Maurice Diamant-Berger (8 February 1902 – 18 June 2004), known as André Gillois, was a French writer, radio pioneer and - during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

- general

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

's spokesman in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Life

Before the war he worked for the cinema (with René Clair and his brother Henri), as a radio journalist and producer on Le Poste Parisien (with Jean Nohain, meeting

Georges Feydeau Georges-Léon-Jules-Marie Feydeau (; 8 December 1862 – 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the Belle Époque era, remembered for his farces, written between 1886 and 1914. Feydeau was born in Paris to middle-class parents and raised in a ...

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 th ...

Henri Bergson Henri-Louis Bergson (; ; 18 October 1859 – 4 January 1941) was a French philosopher who was influential in the traditions of analytic philosophy and continental philosophy, especially during the first half of the 20th century until the S ...

, Georges Courteline,

Tristan Bernard Tristan Bernard (7 September 1866 – 7 December 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. Life He studied law, and after his military service, he started his career as the manager of an aluminium smelter. In the 1890s, ...

Sacha Guitry Alexandre-Pierre Georges "Sacha" Guitry (; 21 February 188524 July 1957) was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre (aesthetic), boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French ac ...

), and as an editor with François Bernouard (editing Jules Renard, Courteline, Zola). In 1940, he left Paris and spent two years in the Midi, establishing the first Résistance networks and links with the British. On 31 August 1942, he left from Cannes for Gibraltar at night on the sail-boat ''Seadog'', then went by plane to London, with Nicholas Bodington. From 17 May 1943 to 24 September 1944, he was the daily presenter of ''Honneur et patrie'', the programme for the

French resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

, creating ''le Chant des partisans'' and announcing every day "Ici Londres, les Français parlent aux Français" ("This is London, the French talk to the French"). On 1 June 1944, he replaced

Maurice Schumann Maurice Schumann (; 10 April 1911 – 9 February 1998) was a French politician, journalist, writer, and hero of the Second World War who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (France), Minister of Foreign Affairs under Georges Pompidou from 22 J ...

as general de Gaulle's spokesman. After the war, he dedicated himself to writing plays and novels, as well as television and radio scripts. In the 1950s he,

Emmanuel Berl Emmanuel Berl (2 August 1892 – 21 September 1976) was a French journalist, historian and essayist. He was born at Le Vésinet in the modern ''département'' of Yvelines, and is buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris. In 1937 he married the si ...

and

Maurice Clavel Maurice Clavel () (10 November 1920 – 23 April 1979) was a French writer, journalist, and philosopher. Early life Maurice Clavel was born on 10 November 1920 in Frontignan, Hérault to a family headed by a father who was a pharmacist. This c ...

presented the radio series ''Qui êtes-vous ?''. In 1954, Gillois created one of the first French TV gameshows, '' Télé Match'', with

Jacques Antoine Jacques Antoine (14 March 1924 – 14 September 2012) was a French creator and producer of game shows. His most famous creations include '' Treasure Hunt'', ''Interceptor'', '' Fort Boyard'', and ''The Crystal Maze''. Personal life Jacques Anto ...

and

Pierre Bellemare Pierre Bellemare (21 October 1929 – 26 May 2018) was a French writer, novelist, radio personality, television presenter, TV producer, director, and actor. Television * '' La Tête et les Jambes'' * '' La Caméra invisible'' * '' J'ai un Se ...

, and in 1958 a jury (including

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 12/13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer who created the fictional detective Jules Maigret. One of the most prolific and successful authors of the 20th century, he published around 400 ...

) awarded him the prix du Quai des Orfèvres for his crime novel ''125, rue Montmartre''. In 1973, André-Gillois he published ''La Vie secrète des Français à Londres de 1940 à 1944'', and in 1980 his memoirs were published as ''Ce siècle avait deux ans''. He died in Paris in 2004 and is buried at

Passy Passy () is an area of Paris, France, located in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, on the Rive Droite, Right Bank. It is adjacent to Auteuil, Paris, Auteuil to the southwest, and Chaillot to the northeast. It is home to many ...

cemetery.

Family

He was the son of Dr Mayer Saül Diamant-Berger and Jenny Birman, and his brother was

Henri Diamant-Berger Henri Diamant-Berger (9 June 1895 – 7 May 1972) was a French film director, director, film producer, producer and screenwriter. In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he directed 48 films between 1913 in film, 1913 and 1959 in film, 1959, ...

. He married Suzon.

Works

* c.1945. ''De la Résistance à l'Insurrection'', preface by

Emmanuel d'Astier de la Vigerie Emmanuel d'Astier de La Vigerie (6 January 190012 June 1969) was a French journalist, politician and member of the French Resistance. Biography Born in Paris, he attended the Naval Academy but resigned from the French Navy in 1923. He became a ...

, Éditions Sève, s.d. * 1947. ''La Corde raide'', Nouvelles Éditions Latines. * 1950. ''La Souricière'', Les Éditions de Minuit. * 1953. ''Les grandes Familles de France'', André Bonne. * 1953. ''Qui êtes-vous ?'', texte des émissions de radio (1949–1951), Gallimard. * 1954–55. ''L'Art d'aimer à travers les âges'', 3 vol., André Vial. * 1957. ''Polydora'', pièce en 3 actes, L'Avant-Scène, fémina-théâtre, n° 150. * 1958. ''125, Rue Montmartre'', coll. Le Point d'interrogation, Hachette. * 1959. ''Le petit Tailleur de Londres'', roman, Julliard. * 1959. ''Le Dessous des Cartes'', pièce en 4 actes, L'Avant-Scène, fémina-théâtre, n° 194. * 1963. ''La Corde pour le pendre'', coll. Le Point d'interrogation, Hachette. * 1966. ''La France qui rit... La France qui grogne'', Hachette. * 1967. ''Filous et Gogos'', Hachette. * 1968. ''Les petites Comédies'', Julliard. * 1970. ''Information contre X'', Julliard. * 1973. ''La Vie secrète des Français à Londres de 1940 à 1944'', Hachette Littérature. * 1980. ''Ce siècle avait deux ans. Mémoires'', préface de Jean-Louis Crémieux-Brilhac, Belfond ; rééd. Mémoire du Livre, 2002. * 1981. ''Voyage surprise. Les folles vacances de 20 Français'', with Jean Nohain, Alain Lefeuvre. * 1982. ''Un Roman d'amour'', récit, Pierre Belfond. * 1985. ''Gallifet, le fusilleur de la Commune'', France Empire. * 1986. ''Boulevard du Temps qui passe ; de Jules Renard à de Gaulle'', Le Pré aux Clercs. * 1986. ''Le Secret de la Tsarine'', Payot. * 1990. ''Le Mensonge historique'', Robert Laffont. * 1992. ''La Mort pour de rire'', Le Cherche Midi. * 1995. ''L'Homme éberlué, chronique du XXe siècle (1940–1975)'', Les Éditions de Paris. * 1997. ''Le Penseur du dimanche'', Éditions de Paris. * 2000. ''Adieu mon siècle'', Ornican.

Selected filmography

* '' My Aunt from Honfleur'' (1931) * '' Narcisse'' (1940) * '' 125 Rue Montmartre'' (1959)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillois, Andre Writers from Paris 1902 births 2004 deaths Burials at Passy Cemetery 20th-century French novelists French radio presenters French television presenters French Resistance members 20th-century French screenwriters French men centenarians 20th-century French journalists