Paul Meurisse
Encyclopedia
Paul Meurisse was a French
actor
who appeared in over 60 films and many stage productions. Meurisse was noted for the elegance of his acting style, and for his versatility. He was equally able to play comedic and serious dramatic roles. His screen appearances ranged from the droll and drily humorous to the menacing and disturbing. His most celebrated role was that of the sadistic and vindictive headmaster in the 1955 film Les Diaboliques
.
, but grew up on the island of Corsica
, to where his bank manager father had been transferred when Meurisse was a small child. After leaving school he moved to Aix-en-Provence
, where he became a solicitor's clerk. His passion was for the stage, and he obtained evening work in the chorus of music hall
revues.
In 1936, Meurisse moved to Paris
, where he found work in musical theatres and nightclubs and appeared with performers such as Marie Dubas
. He specialised in taking cheerful, upbeat songs and singing them in a comically downbeat, lugubrious fashion.
In 1939, Meurisse met Edith Piaf
, and the two became lovers for several months. Piaf however did not see a future for Meurisse as a singer, and encouraged him to try his hand at acting instead.
, Impasse des Deux-Anges) and policemen (Inspecteur Sergil, Le Dessous des cartes) to comedy (the Monocle films) and historical (La Castiglione, L'Affaire des poisons). The quality of the films was variable, but Meurisse's versatility meant that his performance was often considered the best part of an otherwise mediocre effort.
Meurisse's most famous role was that of Michel Delasalle in Henri-Georges Clouzot
's 1955 thriller Les Diaboliques
, with Simone Signoret
and Véra Clouzot
. In a thoroughly unsympathetic part, Meurisse was compelling and the film, with its dark, claustrophobic atmosphere and celebrated twist ending, became an international success. It was among the earliest foreign-language films to be widely-distributed in English-speaking markets and remains the film for which Meurisse is best-known.
Other notable films in which Meurisse appeared include Julien Duvivier
's inquisitorial and oppressive Marie-Octobre
(1959), Jean Renoir
's Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe
(1959), Clouzot's courtroom drama La Vérité
(1960) and crime thriller Le deuxième souffle (1966). The 1969 film L'Armée des ombres, in which Meurisse had a leading role, was released on DVD, under the title Army of Shadows, in the UK and US in 2006, to critical acclaim.
and Jean Anouilh
to Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw
. In the mid-1950s he was a sociétaire
of the Comédie-Française
.
in Paris, and died on 19 January 1979 of an asthma
-related heart attack, aged 66.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who appeared in over 60 films and many stage productions. Meurisse was noted for the elegance of his acting style, and for his versatility. He was equally able to play comedic and serious dramatic roles. His screen appearances ranged from the droll and drily humorous to the menacing and disturbing. His most celebrated role was that of the sadistic and vindictive headmaster in the 1955 film Les Diaboliques
Les Diaboliques (film)
Les Diaboliques , released as Diabolique in the United States and variously translated as The Devils or The Fiends, is a 1955 French black-and-white thriller feature film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot and Paul Meurisse...
.
Early life and career
Meurisse was born in Dunkirk, on the north-east coast of FranceFrance
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...
, but grew up on the island of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, to where his bank manager father had been transferred when Meurisse was a small child. After leaving school he moved to Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
, where he became a solicitor's clerk. His passion was for the stage, and he obtained evening work in the chorus of music hall
Music hall
Music Hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment which was popular between 1850 and 1960. The term can refer to:# A particular form of variety entertainment involving a mixture of popular song, comedy and speciality acts...
revues.
In 1936, Meurisse moved to Paris
Paris
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...
, where he found work in musical theatres and nightclubs and appeared with performers such as Marie Dubas
Marie Dubas
Marie Dubas was a music-hall singer, diseuse and comedienne.Born in Paris, France, Marie Dubas began her career as a stage actress but became famous as a singer. Using the great Yvette Guilbert as her model, Dubas started singing in the small cabarets of Montmartre mixing comedy into her routine...
