Paul Meurisse (; 21 December 1912 – 19 January 1979) was a French actor who appeared in over 60 films and many stage productions. Meurisse was noted for the elegance of his acting style, and for his versatility. He was equally able to play comedic and serious dramatic roles. His screen roles ranged from the droll and drily humorous to the menacing and disturbing. His most celebrated role was that of the sadistic and vindictive headmaster in the 1955 film '' Les Diaboliques''.

Early life and career

Meurisse was born in

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

, on the north-east coast of France. He grew up on the island of

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

, to where his bank manager father had been transferred when Meurisse was a small child. After leaving school, Meurisse moved to

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...

, where he became a solicitor's clerk. But his passion was for the stage, and he acquired evening work in the chorus of

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

revues A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during ...

. In 1936, Meurisse moved to Paris, where he found work in musical theatres and nightclubs, and appeared with performers such as

Marie Dubas Marie Dubas (3 September 1894 – 21 February 1972) was a French music-hall singer, diseuse and comedian. Biography Born in Paris, France, Marie Dubas began her career as a stage actress but became famous as a singer. Using the great Yvette Gui ...

. He specialised in taking cheerful, upbeat songs and singing them in a comically downbeat, lugubrious fashion. In 1939, Meurisse met singer

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English word , meaning ''wealth'' or ''prosperity'', in combination with the Old English , meaning '' strife'', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian lang ...

, and the two became lovers for two years. Piaf, however, did not see a future for Meurisse as a singer, and encouraged him to try acting instead.

Film career

Meurisse first performed in film in ''Vingt-quatre heures de perm'', which was filmed in 1940 but not released until 1945. ''Ne bougez plus'' (1941) was the first of his films to be released. Thereafter he was in steady demand as an actor (in 1948, for example, he was credited in seven films). Meurisse played a wide range of roles, from gangsters (''

Macadam Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam , in which crushed stone is placed in shallow, convex layers and compacted thoroughly. A binding layer of stone dust (crushed stone from the original mat ...

'', ''Impasse des Deux-Anges'') and policemen (''Inspecteur Sergil'', ''Le Dessous des cartes''), to comedy (the ''Monocle'' films) and historical (''La Castiglione'', ''L'Affaire des poisons''). The quality of the films was varied, but Meurisse's versatility brought him recognition, with his performance often considered the best part of an otherwise mediocre effort. Meurisse's most famous role was that of Michel Delasalle in

Henri-Georges Clouzot Henri-Georges Clouzot (; 20 November 1907 – 12 January 1977) 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'' (1953) and '' Les Diabo ...

's 1955

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

'' Les Diaboliques'', with

Simone Signoret Simone Signoret (; born Simone Henriette Charlotte Kaminker; 25 March 1921 – 30 September 1985) was a French actress. She received various accolades, including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, a César Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and ...

and

Véra Clouzot Véra Gibson-Amado, known professionally as Véra Clouzot, (30 December 1913 – 15 December 1960) was a Brazilian-French film actress and screenwriter. She is known for playing Linda in ''The Wages of Fear'' (1953), Christina Delassalle in ...

. In a thoroughly unsympathetic part, Meurisse was compelling. The film, with its dark, claustrophobic atmosphere and celebrated

twist ending A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. When it happens near the end of a story, it is known as a twist ending or surprise ending. It may change ...

, became an international success. It was among the earliest foreign-language films to be widely distributed in English-speaking markets and is the film for which Meurisse is best known.''Les Diaboliques'', at filmsdefrance.com
/ref> Other of his notable films include

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

's inquisitorial and oppressive ''

Marie-Octobre ''Marie-Octobre'' is a 1959 French drama mystery film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Danielle Darrieux, Bernard Blier and Robert Dalban. It is based on the eponymous novel by Jacques Robert. The entire action takes place in real time ...

'' (1959),

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

's '' Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe'' (1959), Clouzot's

courtroom drama Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...

