Philippe Clair facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philippe Clair
|
|
|---|---|
Philippe Clair in 2013
|
|
| Born |
Charles Bensoussan
14 September 1930 Ahfir, Morocco
|
| Died | 28 November 2020 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Actor, Director |
| Years active | 1950–2013 |
Philippe Clair, whose real name was Prosper Charles Bensoussan, was a Moroccan-French actor, director, and humorist. He was born on September 14, 1930, and passed away on November 28, 2020. He was famous for his funny movies and was a big part of a special time in French comedy films. He worked alongside other well-known French directors like Max Pécas and Richard Balducci.
Contents
Philippe Clair's Career Journey
Starting in Paris
Philippe Clair moved to Paris in 1950. He went there to study acting at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts of Paris. He was a very talented young actor. He won two important awards, the Bernstein and College Stars honors. These awards were given to the best young actors in Paris.
Stage and TV Work
He performed on stage and television. He worked with many famous directors and writers. Some of his shows included L'Affaire des poisons (Affair of the Poisons) and Une femme libre (A Free Woman). He also performed in Les Îles fortunées (The Prosperous Islands).
Becoming a Humorist
Eventually, Philippe Clair got his own show. He became a very important French humorist. He created funny works like Purée de nous z'otres (Mashed We Z'otres). He also made Le Cid in Oued Bel, which was a funny version of the classic story El Cid. He was very good at making up jokes on the spot. He also wrote many short comedy skits.
First Film and Music
In 1965, Clair directed his first movie. It was called Déclic et des claques (Clicks and Slaps). This film starred Annie Girardot. It was about the funny problems of a young "pied-noir" in Paris. A "pied-noir" was a French person born in Algeria. He also continued his work as a singer. In 1967, he had a comedy sketch called Rien Nasser de courir. This sketch made fun of the Six-Day War. However, it was banned because it was seen as too political.
Leading Comedy Director
By 1970, Philippe Clair became a top director of popular comedy films. His humor often had a special French Algerian style. Most of his movies were very successful and made a lot of money. However, some critics did not like them. They sometimes called his films too silly or overacted. Other directors sometimes copied his film ideas. This was a common thing in French cinema at the time.
Working with Famous Actors
His 1971 film La Grande Java (Great Java) helped start the comedy careers of the band Les Charlots. He then worked with band member Aldo Maccione in several other films. These included The Great Maffia and Shut Up When You Talk.
Clair also made some very unusual and dream-like films. One example is The Fuhrer Runs Amok. In this movie, Henri Tisot played Adolf Hitler. Michel Galabru played a football referee. In 1984, he achieved a big success. He managed to cast the famous American comedian Jerry Lewis in his film Par où t'es rentré ? On t'a pas vu sortir (How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave).
Later Years and Retirement
In 2013, a journalist named Gilles Botineau made a documentary about Philippe Clair. The film was called Plus drôle que lui, tu meurs (Funnier Than Him, You Die). This 55-minute film looked at Clair's whole career. It focused on his unique ideas about comedy. Clair officially retired in 1990 when he was 60 years old. But he came back in 2013 with a new show he wrote. It was titled Help, Philippe Clair Returns.
Philippe Clair's Films
- 1962 Girl on the Road, playing Le motard #2
- 1965 Déclic et des claques (Clicks and Slaps)
- 1971 La Grande Java (The Great Java)
- 1971 La Grande Maffia (The Great Maffia)
- 1973 La Brigade en folie (The Mad Brigade)
- 1974 Le Führer en folie (The Führer Runs Amok)
- 1976 Le Grand Fanfaron (The Great Braggart)
- 1978 Comment se faire réformer (How to Reform)
- 1978 Les réformés se portent bien (The Reformers are Doing Well)
- 1979 Ces flics étranges venus d'ailleurs (Those Strange Cops From Elsewhere)
- 1980 Rodriguez au pays des merguez (Rodriguez in the Land of Merguez)
- 1981 Tais-toi quand tu parles (Shut Up When You Talk)
- 1982 Plus beau que moi, tu meurs (More Beautiful Than Me, You Die)
- 1984 Par où t'es rentré ? On t'a pas vu sortir (How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave)
- 1986 Si t'as besoin de rien... fais-moi signe (If You Need Anything, Let Me Know)
- 1987 Si tu vas à Rio... tu meurs (If You Go to Rio ... You Die)
- 1990 L'Aventure extraordinaire d'un papa peu ordinaire (Extraordinary Adventure of an Ordinary Papa)
See also
In Spanish: Philippe Clair para niños