. He specialised in taking cheerful, upbeat songs and singing them in a comically downbeat, lugubrious fashion.
In 1939, Meurisse met Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
, and the two became lovers for several months. Piaf however did not see a future for Meurisse as a singer, and encouraged him to try his hand at acting instead.
Film career
Meurisse's first screen role came in Vingt-quatre heures de perm, filmed in 1940 but not released until 1945. Ne bougez plus (1941) was the first of his films to be released. Thereafter his acting services were always in demand (in 1948 for example he was credited in no fewer than seven films). Meurisse played a wide range of roles, from gangsters (MacadamBack Streets of Paris
Back Streets of Paris is a 1946 French drama film directed by Marcel Blistène.- Plot :This story involves Madame Rose, a hotelkeeper in a Paris suburb who will stop at nothing, including murder...
, Impasse des Deux-Anges) and policemen (Inspecteur Sergil, Le Dessous des cartes) to comedy (the Monocle films) and historical (La Castiglione, L'Affaire des poisons). The quality of the films was variable, but Meurisse's versatility meant that his performance was often considered the best part of an otherwise mediocre effort.
Meurisse's most famous role was that of Michel Delasalle in Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot was a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his work in the thriller film genre, having directed The Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques, which are critically recognized to be among the greatest films from the 1950s...
's 1955 thriller Les Diaboliques
Les Diaboliques (film)
Les Diaboliques , released as Diabolique in the United States and variously translated as The Devils or The Fiends, is a 1955 French black-and-white thriller feature film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot and Paul Meurisse...
, with Simone Signoret
Simone Signoret
Simone Signoret was a French cinema actress often hailed as one of France's greatest movie stars. She became the first French person to win an Academy Award, for her role in Room at the Top...
and Véra Clouzot
Véra Clouzot
Véra Clouzot was a Brazilian-born French film actress and screenwriter.Born as Véra Gibson-Amado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she became the wife of film director Henri-Georges Clouzot...
. In a thoroughly unsympathetic part, Meurisse was compelling and the film, with its dark, claustrophobic atmosphere and celebrated twist ending, became an international success. It was among the earliest foreign-language films to be widely-distributed in English-speaking markets and remains the film for which Meurisse is best-known.
Other notable films in which Meurisse appeared include Julien Duvivier
Julien Duvivier
Julien Duvivier was a French film director. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930-1960...
's inquisitorial and oppressive Marie-Octobre
Marie-Octobre
Marie-Octobre is a 1959 French film directed by Julien Duvivier, based on the eponymous novel by Jacques Robert.-Plot:A group of ex-resistance fighters are brought together by Marie-Octobre, the code name of Marie-Helene Dumoulin...
(1959), Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
's Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe
Picnic on the Grass
Picnic on the Grass is a 1959 film directed by Jean Renoir. It shares a title with the painting by Édouard Manet.- Reception :...
(1959), Clouzot's courtroom drama La Vérité
La Vérité
La Vérité was the last album by Niagara. Niagara was one of the few French bands who had success and critical acclaim outside of France despite not singing in English, because of this they embarked on an international tour in 1991 which included many sold out concerts...
(1960) and crime thriller Le deuxième souffle (1966). The 1969 film L'Armée des ombres, in which Meurisse had a leading role, was released on DVD, under the title Army of Shadows, in the UK and US in 2006, to critical acclaim.
Stage career
Meurisse appeared in many stage productions, from Marcel AchardMarcel Achard
Marcel Achard was a French playwright and screenwriter whose popular sentimental comedies maintained his position as a highly-recognizable name in his country's theatrical and literary circles for five decades...
and Jean Anouilh
Jean Anouilh
Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1943 play Antigone, an adaptation of Sophocles' Classical drama, that was seen as an attack on Marshal Pétain's...
to Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
. In the mid-1950s he was a sociétaire
Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française
The sociétaires of the Comédie-Française are chosen from among the pensionnaires who have been in the company a year or more.They are decided upon in the course of a general assembly of the company's administrative committee, made up of 6 existing sociétaires, the senior sociétaire, and the general...
of the Comédie-Française
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
.
