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Fernandel

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Fernandel
Fernandel in 1970
Born
Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin

(1903-05-08)8 May 1903
Marseille, France
Died26 February 1971(1971-02-26) (aged 67)
Paris, France
Occupation(s)Actor, director, singer, comedian
Years active1908–1970
Spouse
Henriette-Félicie Manse
​
​
(m. 1925)​

Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971),[1] better known as Fernandel, was a French comic actor. Born in Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, a town located in the province of Turin, Italy,[2] he became a comedy star, first gaining popularity in French vaudeville, operettas, and music-hall revues. His stage name originated from his marriage to Henriette Manse, the sister of his best friend and frequent cinematic collaborator Jean Manse. So attentive was he to his wife that his mother-in-law amusingly referred to him as Fernand d'elle ("Fernand of her").[3][failed verification][4]

Biography

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Fernandel (left) and Totò in The Law Is the Law (1958)

Appearing as Fernandel since 1922,[1] in 1930, Fernandel appeared in his first[1] motion picture and for more than forty years he would be one of France's top comic actors. He was perhaps best loved for his portrayal of the irascible Italian village priest at war with the town's Communist mayor in the Don Camillo[5] series of motion pictures. His horse-like teeth became part of his trademark.

He also appeared in Italian and American films. His first Hollywood motion picture was 1956's Around the World in 80 Days in which he played David Niven's coachman. His popular performance in that film led to his starring with Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg in the 1958 comedy Paris Holiday.

In addition to acting, Fernandel also directed or co-produced several of his own films. His profile was raised in Britain by the 60s TV advertisements for Dubonnet in which he would say "Do 'Ave A Dubonnet"

Fernandel died from lung cancer[6] and is buried in the Cimetière de Passy, Paris, France.

Family

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He had two daughters, Josette (1926) and Janine (1930), and son Franck (1935). His son, known as Franck Fernandel, became an actor and a singer. Franck acted alongside his father in two films, Gilles Grangier's L'Âge ingrat and Georges Bianchi's En avant la musique.[7]

Literature

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In The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursault and his female friend Marie Cordona watch a movie starring Fernandel on the day after the funeral of Meursault's mother. According to Meursault, "The movie was funny in parts, but otherwise it was just too stupid."[8]

