, 5 August 1888 – 18 November 1977) was a

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

-born actor with a long career in French cinema and in Hollywood.

Biography

Francen was born in 1888 in

Tienen Tienen (; french: Tirlemont ) is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises Tienen itself and the towns of Bost, Goetsenhoven, Hakendover, Kumtich, Oorbeek, Oplinter, Sint-Margriete ...

, the son of a chief of police. According to Russian sources, he attended opera classes in Odessa before 1914. Was already well known in Russian empire before 1914. Postcards with his portraits were printed and sold. He worked in trade in Belgium before settling in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

where he trained in dramatic art under Paul Mounet. His stage career in the 1920s included appearances in plays by

Henri Bernstein Henri-Léon-Gustave-Charles Bernstein (20 June 1876 – 27 November 1953) was a French playwright associated with Boulevard theatre. Biography Bernstein was born in Paris. His earliest plays, including ''La Rafale'' (1905), ''Le Voleur'' (1907), ...

Georges Bataille Georges Albert Maurice Victor Bataille (; ; 10 September 1897 – 9 July 1962) was a French philosopher and intellectual working in philosophy, literature, sociology, anthropology, and history of art. His writing, which included essays, novels, ...

and

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

which took him all over the world. After three appearances in silent films, he played the Prophet in

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 ...

's film '' La Fin du monde'' (''The End of the World'') (1931) and established his career as a leading man in French films. In 1940, he was introduced to American films by

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 ...

and appeared in ''

Hold Back the Dawn ''Hold Back the Dawn'' is a 1941 American romantic drama film in which a Romanian gigolo marries an American woman in Mexico in order to gain entry to the United States, but winds up falling in love with her. It stars Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havi ...

'' (1941), ''

The Tuttles of Tahiti ''The Tuttles of Tahiti'' is a 1942 American adventure comedy romance film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Charles Laughton and Jon Hall. It was based on the novel ''No More Gas'' by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff. Plot When mer ...

'' (1942), ''

Ten Gentlemen from West Point ''Ten Gentlemen from West Point'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring George Montgomery, Maureen O'Hara and John Sutton. Its cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943. George Montgomery replac ...

'' (1942), ''

Tales of Manhattan ''Tales of Manhattan'' is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden Stewart, worked on the six stories in this film. Ba ...

'' (1942), ''

Mission to Moscow ''Mission to Moscow'' is a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the 1941 book by the former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies. The movie chronicles the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet ...

'' (1943), ''

Madame Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

'' (1943), ''

The Desert Song ''The Desert Song'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. It was inspired by the 1925 uprising of the Riffs, a group of Moroccan fighters, against French colo ...

'' (1943), ''

In Our Time In Our Time may refer to: * ''In Our Time'' (1944 film), a film starring Ida Lupino and Paul Henreid * ''In Our Time'' (1982 film), a Taiwanese anthology film featuring director Edward Yang; considered the beginning of the "New Taiwan Cinema" * ''In ...

'' (1944), ''

Passage to Marseille ''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from the novel ''Sans Patrie'' (''Men Withou ...

'' (1944), ''

The Mask of Dimitrios ''The Mask of Dimitrios'' is a 1944 American film noir directed by Jean Negulesco and written by Frank Gruber, based on the 1939 novel of the same title written by Eric Ambler (in the United States, it was published as ''A Coffin for Dimitrios'' ...

'' (1944), '' The Conspirators'' (1944), ''

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'' (1945), ''

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'' (1945), ''

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'' (1946), '' Night and Day'' (1946), ''

The Beast with Five Fingers ''The Beast with Five Fingers'' is a 1946 mystery horror film directed by Robert Florey from a screenplay by Curt Siodmak, based on a short story written by W. F. Harvey and first published in 1919 in ''The New Decameron''. The film stars Robe ...

'' (1946), ''

The Beginning or the End ''The Beginning or the End'' is a 1947 American docudrama film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II, directed by Norman Taurog, starring Brian Donlevy, Robert Walker, and Tom Drake, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. T ...

'' (1947), ''

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'' (1948), '' Hell and High Water'' (1954). He was married three times, his last marriage to the actress Mary Marquet. He died in 1977 in

Saint-Cannat Saint-Cannat (; oc, Sant Canat) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. History The village was named after Canus Natus, a fifth century Roman Catholic Saint, who was a Roman clergyman born with white hair, a quir ...

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and large ...

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 ...

