Robert Lynen (24 May 1920 in Nermier, France – 1 April 1944 in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

) was a French actor. A child star of French cinema, he joined the French Resistance during his country's occupation during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, was arrested and deported to Germany, and shot by a

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

firing squad Firing may refer to: * Dismissal (employment), sudden loss of employment by termination * Firemaking, the act of starting a fire * Burning; see combustion * Shooting, specifically the discharge of firearms * Execution by firing squad, a method of ...

after repeated escape attempts.

Acting career

Lynen was born on 24 May 1920 in Nermier and spent the first years of his life in his native Jura, where his parents raised animals. In 1923, his family moved to Paris where his father became a draftsman. Being from an artistic family (his father painted and his mother was a singer and pianist), he was noticed at age 12 by filmmaker

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'', ...

while he was studying at the École du Spectacle. After some tests, he was cast for the lead role of ''

Poil de carotte ''Poil de carotte'' (En: ''Carrot Head'' or ''Carrot Top'') is a long short story or autobiographical novel by Jules Renard published in 1894 which recounts the childhood and the trials of a redheaded child. It is probably in this miserable child ...

'' (1932) with

Harry Baur Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor, famous for his titular role in ''Beethoven's Great Love'' and as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (1934 film), the 1934 version of ''Les Misérables''. Life Initially a stage actor ...

. Following the film's public success, Lynen became the child star of French cinema. He played Rémi in the 1934 film adaptation of

Hector Malot Hector-Henri Malot (Hector Malot) (; 20 May 1830 – 18 July 1907) was a French writer born in La Bouille, Seine-Maritime. He studied law in Rouen and Paris, but eventually literature became his passion. He worked as a dramatic critic for ''Lloyd ...

's novel, ''

Sans Famille ''Sans Famille'' (; ) is an 1878 French novel by Hector Malot. The most recent English translation is ''Alone in the World'' by Adrian de Bruyn in 2007. The novel was reportedly inspired by the Italian street musicians of the 19th century, in pa ...

''. In 1937, he acted in

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German Jewish film director. His career spanned some 40 years, working extensively in the United States and France, as well as in his native country. Though he worked in many genres, he was ...

's movie ''

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 desi ...

'', then in ''Le Fraudeur'' by Léopold Simons. At age 18, he played Alphonse Daudet's ''Le Petit Chose'' for

Maurice Cloche Maurice Cloche (17 June 1907, in Commercy, Meuse (department), Meuse – 20 March 1990, in Bordeaux, France) was a French people, French film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. Best known for his Oscar-winning film ''Monsieur V ...

, then ''La vie est magnifique'' with the same filmmaker.

World War II

In 1940, at age 20, he acted in ''Espoirs'' by

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 ...

, before being sent to a Vichy-sponsored youth camp, where he joined the

French Resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

, becoming a second lieutenant in the French Forces network ''Alliance''. In 1941, he went on a theater tour and acted in his last film ''Cap au large'' by Jean-Paul Paulin. He performed many missions before being arrested by the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

Cassis Cassis (; Occitan: ''Cassís'') is a commune situated east of Marseille in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, whose coastline is known in English as the French Riviera, in Southern France. It is a ...

, on 7 February 1943. He was tortured and deported to Germany. After several months in prison, and two escape attempts, he was sentenced to death by a military tribunal and executed, with 14 other Resistance members, on 1 April 1944 in

, at the age of 23. When his body, which had been buried in a common grave, was repatriated to France in 1947, it was reburied in the military section of the Gentilly cemetery.''Vie et mort de Poil de Carotte'', François Charles, ed. La Nuée bleue, p.94

Filmography

* '' The Red Head'' (1932) as Poil de carotte * '' Le Petit Roi'' (1933) as Michel VIII * ''Sans famille'' (1934) as Rémy * '' La Belle Équipe'' (1936) as René * '' Life Dances On'' (1937) as Jacques Dambreval * ''

The Man of the Hour ''The Man of the Hour'' (French: ''L'homme du jour'') is a 1937 French musical film directed by Julien Duvivier and starring Maurice Chevalier, Elvire Popesco and Josette Day.Mazdon & Wheatley p.35 The film was shot at the Joinville Studios, wit ...

'' (1937) as Milo * '' The Fraudster'' (1937) as Theo * ''

Education of a Prince ''Education of a Prince'' (French: ''Éducation de Prince'') is a 1927 French silent comedy film directed by Henri Diamant-Berger and starring Edna Purviance, Pierre Batcheff and Flora le Breton. Powrie & Rebillard p.8 It was adapted by Henri ...

'' (1938) as Prince Sacha * '' The Little Thing'' (1938) as Daniel Eyssette * ''

'' (1938) as Jean Mollenard * ''La vie est magnifique'' (1938) * '' Hopes'' (1941) as Pierre Martin * ''Cap au large'' (1942) as Zizou

Bibliography

* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 104-105.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lynen, Robert 1920 births 1944 deaths French male film actors French male child actors French Resistance members People executed by Nazi Germany by firing squad People from Lons-le-Saunier People from Jura (department) Male actors from Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Male actors from Paris French people executed by Nazi Germany Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany 20th-century French male actors