BRASSEUR, PIERRE

(1905-1972)

Actor. Born Pierre-Albert Espinasse in Paris, Pierre Brasseur studied drama at the Paris Conservatoire d'art dramatique and then went on to make his debut in the theater at the age of eighteen. His early years in theater were with an itinerant troupe, but he went on to join the Compagnie Renaud-Barrault, a more accomplished theatrical company.

Brasseur made his screen debut in 1924 inLeonce Perret'sMadame Sans-Gêne. It was a fairly respectable although not a starring role, reflective of a certain reputation in the theater. This debut gave Brasseur a footing in cinema, and he went on from there to make nearly one hundred films, working with directors as diverse asJean Renoir,Marc Allégret,René Clair,Marcel Carné,Claude Autant-Lara,Christian-Jacque, andPhilippe de Broca.

In the early part of his career, Brasseur is probably best remembered for his work with Carné in two of his legendary films,Quai de brumes(1938) andLes Enfants du paradis(1945).Other noteworthy performances of the period were inGeorges Lacombe'sCafé de Paris(1938) and André Cayatte'sLes Amants de Vérone(1949).

Among the films in which he appeared during this period are Yves Mirande'sPapa sans le savoir(1931), Robert Siodmak'sLe Sexe faible(1933), Maurice Cammage'sPrête-moi ta femme(1936),Serge de Poligny'sClaudine à l'école(1936), Carné'sLes Portes de la nuit(1946),Marcel Pagnol'sLe Schpountz(1938), Marcel Achard and Allégret'sLes Deux timides(1938),Jean Grémillon'sLumière d'été(1938), and Pierre Montazel'sCroisière pour l'inconnu(1947).

In his later career, Brasseur found himself cast in various thrillers and crime films. Among these, probably the most interesting areGeorges Franju'sLes Yeux sans visage(1960) and Pierre Granier-Deferre'sLa Métamorphose des cloportes(1964). Other films in which he had roles includeChristian-Jacque'sBarbe-bleue(1951),Max Ophuls'sLe Plaisir(1952),Sacha Guitry'sNapoléon(1955),René Clair'sLa Porte des lilas(1957), Clément Duhour'sLa Vie à deux(1958), Henri Diamant-Berger'sMessieurs les Ronds de cuir(1959), Philippe Agostini'sDialogues des Carmélites(1960),Claude Autant-Lara'sVive Henri IVvive l'amour(1961), de Broca'sLe Roi de coeur(1966), andJean-Paul Rappeneau'sLa Vie de château(1966).

Brasseur acted all the way, more or less, up to his death. He made his last film,La Plus belle soirée de ma vie, with Ettore Scola in 1972. In fact, Brasseur died in Italy during the making of the film. He left to the world of cinema his son,Claude Brasseur, who is an accomplished actor in his own right, and his grandson, Alexandre Brasseur, who has also decided to continue the family business.