Gérard Philipe
Encyclopedia
Gérard Philipe was a prominent French actor, who had appeared in 34 films between 1944 and 1959.
, France as a teenager Philipe took acting lessons before going to Paris to study at the Conservatoire of Dramatic Art
. When 19 years old, he made his stage debut at a theater in Nice
; and the following year his strong performance in the Albert Camus
play, Caligula
, brought an invitation to work with the Théâtre national populaire (T.N.P.) in Paris and Avignon
, whose festival
, founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar
, is France's oldest and most famous.
Philipe made his film debut in Les Petites du Quai aux Fleurs (1943) and after a few more minor film roles, he rocketed to fame as a result of his performance in Claude Autant-Lara
's Devil in the Flesh
(1947). Adored by women for his good looks, Gérard Philipe was also a very talented actor and highly regarded by his peers. He played roles as diverse as Faust
and Modigliani
and he was sought out by France's preeminent directors for his versatility and professionalism.
In 1951, Philipe married Nicole Fourcade (1917–1990), an actress/writer, with whom he had two children. She adopted the pseudonym, Anne Philipe, and wrote about her husband in two books, the first called Souvenirs (1960) and a second biography titled Le Temps d'un soupir (No Longer Than a Sigh, 1963).
Recognized worldwide for his talent, he was at the pinnacle of his career when he died from liver cancer
while working on a film project in Paris, a few days short of his 37th birthday. (His doctors concealed from him the nature of his disease.) He is buried in the village cemetery in Ramatuelle
, Var
near the Mediterranean Sea
coast.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of film in 1995, the French government issued a series of limited edition coins that included a 100 Franc coin bearing the image of Philipe. Among the most popular French actors of modern times, he has been elevated to near-legendary status in his homeland, not least because of his early death at the peak of his popularity. In 1986, his portrait appeared on a French commemorative postage stamp
. There is a film festival named in his honour as well as a number of theaters and schools (such as the College Gérard Philipe - Cogolin) in various parts of France. In Germany he has been scarcely less respected than in his native country; a theater has been named after him in Berlin.
Voice
Career
Born Gérard Philip in CannesCannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France as a teenager Philipe took acting lessons before going to Paris to study at the Conservatoire of Dramatic Art
CNSAD
The Conservatoire National Supérieur d'Art Dramatique is France's national drama academy in Paris...
. When 19 years old, he made his stage debut at a theater in 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...
; and the following year his strong performance in the Albert Camus
Albert Camus
Albert Camus was a French author, journalist, and key philosopher of the 20th century. In 1949, Camus founded the Group for International Liaisons within the Revolutionary Union Movement, which was opposed to some tendencies of the Surrealist movement of André Breton.Camus was awarded the 1957...
play, Caligula
Caligula (play)
Caligula is a play written by Albert Camus, begun in 1938 and published for the first time in May 1944 by Éditions Gallimard. The play was later the subject of numerous revisions. It was part of what the author called the "Cycle of the Absurd", with the novel The Outsider and the essay The Myth...
, brought an invitation to work with the Théâtre national populaire (T.N.P.) in Paris and Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, whose festival
Festival d'Avignon
The Festival d'Avignon, or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, it is the oldest extant festival in France and one of the world's greatest...
, founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar
Jean Vilar
Jean Vilar was a French man of the theatre, who created in 1947 the Avignon theatre festival.After he gave up his literature studies, in 1932 he followed in Paris a course of philosophy of Alain and the theatre courses of Charles Dullin...
, is France's oldest and most famous.
Philipe made his film debut in Les Petites du Quai aux Fleurs (1943) and after a few more minor film roles, he rocketed to fame as a result of his performance in Claude Autant-Lara
Claude Autant-Lara
Claude Autant-Lara , was a French film director and later Member of the European Parliament .-Biography:...
's Devil in the Flesh
Devil in the Flesh (1947 film)
Devil in the Flesh The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named it the fifth best film of 1949.-Cast:*Micheline Presle ... Marthe Grangier*Gérard Philipe ... François Jaubert*Denise Grey ... Madame Grangier...
(1947). Adored by women for his good looks, Gérard Philipe was also a very talented actor and highly regarded by his peers. He played roles as diverse as Faust
Faust
Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
and Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
and he was sought out by France's preeminent directors for his versatility and professionalism.