Filmography

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See also: :fr:Filmographie de Fernandel (Filmography of Fernandel)
Year Title Role Director Notes
1931 Black and White Le groom vierge Marc Allégret and Robert Florey
On purge bébé Horace Truchet Jean Renoir
The Darling of Paris Ficelle Augusto Genina
Bric-à-brac et compagnie Fernand André E. Chotin
1932 Sailor's Song Carmine Gallone
Lilac Le garçon d'honneur Anatole Litvak
Le rosier de Madame Husson Isidore Dominique Bernard-Deschamps
Vive la classe Moussin Maurice Cammage
No Women Casimir Mario Bonnard
Fun in the Barracks Vanderague Maurice Tourneur
Man Without a Name Julot Roger Le Bon and Gustav Ucicky
Un beau jour de noces Gustave Dupied Maurice Cammage
Par habitude Valentin Bourgeasse Maurice Cammage
L'Ordonnance malgré lui Alfred Leveneux Maurice Cammage
1933 Le jugement de minuit Sam Hackitt Alexander Esway and André Charlot
The Orderly Étienne Viktor Tourjansky
D'amour et d'eau fraîche Eloi Félix Gandéra
Le coq du régiment Médard Maurice Cammage
Le gros lot Maurice Cammage
Ça colle Christian-Jaque
1934 La garnison amoureuse Frédéric, un cavalier Max de Vaucorbeil
The Bread Peddler Billenbuis René Sti
Une nuit de folies Fernand Maurice Cammage
Le train de huit heures quarante-sept Croquebol Henry Wulschleger
Les bleus de la marine Lafraise Maurice Cammage
Angèle Saturnin Marcel Pagnol
Skylark Méchelet Jean Tarride
Hotel Free Exchange Boulot Marc Allégret
Le cavalier Lafleur Fernand Lafleur Pierre-Jean Ducis
The Darling of His Concierge Eugene Crochard Giuseppe Guarino
1935 Ferdinand the Roisterer Ferdinand Piat René Sti
Jim la houlette Moluchet André Berthomieu
1936 Les gaîtés de la finance Marivol Lambinet Jack Forrester
A Legionnaire Fernand Espitalion Christian-Jacque
1937 Josette Albert Durandal aka Albertal Christian-Jacque
Francis the First Honorin Christian-Jacque
Les dégourdis de la 11ème L'ordonnance Patard Christian-Jacque
Ignace Le soldat Ignace Boitaclou Pierre Colombier
Life Dances On Fabien Coutissol Julien Duvivier
The Kings of Sport Fernand Pierre Colombier
Harvest Urbain Gédémus Marcel Pagnol
1938 Hercule Hercule Maffre Alexander Esway
Heartbeat Irénée Fabre, 'le Schpountz' Marcel Pagnol
Barnabé Barnabé Alexander Esway
Tricoche and Cacolet Tricoche Pierre Colombier
Ernest the Rebel Ernest Pic Christian-Jaque
1939 Raphaël le tatoué Modeste Manosque, alias Raphaël Christian-Jaque
The Five Cents of Lavarede Armand Lavarède Maurice Cammage
Berlingot and Company François Arnaud Fernand Rivers
Fric-Frac Marcel Claude Autant-Lara and Maurice Lehmann
1940 The Mondesir Heir Bienaimé de Mondésir, le baron de Mondésir & ses aïeux Albert Valentin
Monsieur Hector Hector Maurice Cammage
La Fille du Puisatier Félipe Rambert Marcel Pagnol
The Marvelous Night Le berger Jean-Paul Paulin
1941 The Acrobat Ernest Sauce Jean Boyer
The Suitors Club Antoine Valoisir Maurice Gleize
The Italian Straw Hat Fadinard Maurice Cammage
1942 Simplet Simplet Fernandel and Carlo Rim
Les petits riens Astier Raymond Leboursier
1943 The Lucky Star Auguste Jean Boyer
A Dog's Life Gustave Bourdillon Maurice Cammage
Don't Shout It from the Rooftops Vincent Fleuret Jacques Daniel-Norman
La cavalcade des heures Antonin Yvan Noé
Adrien Adrien Moulinet Fernandel
1945 St. Val's Mystery Le détective Désiré, Henri Le Sec René Le Hénaff
Nais Toine Raymond Leboursier
1946 Hoboes in Paradise Pons René Le Hénaff
The Adventure of Cabassou Cabassou Gilles Grangier
Pétrus Pétrus Marc Allégret
Rooster Heart Tulipe Maurice Cloche
1948 Emile the African Émile Boulard Robert Vernay
If It Makes You Happy Martial Gonfaron Jacques Daniel-Norman
The Cupboard Was Bare Alfred Puc Carlo Rim
1949 The Heroic Monsieur Boniface Boniface Maurice Labro
On demande un assassin Bob Ernst Neubach
1950 I'm in the Revue Philippe - le peintre dévot Mario Soldati
Casimir Casimir Richard Pottier
Tu m'as sauvé la vie Fortuné Richard Sacha Guitry
Murders Noël Annequin Richard Pottier
Uniformes et grandes manœuvres Luc René Le Hénaff
