Jean-Claude Brialy

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Jean-Claude Brialy
Brialy in 1992
Born(1933-03-30)30 March 1933
Aumale, French Algeria (now Sour El-Ghozlane, Algeria)
Died30 May 2007(2007-05-30) (aged 74)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • director
Years active1955–2007
AwardsCésar Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1987 The Innocents

Jean-Claude Brialy (30 March 1933 – 30 May 2007) was a French actor and film director.

Early life[edit]

Brialy was born in Aumale (now Sour El-Ghozlane), French Algeria, where his father was stationed with the French Army. Brialy moved to mainland France with his family in 1942. He was an alumnus of the Prytanée National Militaire. When he was 21 years old, he went to Paris to work as an actor.

Career[edit]

In 1956, Brialy acted in his first role in the short film Le coup du berger (Fool's Mate) by Jacques Rivette.

By the late 1950s, he'd become one of the most prolific actors in the French nouvelle vague and a star. He appeared in films of nouvelle vague directors such as Claude Chabrol (Le Beau Serge, 1958; Les Cousins, 1959), Louis Malle (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, 1958; Les Amants, 1958), François Truffaut (Les 400 Coups, 1959), Jean-Luc Godard, (Une femme est une femme, 1961), Éric Rohmer (Claire's Knee, 1970), as well as in films of other filmmakers such as Jean Renoir (Elena et les hommes 1958), Roger Vadim (La ronde, 1964), Philippe de Broca (Le Roi de cœur, 1966), Luis Buñuel (Le Fantôme de la liberté, 1974), and Claude Lelouch (Robert et Robert, 1978).

In 2006, he appeared in his last role, as the eponymous character of the TV film Monsieur Max, directed by Gabriel Aghion.[1] Godard described him as "the French Cary Grant," while Brialy's self-described "life models" had reportedly been actor Sacha Guitry and director Jean Cocteau.[2][3]

Brialy directed a number of films, including Églantine in 1971, which was loosely inspired by his own memories of a happy childhood spent in Chambellay with his grandparents, and Les volets clos (Closed shutters) in 1972.[1]

He owned the restaurant L'Orangerie, on the Île Saint-Louis; he'd also worked as a TV presenter, a singer, and a radio host.[4] During the presentation of one of his books, Brialy described himself this way: "I'm a boy who got lucky enough to do what I love in life".[5]

Personal life and death[edit]

Brialy, in 1959, acquired a château in the commune of Monthyon, near Paris.[6] There, he accommodated and entertained many friends from the cinema and the theatre, such as Jean Marais, Pierre Arditi, and Romy Schneider whom he'd met during the 1958 production of the film Christine. Schneider, after the 1981 fatal accident of her son David, found a "refuge from the paparazzi" in Brialy's home.[6] French singer Barbara would often sing at the piano. Director Jean-Pierre Melville used the château to shoot the last scenes of his 1970 crime film Le Cercle Rouge, where Alain Delon and Yves Montand are killed by the police.[7]

In his books, the autobiographical Le Ruisseau des singes (The river of monkeys) (2000) and the memoir J'ai oublié de vous dire (I Forgot to Tell You) (2004),[note 1] Brialy revealed that he was bisexual.[4]

Brialy died on 30 May 2007, in his Monthyon home, after a long time with cancer.[8] He bequeathed his Monthyon estate to the commune of Meaux, near Monthyon, with the following codicil: that the Meaux authorities would finance the estate's maintenance as long as his partner, Bruno Finck, would reside there.[6] In the summer of 2020, Finck left the estate and, for "health reasons," moved to the south of France, upon which time the commune of Meaux assumed full ownership of the estate. At the end of January 2021, the mayor invited the association of the Friends of Jean-Claude Brialy to "work in close collaboration [with Meaux]" in the context of "enhancing" the star's "heritage."[9]

Honours[edit]

Filmography[edit]

As actor[edit]

