Jean Dasté

Jean Dasté (born Jean Georges Gustave Dasté; 18 September 1904 – 15 October 1994) was a French actor and theatre director.

Although Jean Dasté is best known for his career on stage as both an actor and director in a variety of works including those by Shakespeare and Molière, he made his first appearance on screen in a 1932 Jean Renoir film (Boudu sauvé des eaux), and 57 years later appeared in his final film at the age of 85. He played also the main character in two Jean Vigo movies, L'Atalante and Zéro de conduite. Later, he worked also with Alain Resnais and François Truffaut.

Personal life He married Danish-born actress Marie-Hélène Copeau (1902–1994), the daughter of the influential French writer, editor, and drama critic Jacques Copeau (1879–1949) and Agnès Thomsen. His daughter, Catherine Dasté, married Graeme Allwright, both were students at the Old Vic Theatre School in London In 1947,Jean Dasté became the founding director of the Comedie de St.-Etienne stage company in the town of Saint-Étienne in the Loire department. A theatre, La Comédie de Saint-Étienne, with its own acting school, is located in a square, Place Jean Dasté, named in his honour.

Filmography as actor

Boudu sauvé des eaux (Boudu Saved from Drowning) (1932) - The student Zéro de conduite (Zero for Conduct) (1933) - Surveillant Huguet L'Atalante (1934) - Jean Le Crime de monsieur Lange (The Crime of Monsieur Lange) (1936) - The Model maker Sous les yeux d'occident (Under Western Eyes) (1936) - Georges La vie est à nous (1936) - L'instituteur/Teacher La Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion) (1937) - The teacher Le Temps des cerises (The Time of the Cherries) (1938) - Le fils du directeur / The director's son Remorques (1941) - Le radio Croisières sidérales (1942) - Pépin Picpus (1943) - Le clerc Une étoile au soleil (1943) Adieu Léonard (1943) - Le raccommodeur de porcelaine La Grande Meute (1945) - L'huissier Le Mystère Saint-Val (1945) - L'huissier Muriel ou Le temps d'un retour (1963) - L'homme à la chèvre / The Goat Man Heaven on One's Head (Le Ciel sur la tête) (1965) - M. Bazin La guerre est finie (The War Is Over) (1966) - Le chef du réseau clandestin / Chief Z (1969) - Illya Coste L'Enfant sauvage (The Wild Child) (1970) - Professor Philippe Pinel Beau Masque (1972) - Cuvrot Les Jours gris (1974) - Le vieil homme Le Petit Marcel (1976) - Berger Le Corps de mon ennemi (1976) - Le gardien du chantier / Keeper L'Homme qui aimait les femmes (The Man Who Loved Women) (1977) - Docteur Bicard La Chambre verte (The Green Room) (1978) - Bernard Humbert Utopia (1978) - Jean Molière (1978) - The grandfather La Tortue sur le dos (1978) - Bad-tempered invalid Rue du Pied de Grue (1979) - Tonton Mon oncle d'Amérique (My American Uncle) (1980) - M. Louis Une semaine de vacances (1980) - Le père de Laurence Le Crime d'amour (1982) - L'homme de l'asile Les Îles (1983) - Jean L'Amour à mort (1984) - Dr. Rozier Le Moine et la Sorcière (1987) - Christophe Nuit docile (1987) - Le chauffeur de taxi Noce blanche (1989) - Le concierge Projections (1990) - Le propriétaire de la salle de cinéma (final film role)