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1-10 of 10
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza was born on July 31, 1914, in Courbevoie, France. His father, named Carlos Luis de Funes de Galarza, was a former lawyer of Seville, Spain, who became a diamond cutter. His mother, named Leonor Soto Reguera, was of Spanish and Portugese extraction.
Young Louis de Funès was fond of drawing and piano playing. He dropped out of school and worked various jobs, mostly as a jazz pianist at Pigalle, making his customers laugh every time he made a grimace. He studied acting for one year at the Simon acting school. There he made some useful contacts, including Daniel Gélin among others. During the occupation of Paris in the Second World War, he continued his piano studies at a music school, where he fell in love with a secretary, named Jeanne de Maupassant, a grand-niece of writer Guy de Maupassant. She had fallen in love with "the young man who played jazz like god"; they married in 1943, and had two sons born in 1944 and 1949. Funès continued playing piano at clubs, knowing there wasn't much call for a short, balding, skinny actor. His wife and Daniel Gelin encouraged him until he managed to overcome his rejection. He made his film debut in 1945, at the age of 31, and went on playing about one hundred film roles in the next twenty years.
Louis de Funès shot to international fame in the 1960's after his roles in such slapstick comedies as The Gendarme of Saint-Tropez (1964) and the Fantomas (1964) trilogy. He brilliantly portrayed a funny French policeman, whose hilarious hyperactivity, uncontrolled anger, and sardonic laughter produced a highly comic effect. Funès was voted the most favorite actor in France in 1968, and remained very popular in Europe during the 1970's. He also continued to play on stage during his career as a film star, and was acclaimed for his stage works in classic French theatre. Funès was instrumental in making film adaptations of such theatre plays as 'Oscar continues' and the Molière's 'The Miser', among other plays.
Nicknamed "the man with the forty faces per minute", Louis de Funès played bit parts in over eighty films, before he got his first leading roles, eventually becoming the leading French comedian. He co-starred with the major French actors of the time, including Jean Marais and Mylène Demongeot in the Fantomas trilogy, and also Jean Gabin, Fernandel, Bourvil, Coluche, Annie Girardot, and Yves Montand. Funès's collaboration with director Gérard Oury produced a memorable tandem of Funès-Bourvil. He also worked with Jean Girault in the famous 'Gendarmes' series. In a departure from the Gendarme image, Funès collaborated with Claude Zidi, who wrote for him a new character full of nuances and frankness in The Wing or The Thigh? (1976), which is arguably the best of his roles.
Funès played over 130 roles in film and over 100 roles on stage. From 1943-1983 Louis de Funès was married to Jeanne Barthelemy de Maupassant. Their son, Olivier De Funès , had a brief acting career before becoming a pilot with Air France, his other son, named Patrick de Funès, became a medical doctor. Louis de Funès was also a rose grower, a variety of roses has been named the "Louis de Funès rose" after him. He died of a heart attack and complications of a stroke on January 27, 1983, in Nantes, France. He was laid to rest in the Cimetière du Cellier, and a monument of him was erected in the rose-garden of his wife's castle.- Robert Christian was born on 27 December 1939 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor, known for And Justice for All (1979), Bustin' Loose (1981) and Prince of the City (1981). He died on 27 January 1983 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Additional Crew
'Little Pat' Bilon was born on 29 August 1947 in Youngstown, Ohio, USA. He is known for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Under the Rainbow (1981). He died on 27 January 1983 in Youngstown, Ohio, USA.- Kanu Bannerjee was born on 20 June 1905 in Jodhpur, State of Jodhpur, British India. He was an actor, known for Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Bindur Chheley (1952). He died on 27 January 1983.
- Actress
- Producer
Ruth Weyher was born on 28 May 1901 in Neumark in Westpreußen, East Prussia, Germany [now Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Poland]. She was an actress and producer, known for This Ancient Law (1923), Ein Sommernachtstraum (1925) and Warning Shadows (1923). She died on 27 January 1983 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.- Fazal Haq was an actor, known for Ishtehari Mulzim (1972), Sharif Badmash (1975) and Kartar Singh (1959). He died on 27 January 1983 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Camera and Electrical Department
William Conger was born on 4 December 1896 in Nevada, USA. He died on 27 January 1983 in California, USA.- Georges Bidault was born on 5 October 1899 in Moulins, Allier, France. He died on 27 January 1983 in Cambo-les-Bains, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France.
- Terry Stewart was born on 18 March 1916 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France. Terry was a writer, known for La soupe à la grimace (1954) and Black Sequence (1984). Terry died on 27 January 1983 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
- Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Bertil Askelöf was born on 21 April 1916. He was a producer and actor, known for Kameleonterna (1969), Studio S (1975) and Independent Lens (1999). He died on 27 January 1983.