ROBERT, YVES

(1920-2002)

Actor, director, producer, and screen-writer. Yves Robert was born in Saumur, France. He worked in the theater before debuting in cinema in René Lucot'sLes Dieux du dimanche(1948). He subsequently acted inMarcel Carné'sJuliette ou la Clef des songes(1950), Maurice Labro'sLe Tampon du Capiston(1950), and Jean Anouilh'sDeux sous de violettes(1951). In 1951, Robert made his directorial debut with the shortLes bonnes manières(1951). His debut feature film wasLes hommes ne pensent qu'à ça(1954), which featuredLouis de Funès. Robert continued to act while working on his directing career. In the 1950s, he appeared inMarc Allégret'sFutures Vedettes(1955),René Clair'sLes grandes maneouvres(1955), andClaude Autant-Lara'sLa Jumente verte(1959).

Robert's second feature wasNi vu,ni connu(1958), which also starred de Funès. It was followed bySigné Arsène Lupin(1959) andLa famille Fenouillard(1961). His directing career soared with hisLa guerre des boutons(1962), starring Jacques Dufilho. The film was the largest grossing film in France in 1962 and among the top ten most successful French films in the latter part of the twentieth century. It also won thePrix Jean-Vigo.La guerre des boutonswas also the first feature produced by Robert's company La Guéville, which he established with his wife, actress Danièle Delorme. Also in the 1960s, Robert directedBébert et l'omnibus(1963),Les copains(1965),Monnaie de singe(1966),Alexandre le bienheureux(1968), andClérambard(1969).

In the 1970s, Robert directed some of France's most popular comedies.Le grand blond avec une chaussure noirewas among France's five top-selling films of 1972. It was coscripted with Francis Veber and starredPierre Richard. The film won the Silver Berlin Bear and was remade in Hollywood asThe Man with One Red Shoe(1985), starring Tom Hanks. Robert directed a sequel,Le retour du grand blond(1974), also coscripted with Veber. Robert'sUn éléphant ça trompe énormément(1976) andNous irons tous au paradis(1977) were both among France's most successful films in the years they were released. Both were coscripted with Jean-Loup Dabadie. He also directedSalut l'artiste(1973) andCourage fuyons(1979). He had only one major role during the 1970s, inClaude Berri'sLe cinéma de papa(1970). Interestingly, some of Robert's later films would be compared with Berri's.

In the 1980s, Robert played principal roles inClaude Sautet'sUn mauvais fils(1980) andGarçon! (1983). He directed a single film in that decade,Le jumeau(1984). As a director, he is most famous for the films that followed,La Gloire de mon père(1990) andLe Château de ma mère(1990). Both films were based onMarcel Pagnol's memoirs,Souvenirs d'enfance. Shot in Provence, the films have been classified as nostalgicheritage filmsand compared to the Pagnol films ofClaude Berri. Robert's last two films as director wereLe bal des casse-pieds(1992) andMontparnasse-Pondichéry(1994), both of which starredMiou-Miou.

Robert continued to act in the 1990s. He played a lead role inMontparnasse-Pondichéry, and he also appeared inColine Serreau'sLa Crise(1992) and Jean-Denis Robert'sSortez des rangs(1995). His last film as an actor was Gilles Bourdos'sDisparus(1998).