'' La Vérité'' (1960) and Melville's crime thriller '' Le deuxième souffle'' (1966). Meurisse made three appearances as Commandant Théobald Dromard, aka "The Monocle", in the

Eurospy Eurospy film, or Spaghetti spy film (when referring to Cinema of Italy, Italian-produced films in the genre), is a genre of spy films produced in Europe, especially in Italy, France, and Spain, that either sincerely imitated or else parodied the ...

comedies ''Le monocle noir'' (1961), ''L'oeil du monocle'' (1962), and ''Le monocle rit jaune'' (1964). The 1969 film ''

L'Armée des ombres ''Army of Shadows'' (; ) is a 1969 Franco-Italian World War II suspense-drama film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and Simone Signoret. It is an adaptation of Joseph ...

'', in which Meurisse had a leading role, was released in 2006 on DVD, under the title ''Army of Shadows'', in the UK and US, to critical acclaim.

Stage career

Meurisse appeared in many stage productions, in plays by both contemporary French authors such as

Marcel Achard Marcel Achard (5 July 1899 – 4 September 1974) was a French playwright and screenwriter whose popular sentimental comedies Garzanti p. 3 maintained his position as a highly recognizable name in his country's theatrical and literary circles ...

and

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; ; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ...

to classical English playwrights

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

and

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. In the mid-1950s he was a sociétaire of the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

Private life

Meurisse married three times: to Michèle Alfa (1942, divorced);

Micheline Cheirel Micheline Cheirel (born Micheline Truyen; 12 April 1917 – 25 October 2002) was a 20th-century French actress, active from 1934 to 1947. She was the niece of the actress Jeanne Cheirel. Personal life She married British actor John Loder as hi ...

(1951, divorced; she was previously married to British actor John Loder); and

Micheline Gary Christiane Micheline Guary (1 October 1925 – 25 December 2022), better known as Micheline Gary, was a French film and stage actress who was active in the French film industry throughout the 1950s. In 1960 she married the actor Paul Meurisse. G ...

(1960 to his death).

Death

Meurisse suffered from asthma for much of his life. He was taken ill following a performance at the

Théâtre Hébertot Théâtre Hébertot () is a theatre at 78, boulevard des Batignolles, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The theatre was completed in 1838 and opened as the Théâtre des Batignolles. It was later renamed Théâtre des Arts ...

in Paris. He died at age 66 on 19 January 1979 of an

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

-related

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

Filmography

* 1941: '' Ne bougez plus'' (dir. Pierre Caron) – Hector * 1941: ''

Montmartre-sur-Seine ''Montmartre'' (French: ''Montmartre sur Seine'') is a 1941 French romantic comedy film directed by Georges Lacombe and starring Édith Piaf, Jean-Louis Barrault and Roger Duchesne.Rège p.584 The film's sets were designed by the art director R ...

'' (dir. Georges Lacombe) – Paul Mariol * 1942: ''

No Love Allowed ''Unapologetic'' is the seventh studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 19 November 2012 by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. It was recorded between June and November 2012, during promotion of her sixth studio album, ''Ta ...

'' (dir. Richard Pottier) – Maxime Gavard * 1942: ''

Love Marriage A love marriage is one which is driven solely by the couple, with or without consent of their parents, as opposed to arranged marriage. While there is no clear definition of love marriage, the term was in common use globally during the Victorian ...

'' (dir.

Henri Decoin Henri Decoin (18 March 1890 – 4 July 1969) was a French film director and screenwriter, who directed more than 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who won the national title in 1911 and held the national record in the 500 ...

) – Robert * 1943: '' The Wolf Farm'' (dir.

Richard Pottier Richard Pottier (6 June 1906, in Graz – 2 November 1994, in Le Plessis-Bouchard) was a film director in France. He was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire as Ernst Deutsch. Selected filmography * ''If I Were Boss (1934 film), If I Were Boss'' ( ...

