Michel Simon

Michel Simon (; 9 April 1895 – 30 May 1975) was a Swiss actor of German origin active primarily in France. He appeared in many notable French films, including La Chienne, Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932), L'Atalante (1934), Port of Shadows (1938), The Head (1959), and The Train (1964).

Early life and education Simon was born on 9 April 1895 in Geneva, Switzerland, to Joseph Simon, a pork butcher from Villingen (Baden), and Véronique Burnat. His parents were of German origin. He left his family and moved to Paris, where he first lived at the Hotel Renaissance, Saint-Martin Street, then in Montmartre. He worked many different jobs to survive, such as giving boxing lessons and peddling smuggled lighters.

Career His career began modestly in 1912, working as a magician, clown, acrobat, and stooge in a dancers' show called "Ribert's and Simon's", in the Montreuil-sous-Bois Casino.

Conscripted into the Swiss Army in 1914, he spent time in the stockade. He also contracted tuberculosis.

In 1915, while on leave, he saw Georges Pitoëff's early work in the French language, at the Theatre de la Comédie of Geneva, acting in Hedda Gabler, and was inspired to become an actor himself. In 1920 he made his first brief appearance on stage, with Pitoëff's company, speaking three lines in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. He also worked at this time as the company's photographer. One of his early successes was a supporting role in George Bernard Shaw's Androcles and the Lion. In 1922, Pitoëff's company moved to Paris at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées.

Simon quit the company in 1923 to become a light comedy actor in plays by Tristan Bernard, Marcel Achard and Yves Mirande. Achard presented him to Charles Dullin, in whose company he acted in Je ne vous aime pas with Valentine Tessier.

Theatrical success and his transition to film

Louis Jouvet, who had replaced Pitoëff, hired Simon at the Comédie des Champs-Élysées. Simon then gave a successful performance in Archard's Jean de la Lune as Cloclo.

In the 1930s, Simon's theatrical career rose to prominence with performances in works by Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, Pirandello, Oscar Wilde, Bourdet, and Henri Bernstein. However, it was film that brought him stardom and international recognition.

Simon's first film appearance was in the 1925 silent film, Feu Mathias Pascal, adapted from a Pirandello novel and directed by Marcel L'Herbier. In the same year, he starred in the modestly budgeted The Vocation of André Carel, directed by Jean Choux. As the silent era ended, he appeared in Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928). Simon's film career was boosted with the advent of talking pictures. People remarked that his elocution and gravelly voice were as original as his appearance. These features were exploited by notable 1930s French directors, including Jean Renoir (La Chienne, Boudu Saved From Drowning), Jean Vigo (L'Atalante) and Marcel Carné (Port of Shadows, Bizarre, Bizarre).

He appeared in 55 plays from 1920 to 1965, and 101 from 1965 to 1975. He reined in his activities in the 1950s, following an accident involving a makeup dye that left part of his face and body paralysed.

Recognition In 1967, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 17th Berlin International Film Festival for his role in The Two of Us.

Charlie Chaplin said he was "the greatest actor in the world".

Personal life

Simon would say that he preferred living with animals than living with humans. He lived for a long time in a bohemian house in Noisy-le-Grand, near Paris. He built a series of exterior wire tunnels that linked the various floors and allowed his pet monkeys freedom to roam around. The house was filled with bric-a-brac, including his large collection of erotic photographs and films.

Death and legacy Simon died aged 80 on 30 May 1975 in Bry-sur-Marne

Winners of the prize include: 1989: Nathalie Richard, for her performance in Gang of Four (1988), directed by Jacques Rivette 1992: Elsa Zylberstein , for Van Gogh, by Maurice Pialat 1997: Samir Guesmi, for Malik le maudit, directed by Youcef Hamidi 2003: Dina Droukarova for Since Otar Left, directed by Julie Bertuccelli; and Thiago Teles for his debut performance in Tiresia, directed by Bertrand Bonello

