Bourvil

Biography

André Robert Raimbourg (27 July 1917 – 23 September 1970), better known as André Bourvil, and mononymously as Bourvil, was a French actor and singer best known for his roles in comedy films, most notably in his collaboration with Louis de Funès in the films Le Corniaud (1965) and La Grande Vadrouille (1966). For his performance in Le Corniaud, he won a Special Diploma at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival. Bourvil's father was killed in the First World War before he was born. As a result, he spent his entire childhood in the village of Bourville, from which he took his stage name. He married Jeanne Lefrique on 23 January 1943. After a battle with Kahler's syndrome, which attacks the bone marrow, he died at the age of 53. He is buried in Montainville, Yvelines. In his comic performances Bourvil principally played roles of gentle and well-meaning characters who were often a bit obtuse or naïve, such as his roles opposite the hyperactive, dishonest and bossy ones played by Louis de Funès. Bourvil's characters not only managed to make viewers laugh, but also to save themselves, often unwittingly, from the Machiavellian designs of his adversaries. Bourvil was, however, also capable of more dramatic roles such as the handyman in L'Arbre de Noël (1969). In this role he observes the relationship between a man he works for and the young son who has fallen ill. The audience can identify with the character played by Bourvil, just as they can in his comic roles, so often as a simple man. One can also note his role of Monsieur Thénardier in the film adaptation of Les Misérables (1958), and his penultimate role as the policeman Mattei in Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle rouge (1970). In March 1948, Bourvil took part in the complete recording of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann with artists of the Paris Opéra-Comique conducted by André Cluytens, playing the four 'servant' roles. Description above from the Wikipedia article Bourvil, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Most Known For

Champs-Elysées

as Self (archive footage)

Spécial cinéma

as Self (archive footage)

Cinépanorama

as Self

Midi trente

as Self (archive footage)

Sideral Cruises

as Scientist

The Longest Day

as Mayor of Colleville

Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!

as Augustin Bouvet

The Sucker

as Antoine Maréchal

All the Gold in the World

as Mathieu Dumont / Antoine Dumont / Martial Dumont

Le Cercle Rouge

as Commissioner François Mattei

Fortunate

as Noël Fortunat

Les Misérables

as Thénardier

The Stud

as William Chaminade

The Brain

as Anatole

The Hotshots

as Jules Auguste Duroc

Les Arnaud

as Judge Henri Arnaud

Clodo

as Gaston (uncredited)

La Traversée de Paris

as Marcel Martin, unemployed taxi driver

Atlantic Wall

as Léon Duchemin, Norman restaurateur

Monte Carlo or Bust!

as Monsieur Dupont