Year Title Role Director Notes
1956 Fool's Mate Claude Jacques Rivette Short
La Sonate à Kreutzer Trukhacevskij Éric Rohmer
1957 A Friend of the Family Philippe Lemonnier Paolo Sorrentino
Young Girls Beware Le client du sexy-bar Yves Allégret Uncredited
Amour de poche Jean-Loup Pierre Kast
Anyone Can Kill Me Jean-Claude Henri Decoin
1958 Elevator to the Gallows a chess player Louis Malle Uncredited
School for Coquettes Robert Jacqueline Audry
Le Beau Serge François Baillou Claude Chabrol
The Lovers the house husband Louis Malle Uncredited
And Your Sister? Bruno Puymartin Maurice Delbez
Christine Théo Kaiser Pierre Gaspard-Huit
1959 Les Cousins Paul Thomas Claude Chabrol
The 400 Blows Man in Street François Truffaut
All the Boys Are Called Patrick Patrick Jean-Luc Godard Short
Le chemin des écoliers Paul Tiercelin Michel Boisrond
Bad Girls Don't Cry Scintillone Mauro Bolognini
Eyes of Love Pierre Ségur Denys de La Patellière
1960 Le Bel Âge [fr] Jean-Claude Pierre Kast
The Gigolo Jacky Jacques Deray
Tire-au-flanc 62 Capitaine François Truffaut and Claude de Givray Uncredited
1961 A Story of Water young man in a car Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut Short
Wise Guys Ronald Claude Chabrol
A Woman Is a Woman Émile Récamier Jean-Luc Godard
Three Faces of Sin Laurent Renaud François Villiers
Les Lions sont lâchés Didier Marèze Henri Verneuil
Amores Célebres Törring Michel Boisrond (segment "Agnès Bernauer")
Paris Belongs to Us Jean-Marc Jacques Rivette
1962 A Very Private Affair narrator Louis Malle Voice, Uncredited
The Burning Court Marc Desgrez Julien Duvivier
The Seven Deadly Sins Arthur Claude Chabrol (segment "Avarice, L'")
Girl on the Road Jean-Claude Jacqueline Audry
L'Éducation sentimentale Frédéric Moreau Alexandre Astruc
Cléo from 5 to 7 the male nurse Agnès Varda Uncredited
Arsène Lupin contre Arsène Lupin [fr] François de Vierne Édouard Molinaro
Le Diable et les Dix Commandements Didier Martin Julien Duvivier (segment "Bien d'autrui ne prendras")
1963 Le glaive et la balance Jean-Philippe Prévost André Cayatte
Les Veinards a young man in a car Jack Pinoteau (segment "Un gros lot"), Uncredited
Carom Shots Paul Martin Marcel Bluwal
La banda Casaroli Corrado Minguzzi Florestano Vancini
Château en Suède Sébastien Roger Vadim
1964 La Bonne Soupe Jacquot Robert Thomas
Tonio Kröger Tonio Kröger Rolf Thiele
La Chasse à l'homme Antoine Monteil Édouard Molinaro
Circle of Love Alfred Roger Vadim
Male Companion Antoine Philippe de Broca
Comment épouser un premier ministre [fr] Philippe Lambert Michel Boisrond
Les siffleurs Jean-Claude Brialy Corneliu Porumboiu
Love at Sea L'homme qui aime la nuit et la jeunesse Guy Gilles cameo appearance
1965 L'Amour à la chaîne Le spectateur du cabaret Claude de Givray Uncredited
La bonne occase Michel Drach Cameo Appearance
Cent briques et des tuiles Marcel Pierre Grimblat
The Mandrake Ligurio Alberto Lattuada
I Knew Her Well Dario Marchionni Antonio Pietrangeli
1966 I nostri mariti Ottavio Luigi Zampa (segment "Il marito di Olga")
King of Hearts the Duke of Trèfle Philippe de Broca
1967 Anna Serge Pierre Koralnik TV movie
Shock Troops Jean Costa-Gavras
The Oldest Profession Philibert Philippe de Broca (segment "Mademoiselle Mimi")
Lamiel the Count of Aubigné Jean Aurel
Operazione San Pietro Cajella Lucio Fulci
1968 Manon 70 Jean-Paul Jean Aurel
Darling Caroline Comte de Boimussy Denys de La Patellière
The Bride Wore Black Corey François Truffaut
1970 The Ball of Count Orgel Count of Orgel Marc Allégret
Claire's Knee Jérôme Éric Rohmer
1971 Gang War Domenico "Mimì" Gargiulo Steno
A Season in Hell Paul Verlaine Nelo Risi
1972 Un meurtre est un meurtre [fr] Paul Kastner Étienne Périer
1973 A Rare Bird Armand, 'l'oiseau rare' Jean-Claude Brialy
1974 Loving in the Rain Le dragueur Jean-Claude Brialy
The Phantom of Liberty Monsieur Foucault Luis Buñuel
Comme un pot de fraises Norbert Jean Aurel
1975 Catherine & Co. Guillaume Michel Boisrond
Les Onze Mille Verges Le client de la gallerie d'art Éric Lipmann Uncredited
1976 The Judge and the Assassin Villedieu Bertrand Tavernier
Un animal doué de déraison Claude Pierre Kast
Scrambled Eggs Brumaire Joël Santoni
L'Année sainte Pierre Bizet Jean Girault
Barocco Walt, the editor André Téchiné
1977 Julie pot de colle [fr] Jean-Luc Philippe de Broca
The Accuser Le Rantec Jean-Louis Bertucelli
Pour Clémence Narrator Charles Belmont Voice
Double Murder Van Nijlen Steno
1978 Robert et Robert Jacques Millet Claude Lelouch
The Song of Roland Le Seigneur Frank Cassenti
1979 Le Maître-nageur Logan Jean-Louis Trintignant
Bobo Jacco Guillaume Walter Bal
1980 L'oeil du maître Cazeau Stéphane Kurc
The Lady Banker Paul Cisterne Francis Girod
1981 Les Uns et les Autres the Lido's director Claude Lelouch
1982 That Night in Varennes Monsieur Jacob Ettore Scola
The Girl from Trieste Professor Martin Pasquale Festa Campanile
1983 Le Démon dans l'île Dr. Paul Henry Marshall Francis Leroi
Cap Canaille Samuel Kedabjan Juliet Berto and Jean-Henri Roger
Deadly Circuit Monsieur Voragine Claude Miller
Édith et Marcel Loulou Barrier Claude Lelouch
Sarah Gabriel Larcange Maurice Dugowson
Stella Roland Caron Laurent Heynemann
La Crime [fr] Jean-François Rambert Philippe Labro
Papy fait de la résistance tennis player sycophant Jean-Marie Poiré
1984 Pinot simple flic Morcy Gérard Jugnot
1985 Le téléphone sonne toujours deux fois!! the inspector Jean-Pierre Vergne
Le 4ème pouvoir Serge Leroy TV director
Le Mariage du siècle Kaffenberg Philippe Galland
An Impudent Girl Sam Claude Miller
1986 Inspecteur Lavardin Claude Alvarez Claude Chabrol
Suivez mon regard Freddy Langlois, l'impresario Jean Curtelin
A Man and a Woman: 20 Years Later Un spectateur de '40 ans déjà' Claude Lelouch Uncredited
Le Débutant Willy Daniel Janneau
1987 Lévy et Goliath Bijou / Delaroche Gérard Oury
Grand Guignol M. Albert Jean Marboeuf
Maschenka Kolin John Goldschmidt
Le Moustachu Leroy Dominique Chaussois
Maladie d'amour Frédéric Jacques Deray
Les Innocents Klotz André Téchiné
1989 Comédie d'été Gaston Daniel Vigne
1990 There Was a Castle with Forty Dogs the judge Duccio Tessari
My New Partner II Le banquier Claude Zidi
Faux et usage de faux Charles Laumière Laurent Heynemann
No Fear, No Die Pierre Ardennes Claire Denis
1991 Août Martin Henri Herré
1994 La Reine Margot Coligny Patrice Chéreau
Le Monstre Mr. Roccarotta Roberto Benigni
1995 One Hundred and One Nights the guide for Japanese tourists Agnès Varda
A French Woman Arnoult Régis Wargnier
Beaumarchais Abbot Édouard Molinaro
Le Fils de Gascogne Himself Pascal Aubier
1996 Beaumarchais Abbot Édouard Molinaro
Les Caprices d'un fleuve Monsieur de Saint-Chamont Bernard Giraudeau
Portraits chinois René Sandre Martine Dugowson
1999 L'Homme de ma vie Lucien Vilner Stéphane Kurc
Kennedy et moi Benny Grimaldi Sam Karmann
2000 Les Acteurs Himself Bertrand Blier
In extremis The lawyer Étienne Faure
2001 Concorrenza sleale Nonno Mattia Ettore Scola
South Kensington Fernandino Carlo Vanzina
2002 Les Filles, personne s'en méfie Le projectionniste Charlotte Silvera
C'est le bouquet ! Robert Fresnel Jeanne Labrune
2003 The Car Keys Himself Laurent Baffie
2004 People Minimo Fabien Onteniente
2005 Quartier V.I.P. Ferdinand Laurent Firode
Les Rois maudits Hugues de Bouville Josée Dayan Episode: "Le Roi de Fer"
2007 Vous êtes de la police ? Alfred Lamproie Romuald Beugnon (final film role)