Selected filmography

La galerie des monstres (1924) The Vocation of André Carel (1925), Gaston Lebeau Feu Mathias Pascal (1926, directed by Marcel L'Herbier), Jérôme Pomino L'inconnue des six jours (1926), Le valet de chambre The Loves of Casanova (1927), Sbire The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer), Jean Lemaître Tire au flanc (1928), Joseph Turlot Pivoine (1929) L'enfant de l'amour (1930), Lorédan Jean de la Lune (1931), Clothaire dit Clo-Clo On purge bébé (1931, directed by Jean Renoir), Chouilloux La Chienne (1931, directed by Jean Renoir), Maurice Legrand Baleydier (1932), Baleydier Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932, directed by Jean Renoir), Priape Boudu High and Low (1933, directed by G. W. Pabst), Maximilian Podeletz Léopold le bien-aimé (1934), M. Ponce Miquette (1934), Monchablon Lake of Ladies (1934), Oscar Lyssenhop L'Atalante (1934, directed by Jean Vigo), Old Jules Le Bonheur (1934, directed by Marcel L'Herbier), Noël Malpiaz The Squadron's Baby (1935), Perrot-Joly Adémaï in the Middle Ages (1935), Lord Pickwickdam Lovers and Thieves (1935), Doizeau Under Western Eyes (1936), Lespara Moutonnet (1936), Frècheville The Brighton Twins (1936), Labrosse Girls of Paris (1936), Baron de Beaupoil and his brother Death on the Run (1936), Achille Baluchet Let's Make a Dream (1936), Un invité (prologue) Le choc en retour (1937), Laverdac Boulot the Aviator (1937), Baron Gobèche The Silent Battle (1937), Sauvin Bizarre, Bizarre (1937, directed by Marcel Carné), Irwin Molyneux The Kiss of Fire (1937), Michel Mirages (1938), Michel Boys' School (1938, directed by Christian-Jaque), Lemel Port of Shadows (1939, directed by Marcel Carné), Zabel The New Rich (1938), Martinet Beautiful Star (1938), Léon The Gutter (1938), Le comte Edouard de Bourgogne Mother Love (1938), Michel Quercy Le règne de l'esprit malin (1938), Luc Noix de coco (1939), Josserand Deputy Eusèbe (1939), Eusèbe Bonbonneau Behind the Facade (1939), Picking The End of the Day (1939), Cabrisssade The Last Turning (1939, based on the novel The Postman Always Rings Twice), Nick Marino Fric-Frac (1939, directed by Claude Autant-Lara & Maurice Lehmann), Jo Extenuating Circumstances (1939), M. Gaetan Le Sentencier, 'La Sentence' Love Cavalcade (1939), Diogenes, Monseigneur de Beaupré, and Lacouret Musicians of the Sky (1940), Captain Simon Paris-New York (1940), Commissioner Boucheron La Comédie du bonheur (1940, directed by Marcel L'Herbier), François Jourdain/Giambattista Giordano (Italian version, Ecco la felicità) Tosca (1941, directed by Carl Koch), Baron Scarpia The King's Jester (1941), Rigoletto Girl of the Golden West (1942), Butler / Carras Shop Girls of Paris (1943), Baudu Vautrin (1943), Jacques Collin dit Vautrin A Friend Will Come Tonight (1946), Michel Lemaret Panic (Panique) (1946, directed by Julien Duvivier), Monsieur Hire The Crowned Fish Tavern (1947), Capitaine Palmer Not Guilty (1947), Le docteur Michel Ancelin The Lovers of Pont Saint Jean (1947), Alcide Garonne La carcasse et le tord-cou (1948), Joseph Ferdinand Anselme Midot, dit 'Le tord-cou' Fabiola (1949), Senator Fabius Severus Beauty and the Devil (1950, directed by René Clair), Mephistopheles / Old Professor Henri Faust Poison (1951, directed by Sacha Guitry), Paul-Louis Victor Braconnier Monsieur Taxi (1952), Pierre Verger (Monsieur Taxi) Full House (1952), Le commissaire Jules Maigret ("Le témoignage d'un enfant de choeur" segment) The Secret of the Mountain Lake (1952), Bürgermeister (French version) The Girl with the Whip (1952), Le tuteur d'Angelina The Temptress (1952), Cidoni Crimson Curtain (1952), Bertal / Banquo The Road to Damascus (1952), Caïphe The Merchant of Venice (1953), Shylock The Virtuous Scoundrel (1953), Albert and Alain Ménard-Lacoste Women of Paris (1953), Professor Charles Buisson Saadia (1953), Bou Rezza L'Étrange Désir de monsieur Bard (1954), Auguste Bard A Slice of Life (1954), Padre Silvio (segment "Casa d'altri") Hungarian Rhapsody (1954), General von Sayn-Wittgenstein At the Order of the Czar (1954), Prince de Sayn-Wittgenstein The Impossible Mr. Pipelet (1955, directed by André Hunebelle), Maurice Martin Memories of a Cop (1956), Le commissaire principal Henri Dominique La joyeuse prison (1956), Benoit - le surveillant-chef Three Make a Pair (1957), Commissaire Bernard A Certain Monsieur Jo (1958), Joseph 'Jo' Guardini It Happened in Broad Daylight (1959, directed by Ladislao Vajda), Jacquier The Head (1959, directed by Victor Trivas), Professor Abel Austerlitz (1960), Alboise (1960, directed by François Villiers), Pierrot Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle (1960, an adaptation of Voltaire's Candide), Colonel Nanar (1961) directed by Denys de la Patelliére), Charles-Edmond Larmentiel The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1962, directed by Julien Duvivier), Jérôme Chambard ("Dieu en vain ne jureras" and "Les Dimanches tu garderas" segments) Marco Polo (1962) The Train (1964, directed by John Frankenheimer), Papa Boule Cyrano and d'Artagnan (1964), Duc de Mauvières Deux heures à tuer (1966), L'employé de la consigne The Two of Us (1967, directed by Claude Berri), Pépé Dupont The Marriage Came Tumbling Down (1968), Le vieux Jéricho Contestazione generale (1970), Cavazza La maison (1970), Louis Compiegne Blanche (1971, directed by Walerian Borowczyk), Le châtelain The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life (1972, directed by Ettore Scola), Attorney Zorn Le boucher, la star et l'orpheline (1975), L'érotologue (1975, directed by Jean-Pierre Mocky)