Paul Misraki
Encyclopedia
Paul Misraki was a French composer of popular music and film scores. Over the course of over 60 years, Misraki wrote the music to 130 films, scoring works by directors like Jean Renoir
, Claude Chabrol
, Jacques Becker
, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jean-Luc Godard
, Henri-Georges Clouzot
, Orson Welles
, Luis Buñuel
and Roger Vadim
.
For his work, he was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.
, Turkey
(now Istanbul
) into a French Jewish family of Italian descent, Misraki showed an early aptitude for music. He went to Paris
to study classical composition, and by the 1930s had become an established jazz pianist, arranger and writer of popular songs; around this time he began composing film scores, with his first known work being for Jean Renoir
's first sound film
, On purge bébé
, for which he was uncredited.
Like Renoir, Misraki fled France during the World War II
German occupation. After a brief stay in Argentina
, Misraki ended up in Hollywood, where he composed the music to all of Renoir's American films. After the war, Misraki returned to France, working busily throughout the 1950s, a period when he was routinely scoring half a dozen or more films a year. These included numerous films by Yves Allégret
and Jean Boyer
, as well as two films by Jacques Becker (Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs and Montparnasse 19) and Orson Welles
' Mr. Arkadin
.
The 1960s saw Misraki slow down slightly, writing only 2-3 scores a year. During this period, he worked with many of the leading French directors of the period, including Jean-Luc Godard
(on Alphaville), Jean-Pierre Melville (on Le Doulos
) and Claude Chabrol
, for whom he scored several films.
Misraki composed intermittently throughout the last two decades of his life. He composed his last score at age 85; by this point he had been working almost exclusively in television for several years. He died on natural causes at age 90 in Paris
.
In 1998,at the age of 90 years old,Mister Misraki collaborates with Singer Raquel Bitton on her American tribute to his songs in a CD entitled "In a Jazzy mood".
, Ufology
and extraterrestrial life
. Misraki was an early proponent of the ancient astronaut hypothesis. In 1962 Misraki published his book Les Extraterrestres in France which was later reprinted in English under the title of Flying Saucers Through The Ages in 1965, he first published the book under the pen name of Paul Thomas as he believed that if his real identity was revealed his reputation as a musician may of been damaged, however he later revealed his identity and the book was published under his real name under a number of American editions of the book. In the book Misraki claimed that angels from the Bible
were aliens
, that the Bible and other ancient texts are filled with many UFO flying saucer
sightings, and that throughout human history there was intervention with extraterrestrial aliens. Misraki was also one of the first authors to suggest that apparitions may be UFO related phenomena. The Ufologist Jacques Vallée
studied some of Misraki's UFO theories and visited Misraki in Paris
in September 1962 to discuss them with him, in his journals Vallée described Misraki as a "deeply reflective man" and a "religious scholar".
Misraki was also a supporter of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
and his theory of omega point
, and wrote a number of papers on his work.
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...
, Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
, Jacques Becker
Jacques Becker
Jacques Becker was a French screenwriter and film director.Becker was born in Paris, in an upper class background. During the 1930s he worked as an assistant to director Jean Renoir during his peak period, which produced such cinematic masterpieces as Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game...
, Jean-Pierre Melville, Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
, 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...
, Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
and Roger Vadim
Roger Vadim
Roger Vadim was a French screenwriter, director, and producer as well as a journalist, author and actor, who launched Brigitte Bardot's career in the film And God Created Woman.-Early life:...
.
For his work, he was made a Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.
Biography and Film Career
Born Paul Misrachi in ConstantinopleConstantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(now Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
) into a French Jewish family of Italian descent, Misraki showed an early aptitude for music. He went 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...
to study classical composition, and by the 1930s had become an established jazz pianist, arranger and writer of popular songs; around this time he began composing film scores, with his first known work being for 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 first sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
, On purge bébé
On purge bébé
On purge bébé is Jean Renoir's first sound film. It is a 1931 comedy about a supposedly unbreakable chamberpot and a constipated baby. It is noted for mocking the French bourgeoisie....
, for which he was uncredited.