) – Furet * 1945: '' Vingt-quatre heures de perm'' (dir. Maurice Cloche) * 1945: '' Marie la Misère'' (dir.

Jacques de Baroncelli Jacques de Baroncelli (25 June 1881 – 12 January 1951) was a French film director best known for his silent films from 1915 to the late 1930s. He came from a Florentine family who had settled in Provence in the 15th century, occupying a buildi ...

) – Edouard * 1946: '' L'Insaisissable Frédéric'' (dir. Richard Pottier) – B.B. / Richard Fernay * 1946: ''

'' (dir. Marcel Blistène) – Victor Menard * 1947: '' Inspecteur Sergil'' (dir. Jacques Daroy) – Inspecteur Pierre Sergil * 1947: ''

Monsieur Chasse ( ; ; pl. ; ; 1512, from Middle French , literally "my lord") is an honorific title that was used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It has now become the customary French title of respect ...

'' (dir.

Willy Rozier Willy Rozier (27 June 1901 – 29 May 1983) was a French actor, film director, film producer and screenwriter who also used the pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which ...

) – Moricet * 1947: '' Bethsabée'' (dir.

Léonide Moguy Léonide Moguy (14 July 1899 – 21 April 1976) was a Ukrainian, French and Italian film director, screenwriter and film editor. Moguy was born Leonid Mohylevskyi () in Odessa, Odesa, Russian Empire in 1899 in a Jewish family. He lived in Soviet ...

) – Le capitaine Lucien Sommervill – l'ex amant d'Arabella * 1947: '' La Fleur de l'âge'' (dir.

Marcel Carné Marcel Albert Carné (; 18 August 1906 – 31 October 1996) was a French film director. A key figure in the poetic realism movement, Carné's best known films include ''Port of Shadows'' (1938), ''Le Jour Se Lève'' (1939), ''Les Visiteurs du Soi ...

) (uncompleted) * 1948: ''

The Eleven O'Clock Woman ''The Eleven O'Clock Woman'' (French: ''La dame d'onze heures'') is a 1948 French mystery thriller film directed by Jean Devaivre and starring Paul Meurisse, Micheline Francey, Gilbert Gil and Pierre Renoir. It is based on the 1938 novel of the sa ...

'' (dir. Jean-Devaivre) – Stanislas-Octave Seminario dit 'SOS' * 1948: '' Manù il contrabbandiere'' (dir. Lucio De Caro) – Ispettore Nansen * 1948: '' Le colonel Durand'' (dir.

René Chanas René Chanas, real name René Lindecker (13 September 1913 - 9 July 1990) was a French film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Filmography Director * 1945: '' The Last Judgment'' * 1947: '' The Crowned Fish Tavern'' * 1948: ' * 1 ...

) – Le colonel d'empire Gérard Durand * 1948: '' Le Dessous des cartes'' (dir.

André Cayatte André Cayatte (; 3 February 1909 – 6 February 1989) was a French filmmaker, writer and lawyer, who became known for his films centering on themes of crime, justice, and moral responsibility. Biography Cayatte began his directoral career at ...

) – Inspecteur Nansen * 1948: '' Impasse des deux anges'' (dir.

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

) – Jean * 1948: '' Sergil et le dictateur'' (dir. Jacques Daroy) – Inspecteur Sergil * 1948: ''

Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a ...

'' (dir.

René Le Hénaff René Le Hénaff (24 April 1901 – 5 January 2005) was a French film editor and director. As a film editor he collaborated with directors Marcel Carné, René Clair, and Géza von Radványi among others. His three films with Carné in the late ...

) – Steve Richardson * 1949: '' The Red Angel'' (dir.

Jacques Daniel-Norman Jacques Daniel-Norman (real name Joseph Jacques CompèreDernière heure, édition spéciale'' (dir. Maurice de Canonge) – Dominique Coche * 1950: ''

Agnes of Nothing ''Agnes of Nothing'' (French: ''Agnès de rien'') is a 1950 French drama film directed by Pierre Billon (director), Pierre Billon and starring Danièle Delorme, Yvonne de Bray and Paul Meurisse. It is based on the novel of the same title by Germa ...

