Jules Berry
Born: 1883-02-09 in Poitiers, Vienne, France
Died: 1951-04-23
Known For: Acting
Biography
Jules Berry (born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor. Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled in Poitou. The family moved to Paris in 1888. Berry completed his studies at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and then graduated from École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. It was during his studies that Berry developed an interest in the theater. Following an audition, he was hired by the Théâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau to act in La Mort du duc d'Enghien by Léon Hennique, and Le Perroquet vert by Arthur Schnitzler. Later he performed at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique and the Théâtre de l'Athénée. During a tour in Lyon, he was noticed by Jean-François Ponson, who hired him for a period of 12 years at the Théâtre royal des Galeries Saint-Hubert in Brussels. Audiences in Brussels gave him a warm welcome, where he played in productions such as Le Mariage de mademoiselle Beulemans. Berry subsequently performed in 30 successful plays for Marcel Achard, Alfred Savoir, Louis Verneuil, and Roger Ferdinand. One of Berry's first movie roles was the silent film Oliver Cromwell (1911) directed by Henri Desfontaines. His first appearance in a talking picture was Mon coeur et ses millions (1931) with Suzy Prim. Over the course of his career, Berry acted in 89 motion pictures. Bombastic, extravagant, and whimsical, Berry was as flamboyant as any entertainer of the period, including Pierre Brasseur. Berry is often considered one of the greatest actors in the history of French cinema. Among Berry's best films are: The Crime of Monsieur Lange by Jean Renoir, Les Visiteurs du Soir by Marcel Carné, Le Jour Se Lève by Marcel Carné, Strange Inheritance by Louis Daquin, Baccara by Yves Mirande, 27 Rue de la Paix by Richard Pottier and L'Habit vert by Roger Richebé. Berry ended his film career in 1951 to interpret the texts of Jacques Prévert. Berry was romantically involved with actresses Jane Marken, Suzy Prim, and Josseline Gaël. He and Gaël had a daughter named Michelle in 1939. A compulsive gambler, Berry frequented casinos and horse races. In April 1951, Berry was admitted to the Hôpital Broussais, where he died of a heart attack caused by treatment for rheumatism. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery (division 80). Source: Article "Jules Berry" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Filmography
2018
- The Image Book as (archive footage)
1978
- Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma as Self (archive footage)
1957
- Stars Never Die as Self (archive footage)
1951
- Les Maîtres-nageurs as Chamboise
1950
- Without Trumpet or Drum as Saint-Rosay,le cousin écossais d'André
- Not Any Weekend for Our Love as Le baron Richard de Valirman
- Tête blonde as Frédéric Octave Pancrace Truche
- The Rear-Wheel Drive Gang as The Baron of Puy de la Margelle
1949
- Unusual Tales as Fortunato
- Portrait of a Murderer as Pfeiffer
1948
- Si jeunesse savait... as Charles Vigne
1947
- Distress as Frontenac
- Dreams of Love as Belloni
- The Crowned Fish Tavern as Léo
1946
- Messieurs Ludovic as Mr. Mareuil
- Mr. Gregoire Runs Away as Charles Tuffal
- La Troisième Dalle as Professor Barbaroux
- Star Without Light as Billy Daniel
- The Murderer Is Not Guilty as Jules Berry
1945
- Dorothy Looks for Love as Mr. Pascal
1944
- Behold Beatrice as Richelière
- Le mort ne reçoit plus
1943
- Marie-Martine as Novelist Loïc Limousin
- The London Man as Brown
- I'll Love You Forever as Oscar
- Le Soleil de minuit as Forestier
- Le Voyageur de la Toussaint as Plantel
- The White Truck as Shabbas
- Tristi amori as Il conte Ettore Arcieri
1942
- La Symphonie fantastique as Schlesinger
- The Devil's Envoys as The Devil
- The Big Fight as Charlie
- Soyez les bienvenus as The player
- Chambre 13
- Retour au bonheur
- L'assassin a peur la nuit as Jérôme
1941
- Parade in 7 Nights as Inspector Calas
- L'Embuscade as Armand Limeuil
- Little Nothings as Lefèvre (uncredited)
- L'An 40 as Stanislas
- Face au destin as Claude Davenay
- After the Storm as Alex Krakow
1940
- The Mondesir Heir as Waldemar, le mage
- Paris - New-York as Manager Sinclair
- The Duraton Family as Sammy Walter
1939
- Behind the Facade as Alfredo d'Avila, dancer of these ladies
- Daybreak as M. Valentin
- His Uncle from Normandy
- Deputy Eusèbe as Félix Jacassar
- Cas de conscience
1938
- Final Accord as Baron Larzac
- Clodoche
- The Woman Thief as Sadoc Torner
- Café de Paris as Fleury
- Hercule as Vasco
- Crossroads as Lucien Sarrow
- Les Deux Combinards as Jacques Barisart
- The Woman of Monte Carlo as Count Messirian
- The West as Max - Le portier
- The Midnight Airplane as Inspector Leroy
1937
- French White Cargo as Moreno
- The Green Dress as Parmeline
- Le Club des Aristocrates as Serge de Montbreuse
- Arsène Lupin, Detective as Barnett, alias Arsène Lupin
- The Kings of Sport as Acteur
- Champs-Elysees as Maxime Germont
- A Man to Kill as Commissioner Raucourt
- A Picnic on the Grass as Pierre Haguet
- Balthazar
- La Bête aux sept manteaux
1936
- The Crime of Monsieur Lange as Batala
- Rigolboche as Berry
- Disk 413 as Captain Richard Maury
- The Fleeing Dead as Hector Trignol
- 27, rue de la Paix as Denis Grand
- Mr. Nobody as Monsieur Personne
- A Hen on a Wall as Henri Sornin
- Adventure in Paris as Michel Levasseur
- Wolves Between Them
1935
- Touche-à-tout as Bressac
- Baccara as André Leclerc
- Jeunes filles à marier as Philippe
- Et moi, j'te dis qu'elle t'a fait de l'oeil as André Courvalin
1934
- Arlette et ses papas
- Une femme chipée as Doctor Germont
1932
- Quick as Quick, Music Clown
- King of Hotels
1931
- My Heart and Its Millions as Franck Crighton
1928
- L'Argent as Huret