Fernandel

Fernandel
Fernandel
	Fernandel in 1970
Born	Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin; 8 May 1903; Marseille, France
Died	26 February 1971 (aged 67); Paris, France
Occupation(s)	Actor, director, singer, comedian
Years active	1908–1970
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

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

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

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

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
1935	Jim la houlette	Moluchet	André Berthomieu
1936	Les gaîtés de la finance	Marivol Lambinet	Jack Forrester
1936	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
1942	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
1945	Nais	Toine	Raymond Leboursier
1946	Les gueux au paradis	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
1949	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
1955	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
1960	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
1964	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
1966	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

"Félicie aussi" (1939)

References

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

External links

[dmyb-1] Jump up to: ^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.

[purepeople20110608-7] "Décès de Franck Fernandel : Une vie dans l'ombre gigantesque de son père..." (in French). Purepeople. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2017.

[8] ttps://bxscience.edu/ourpages/auto/2019/2/28/69275970/The%20Stranger%20-%20Albert%20Camus.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}

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