1951 Topaze Albert Topaze Marcel Pagnol
The Sleepwalker Victor Boniface Maurice Labro
The Red Inn The Monk Claude Autant-Lara
Adhémar Adhémar Pomme Fernandel
Village Feud Urbain Coindet Henri Verneuil
1952 Little World of Don Camillo Don Camillo Julien Duvivier
An Artist with Ladies Marius, dit Mario Jean Boyer
Forbidden Fruit Doctor Charles Pellegrin Henri Verneuil
1953 The Baker of Valorgue Félicien Hébrard - le boulanger Henri Verneuil
Carnival Dardamelle Henri Verneuil
The Return of Don Camillo Don Camillo Julien Duvivier
The Most Wanted Man Joe Calvet Henri Verneuil
1954 Mam'zelle Nitouche Célestin Floridor Yves Allégret
The Sheep Has Five Legs Alain / Désiré / Étienne / Bernard / Charles / Édouard (their father) Henri Verneuil
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Ali Baba Jacques Becker
1955 Spring, Autumn and Love Fernand 'Noël' Sarrazin Gilles Grangier
Don Camillo's Last Round Don Camillo Carmine Gallone
1956 Don Juan Sganarelle John Berry
Fernandel the Dressmaker Fernand Vignard Jean Boyer
Around the World in 80 Days a coachman in Paris Michael Anderson cameo appearance
The Virtuous Bigamist Paul Verdier Mario Soldati
Honoré de Marseille Honoré Maurice Régamey
1957 The Man in the Raincoat Albert Constantin Julien Duvivier
Sénéchal the Magnificent François, Lucien Sénéchal Jean Boyer
Easiest Profession Baptistin Lachaud dit Tistin Jean Boyer
1958 Paris Holiday Fernydel Gerd Oswald
The Law Is the Law Ferdinand Pastorelli Christian-Jaque
Life Together Marcel Gaboufigue (Marguerite's husband) Clément Duhour
The Lord's Vineyard Henri Lévrier Jean Boyer
1959 The Big Chief Antoine Venturen Henri Verneuil
Le Confident de ces dames Giuliano Goberti Jean Boyer
La Vache et le Prisonnier Charles Bailly Henri Verneuil
1960 Croesus Jules Jean Giono
Le caïd Justin Migonet Bernard Borderie
1961 Cocagne Marc-Antoine Maurice Cloche
The Last Judgement the widower Vittorio De Sica
Don Camillo: Monsignor Don Camillo Carmine Gallone
Dynamite Jack Dynamite Jack / Antoine Espérandieu Jean Bastia
1962 L'assassin est dans l'annuaire Albert Rimond Léo Joannon
Le Diable et les Dix Commandements Father Gilbert Julien Duvivier
The Changing of the Guard Attilio Cappelaro Giorgio Bianchi
1963 The Trip to Biarritz Guillaume Dodut Gilles Grangier
Blague dans le coin Jeff Burlington Maurice Labro
Le bon roi Dagobert Monsieur Pelletan / Le roi Dagobert Pierre Chevalier
La Cuisine au beurre [fr] Fernand Jouvin Gilles Grangier
1964 Relax Darling François Faustin Jean Boyer
That Tender Age Adolphe Lartigue Gilles Grangier
1965 Don Camillo in Moscow Don Camillo Luigi Comencini
1966 Your Money or Your Life Charles Migue Jean-Pierre Mocky
Le voyage du père Quantin Denys de La Patellière
1968 L'Homme à la Buick Armand Favrot Gilles Grangier
1969 Nuit de Terreur Fernando Camillo Mastrocinque
1970 Heureux qui comme Ulysse... Antonin Henri Colpi

Selected discography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Daily Mail Year Book. Associated Newspapers Groups, Limited. 1963. p. 84.
  2. ^ "Le borgate". comune.perosaargentina.to.it/ (in Italian). Comune di Perosa Argentina. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  3. ^ Fernandel 1903–1971 (biography) Archived 3 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. French Film Guide.
  4. ^ Dayna Oscherwitz; MaryEllen Higgins (2009). The A to Z of French Cinema. Scarecrow Press. pp. 162–. ISBN 978-0-8108-7038-3. [dead link‍]
  5. ^ Palacio, Manuel; Türschmann, Jörg (2013). Transnational Cinema in Europe. LIT Verlag Münster. p. 72. ISBN 978-3-643-90478-2.
  6. ^ "Fernandel Death - Vanderbilt University". catalog.library.vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Décès de Franck Fernandel : Une vie dans l'ombre gigantesque de son père..." (in French). Purepeople. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  8. ^ https://bxscience.edu/ourpages/auto/2019/2/28/69275970/The%20Stranger%20-%20Albert%20Camus.pdf [bare URL PDF]
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