Private life
Meurisse married three times, to Michèle Alfa (1942, divorced), Micheline Cheirel (1951, divorced) and Micheline Gary (1960 to his death).Death
Meurisse was taken ill following a performance at the Théâtre HébertotThéâtre Hébertot
Théâtre Hébertot is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. The theatre, completed in 1838 and opening as the Théâtre des Batignolles, was later renamed Théâtre des Arts in 1907...
in Paris, and died on 19 January 1979 of an asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
-related heart attack, aged 66.
Filmography
- 1941 : Ne bougez plus - dir. Pierre CaronPierre Caron (director)Pierre Caron was a French film director. At the end of the Second World War he was forced to flee to South America, where he later died.- Filmography :* 1920 : L'Homme qui vendit son âme au diable...
- 1941 : Montmartre-sur-Seine - dir. Georges LacombeGeorges Lacombe (film director)-Filmography:* 1928 : La Zone * 1931 : Boule de gomme* 1932 : La Femme invisible* 1933 : Un jour d'été* 1933 : Ce cochon de Morin* 1934 : Jeunesse* 1935 : Épousez ma femme* 1935 : La Route heureuse...
- 1942 : Défense d'aimer - dir. Richard Pottier
- 1942 : Mariage d'amour - dir. Henri DecoinHenri DecoinHenri Decoin was a French film director and screenwriter. He directed 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who competed for France in the men's 400 metre freestyle event at the 1908 Summer Olympics and the water polo tournament at the 1912 Summer Olympics.-Selected filmography:*...
- 1943 : La Ferme aux loups - dir. Richard Pottier
- 1945 : Vingt-quatre heures de perm - dir. Maurice Cloche
- 1945 : Marie la Misère - dir. Jacques de BaroncelliJacques de BaroncelliJacques de Baroncelli was a French film director best known for his silent films from 1915 to the late 1930s....
- 1946 : L'Insaisissable Frédéric - dir. Richard Pottier
- 1946 : MacadamBack Streets of ParisBack Streets of Paris is a 1946 French drama film directed by Marcel Blistène.- Plot :This story involves Madame Rose, a hotelkeeper in a Paris suburb who will stop at nothing, including murder...
- dir. Marcel Blistène - 1947 : La Fleur de l'âge - dir. Marcel CarnéMarcel Carné-Biography:Born in Paris, France, the son of a cabinet maker whose wife died when their son was five, Carné began his career as a film critic, becoming editor of the weekly publication, Hebdo-Films, and working for Cinémagazine and Cinémonde between 1929 and 1933. In the same period he worked in...
(uncompleted) - 1947 : Inspecteur Sergil - dir. Jacques Daroy
- 1947 : Monsieur Chasse . dir. Willy Rozier
- 1947 : Bethsabée - dir. Léonide MoguyLéonide MoguyLéonide Moguy was a Russian born French film director, screenwriter and film editor .He was active in film between 1936 and 1961.-Personal life:...
- 1948 : La Dame d'onze heures - dir. Jean-Devaivre
- 1948 : Manù il contrabbandiere - dir. Lucio De Caro
- 1948 : Le Colonel Durand - dir. René Chanas
- 1948 : Le Dessous des cartes - dir. André CayatteAndré CayatteAndré Cayatte was a French New Wave filmmaker and lawyer, who became known for his films centering on themes of crime, justice, and moral responsibility, themes which Cayatte persisted in affirming regardless of changing contemporary attitudes.Some of Cayatte's earlier films that covered these...
