Henri Verneuil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henri Verneuil
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Verneuil on a 2020 stamp of Armenia
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| Born |
Ashot Malakian
15 October 1920 |
| Died | 11 January 2002 (aged 81) |
| Occupation | Director |
| Years active | 1940s – 2000s |
| Spouse(s) | Françoise Bonnot, Veronique |
| Children | Patric, Sophie, Sevan, Gayane |
| Awards | Cannes Film Festival, Golden Palm 1964 Cent mille dollars au soleil |
Henri Verneuil (born Ashot Malakian; October 15, 1920 – January 11, 2002) was a famous French-Armenian filmmaker. He had a very successful career in France, directing many popular movies.
Verneuil was nominated for important awards like the Oscar and the Palme d'Or. He also won several other awards, including the Golden Globe Award and the Honorary Cesar.
Life and career
Early life
Henri Verneuil was born Ashot Malakian in a place called Rodosto, which was part of the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey). His parents were Armenian. In 1924, when Ashot was a young child, his family moved to Marseille, France. They left their home to find a safer life during a difficult time for Armenians.
Verneuil later wrote about his childhood experiences in a book called Mayrig. He dedicated this book to his mother. He also turned the story into a film in 1991 with the same name. A sequel, 588 Rue Paradis, followed the next year.
In 1942, Verneuil started studying at the École Nationale d'Arts et Metiers. After he finished school, he worked as a journalist. He also became the editor of a magazine called Horizon Armenian.
Film career
In 1947, Henri Verneuil started his film career. He convinced a well-known European actor named Fernandel to be in his first film. This was a big step for him.
In 1951, he directed his first full-length movie, a dark comedy called La Table aux crevés. His second film, Forbidden Fruit (1952), was based on a book by Georges Simenon. This movie received even more praise and helped him become known.
Verneuil worked with many of the biggest stars in French cinema. These included Jean Gabin, Alain Delon, and Lino Ventura. They all appeared together in his 1969 film "Le clan des siciliens". He also directed Jean-Paul Belmondo in several movies, like "Le Corps de mon ennemi" (1976). Other famous actors he worked with were Omar Sharif, Claudia Cardinale, Yves Montand, and Michèle Morgan. He directed almost every major French actor, except for Bourvil. Even Louis de Funès had a small part in one of his films.
After working on some films that had an "American" feel, Verneuil returned to making movies that were more typically French in 1969. He received a César Award in 1996 for his work. In 2000, he became a member of the Academy of Fine Arts. Henri Verneuil passed away in 2002 in Bagnolet, near Paris.
The Golden Apricot International Film Festival in Yerevan honored Verneuil at its seventh annual event. His son, Patrick Malakian, accepted an award for his father. The award, called the Parajanov's Thaler, recognized his father's important contributions to movies.
Filmography
- Pipe chien (1950)
- On demande un bandit (1950)
- Maldonne (1950)
- La Légende de Terre-Blanche (1950)
- L'Art d'être courtier (1950)
- Compositeurs et Chansons de Paris (1951)
- La Table aux crevés (1951) (+ screenwriter)
- Le Fruit défendu (1952) (+ screenwriter)
- Brelan d'as (1952)
- Le Boulanger de Valorgue (1953)
- Carnaval (Carnival) (1953)
- L'Ennemi Public n°1 (Public Enemy No. 1) (1953)
- Le Mouton à cinq pattes (The Sheep Has Five Legs) (1954) (director + screenwriter)
- Les Amants du Tage (1955)
- People of No Importance (1956) (+ screenwriter)
- Paris, Palace Hotel (1956) (+ screenwriter)
- A Kiss for a Killer (1957) (+ screenwriter)
- Sois belle et tais-toi (1958)
- Maxime (1958) (+ screenwriter)
- Le Grand chef (1959)
- La Vache et le Prisonnier (1959) (+ screenwriter), with Fernandel
- L'Affaire d'une nuit (1960)
- La Française et l'amour (1960)
- Le Président (The President) (1961) (+ screenwriter), with Jean Gabin
- Les Lions sont lâchés (1961)
- Un singe en hiver (1962), with Jean Gabin and Jean-Paul Belmondo
- Mélodie en sous-sol (1963) (Any Number Can Win) (1964 Edgar Award, Best Foreign Film), with Alain Delon and Jean Gabin
- Cent mille dollars au soleil (1964) (+ screenwriter), with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Lino Ventura
- Week-end à Zuydcoote (1964), with Jean-Paul Belmondo
- La Vingt-cinquième heure (The 25th Hour) (1967) (+ screenwriter), with Anthony Quinn
- La Bataille de San Sebastian (A wall for San Sebastian) (1968), with Anthony Quinn and Charles Bronson
- Le Clan des Siciliens (The Sicilian Clan) (1969) (+ screenwriter), starring Delon, Gabin and Ventura
- Le Casse (1971) (+ screenwriter), with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif
- Le Serpent (Night Flight from Moscow) (1973) (+ screenwriter), with Henry Fonda and Yul Brynner
- Peur sur la ville (1975) (+ screenwriter), with Jean-Paul Belmondo
- Le Corps de mon ennemi (1976) (+ screenwriter), with Jean-Paul Belmondo
- I comme Icare (I as in Icarus) (1979) (+ screenwriter), with Yves Montand
- A Thousand Billion Dollars (1982) (+ screenwriter)
- Les Morfalous (1984) (+ screenwriter), with Jean-Paul Belmondo
- Mayrig (Mother) (1992) (+ screenwriter)
- 588 Rue Paradis (1993) (+ screenwriter)
See also
In Spanish: Henri Verneuil para niños
