Bourvil

André Robert Raimbourg (; 27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil , and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Louis de Funès in the films Le Corniaud and La Grande Vadrouille (1966). For his performance in Le Corniaud, he won a Special Diploma at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival.

Early years Bourvil's father was killed in the First World War before he was born. As a result, he spent his entire childhood in the village of Bourville, from which he took his stage name. He married Jeanne Lefrique on 23 January 1943. After a battle with Kahler's syndrome, which attacks the bone marrow, he died at the age of 53. He is buried in Montainville, Yvelines.

Career In his comic performances Bourvil principally played roles of gentle and well-meaning characters who were often a bit obtuse or naïve, such as his roles opposite the hyperactive, dishonest and bossy ones played by Louis de Funès. Bourvil's characters not only managed to make viewers laugh, but also to save themselves, often unwittingly, from the Machiavellian designs of his adversaries.

Bourvil was, however, also capable of more dramatic roles such as the handyman in L'Arbre de Noël (1969). In this role he observes the relationship between a man he works for and the young son who has fallen ill. The audience can identify with the character played by Bourvil, just as they can in his comic roles, so often as a simple man. One can also note his role of Monsieur Thénardier in the film adaptation of Les Misérables (1958), and his penultimate role as the policeman Mattei in Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle rouge (1970).

In March 1948, Bourvil took part in the complete recording of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann with artists of the Paris Opéra-Comique conducted by André Cluytens, playing the four 'servant' roles.

Filmography

1942: Sideral Cruises as Scientific (uncredited) 1943: Une étoile au soleil 1945: La Ferme du pendu as Saddler 1946: Not So Stupid as Léon Ménard 1947: Le Studio en folie as himself 1947: Par la fenêtre as Pilou 1948: White as Snow as Léon Ménard 1948: The Heart on the Sleeve as Léon Ménard 1949: King Pandora as Léon Ménard 1950: Miquette as Urbain de la Tour-Mirande 1950: The Prize as Isidore Pastouret 1951: Mr. Peek-a-Boo as Léon Dutilleul 1951: Alone in Paris as Henri Milliard 1952: Crazy for Love as Hippolyte Lemoine 1953: A Hundred Francs a Second as himself 1953: The Three Musketeers as Planchet 1954: Royal Affairs in Versailles (directed by Sacha Guitry) as Versailles Museum Guide 1954: Poisson d'avril as Émile Dupuy 1954: Cadet Rousselle as Jérôme Baguindet 1954: Le Fil à la patte as Bouzin 1955: Les Hussards as Flicot 1956: La Traversée de Paris as Marcel Martin 1956: The Singer from Mexico as Bilou 1958: Les Misérables (directed by Jean-Paul Le Chanois) as Thénardier 1958: Le Miroir à deux faces as Pierre Tardivet 1958: Un drôle de dimanche as Jean Brévent 1958: as Me Jérôme Quilleboeuf 1959: Le chemin des écoliers as Charles Michaud 1959: The Green Mare (La Jument verte) as Honoré Haudouin 1959: Le Bossu as Passepoil 1960: Le Capitan as Cogolin 1960: Fortunat as Noël Fortunat 1961: Dans la gueule du loup as Drugged Man 1961: All the Gold in the World as Dumont and his sons: Mathieu, 'Toine, Martial 1961: Le Tracassin ou les plaisirs de la ville ("The Busybody", Alex Joffé) as André Loriot 1962: The Longest Day as Alphonse Lenaux, Mayor of Colleville-sur-Orne 1962: Tartarin of Tarascon as Priest 1962: Un clair de lune à Maubeuge as Television Singer 1962: Les Culottes rouges as Fendard 1963: Les Bonnes Causes as Albert Gaudet 1963: Un drôle de paroissien as Georges Lachaunaye 1963: Le Magot de Josepha as Pierre Corneille 1963: as André Colombey 1964: La Grande Frousse as Inspector Simon Triquet 1965: Le Corniaud (The Sucker) (directed by Gérard Oury) as Antoine Maréchal 1965: Le Majordome as True Groom (uncredited) 1965: The Dirty Game as Lalande 1965: La Grosse Caisse as Louis Bourdin 1965: The Wise Guys as Hector Valentin 1966: Trois enfants dans le désordre as Eugène Laporte 1966: La Grande Vadrouille (directed by Gérard Oury) as Augustin Bouvet 1967: Les Arnaud as Le juge Henri Arnaud 1968: Les Cracks as Jules Auguste Duroc 1968: La Grande Lessive as Armand Saint-Just 1969: Le Cerveau (directed by Gérard Oury) as Anatole 1969: Monte Carlo or Bust (Gonflés à bloc) (directed by Ken Annakin) as Monsieur Dupont 1969: The Christmas Tree (L'Arbre de Noël), (directed by Terence Young) as Verdun 1970: L'Étalon (directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky) as William Chaminade 1970: Le Mur de l'Atlantique (Atlantic Wall) directed by Marcel Camus as Léon Duchemin 1970: Le Cercle rouge directed by Jean-Pierre Melville as Commissioner Mattei 1971: Clodo as Gaston (final film role)

Songs Nearly 300, among which the best known are: "La tendresse" "Salade de fruits" "Les crayons" "La Tactique du gendarme" (from the film Le roi Pandore) "Ballade irlandaise" "Un clair de lune à Maubeuge" "Petit bal perdu" (C'était bien) "Ma p'tite chanson" "Je t'aime moi non plus" (humouristic version), in duet with Jacqueline Maillan