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Yves Robert

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This article is about the French actor. For the French trombone player, see Yves Robert (musician). For the French computer scientist, see Yves Robert (computer scientist).
Yves Robert
Robert in 1979
Born(1920-06-19)19 June 1920
Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France
Died10 May 2002(2002-05-10) (aged 81)
Paris, France
Resting placeMontparnasse cemetery
NationalityFrench
Occupation(s)Actor, director, producer, screenwriter
Years active1948–2001
SpouseDanièle Delorme (m. 1956–2002)
RelativesXavier Gélin
(stepson, deceased)

Yves Robert (19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002)[1] was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.

Life and career

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Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with unpaid parts on stage in the city's various theatre workshops. From ages 12–20 he set type as a typographer, then studied mime in his early 20s.[1] In 1948 he made his motion picture debut with one of the secondary roles in the film, Les Dieux du dimanche. Within a few years, Robert was writing scripts, directing, and producing.

Yves Robert's directorial efforts included several successful comedies[2] for which he had written the screenplay. His 1962 film, La Guerre des boutons won France's Prix Jean Vigo. His 1972 film Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire won the Silver Bear at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival in 1973.[3] In 1976, Un éléphant ça trompe énormément, starring his wife, earned him international acclaim. Robert's 1973 devastating comedy Salut l'artiste is considered by many performers to be the ultimate film about the humiliations of the actor's life. In 1977, he directed another comedy, Nous irons tous au paradis, which was nominated for a César Award for Best Film.

In 1990, Robert directed two dramatic films, My Mother's Castle (Le château de ma mère) and My Father's Glory (La Gloire de mon Père). Based on autobiographical novels by Marcel Pagnol, they were jointly voted "Best Film" at the 1991 Seattle International Film Festival,[4] and received rave reviews.[5][6] Over his career, he directed more than twenty feature-length motion pictures,[7] wrote an equal number of scripts, and acted in more than seventy-five films. Although his last major role was perhaps in 1980, A Bad Son by Claude Sautet, as the working-class father of a drug-dealer,[1] he continued acting past 1997.[citation needed]

Robert played opposite Danièle Delorme in the 1951 play Colombe (Dove) by Jean Anouilh. They married in 1956, and jointly formed the film production company La Guéville in 1961.[8] La Guéville also released several films by Monty Python and Terry Gilliam, which was very influential into establishing the comedy troupe to French audiences. He died in Paris on 10 May 2002[7] from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery with the epitaph "A man of joy ...", where visitors leave buttons of many colors.[citation needed]He was survived by Danièle and two children, Anne and Jean-Denis Robert,[7] by first wife, actress Rosy Varte.[citation needed] That month's Cannes Film Festival paid homage to his contribution to French film.

Selected filmography

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Director

Actor

Producer

Reissues and remakes

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His black and white adaptation of the book La Guerre des Boutons having sold nearly 10 million tickets at the French box office in 1962, was hugely popular, and planned for a nationwide reissue 12 October 2011.[10]

Some films were also re-made in Hollywood.[7] The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972), a spy spoof featuring the physical comedic skills of Pierre Richard, became The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) with Tom Hanks. Pardon Mon Affaire (1976), a sexy farce with Jean Rochefort, became The Woman in Red (1984).[1]

DVD releases

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  • La Gloire de Mon Pere + Le Chateau de Ma Mere (Restored) 1990–1991[11] 2002, 2005[12] & 2012[13] Blu-ray[14]
  • The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe + The Return of the Tall Blond Man 1972, 1974[15]
  • Ni vu..., ni connu... (1958) 2009[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Bergan, Ronald (14 May 2002). "UK Guardian Obit". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Popular Comedies". Movieslist.in. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  3. ^ "Berlinale 1973: Prize Winners". Berlinale.de. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  4. ^ Hartl, John (12 June 1991). "Seattle Festival Award". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Ebert reviews Pere-Mere Pagnol duo". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Film Reviews". Allmovie.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d "LA Times Obituary". Los Angeles Times. 11 May 2002. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  8. ^ Riding, Alan (11 May 2002). "NY Obit- children". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Les Copains 4 Songs 45RPM". Discogs.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  10. ^ "2011 Reissue 1962 War of Buttons". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  11. ^ "DVD Pere + Mere". Moviemail.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Amazon DVDs Nu Vu Connu". Amazon.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
  13. ^ "Two Yves Robert Films Heading to Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Blu-ray Pere Mere". Moviemail.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  15. ^ "DVD Tall Blonde Man x 2". Moviemail.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
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Media related to Yves Robert at Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography

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  • Yves Robert. Un homme de joie. Dialogue avec Jérôme Tonnerre, Paris, Flammarion, 1996, 394 p. (ISBN 2-08-067240-1)
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