In 1951, Philipe married Nicole Fourcade (1917–1990), an actress/writer, with whom he had two children. She adopted the pseudonym, Anne Philipe, and wrote about her husband in two books, the first called Souvenirs (1960) and a second biography titled Le Temps d'un soupir (No Longer Than a Sigh, 1963).
Recognized worldwide for his talent, he was at the pinnacle of his career when he died from liver cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
while working on a film project in Paris, a few days short of his 37th birthday. (His doctors concealed from him the nature of his disease.) He is buried in the village cemetery in Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle
Ramatuelle is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It lies near St-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime and Gassin. It was built on a hill to defend itself against enemies...
, Var
Var (département)
The Var is a French department in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in Provence, in southeast France. It takes its name from the river Var, which used to flow along its eastern boundary, but the boundary was moved in 1860...
near the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
coast.
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of film in 1995, the French government issued a series of limited edition coins that included a 100 Franc coin bearing the image of Philipe. Among the most popular French actors of modern times, he has been elevated to near-legendary status in his homeland, not least because of his early death at the peak of his popularity. In 1986, his portrait appeared on a French commemorative postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
. There is a film festival named in his honour as well as a number of theaters and schools (such as the College Gérard Philipe - Cogolin) in various parts of France. In Germany he has been scarcely less respected than in his native country; a theater has been named after him in Berlin.
Selected works
Film- Les Petites du Quai aux Fleurs (1944)
- L'Idiot (1946)
- Devil in the FleshDevil in the Flesh (1947 film)Devil in the Flesh The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures named it the fifth best film of 1949.-Cast:*Micheline Presle ... Marthe Grangier*Gérard Philipe ... François Jaubert*Denise Grey ... Madame Grangier...
(1947) - La chartreuse de Parme (1948)
- Une si jolie petite plageUne si jolie petite plageUne si jolie petite plage is a French film shot in black-and-white, directed by Yves Allégret and released in 1949. The film stars Gérard Philipe, Madeleine Robinson and Jane Marken....
(1949) - La RondeLa Ronde (1950 film)La Ronde is a 1950 film directed by Max Ophüls and based on Arthur Schnitzler's 1897 play of the same name. The title means "the round-dance".The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Writing and Best Art Direction...
(1950) - Juliette ou La clef des songesJuliette, or Key of DreamsJuliette, or Key of Dreams is a 1951 French drama film directed by Marcel Carné. It was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. The film is based on a play by Georges Neveux.-Cast:* Gérard Philipe – Michel Grandier* Suzanne Cloutier – Juliette...
(1951) - Fanfan la TulipeFanfan la TulipeFanfan la Tulipe is a 1952 French comedy adventure film directed by Christian-Jaque. It has also been categorized under swashbuckler films. The film starred Gérard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida. The film was remade in 2003 with Penélope Cruz in Lollobrigida's role.-Plot summary:The film is set in...
(1952) - The Seven Deadly Sins (1952)
- Les Belles de nuitLes Belles de nuitLes Belles de nuit is a 1952 French language motion picture fantasy directed and written by René Clair who co-produced with Angelo Rizzoli...
(1952) - It Happened in the Park (1953)
- Si Versailles m'était conté (1953)
- Les Orgueilleux (1953)
- The Red and the BlackLe Rouge et le Noir (1954 film)Le rouge et le noir is a 1954 French drama film directed by Claude Autant-Lara, who co-wrote screenplay with Jean Aurenche and Pierre Bost, based on novel by Stendhal. It starred Gerard Philipe, Antonella Lualdi and Danielle Darrieux...
(1954) - Monsieur Ripois (1954)
- Les Grandes Manœuvres (1955)
- Si Paris nous était conté (1956)
- Montparnasse 19 (1957)
- Le Joueur (1958)
- La Vie à deuxLa Vie à deuxLa Vie à deux , is a French comedy film from 1958, directed by Clément Duhour, written by Clément Duhour, starring Pierre Brasseur and Louis de Funès...
(1958) - Les Liaisons dangereusesLes liaisons dangereuses (film)Les liaisons dangereuses is a 1959 French-language film, based on the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. It was directed by Roger Vadim, and stars Jeanne Moreau, Gerard Phillipe, and Annette Vadim...
(1959) - La fièvre monte à El PaoLa fièvre monte à El PaoLa fièvre monte à El Pao is a 1959 film by director Luis Buñuel....
(1959)
Voice
- Le Petite Prince (1954)
External links
- Gérard Philipe at filmsdefrance.com
- Gérard Philipe at Film Reference
- Gérard Philipe A fan-maintained website