Like Renoir, Misraki fled France during the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
German occupation. After a brief stay in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Misraki ended up in Hollywood, where he composed the music to all of Renoir's American films. After the war, Misraki returned to France, working busily throughout the 1950s, a period when he was routinely scoring half a dozen or more films a year. These included numerous films by Yves Allégret
Yves Allégret
Yves Allégret was a French film director in the film noir genre.He is noted as having been the husband of actress Simone Signoret between the years 1944–1949.-Selected filmography:...
and Jean Boyer
Jean Boyer
Jean Boyer was a French film director and songwriter.- Songs :* 1930 : Un regardé, dans le film Flagrant délit...
, as well as two films by Jacques Becker (Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs and Montparnasse 19) and Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
' Mr. Arkadin
Mr. Arkadin
Mr. Arkadin is a French-Spanish-Swiss coproduction film, written and directed by Orson Welles and shot in several Spanish locations, including Segovia, Valladolid and Madrid.Its history is convoluted...
.
The 1960s saw Misraki slow down slightly, writing only 2-3 scores a year. During this period, he worked with many of the leading French directors of the period, including Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
(on Alphaville), Jean-Pierre Melville (on Le Doulos
Le Doulos
Le Doulos is a 1962 French crime film directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It was released theatrically as The Finger Man in the English-speaking world, but all video and DVD releases have used the French title...
) and Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol
Claude Chabrol was a French film director, a member of the French New Wave group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s...
, for whom he scored several films.
Misraki composed intermittently throughout the last two decades of his life. He composed his last score at age 85; by this point he had been working almost exclusively in television for several years. He died on natural causes at age 90 in 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...
.
Career as Composer of Popular Songs
Misraki first found acclaim as a composer and lyricist of popular songs. His first hit was 1934's "Tout va tres bien," and during his careers in France, America and Argentina he wrote successful songs in French, English and Spanish.In 1998,at the age of 90 years old,Mister Misraki collaborates with Singer Raquel Bitton on her American tribute to his songs in a CD entitled "In a Jazzy mood".
Other interests
Outside of music, Misraki was interested in religionReligion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, Ufology
Ufology
Ufology is a neologism coined to describe the collective efforts of those who study reports and associated evidence of unidentified flying objects . UFOs have been subject to various investigations over the years by governments, independent groups, and scientists...
and extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
. Misraki was an early proponent of the ancient astronaut hypothesis. In 1962 Misraki published his book Les Extraterrestres in France which was later reprinted in English under the title of Flying Saucers Through The Ages in 1965, he first published the book under the pen name of Paul Thomas as he believed that if his real identity was revealed his reputation as a musician may of been damaged, however he later revealed his identity and the book was published under his real name under a number of American editions of the book. In the book Misraki claimed that angels from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
were aliens
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
, that the Bible and other ancient texts are filled with many UFO flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
sightings, and that throughout human history there was intervention with extraterrestrial aliens. Misraki was also one of the first authors to suggest that apparitions may be UFO related phenomena. The Ufologist Jacques Vallée
Jacques Vallée
Jacques Fabrice Vallée is a venture capitalist, computer scientist, author, ufologist and former astronomer currently residing in San Francisco, California....
studied some of Misraki's UFO theories and visited Misraki in 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...
in September 1962 to discuss them with him, in his journals Vallée described Misraki as a "deeply reflective man" and a "religious scholar".
Misraki was also a supporter of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ was a French philosopher and Jesuit priest who trained as a paleontologist and geologist and took part in the discovery of both Piltdown Man and Peking Man. Teilhard conceived the idea of the Omega Point and developed Vladimir Vernadsky's concept of Noosphere...
and his theory of omega point
Omega point
Omega Point is a term coined by the French Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to describe a maximum level of complexity and consciousness towards which he believed the universe was evolving....
, and wrote a number of papers on his work.
See also
- Nous irons à DeauvilleNous irons à DeauvilleNous irons à Deauville , is a French comedy film from 1963, directed by Francis Rigaud, written by Francis Rigaud and Jacques Vilfrid, starring Michel Serrault and Louis de Funès . The film is known under the titles: "We Will Go to Deauville" , "Io.....
(film, 1962) - Sept hommes et une garceSept hommes et une garceSept hommes et une garce is a French adventure film from 1967. It was directed by Bernard Borderie, written by Bernard Borderie and Mireille de Tissot, starring Jean Marais and Marilù Tolo...
(film, 1967)