Pierre Renoir (March 21, 1885 – March 11, 1952) was a French stage and film actor. He was the son of the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir and elder brother of the film director Jean Renoir. He is also noted for being the first actor to play

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer. He published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, and was the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret. Early life and education ...

's character

Inspector Jules Maigret Jules Maigret (), or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a '' commissaire'' ("commissioner") of the Paris ''Brigade Criminelle'' ('' Direction Régionale de la Police Judiciaire de Paris:36, Quai des Orfèvres''), created ...

in ''

Night at the Crossroads ''Night at the Crossroads'' (french: La Nuit du carrefour) is a 1932 French film by Jean Renoir, based on the novel of the same title (known in English as '' Maigret at the Crossroads'') by Georges Simenon and starring Renoir's brother Pierre ...

'', directed by his brother.

Life and career

Pierre Renoir was born on March 21, 1885, in Paris, at 18 rue Houdon, about a hundred meters from place Pigalle, to painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Aline Charigot. He was married to actress Véra Sergine from 1914 to 1925. For his best remembered role, as Jėricho the ragman in '' Children of Paradise'' (''Les Enfants du Paradis'', 1945), he was cast at short notice to replace the collaborator

Robert Le Vigan Robert Le Vigan (born Robert Coquillaud, January 7, 1900 – October 12, 1972), was a French actor. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1931 and 1943 almost exclusively in small or supporting roles. He was, according to film academic ...

; Jėricho's scenes had to be reshot after Le Vigan fled. Renoir was briefly the director of the

Théâtre de l'Athénée The Théâtre de l'Athénée is a theatre at 7 rue Boudreau, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Renovated in 1996 and classified a historical monument, the Athénée inherits an artistic tradition marked by the figure of Louis Jouvet who direc ...

in Paris, taking over after the death of Louis Jouvet in 1951. Pierre Renoir's son was the cinematographer

Claude Renoir Claude Renoir (December 4, 1913Some sources, such as Ginette Vincendeau's ''Encyclopedia of European Cinema'', London: Cassell/BFI, 1995, p.328 indicate 1914 as his year of birth – September 5, 1993) was a French cinematographer. He was the ...

(1913–93)not to be confused with Pierre's brother Claude Renoir, known as 'Coco' (1901–69)."Renoir mss., ca. 1913-1968"
Indiana University Online Archives

Selected filmography

* ''

La Digue La Digue is the third most populated island of the Seychelles, and fourth largest by land area, lying east of Praslin and west of Felicite Island. In size, it is the fourth-largest granitic island of Seychelles after Mahé, Praslin and Silhouette ...

'' (1911) * '' Marion Delorme'' (1918) * ''

The Whirlpool of Fate ''The Whirlpool of Fate'' or ''The Girl of the Water'' (French: ''La Fille de l'eau'') is a 1925 French silent drama film directed by Jean Renoir and starring Catherine Hessling as its heroine. All of the French copies of this film have been lo ...

'' (1925) * '' Morgane, the Enchantress'' (1928) * '' The Agony of the Eagles'' (1933) * ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emp ...

'' (1934) * '' Veille d'armes'' (1935) * ''

The Citadel of Silence ''The Citadel of Silence'' (French: ''La citadelle du silence'') is a 1937 French drama film directed by Marcel L'Herbier and starring Annabella, Pierre Renoir and Bernard Lancret.Driskell p.209 The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1937) * ''

La Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by France against Austria, and was originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du R ...

'' (1938) * ''

Mollenard ''Mollenard'' is a 1938 French drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Harry Baur, Gabrielle Dorziat and Pierre Renoir. It was also known by the alternative titles of ''Hatred'' and ''Capitaine Corsaire''. The film's sets were designed ...

'' (1938) * ''

The Lafarge Case ''The Lafarge Case'' (French: ''L'Affaire Lafarge'') is a 1938 French historical crime film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Pierre Renoir, Marcelle Chantal and Raymond Rouleau. It recalls a famous nineteenth century case, and is mostly p ...

'' (1938) * '' The Patriot'' (1938) * '' Personal Column'' (1939) * ''

Coral Reefs A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups. Co ...

'' (1939) * '' Serge Panine'' (1939) * ''

The Pavilion Burns ''The Pavilion Burns'' (French: ''Le Pavillon brûle'') is a 1941 French comedy drama directed by Jacques de Baroncelli, written by Solange Térac, starring Pierre Renoir and Jean Marais. The film's sets were designed by the art director Serge P ...

'' (1941) * '' The Trump Card'' (1942) * ''

The Wolf of the Malveneurs ''The Wolf of the Malveneurs'' (French: ''Le loup des Malveneur'') is a 1943 French mystery horror film directed by Guillaume Radot and starring Madeleine Sologne, Pierre Renoir and Gabrielle Dorziat. It was shot at the Cité Elgé studios in Pa ...

'' (1943) * '' Traveling Light'' (1944) * '' St. Val's Mystery'' (1945) * '' Father Goriot'' (1945) * '' Les Enfants du paradis'' (1945) * '' Special Mission'' (1946) * '' The Captain'' (1946) *''

Coincidences A coincidence is a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances that have no apparent causal connection with one another. The perception of remarkable coincidences may lead to supernatural, occult, or paranormal claims, or it may lead t ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Farm of Seven Sins ''The Farm of Seven Sins'' (French: ''La Ferme des sept péchés'') is a 1949 French historical drama film directed by Jean Devaivre and starring Jacques Dumesnil, Claude Génia and Aimé Clariond. The film's sets were designed by the art dir ...

'' (1949) * ''

Scandal on the Champs-Élysées ''Scandal on the Champs-Élysées'' (French: ''Scandale aux Champs-Élysées'') is a 1949 French crime drama film directed by Roger Blanc and starring Pierre Renoir, Françoise Christophe and Guy Decomble.Rège p.108 It was shot at the Billancou ...

'' (1949) * '' The Ferret'' (1950) * '' Dr. Knock'' (1951) * ''

Judgement of God ''Judgement of God'' (french: Le Jugement de Dieu), is a French drama film from 1952, directed by Raymond Bernard, written by Pierre Montazel, and starring by Andrée Debar and Louis de Funès. The screenplay was based on the German legend from ...

'' (1952)

References

External links

* 1885 births 1952 deaths Male actors from Paris French male film actors French male silent film actors French male stage actors

Pierre Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

20th-century French male actors {{France-film-actor-stub