Jean-Pierre Mocky (6 July 1929 – 8 August 2019), pseudonym of Jean-Paul Adam Mokiejewski, was a French film director, actor, screenwriter and producer.

Life and career

Mocky was born in Nice, France to Polish immigrant parents, Jeanne Zylinska and Adam Mokiejewski. His father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic. Mocky appeared as an actor in the 1955 film ''

Gli Sbandati ''Abandoned'' ( it, Gli sbandati) is a 1955 Italian film set during the aftermath of the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 during World War II. The film entered the 1955 Venice Film Festival, where it received a special mention. It is the direct ...

'' and in many other movies, including some of those he also directed (''

Solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

'', '' L'albatros'', '' L'Ombre d'une chance'', ''

Un Linceul n'a pas de poches ''Un linceul n'a pas de poches'' (English: ''No Pockets in a Shroud'') is a French film directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky in 1974. Plot A journalist, Michel Dolannes, decides to use his newspaper to denounce the corruption of the established system. O ...

''). His 1987 film '' Le Miraculé'' was entered into the 37th Berlin International Film Festival.'' Mocky Harcourt 1948

He began as an actor in the cinema and theater. In particular, he played in Jean Dréville's '' Les Casse-pieds'' (1948), Jean Cocteau's '' Orphée'' (1950) and Bernard Borderie's ''

The Mask of the Gorilla ''The Mask of the Gorilla'' (french: Le Gorille vous salue bien) is a 1958 French action film directed by Bernard Borderie. It is based on a novel by Antoine Dominique (Dominique Ponchardier). Cast * Lino Ventura - Géo Paquet - le gorille * ...

'' (1957). But it was especially in Italy that he became famous, thanks to his role in '' I vinti'' by Michelangelo Antonioni. After working as an assistant with Luchino Visconti on '' Senso'' (1954) and Federico Fellini on ''

La strada ''La strada'' () is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini and co-written by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomina, a simple-minded young woman (Giulietta Masina) bought from her mother ...

'' (1954), he wrote his first film, ''

La Tête contre les murs ''Head Against the Wall'' (french: La Tête contre les murs) is a 1959 French drama film directed by Georges Franju which stars Pierre Brasseur, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Anouk Aimée, and Charles Aznavour. Called ''The Keepers'' on its ...

'' (1959) and planned to direct it himself, but the producer preferred to entrust the task to Georges Franju. He went on to direct the following year with '' Les Dragueurs'' (1959). Since then, he has never stopped shooting. As early as the 1960s, he was able to reach a wide audience with crazy comedies such as '' A Funny Parishioner'' (1963) and ''

La Grande Lessive LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

'' (1968). After May 1968, he turned to darker films with ''

'' (1969), in which he shows a group of young terrorists of the extreme left, then '' L'Albatros'' (1971) which shows the corruption of politicians. In the 1980s, he returned to success with a film denouncing, a year before the drama of Heysel, the excesses of some football fans (''

À mort l'arbitre ''À mort l'arbitre'' (English translation: ''Kill the Referee'') is a 1984 French thriller film, directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky. Based on the 1972 novel ''The Death Penalty'' by Alfred Draper, the film won Best Original Idea at the 1984 Mystfes ...

'', 1984) and a comedy denouncing the hypocrisy around the pilgrimage to Lourdes (''Le Miraculé'', 1987). In the 1990s and 2000s, his films met with less success, but Mocky continued to shoot with much enthusiasm. In the beginning, his films were dedicated to the uprising against the restrictions imposed by society. Later, he concentrated on farce, as in ''

Bonsoir ''Bonsoir'' is a 1994 French film directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky. Plot Having first lost his wife, then his job as a tweed tailor, Alex Ponttin ( Michel Serrault) has devised a novel way to keep himself in touch with society. He admits himself i ...

'' where the homeless Alex (Michel Serrault) pretends to be the lover of the lesbian Caroline (Claude Jade) in order to save her inheritance from her homophobic relatives. Mocky's cinema, often satirical and pamphleteer, is generally inspired by the truth of society. He worked with few resources and filmed very quickly. He worked with Bourvil (''A Funny Parishioner'', ''The City of Unspeakable Fear'', ''La Grande Lessive'' and ''The Stallion''), Fernandel (''The Exchange'' and ''Life''), Michel Simon (''The Red Ibis''), Michel Serrault (twelve films including ''Le Miraculé''), Francis Blanche (five films including ''The City of Unspeakable Fear''), Jacqueline Maillan (five films),

Jean Poiret Jean Poiret, born Jean Poiré (17 August 1926 – 14 March 1992), was a French actor, director, and screenwriter. He is primarily known as the author of the original play '' La Cage aux Folles''. Early career Poiret was born in Paris, and f ...

