Patrick Topaloff (30 December 1944 – 7 March 2010) was a French comedian, singer, and actor. The son of a Georgian father and a Corsican mother which, according to him, made him "a delicate Franco-Russian dessert", Topaloff began his career on

Europe 1 Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio station created in 1955. Owned and operated by Lagardère Active, a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group, it is one of the leading radio broadcasting stations in France and its p ...

, where his comic antics drew a wide audience, especially among children who delighted in his many silly catch phrases. Popular singer

Claude François Claude Antoine Marie François (; 1 February 1939 – 11 March 1978), also known by the nickname Cloclo, was a French pop singer, composer, songwriter, record producer, drummer and dancer. François co-wrote the lyrics of " Comme d'habitude" ( ...

encouraged him to try his hand at singing, and his recording of "Il Vaut Bien Mieux Etre Jeune, Riche et Beau" ("It's Much Better to Be Young, Rich, and Beautiful") became a major hit and the first of several gold records. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, writer/director Philippe Clair cast Topaloff in a number of

slapstick comedy 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 a ...

films similar to the ''Carry On'' series in the UK or those made by

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in pop culture, Lewis was nickn ...

in the US after splitting with

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

. His last feature film was '' Drôles de Zèbres'' for writer/director

Guy Lux Guy Maurice Lux (21 June 1919 – 13 June 2003) was a French TV host and producer best known for his 1961 creation of the game show '' Intervilles'' and its numerous spinoffs. During his 40 year career, he produced, directed, hosted, and wrote ...

in 1977. In his later years, problems in Topaloff's private life overshadowed his professional successes. Deeply in debt, he frequently worked without billing in an effort to avoid liens being placed on his salary. In 1995, he was sentenced to a year in prison for non-payment of

alimony Alimony, also called aliment (Scotland), maintenance (England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand), spousal support (U.S., Canada) and spouse maintenance (Australia), is a legal obligation on a person to provide financial su ...

and taxes. Paroled after four months, he undertook a new and successful stage career.

Death

He died, aged 65, from a heart attack.Patrick Topaloff: mort d'un bon vivant
/ref> His autobiography, ''Les Pleurs du Rire'' (''Tears of Laughter''), was a major bestseller.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Topaloff, Patrick 1944 births 2010 deaths 21st-century French male actors Burials at Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery French male comedians French male film actors French memoirists French people of Georgian descent French prisoners and detainees French male stage actors Prisoners and detainees of France French people of Corsican descent French people of Russian descent French male non-fiction writers 20th-century French male singers