André Deed
Encyclopedia
Henri André Chapais, known as André Deed, was a French-born actor and director, best known for his Foolshead comedies, produced in the 1900s and 1910s. André Deed was one of the first named actors in cinema, and his film series based around Foolshead were a global success.
on February 22nd 1879, Chapais was the son of a customs official. The family moved to Nice
when Henri André was young. Unusually for an actor, he attended lycée in Nice, while acting with a small theatre company.
and began to appear in vaudeville
theatre and cabaret
, including at the Folies Bergères
.
In 1901, cinema pioneer Georges Méliès
directed André Deed in several films. Deed would later incorporate many of Méliès' trick-shots into his comedies.
, and he began starring and directing in the Cretinetti comedy series. Alberto Collo and Emilio Ghione
, who would become two of the most famous Italian actors of the 1910s, and Deed's future wife, Valentina Frascaroli, were amongst the supporting cast in these films.
In 1913, Deed embarked on a world theatrical tour with Frascaroli, taking in Europe and Latin America.
. In 1915, Giovanni Pastrone
asked him to return to Turin
to continue the Cretinetti series for Itala films. Deed made the feature film, Cretinetti e gli stivali del brasilero (Cretinetti and the Brazilian's boots), which featured Bartolomeo Pagano
, the star of Cabiria
and the Maciste
series, in a cameo role.
By 191X, Deed returned to France
and served in various logistics
and infantry
regiments. It is likely that he served in the trenches
at some point, but nothing is known about his war service, beyond the dates of his transfers between regiments. In 1918, Deed married Valentina Frascaroli. Deed was demobilised in 1919.
) (1921) and Le strane amore di Mado, which was never made.
.
. He was survived by his wife, Valentina Frascaroli, who died in 1955.
Life and career
Born Henri André Augustin Chapais in Le HavreLe Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
on February 22nd 1879, Chapais was the son of a customs official. The family moved to Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
when Henri André was young. Unusually for an actor, he attended lycée in Nice, while acting with a small theatre company.
Start of film and stage career
André Deed moved to ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and began to appear in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
theatre and cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
, including at the Folies Bergères
Folies Bergères
The Folies Bergère established in 1869 in Paris, France, is a music hall which was at the height of its fame and popularity from the 1890s through the 1920s. the institution is still in business.-History:...
.
In 1901, cinema pioneer Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès
Georges Méliès , full name Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès, was a French filmmaker famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest cinema. He was very innovative in the use of special effects...
directed André Deed in several films. Deed would later incorporate many of Méliès' trick-shots into his comedies.
Move to Italy and world tour
In 1908, Deed negotiated a lucrative move to the Itala studios in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, and he began starring and directing in the Cretinetti comedy series. Alberto Collo and Emilio Ghione
Emilio Ghione
Emilio Luigi Carlo Giuseppe Maria Ghione , known as Emilio Ghione, was an Italian silent film actor, director and screenwriter...
, who would become two of the most famous Italian actors of the 1910s, and Deed's future wife, Valentina Frascaroli, were amongst the supporting cast in these films.
In 1913, Deed embarked on a world theatrical tour with Frascaroli, taking in Europe and Latin America.
World War One
Despite being thirty-five years of age, André was conscripted into the reservesReservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...
. In 1915, Giovanni Pastrone
Giovanni Pastrone
Giovanni Pastrone, also known by his artistic name Piero Fosco , was an Italian film pioneer, director, screenwriter, actor and technician.Pastrone was born in Montechiaro d'Asti...
asked him to return to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
to continue the Cretinetti series for Itala films. Deed made the feature film, Cretinetti e gli stivali del brasilero (Cretinetti and the Brazilian's boots), which featured Bartolomeo Pagano
Bartolomeo Pagano
Bartolomeo Pagano was an Italian motion picture actor.Before his cinema career, Pagano was a stevedore who worked at the port of Genoa. There, he was discovered and selected to play the role of Maciste, a muscular slave, in the silent movie classic Cabiria in 1914...
, the star of Cabiria
Cabiria
Cabiria is a silent movie from the early years of Italy's movie industry, directed by Giovanni Pastrone . The movie is set in ancient Sicily, Carthage, and Cirta during the period of the Second Punic War . It follows a melodramatic main plot about an abducted little girl, Cabiria, and features...
and the Maciste
Maciste
Maciste is one of the oldest recurring characters in cinema. He cuts a heroic figure throughout the history of the cinema of Italy from the 1910s to the 1970s, even if most of the movies that featured him are considered to be of poor artistic quality...
series, in a cameo role.
By 191X, Deed returned to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and served in various logistics
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
and infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
regiments. It is likely that he served in the trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
at some point, but nothing is known about his war service, beyond the dates of his transfers between regiments. In 1918, Deed married Valentina Frascaroli. Deed was demobilised in 1919.
Post-war period: between Italy and France
Deed planned a trilogy of fantasy-adventure films: Il documento umano (1920), L'Uomo Meccanico (The Mechanical ManThe Mechanical Man
The Mechanical Man is a 1921 Italian science fiction film directed by André Deed. The original film was about 80 minutes in length. However, only about 26 minutes of footage remains...
) (1921) and Le strane amore di Mado, which was never made.
End of career
Deed finished his career working as a warehouseman at the Pathe film studios located in the Parisian suburb of Joinville-le-PontJoinville-le-Pont
Joinville-le-Pont is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:The commune was created in 1791 under the name La Branche-du-Pont-de-Saint-Maur by detaching its territory from the commune of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés...
.
Death
André Deed died on October, 4 1940 and is buried at the Thaias cemetery in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was survived by his wife, Valentina Frascaroli, who died in 1955.
Pseuydonym in various countries
- French: Boireau and Gribouille
- Inglese: Foolshead
- Portoghese: Turibìo
- Russo: Glupyuskin
- Spagnolo: Toribio
- Tedesco: Müller
- Ungherese: Lehmann