(eight films) and with the stars

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

('' Agent Trouble''), Claude Jade (''Bonsoir''), Jane Birkin (''Noir comme le souvenir''),

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. M ...

(''Le Miraculé'') and Stéphane Audran (''The Seasons of Pleasure''). In 2010, he received the Prix Henri-Langlois for his entire career and the 2013 Alphonse Allais Prize. The International Festival of Film Entrevues in Belfort in 2012 and the Cinémathèque française in 2014 dedicated full retrospectives to him. He died on 8 August 2019.

Filmography (as director)

1960s

* 1960 : '' Les Dragueurs'' starring Jacques Charrier,

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...

* 1960 : ''Un couple'' starring

Juliette Mayniel Juliette Mayniel (born 22 January 1936) is a French actress. She appeared in more than 30 films and television shows between 1958 and 1978. At the 10th Berlin International Film Festival, she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her role i ...

, Francis Blanche * 1961 : '' Snobs !'' starring Véronique Nordey, Francis Blanche * 1962 : '' Les Vierges'' starring

* 1963 : '' Un drôle de paroissien'' starring Bourvil,

* 1964 : '' La Grande Frousse'' / '' La Cité de l'Indicible Peur'' starring Bourvil, Francis Blanche * 1965 : '' Your Money or Your Life'' starring Fernandel,

Heinz Rühmann Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann (; 7 March 1902 – 3 October 1994) was a German film actor who appeared in over 100 films between 1926 and 1993. He is one of the most famous and popular German actors of the 20th century, and is considered a Ge ...

* 1966 : '' Les Compagnons de la marguerite'' starring

Claude Rich Claude Rich (8 February 1929 – 20 July 2017) was a French stage and screen actor. He began his career in the theater before his film debut in 1955. Personal life He married actress Catherine Renaudin on 26 June 1959. They had two daughters, ...

, Michel Serrault * 1968 : ''

'' starring Bourvil, Francis Blanche

1970s

* 1970 : '' L'Étalon'' starring Bourvil, Francis Blanche * 1970 : ''

'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky, Anne Deleuze * 1971 : '' L'Albatros'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky,

Marion Game Marion Game (born 31 July 1942) is a French actress. Filmography References External links * Living people French film actresses French television actresses 1942 births 20th-century French actresses 21st-century French actresses ...

* 1972 : '' Chut'' starring Jacques Dufilho,

Michael Lonsdale Michael Edward Lonsdale-Crouch (24 May 1931 – 21 September 2020), commonly known as Michael Lonsdale and sometimes named as Michel Lonsdale, was a French actor and author who appeared in over 180 films and television shows. He is best know ...

* 1973 : '' L'Ombre d'une chance'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky, Robert Benoit * 1974 : ''

'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky, * 1975 : '' L'Ibis rouge'' starring Michel Serrault, Michel Simon * 1976 : '' Le Roi des bricoleurs'' starring Sim, Michel Serrault * 1978 : '' Le Témoin'' starring

Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...

, Philippe Noiret * 1979 : '' Le Piège à cons'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky, Catherine Leprince

1980s

* 1982 : '' Litan'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky, Marie-José Nat * 1982 : '' Y a-t-il un Français dans la salle ?'' starring

Victor Lanoux Victor Lanoux (18 June 1936 – 4 May 2017) was a French actor best known to English speaking audiences for his role as Ludovic in '' Cousin, Cousine''. Biography Victor Lanoux, born Victor Robert Nataf was the son of a Tunisian Jew from Sfax a ...

, Jacques Dutronc * 1983 : ''

'' starring Michel Serrault,

Eddy Mitchell Claude Moine (; born 3 July 1942), known professionally as Eddy Mitchell, is a French singer and actor. He began his career in the late 1950s, with the group Les Chaussettes Noires (The Black Socks). He took the name ''Eddy'' from the American ...

* 1985 : '' Le Pactole'' starring

Richard Bohringer Richard Bohringer (born 16 January 1942) is a French actor. Personal life Bohringer was born in Moulins, Allier, to a French mother and a German father. He is the father of actress Romane Bohringer, and has three other children, Mathieu, Richa ...

Patrick Sébastien Patrick Boutot (born 14 November 1953 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Corrèze), better known as Patrick Sébastien, is a French television host, producer and media personality, radio host, singer, writer, producer, director, impressionist entertainer ...

* 1986 : '' La Machine à découdre'' * 1986 : '' Le Miraculé'' starring Michel Serrault,

* 1987 : '' Agent trouble'' starring

* 1987 : '' Les Saisons du plaisir'' starring

Charles Vanel Charles-Marie Vanel (21 August 1892 – 15 April 1989) was a French actor and director. During his 76-year film career, which began in 1912, he appeared in more than 200 films and worked with many prominent directors, including Alfred Hitchcock, ...