'' (dir. Pierre Billon) – Carlos de Chaligny * 1951: ''

Maria of the End of the World ''Maria of the End of the World'' (French: ''Maria du bout du monde'') is a 1951 French adventure film, adventure drama film directed by Jean Stelli. It stars Paul Meurisse, Denise Cardi (as Maria, Mathias' wife) and Jacques Berthier (actor), Jacq ...

'' (dir.

Jean Stelli Jean Stelli (6 December 1894 in Lille – 2 February 1975 in Grasse) was a French screenwriter and film director.Rège p.939 Selected filmography * ''The Hurricane on the Mountain'' (1922) * ''Durand Jewellers'' (1938) * ''Gibraltar (1938 film), ...

) – Mathias * 1951: ''

Serenade to the Executioner ''Serenade to the Executioner'' (French: ''Sérénade au bourreau'') is a 1951 French crime drama film directed by Jean Stelli and starring Paul Meurisse, Tilda Thamar and Antonin Berval. Rège p.296 It is based on the 1928 novel of the same tit ...

'' (dir. Jean Stelli) – William A. Schomberg * 1951: ''

Ma femme est formidable ''My Wife Is Formidable'' (French: ''Ma femme est formidable'') is a 1951 French comedy film directed by André Hunebelle and starring Fernand Gravey, Sophie Desmarets and Simone Valère.Rège p.43 It was shot at the Saint-Maurice Studios in Par ...

'' (dir.

André Hunebelle André Hunebelle (; 1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director. Master Glass Artist After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a m ...

) – Lui-même (uncredited) * 1951: '' Vedettes sans maquillage'' (dir. Jacques Guillon) (documentary) * 1952: '' Sergil chez les filles'' (dir. Jacques Daroy) – Inspecteur Sergil * 1953: '' I'm a Snitch'' (dir. René Chanas) – Bob Torquella * 1954: '' La contessa di Castiglione'' dir. Georges Combret) – L'empereur Napoléon III * 1955: '' Les Diaboliques'' (dir.

) – Michel Delassalle * 1955: ''

Fortune carrée Fortune may refer to: General * Fortuna or Fortune, the Roman goddess of luck * Luck * Wealth * Fate * Fortune, a prediction made in fortune-telling * Fortune, in a fortune cookie Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Fortune'' (193 ...

'' (dir. Bernard Borderie) – Mordhom * 1955: '' The Affair of the Poisons'' (dir. Henri Decoin) – L'abbé Etienne Guibourg * 1957: ''

Until the Last One ''Until the Last One'' (French: ''Jusqu'au dernier'', Italian: ''Fino all'ultimo'') is a 1957 French-Italian thriller film directed by Pierre Billon and starring Raymond Pellegrin, Jeanne Moreau and Paul Meurisse. It was shot at the Photosonor St ...

'' (dir. Pierre Billon) – Fredo Ricioni – le chef de la bande * 1957: ''

The Inspector Likes a Fight ''The Inspector Likes a Fight'' (French: ''L'inspecteur aime la bagarre'') is a 1957 French crime thriller film directed by Jean Devaivre and starring Nicole Courcel, Paul Meurisse and Louis Velle. It was shot at the Saint-Maurice Studios in Par ...

'' (dir. Jean-Devaivre) – L'inspecteur Morice * 1957: '' The Violent'' (dir. Henri Calef) – Inspecteur Principal Malouvier * 1958: ''

Not Delivered ''Not Delivered'' (French: ''Échec au porteur'') is a 1958 French crime thriller film directed by Gilles Grangier and starring Paul Meurisse, Jeanne Moreau, Serge Reggiani and Gert Fröbe. Segrave & Martin p.130 It was shot at the Boulogne Studi ...

