Jules Berry

Jules Berry

1883-02-09 – 1951-04-23 (age 68) Poitiers, Vienne, France
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Biography

Jules Berry (born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor.

Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled in Poitou. The family moved to Paris in 1888. Berry completed his studies at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and then graduated from École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts.

It was during his studies that Berry developed an interest in the theater. Following an audition, he was hired by the Théâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau to act in La Mort du duc d'Enghien by Léon Hennique, and Le Perroquet vert by Arthur Schnitzler.

Later he performed at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique and the Théâtre de l'Athénée. During a tour in Lyon, he was noticed by Jean-François Ponson, who hired him for a period of 12 years at the Théâtre royal des Galeries Saint-Hubert in Brussels. Audiences in Brussels gave him a warm welcome, where he played in productions such as Le Mariage de mademoiselle Beulemans.

Berry subsequently performed in 30 successful plays for Marcel Achard, Alfred Savoir, Louis Verneuil, and Roger Ferdinand. One of Berry's first movie roles was the silent film Oliver Cromwell (1911) directed by Henri Desfontaines. His first appearance in a talking picture was Mon coeur et ses millions (1931) with Suzy Prim. Over the course of his career, Berry acted in 89 motion pictures.

Bombastic, extravagant, and whimsical, Berry was as flamboyant as any entertainer of the period, including Pierre Brasseur. Berry is often considered one of the greatest actors in the history of French cinema.

Among Berry's best films are: The Crime of Monsieur Lange by Jean Renoir, Les Visiteurs du Soir by Marcel Carné, Le Jour Se Lève by Marcel Carné, Strange Inheritance by Louis Daquin, Baccara by Yves Mirande, 27 Rue de la Paix by Richard Pottier and L'Habit vert by Roger Richebé.

Berry ended his film career in 1951 to interpret the texts of Jacques Prévert.

Berry was romantically involved with actresses Jane Marken, Suzy Prim, and Josseline Gaël. He and Gaël had a daughter named Michelle in 1939.

A compulsive gambler, Berry frequented casinos and horse races. In April 1951, Berry was admitted to the Hôpital Broussais, where he died of a heart attack caused by treatment for rheumatism. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery (division 80).

Source: Article "Jules Berry" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Photos

Known For

The Devil's Envoys
The Devil's Envoys

1942

as The Devil

L'Argent
L'Argent

1928

as Huret

Si jeunesse savait...
Si jeunesse savait...

1948

as Charles Vigne

Baccara
Baccara

1935

as André Leclerc

Quick
Quick

1932

as Quick, Music Clown

Crossroads
Crossroads

1938

as Lucien Sarrow

Final Accord
Final Accord

1938

as Baron Larzac

Daybreak
Daybreak

1939

as M. Valentin

The Crime of Monsieur Lange
The Image Book
The Image Book

2018

as (archive footage)

Messieurs Ludovic
Messieurs Ludovic

1946

as Mr. Mareuil

Unusual Tales
Unusual Tales

1949

as Fortunato

Adventure in Paris
Adventure in Paris

1936

as Michel Levasseur

The Woman Thief
The Woman Thief

1938

as Sadoc Torner

I'll Love You Forever
La Symphonie fantastique
La Symphonie fantastique

1942

as Schlesinger

King of Hotels
After the Storm
After the Storm

1941

as Alex Krakow

Chambre 13