Denise Grey Denise Grey (born Édouardine Verthuy; 17 September 1896 – 13 January 1996) was an Italian-born actress who became a naturalized French citizen. Biography Édouardine Grey was born in Châtillon in the Aosta Valley of north-west Italy, clos ...

* 1988 : ''

Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale ''Une nuit à l'Assemblée Nationale'' (''A Night at the National Assembly'') is a 1988 French comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky. Plot Walter Arbeit, an ecologist practising naturism, accompanies his mayor and MP, Dugland, to Paris where ...

'' starring

Michel Blanc Michel Blanc (born 16 April 1952) is a French actor, writer and director. He is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs. He is frequently associated with Le Splendid, which he co-founded, along with Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balask ...

Jacqueline Maillan Jacqueline Jeanne Paule Maillan (11 January 1923 - 12 May 1992) was a French actress with a career spanning almost five decades, known primarily for her forty theatre productions, she also appeared in more than fifty films (1947 to 1992) and is ...

* 1988 : ''

Nice is Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ci ...

'' (short movie) * 1988 : '' Méliès 88'' * 1988 : '' Divine enfant'' starring Laura Martel, Jean-Pierre Mocky

1990s

* 1990 : '' Il gèle en enfer'' starring Jean-Pierre Mocky, Laura Grandt * 1991 : '' La Méthode Barnol'' (short movie) * 1991 : '' La vérité qui tue'' (short movie) * 1991 : '' Dis-moi qui tu hais'' (short movie) * 1991 : ' starring

Tom Novembre Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

, Michel Serrault * 1992 : '' Le Mari de Léon'' * 1992 : ''

'' starring Michel Serrault, Claude Jade * 1995 : ''Noir comme le souvenir'' (Black for Remembrance) with Jane Birkin, Sabine Azema, Mattias Habich * 1997 : '' Robin des mers'' * 1997 : '' Alliance cherche doigt'' * 1998 : '' Vidange'' * 1999 : '' Tout est calme'' * 1999 : '' La candide madame Duff''

2000s

* 2000 : '' Le Glandeur'' * 2001 : '' La Bête de miséricorde'' * 2002 : '' Les Araignées de la nuit'' * 2003 : ' starring Michel Serrault, Jacques Villeret * 2004 : '' Touristes, oh yes !'' * 2004 : '' Les Ballets écarlates'' * 2005 : ' starring Michel Serrault,

Charles Berling Charles Berling (born 30 April 1958) is a French actor, director and screenwriter. Life and career Charles Berling, son of a navy doctor, is also the nephew of the literary critic Raymond Picard. His mother, Nadia, "only daughter of (French) s ...

* 2006 : '' Le Deal'' * 2007 : ' starring Michel Serrault,

Jean-Claude Dreyfus Jean-Claude Dreyfus (born 18 February 1946, in Paris) is a French actor, comedian, and author. He began his career in film acting in 1973 in the film '' Comment réussir quand on est con et pleurnichard''. Dreyfus is notable for his portrayal ...

* 2007 : '' 13 French Street'' * 2007 : '' Le Diable en embuscade'' (short movie)

2010s

* 2011 : '' Crédit pour tous'' * 2011 : '' Les Insomniaques'' * 2011 : '' Le dossier Toroto'' * 2013 : '' Le Mentor''

Filmography (as actor)

* '' God Needs Men'' (1950) * '' I vinti'' (1953) * ''

Stain in the Snow ''Stain in the Snow'' (French: ''La neige était sale'') is a 1954 French crime film directed by Luis Saslavsky and starring Daniel Gélin, Valentine Tessier and Marie Mansart. It was shot at the Photosonor Studios in Paris. The film's sets we ...

'' (1954) * ''

The Big Flag ''The Big Flag'' (French: ''Le grand pavois'') is a 1954 French drama film directed by Jacques Pinoteau and starring Jean Chevrier, Marc Cassot and Marie Mansart.Lemonier p.81 It was shot at the Photosonor Studios in Paris. The film's sets were ...

'' (1954) * '' Le Comte de Monte-Cristo'' (1954) * ''

'' (1955) * ''

Le rouge est mis ''Speaking of Murder'' is a 1957 French crime film directed by Gilles Grangier and starring Jean Gabin. The original French title is ''Le rouge est mis'', which means "the red light is on". The screenplay is based on a novel by Auguste Le Breton. ...

'' (1957) * ''

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1970) * ''À mort l'arbitre!'' (1984) * ''Vidange'' (1998) * '' Americano'' (2011)

Bibliography

* * *

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mocky, Jean-Pierre 1929 births 2019 deaths French film directors French people of Polish-Jewish descent Male actors from Nice, France French male screenwriters French screenwriters French male film actors French male television actors French male stage actors French National Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni