Fernandel
Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born in Marseille, France, he was a comedy star who first gained popularity in French vaudeville, operettas, and music-hall revues. His stage name is the diminutive form of his first name in Occitan.
In 1930, Fernandel appeared in his first motion picture and for more than forty years he would be France's top comic actor. He was perhaps best-loved for his portrayal of the irascible Italian village priest at war with the town's Communist mayor in the Don Camillo series of motion pictures. His horse-like teeth became part of his trademark.
He also appeared in Italian and American films. His first Hollywood motion picture was 1956's Around the World in Eighty Days in which he played David Niven's coachman. His popular performance in that film led to his starring with Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg in the 1958 comedy Paris Holiday.
In addition to acting, Fernandel also directed or co-produced several of his own films.
Fernandel died from lung cancer and is buried in the Cimetière de Passy, Paris, France.
[edit] Literature
In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursault and his female friend Marie Cordona watch a movie starring Fernandel on the day after Maman died.[citation needed]
[edit] Selected filmography
- Le rosier de Madame Husson
- Angèle directed by Marcel Pagnol (1934)
- Le cavalier Lafleur (1934)
- Jim la houlette (1935)
- Un de la légion directed by Christian-Jaque
- Regain directed by Marcel Pagnol (1937)
- Josette directed by Christian-Jaque (1937)
- Ignace (1937)
- Un carnet de bal directed by Julien Duvivier (1927)
- Les rois du sport starring Raimu, Jules Berry (1937)
- Hercule (1938)
- Le schpountz directed by Marcel Pagnol (1938)
- Barnabé (1938)
- L'héritier des Mondésir starring Elvire Popesco, Jules Berry directed by Carlo Rim (1940)
- Monsieur Hector ( 1940)
- La fille du puisatier starring Raimu directed by Marcel Pagnol (1940)
- La nuit merveilleuse (1940)
- Les gueux au paradis starring Raimu
- Simplet directed by Fernandel 1942
- Les petits riens (1942)
- La bonne étoile (1943)
- Petrus starring Pierre Brasseur, Simone Simon directed by Marc Allégret (1946)
- Coeur de coq (1946)
- Emile l'africain (1948)
- L'armoire volante directed by Carlo Rim (1948)
- L'héroïque Monsieur Boniface directed by Maurice Cloche (1949)
- On demande un assassin (1949)
- Casimir directed by Richard Pottier (1950)
- Meurtres directed by Richard Pottier (1950)
- Uniformes et grandes manoeuvres (1950)
- Topaze directed by Marcel Pagnol (1951)
- Tu m'as sauvé la vie directed by Sacha Guitry (1951)
- Boniface somnambule directed by Maurice Cloche (1951)
- Adhémar ou le jouet de la fatalité directed by Fernandel (1951)
- La table aux crevés directed by Henri Verneuil (1951)
- L'auberge rouge starring Françoise Rosay directed Claude Autant-Lara (1951)
- Le Petit Monde de Don Camillo starring Gino Cervi directed by Julien Duvivier (1951)
- Coiffeur pour dames directed by Jean Boyer
- Le fruit défendu starring Françoise Arnoul directed by Henri Verneuil (1952)
- Le boulanger de Valorgue directed by Henri Verneuil (1953)
- Le retour de Don Camillo starring Gino Cervi directed by Julien Duvivier (1953)
- Carnaval directed by Henri Verneuil (1953)
- L'ennemi public no.1 directed by Henri Verneuil (1953)
- Mam'zelle Nitouche starring Pier Angeli directed by Yves Allégret (1954)
- Le mouton à cinq pattes directed starring Louis de Funès by Henri Verneuil (1954)
- Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs directed by Jacques Becker (1954)
- Le printemps, l'automne et l'amour (1955)
- La grande bagarre de Don Camillo (1955)
- Le couturier de ces dames directed by Jean Boyer (1956)
- Don Juan directed by John Berry (1956)
- Honoré de Marseille (1956)
- Sous le ciel de Provence (1956)
- L'homme à l'imperméable starring Bertrand Blier directed by Julien Duvivier (1957)
- Sénéchal le magnifique directed by Jean Boyer (1957)
- Le chômeur de Clochemerle (1957)
- La loi c'est la loi starring Toto directed by Christian-Jaque (1958)
- La Vie à deux (1958)
- Paris Holiday (1958) co starring with Bob Hope
- Les vignes du seigneur (1958)
- Le grand chef starring Gini Cervi directed by Henri Verneuil ( 1959)
- Le confident de ces dames directed by Jean Boyer (1959)
- La Vache et le Prisonnier directed by Henri Verneuil (1959)
- Crésus directed by Jean Giono (1960)
- Le caïd directed by Bernard Borderie (1960)
- Cocagne (1961)
- Don Camillo...Monseigneur! (1961) starring Gino Cervi
- Le jugement dernier directed by Vittorio de Sica (1961)
- Dynamite Jack (1961)
- L'assasin est dans l'annuaire directed by Léo Joannon (1962)
- Le Diable et les Dix Commandements directed by Julien Duvivier (1962)
- En avant la musique (1962)
- Le voyage à Biarritz starring Arletty directed by Gilles Grangier (1963)
- Blague dans le coin (1963)
- Le bon roi Dagobert (1963)
- La cuisine au beurre starring Bourvil directed by Gilles Grangier (1963)
- Relaxe-toi chérie directed by Jean Boyer (1963)
- L'âge ingrât starring Jean Gabin directed by Gilles Grangier(1964)
- Don Camillo en Russie (1965)
- La bourse et la vie directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky (1966)
- Le voyage du père (1966)
- L'homme à la Buick starring Danielle Darrieux directed by Gilles Grangier(1967)
- Heureux qui comme Ulysse (1970)