As director[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ During a presentation of the book, Brialy insisted that "The lives of other people are often more interesting than one’s own." See Sturmey (2005)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Jean-Claude Brialy est mort à 74 ans" [Jean-Claude Brialy is dead at 74 years]. Le Monde (in French). Reuters. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Jean Claude Brialy". The Times. 2 June 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  3. ^ Sturmey, Christine (18 March 2005). "'I am a boy who got lucky in life'". Kathimerini. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b Têtu magazine, July–August 2007 issue, p.22
  5. ^ Wilmington, Michael (18 August 1994). "'Claire's Knee' is a summer treat on film". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Arlot, Alexandre (23 October 2020). "Seine-et-Marne : refuge des stars, le château de Jean-Claude Brialy s'ouvrira au public" [Seine-et-Marne: refuge of stars, the castle of Jean-Claude Brialy will be open to the public]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Polémique sur le coût du château de Jean-Claude Brialy, légué à la ville de Meaux" [Controversy over the cost of Jean-Claude Brialy's castle, bequeathed to the city of Meaux]. Le Figaro (in French). 17 March 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Vive émotion après la mort" [Strong emotion after the death]. Le Monde (in French). Reuters. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  9. ^ Gruaz, Audrey (13 February 2021). "Seine-et-Marne : la maison de Jean-Claude Brialy va s'ouvrir aux visiteurs" [Seine-et-Marne : the home of Jean-Claude Brialy will open to visitors]. Actu France (in French). Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Ordonnance Souveraine n° 15.565 du 18 novembre 2002 portant promotions ou nominations dans l'Ordre du Mérite Culturel". Journal de Monaco (in French). Principauté de Monaco. 22 November 2002. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

External links[edit]