Charles Prince Seigneur (27 April 187218 July 1933) was a French-born film actor and comedian, best known for his screen persona "'' Rigadin''" in numerous short

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...

comedies. He was also known as "Moritz" in Germany, "Whiffles" in England and the US, and "Tartufini" in Italy. He was the second biggest film star in the world in the years leading up to

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, just behind his rival Max Linder. Prince's "Rigadin" character was similar to Linder's "Max" in that they were both upper-class dandies that were constantly getting into trouble with authority figures and love interests. Prince began his acting career on the stage and was hired by

Pathé Frères Pathé SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...

in 1908. He made more than 200 films as "Rigadin" from 1909 until 1920. By 1920 his popularity had faded and he played supporting roles in a handful of films in the 1920s and 1930s. Two of his Rigadin shorts, ''Rigadin Directeur de Cinéma'' and ''Rigadin et le Chien de la Baronne'', were preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

Personal life

In 1900 he married

Aimée Campton Aimée Campton or Miss Campton (6 April 1882 – 21 November 1930) was a dancer, music hall artist, postcard beauty and a French actress of English origin. A silent film actress, she played the lead role in a series of French-made ''Maud'' film ...

, an English dancer working in Paris Their only daughter was Renée Petitdemange (1901–1993). The couple divorced in April 1905''Le Temps'', August 15, 1905, p. 4, available on Gallica. This legal announcement is also published in ''Gil Blas'' and ''Le Journal'' of the same day and in ''Le Monde'' artistique of August 20, 1905
/ref> Prince's great-grandson is French film director Cris Ubermann.

Selected filmography

*1912 ''Rigadin Peintre Cubiste'' *1912 ''Rigadin aux Balkans'' *1913 ''Rigadin, Winetaster'' * '' A Royal Family'' (1915) * '' Kiss Me'' (1929) * '' Departure'' (1931) * '' His Highness Love'' (1931) * '' Buridan's Donkey'' (1932) * '' His Best Client'' (1932)

References

External links

*
Charles Prince; IBDb.com
1872 births 1933 deaths French male film actors French male silent film actors French male comedians 20th-century French comedians Silent film comedians Slapstick comedians 20th-century French male actors {{France-film-actor-1870s-stub