- 1948 : Sergil et le dictateur - dir. Jacques Daroy
- 1948 : Impasse des Deux-Anges - dir. Maurice TourneurMaurice TourneurMaurice Tourneur was an important international film director and screenwriter.-Life:Born Maurice Thomas in the Belleville district of Paris, France, his father was a jeweler. As a young man, Maurice Thomas first trained as a graphic designer and a magazine illustrator but was soon drawn to the...
- 1948 : Scandale - dir. René Le HénaffRené Le HénaffRené Le Hénaff was a French film editor and director. As a film editor he did work for Marcel Carné and René Clair. As a director one of his better known worked from 1935 to 1950. He effectively retired from both occupations in 1968....
- 1949 : L'Ange rouge - dir. Jacques Daniel-Norman
- 1949 : Dernière heure, édition spéciale - dir. Maurice de Canonge
- 1950 : Agnès de rien - dir. Pierre Billon
- 1951 : Maria du bout du monde - dir. Jean Stelli
- 1951 : Ma femme est formidable - dir. André HunebelleAndré HunebelleAndré Hunebelle was a French director born September 1, 1896 in Meudon , died 27 November 1985 in Nice .Hunebelle was a former publisher of a French newspaper called La Fleché...
- 1951 : Vedettes sans maquillage - dir. Jacques Guillon (documentary)
- 1952 : Sérénade au bourreau - dir. Jean Stelli
- 1952 : Sergil chez les filles - dir. Jacques Daroy
- 1953 : Je suis un mouchard - dir. René Chanas
- 1955 : Les DiaboliquesLes Diaboliques (film)Les Diaboliques , released as Diabolique in the United States and variously translated as The Devils or The Fiends, is a 1955 French black-and-white thriller feature film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring Simone Signoret, Véra Clouzot and Paul Meurisse...
- dir. Henri-Georges ClouzotHenri-Georges ClouzotHenri-Georges Clouzot was a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his work in the thriller film genre, having directed The Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques, which are critically recognized to be among the greatest films from the 1950s... - 1955 : Fortune carrée - dir. Bernard Borderie
- 1955 : La Castiglione - dir. Georges Combret
- 1955 : L'Affaire des poisons - dir. Henri Decoin
- 1957 : Jusqu'au dernier - dir. Pierre Billon
- 1957 : L'Inspecteur aime la bagarre - dir. Jean-Devaivre
- 1958 : Les Violents - dir. Henri Calef
- 1958 : Échec au porteur - dir. Gilles Grangier
- 1958 : Le Septième Ciel - dir. Raymond BernardRaymond BernardRaymond Bernard was a French filmmaker and related to French playwright father Tristan Bernard and brother to Jean-Jacques Bernard...
- 1959 : Simenon - dir. Jean-François Hauduroy (documentary - narrator)
- 1959 : Guinguette - dir. Jean DelannoyJean DelannoyJean Delannoy was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director.Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family is from Haute-Normandie in the north of France...
- 1959 : La Tête contre les murs - dir. Georges FranjuGeorges Franju-External links:* at Allmovie...
- 1959 : Marie-OctobreMarie-OctobreMarie-Octobre is a 1959 French film directed by Julien Duvivier, based on the eponymous novel by Jacques Robert.-Plot:A group of ex-resistance fighters are brought together by Marie-Octobre, the code name of Marie-Helene Dumoulin...
- dir. Julien DuvivierJulien DuvivierJulien Duvivier was a French film director. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930-1960... - 1959 : Le Déjeuner sur l'herbePicnic on the GrassPicnic on the Grass is a 1959 film directed by Jean Renoir. It shares a title with the painting by Édouard Manet.- Reception :...
- dir. Jean RenoirJean RenoirJean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s... - 1960 : La Française et l'Amour - dir. Henri VerneuilHenri VerneuilHenri Verneuil was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who enjoyed a successful career in France.-Biography:...
