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
- Tête blonde as Frédéric Octave Pancrace Truche
- The Rear-Wheel Drive Gang as The Baron of Puy de la Margelle
- Without Trumpet or Drum as Saint-Rosay,le cousin écossais d'André
- Not Any Weekend for Our Love as Le baron Richard de Valirman
1949
- Unusual Tales as Fortunato
- Portrait of a Murderer as Pfeiffer
1948
- Si jeunesse savait... as Charles Vigne
1947
- The Crowned Fish Tavern as Léo
- Distress as Frontenac
- Dreams of Love as Belloni
1946
- Star Without Light as Billy Daniel
- Messieurs Ludovic as Mr. Mareuil
- Mr. Gregoire Runs Away as Charles Tuffal
- La Troisième Dalle as Professor Barbaroux
- 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
- Le Voyageur de la Toussaint as Plantel
- The White Truck as Shabbas
- I'll Love You Forever as Oscar
- The London Man as Brown
- Tristi amori as Il conte Ettore Arcieri
- Le Soleil de minuit as Forestier
1942
- The Devil's Envoys as The Devil
- La Symphonie fantastique as Schlesinger
- L'assassin a peur la nuit as Jérôme
- Soyez les bienvenus as The player
- Chambre 13
- Retour au bonheur
- The Big Fight as Charlie
1941
- Little Nothings as Lefèvre (uncredited)
- Parade in 7 Nights as Inspector Calas
- After the Storm as Alex Krakow
- L'Embuscade as Armand Limeuil
- Face au destin as Claude Davenay
- L'An 40 as Stanislas
1940
- The Mondesir Heir as Waldemar, le mage
- Paris - New-York as Manager Sinclair
- The Duraton Family as Sammy Walter
1939
- Daybreak as M. Valentin
- Behind the Facade as Alfredo d'Avila, dancer of these ladies
- Cas de conscience
- Deputy Eusèbe as Félix Jacassar
- His Uncle from Normandy
1938
- Crossroads as Lucien Sarrow
- Café de Paris as Fleury
- The Woman of Monte Carlo as Count Messirian
- Hercule as Vasco
- The West as Max - Le portier
- Final Accord as Baron Larzac
- The Midnight Airplane as Inspector Leroy
- The Woman Thief as Sadoc Torner
- Clodoche
- Les Deux Combinards as Jacques Barisart
1937
- Arsène Lupin, Detective as Barnett, alias Arsène Lupin
- A Man to Kill as Commissioner Raucourt
- French White Cargo as Moreno
- Le Club des Aristocrates as Serge de Montbreuse
- The Green Dress as Parmeline
- The Kings of Sport as Acteur
- Champs-Elysees as Maxime Germont
- A Picnic on the Grass as Pierre Haguet
- Balthazar
- La Bête aux sept manteaux
1936
- The Crime of Monsieur Lange as Batala
- The Fleeing Dead as Hector Trignol
- 27, rue de la Paix as Denis Grand
- Wolves Between Them
- Adventure in Paris as Michel Levasseur
- A Hen on a Wall as Henri Sornin
- Disk 413 as Captain Richard Maury
- Rigolboche as Berry
- Mr. Nobody as Monsieur Personne
1935
- 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
- Touche-à-tout as Bressac
1934
- Une femme chipée as Doctor Germont
- Arlette et ses papas
1932
- King of Hotels
- Quick as Quick, Music Clown
1931
- My Heart and Its Millions as Franck Crighton
1928
- L'Argent as Huret