FABRE, SATURNIN

(1884-1961)

Actor. Saturnin Fabre began his career as a comic stage actor. He made a name for himself in the theater before turning to cinema. Although he had tried his hand at cinema during the silent-film era in films likeAndré Antoine'sMademoiselle de la Seglière(1919) andJacques de Baroncelli'sLa Rafale(1920), Fabre awaited the coming of sound before transitioning into film.

His first sound film was Robert Florey'sLa Route est belle(1930). Thereafter, Fabre appeared in more than seventy films, establishing himself as a comic actor on a par withFernandel, who was his contemporary.He could, however, play other types of parts as well. The 1930s and 1940s marked the height of Fabre's career. During the 1930s, he appeared in such films as Henry Roussel'sAtout coeur(1931);René Guissart'sLe Fils improvisé(1932),Le Père prématuré(1933), andToi,c'est moi(1936);Léo Joannen'sOn a trouvé une femme nue(1934),Train de plaisir(1935), andVous n'avez rien à déclarer(1937);Abel Gance'sRoman d'un jeune homme pauvre(1935) andLe Voleur de femmes(1937); Yves Mirande'sSept hommes et une femme(1936) andMessieurs les ronds de cuire(1937);Julien Duvivier'sPépé leMoko(1937); andSacha Guitry'sIls étaient neuf célibataires(1939).

In the 1940s, Fabre's career remained strong. During the Occupation, he remained in France, continuing to make films and working for the Nazi-owned production company,Continental Films. Fabre's films from the decade includeHenri Decoin'sBattement de coeur(1940),Marcel L'Herbier'sLa Nuit fantastique(1942),Jacques de Baroncelli'sFausse alerte(1945),Marc Allégret'sLunegarde(1946),Roger Richebé'sLes J3(1946),Marcel Carné'sLes Portes de la nuit(1946),Pierre Chenal'sClochmerle(1948), and Maurice Cloche'sDocteur Laënnec(1949).

Fabre made only a handful of films in the 1950s, and the decade was the last in which he made films. His film roles from that period include parts inHenri-Georges Clouzot'sMiquette et sa mère(1950), Marcel Aboulker'sLa Dame de chez Maxim's(1950), Duvivier'sLa Fête à Henriette(1952), and Carlo Rim'sEscalier de service(1954), which was his final film.