'' (dir. Gilles Grangier) – Le commissaire divisionnaire Varzeilles * 1958: '' Le septimème ciel'' (dir. Raymond Bernard) – Manuel Villa * 1959: ''

'' (dir.

) – François Renaud-Picart, industriel * 1959: ''

Guinguette The guinguette (), originating in the 17th century, was a type of popular tavern in the suburb, suburbs of Paris and of other cities in France. The term comes from ''guinguet'', a type of cheap green wine served there. A ''goguette'' was a simi ...

'' (dir.

Jean Delannoy Jean Delannoy (; 12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director. Biography Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a Pro ...

) – Le vicomte Edouard de Villancourt * 1959: '' La Tête contre les murs'' (dir.

Georges Franju Georges Franju (; 12 April 1912 – 5 November 1987) was a French filmmaker. He was born in Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine. Biography Early life Before working in French cinema, Franju held several different jobs. These included working for an ins ...

) – Dr. Emery * 1959: '' Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe'' (dir.

) – Etienne Alexis * 1959: '' Simenon'' (dir. Jean-François Hauduroy) (documentary – narrator) * 1960: '' La Française et l'Amour'' (dir.

Henri Verneuil Henri Verneuil (; born Ashot Malakian; 15 October 1920 – 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d'Or awards, and won Locarno International F ...

) – Jean-Claude Perret (segment "Adultère, L'") * 1960: '' La Vérité'' (dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot) – Maître Éparvier * 1961: '' Le Monocle noir'' (dir.

Georges Lautner Georges Lautner (; 24 January 1926 – 22 November 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter, known primarily for his comedies created in collaboration with screenwriter Michel Audiard. Lautner's ventures into other genres were less ...

) – Le commandant Théobald Dromard dit 'Le Monocle' * 1961: '' Le Jeu de la vérité'' (dir.

Robert Hossein Robert Hossein (30 December 1927 – 31 December 2020) was a French film actor, director, and writer. He directed Les Misérables (1982 film), the 1982 adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' and appeared in ''Vice and Virtue'', ''Le Casse'', ''Les U ...

) – Portrant * 1961: '' Les Nouveaux aristocrates'' (dir. Francis Rigaud) – Le père Philippe de Maubrun * 1962: '' Carillons sans joie'' (dir. Charles Brabant) – Le capitaine de Lambérieux * 1962: '' L'oeil du Monocle'' (dir. Georges Lautner) – Le commandant Théobald Dromard, dit "Le Monocle" * 1963: ''

Chicken Feed for Little Birds The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

'' (dir. Marcel Carné) – Armand Lodet * 1963: ''

Méfiez-vous, mesdames ''Méfiez-vous, mesdames!'' (English title: ''Be Careful, Ladies!'') is a 1963 French comedy film directed by André Hunebelle. The screenplay was written by Pierre Foucaud and Jean Halain, based on a novel by Ange Bastiani. It tells the story of ...

'' (dir. André Hunebelle) – Charles Rouvier * 1963: ''

Les Tontons flingueurs ''Les Tontons flingueurs'' (; ', also known as ''Monsieur Gangster'', literally ''Gun-toting Uncles'') is a 1963 French-Italian-West German crime comedy film with French dialogue, directed by Georges Lautner. It is an adaptation of the Albert Sim ...

'' (dir. Georges Lautner) – Un passant distingué (uncredited) * 1963: '' L'assassin connaît la musique...'' (dir.

Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film noi ...

) – Lionel Fribourg * 1964: '' Le Monocle rit jaune'' (dir. Georges Lautner) – Le commandant Théobald Dromard dit'Le Monocle' * 1965: '' Moi et les hommes de quarante ans'' (dir. Jacques Pinoteau) – Alexandre Dumourier * 1965: ''

Le Majordome ''Le Majordome'' is a 1965 French and Italian comedy film directed by Jean Delannoy. Cast *Paul Meurisse as Léopold *Geneviève Page as Agnès des Vallières *Paul Hubschmid as Doctor Ventoux / Le 'chat' *Micheline Luccioni as Arlette * Lutz Gab ...