Complete filmography

* ''Le doute'' (1921) – Le jeune écrivain Pierre Aubry * ''Crépuscule d'épouvante'' (1921) – Michel Fortin * ''La neige sur les pas'' (1923) – Marc Romenay * ''La Fin du monde'' ('' End of the World'') (1931) – Martial Novalic * ''L'aiglon'' ('' The Eaglet'') (1931) – Flambeau * ''Après l'amour'' ('' When Love Is Over'') (1931) – Pierre Meyran * '' Ariane, jeune fille russe'' (1932) – Constantin * ''Mélo'' (''The Dreamy Mouth'') (1932) – Marcel, l'amant * ''Les ailes brisées'' (1933) – Fabrège * ''Le velour'' (1933) – Richard Voisin * '' L'Aventurier'' (1934) – Étienne Ranson * ''Le chemineau'' (1935) – Le chemineau / The Vagabond * '' Veille d'armes'' (1935) – Captain de Corlaix * ''La porte du large'' (1936) – Commandant Villette * ''Le roi'' ('' The King'') (1936) – Le roi Jean IV de Cerdagne – en visite à Paris * ''Nuits de feu'' (''

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) – Fedor Andreiev * ''L'appel de la vie'' (''

The Call of Life ''The Call of Life'' (french: L'appel de la vie) is a 1937 French drama film directed by Georges Neveux and starring Victor Francen, Renée Devillers, and Daniel Lecourtois. It is a French-language film made in Berlin by the German studio UFA a ...

'') (1937) – Le professeur Rougeon * ''Double crime sur la ligne Maginot'' (''Double Crime in the Maginot Line'') (1937) – Capitaine Bruchot * ''Feu!'' (1937) – André Frémiet * ''Forfaiture'' ('' The Cheat'') (1937) – Pierre Moret * '' J'accuse!'' (1938) – Jean Diaz * ''Tamara la complaisante'' (1938) – Grigory * ''La vierge folle'' (''The Foolish Virgin'') (1938) – Marcel Armaury * ''La fin du jour'' ('' The End of the Day'') (1939) – Marny * ''

Entente cordiale The Entente Cordiale (; ) comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations. Beyond the immediate concerns of colonial de ...

'' (1939) – Le roi Édouard VII * ''L'homme du Niger'' (''

The Man from Niger ''The Man from Niger'' or ''Forbidden Love'' (French: ''L'homme du Niger'') is a 1940 French drama film directed by Jacques de Baroncelli and starring Victor Francen, Jacques Dumesnil and Annie Ducaux. It is set in the French colonial empire.Ken ...

'') (1940) – Le commandant Bréval * ''

'' (1941) – Van Den Luecken * ''

'' (1942) – Dr. Blondin * ''

'' (1942) – Florimond Massey * ''

'' (1942) – Arturo Bellini * ''

'' (1943) – Vyshinsky, chief trial prosecutor * ''

'' (1943) – President of University * ''

'' (1943) – Caid Yousseff * ''

'' (1944) – Count Pawel Orwid * ''

'' (1944) – Capt. Patain Malo * ''

'' (1944) – Wladislaw Grudek * '' The Conspirators'' (1944) – Hugo Von Mohr * ''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for servi ...

'' (1944) – Victor Francen * ''

'' (1945) – Licata * ''

'' (1945) – Legare * ''

'' (1946) – Constantin Heger * '' Night and Day'' (1946) – Anatole Giron * ''

'' (1946) – Francis Ingram * ''

'' (1947) – Dr. Marré * ''

'' (1948) – Police Inspector Beauvais * ''La Révoltée'' (1948) – Henri Dumières * ''La nuit s'achève'' (1950) – Dr. Coudray (Thiriot) * '' Adventures of Captain Fabian'' (1951) – Henri Brissac * '' Hell and High Water'' (1954) – Prof. Montel * '' Bedevilled'' (1955) – Father Du Rocher * '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1957) – Colonel Valentini * '' The Indian Tomb'' (1959) – Penitent (uncredited) * ''Journey to the Lost City'' (1960) * '' Fanny'' (1961) – Panisse's Elder Brother * ''The Big Scare'' (1964) – Docteur Chabert * ''Top Crack'' (1966) – (final film role)

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Francen, Victor 1888 births 1977 deaths 20th-century Belgian male actors Belgian expatriates in France Belgian expatriates in the United States Belgian male film actors Belgian male silent film actors Belgian male stage actors Expatriate male actors in the United States People from Tienen