Jacques Prévert

Jacques Prévert (February 4, 1900 in Neuilly-sur-Seine - April 11, 1977 in Omonville-la-Petite) was a French poet and screenwriter.

Prévert was associated with surrealism and Pataphysics, and his poems are typically about life in Paris and life after the Second World War. They were published in his books Paroles (Lyrics or Words) (1946), Histoires (Stories) (1946), Spectacle (1951), La Pluie et le beau temps (Rain and good weather) (1955), Fatras (1971) and Choses et autres (Things and others) (1973). Some of his works were set to music by Joseph Kosma and others such as Christiane Verger and Hanns Eisler and were sung by prominent 20th century French vocalists including Yves Montand and Édith Piaf. His poems are widely taught in French schools.

French language textbooks in the United States and elsewhere often utilize his poems, in particular "Page d'écriture", although many of his works have been deemed inappropriate for American high schools according to educational-moral standards (or censorship).

Prévert also wrote a number of screenplays for French film director Marcel Carné, among them Drôle de drame (Bizarre, Bizarre, 1937), Le jour se lève (Daybreak, 1939) and, perhaps most famously, Les enfants du paradis (The Children of Paradise, 1945).

Bibliography

• Paroles (1946)
• Contes pour enfants pas sages (1947) (Tales for naughty children)
• Spectacle (1951)
• Lettre des îles Baladar (1952) (Letter from the Baladar Islands)
• Tour de chant (1953)
• La pluie et le beau temps (1955)
• Histoires (1963)
• Fatras (1966)

Filmography

Jacques Prévert wrote the scenarios and sometimes the dialog in the following films:

• Le Crime de monsieur Lange (1935)
• Drôle de drame (1937)
• Quai des brumes (1938)
• Les Disparus de Saint-Agil (1938)
• Le Jour se lève (1939)
• Les Visiteurs du soir (1942)
• Les Enfants du paradis (1943)
• Les Portes de la nuit (1945)
• La Bergère et le ramoneur (animated film, 1953)
• Grand Jean et Petit Jean, after Hans Christian Andersen (live action and animation).

External links

• Jacques Prévert at IMDb
• Jacques Prévert: Prevert's poetry in English.