'' (dir.

) – Léopold * 1965: '' La Grosse Caisse'' (dir. Alex Joffé) – Paul Filippi, le gangster * 1965: '' Quand passent les faisans'' (dir.

Édouard Molinaro Édouard Molinaro (13 May 1928 – 7 December 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter. Biography He was born in Bordeaux, Gironde. He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès (''Oscar (1967 film), Oscar'', ''Hibernatus''), ...

) – Alexandre Larsan-Bellac * 1966: ''

Der Kongreß amüsiert sich Der or DER may refer to: Places * Darkənd, Azerbaijan * Dearborn (Amtrak station) (station code), in Michigan, US * Der (Sumer), an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq * d'Entrecasteaux Ridge, an oceanic ridge in the south-west Pacific Ocean ...

'' (dir. Géza von Radványi) – Count Talleyrand * 1966: '' Le deuxième souffle'' (dir.

Jean-Pierre Melville Jean-Pierre Grumbach (20 October 1917 – 2 August 1973), known professionally as Jean-Pierre Melville (), was a French filmmaker. Considered a spiritual godfather of the French New Wave, he was one of the first fully-independent French filmmake ...

) – Commissaire Blot * 1969: ''

'' (dir. Jean-Pierre Melville) –

Luc Jardie ''Army of Shadows'' (; ) is a 1969 Franco-Italian World War II suspense-drama film written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and starring Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel, and Simone Signoret. It is an adaptation of Joseph Kes ...

* 1971: '' Le Cri du cormoran le soir au-dessus des jonques'' (dir.

Michel Audiard Paul Michel Audiard (; 15 May 1920 – 27 July 1985) was a French screenwriter and film director, known for his witty, irreverent and slang-laden dialogues which made him a prominent figure on the French cultural scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He ...

) – Kruger * 1971: '' Doucement les basses'' (dir.

Jacques Deray Jacques Deray (born Jacques Desrayaud, 19 February 1929 – 9 August 2003) was a French film director and screenwriter. Deray is prominently known for directing many crime films, crime and thriller films. Biography Born Jacques Desrayaud in Lyon, ...

) – L'évêque * 1973: '' Un flic hors la loi'' (dir.

Stefano Vanzina Steno, the artistic name of Stefano Vanzina (19 January 1917 – 13 March 1988), was an Italian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer. Early Life Steno's father, Alberto Vanzina was a journalist from Piedmont working for ''Corriere ...

) * 1973: ''

Les voraces LES or Les may refer to: People * Les (given name) * Les (surname) * L.E.S. (producer), hip hop producer Space flight * Launch Entry Suit, worn by Space Shuttle crews * Launch escape system, for spacecraft emergencies * Lincoln Experimen ...

'' (dir. Sergio Gobbi) – L'inspecteur Martino * 1974: '' The Suspects'' (dir. Michel Wyn) – Laurent Kirchner * 1975: '' Le Gitan'' (dir.

José Giovanni José Giovanni (22 June 1923, Paris, France – 24 April 2004, Lausanne, Switzerland) was the pseudonym of Joseph Damiani, a French writer and film-maker of Corsican origin who became a naturalized Swiss citizen in 1986. A former collaborationi ...

) – Yan Kuq * 1975: '' L'Éducation amoureuse de Valentin'' (dir. Jean L'Hôte) – Julien Blaise (final film role)

References

External links

Alexey Gusev. "The Man Who Wasn't Here."
''Seance'' blog (in Russian). Article for the 100th anniversary of Paul Meurisse's birth. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meurisse, Paul 1912 births 1979 deaths People from Dunkirk Male actors from Hauts-de-France French male film actors French male stage actors Sociétaires of the Comédie-Française 20th-century French male actors