- 1960 : La VéritéLa Vérité (film)The Truth is a 1960 French film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.- Cast :*Brigitte Bardot as Dominique Marceau*Charles Vanel as Maître Guérin*Paul Meurisse as Maître Éparvier...
- dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot - 1961 : Le Jeu de la vérité - dir. Robert HosseinRobert HosseinRobert Hossein is a French film actor of Azeri origin, director and writer. He directed the 1982 adaption of Les Misérables, and appeared in Vice and Virtue, Le Casse, Les Uns et les Autres and Venus Beauty Institute...
- 1961 : Les Nouveaux aristocrates - dir. Francis Rigaud
- 1961 : Le Monocle noir - dir. Georges LautnerGeorges LautnerGeorges Lautner is a French film director and screenwriter.He was born in Nice, the son of actress Renée Saint-Cyr.- As director :* 1958 : La Môme aux boutons* 1960 : Arrêtez les tambours* 1960 : Marche ou crève...
- 1962 : Du mouron pour les petits oiseaux - dir. Marcel Carné
- 1962 : Carillons sans joie - dir. Charles Brabant
- 1962 : L'Œil du Monocle - dir. Georges Lautner
- 1963 : Méfiez-vous, mesdames - dir. André Hunebelle
- 1963 : L'assassin connaît la musique... - dir. Pierre ChenalPierre ChenalPierre Chenal was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s, and was best known for film noir thrillers such as the 1937 film L’Alibi, where he worked with Erich von Stroheim and Louis Jouvet. In 1939 he made Le Dernier Tournant, the first of many film treatments of James M...
- 1963 : Les Tontons flingueursLes Tontons flingueursLes Tontons flingueurs is a 1963 French-Italian-German film, made in the French language, directed by Georges Lautner. It is an adaptation of the Albert Simonin book Grisbi or not grisbi.The film was not enormously popular on first release, in 1963...
- dir. Georges Lautner - 1964 : Le Monocle rit jaune - dir. Georges Lautner
- 1965 : Quand passent les faisans - dir. Édouard MolinaroÉdouard MolinaroÉdouard Molinaro is a French film director, actor, and screenwriter. He was born in Gironde, Bordeaux.He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès , My Uncle Benjamin , Dracula and Son , and the Academy Award-nominated La Cage aux Folles Édouard Molinaro (born 13 May 1928) is a French...
- 1965 : La Grosse Caisse - dir. Alex Joffé
- 1965 : Le Majordome - dir. Jean DelannoyJean DelannoyJean Delannoy was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director.Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family is from Haute-Normandie in the north of France...
- 1966 : Le congrès s'amuse - dir. Géza von Radványi
- 1966 : Moi et les hommes de quarante ans - dir. Jacques Pinoteau
- 1966 : Le deuxième souffle - dir. Jean-Pierre Melville
- 1969 : L'Armée des ombres - dir. Jean-Pierre Melville
- 1970 : Le Cri du cormoran le soir au-dessus des jonques - dir. Michel AudiardMichel AudiardPierre Michel Audiard was a French dialogue writer, screenwriter and film director. He is the father of French film director Jacques Audiard.- 1940 - 1950 :*1949 :** Mission à Tanger of André Hunebelle...
- 1971 : Doucement les basses - dir. Jacques DerayJacques DerayJacques Deray was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime and thriller films.-Biography:...
- 1973 : Les Voraces - dir. Sergio Gobbi
- 1973 : Un flic hors la loi - dir. Stefano VanzinaStefano VanzinaSteno, the artistic name of Stefano Vanzina was an Italian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer...
- 1974 : Les Suspects - dir. Michel Wyn
- 1975 : L'Éducation amoureuse de Valentin - dir.Jean L'Hôte
- 1975 : Le Gitan - dir. José GiovanniJosé GiovanniJosé Giovanni , was the pseudonym of Joseph Damiani, a French-Swiss writer and film-maker of Corsican origin....