Léo Joannon (21 August 1904 – 28 March 1969) was a French writer and film director. Born in
Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
, 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]
/ref> He was married to the Vietnamese actress Foun-Sen.
Career
Joannon first attracted international attention in early 1939 during the production of '' Alert in the Mediterranean'' when his attempts to include shots of a German naval ship docked in the port of Tangier
Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...
created a diplomatic incident between the pre-World War II
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 ...
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
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
'' Atoll K'' (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 during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...
. Among his other better-known films were '' Le Defroqué'' (1954) and '' Fort du Fou'' (''Outpost in Indochina)'' (1962).Neuilly-sur-Seine
Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...
.
Selected filmography
* '' Five Anxious Days'' (1928)
* '' The Woman and the Puppet'' (1929)
* '' Durand Versus Durand'' (1931)
* '' The Voice of Happiness'' (1931)
* '' Suzanne'' (1932)
* '' 600,000 Francs a Month'' (1933)
* '' Excursion Train'' (1936)
* '' When Midnight Strikes'' (1936)
* '' Alert in the Mediterranean'' (1938)
* '' The Emigrant'' (1940)
* '' The White Truck'' (1943)
* '' Lucrèce'' (1943)
* '' The Ménard Collection'' (1944)
* '' Secret Documents'' (1945)
*'' Atoll K'' (1951)
*'' Le Defroque'' (1954)
*'' L'Homme aux clés d'or'' (1956)
*'' 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
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