Eddie Constantine Explained

Eddie Constantine
Birth Name:Israel Constantine
Birth Date:October 29, 1913
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Death Place:Wiesbaden, Germany
Years Active:1936–1993
Children:4

Eddie Constantine (born Israel Constantine; October 29, 1913 – February 25, 1993) was an American singer, actor and entertainer who spent most of his career in France.[1] He became well-known to film audiences for his portrayal of secret agent Lemmy Caution and other, similar pulp heroes in French B-movies of the 1950s and 1960s.

His celebrity and status as something of a pop icon saw him work with prominent arthouse directors like Jean-Luc Godard (as Caution in Alphaville and Germany Year 90 Nine Zero), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (as himself in Beware of a Holy Whore 1971), Jesús Franco, Agnès Varda, Rosa von Praunheim, Lars von Trier, William Klein and Mika Kaurismäki.

Early life

Constantine was born Israel Constantine[2] [3] in Los Angeles, California to Jewish immigrant parents, a Russian father and Polish mother; his father was a jeweler. In pursuit of a singing career, he went to Vienna for voice training. However, when he returned to the United States, his career failed to take off, and he started taking work as a film extra.

Career

Having failed to make a career in the United States, Constantine returned to Europe in the early 1950s and started singing and performing in Paris cabarets. He was noticed by Edith Piaf, who cast him in the musical La p'tite Lili. Constantine also helped Piaf with translations for her 1956 album La Vie en Rose/Édith Piaf Sings In English and so he has songwriting credits on the English versions of some of her most famous songs (especially "Hymne à l'amour"/"Hymn to Love").

In the 1950s, Constantine was a star in France because of his role as the hard-boiled detective/secret agent Lemmy Caution (from Peter Cheyney's novels) in a series of French B-pictures, including La môme vert-de-gris (1953), This Man Is Dangerous (1953), Je suis un sentimental (1955), Lemmy pour les dames (1961) and Your Turn, Darling (1963).

When not playing Lemmy Caution, Constantine would have a character that would still typically be a suave-talking, seductive, smooth guy although he often played that for laughs. He turned his accent and perceived American cockiness to advantage in such roles, and he later described his film persona as having been "James Bond before James Bond".[4] One of his best remembered later roles was as the visiting Mafia boss Charlie in the British gangster film The Long Good Friday (1980), a rare English-speaking role.

One of his most notable roles was in Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965), in which he reprised (to a more radical end) the role of Lemmy Caution, in a departure from the style of his other films. His box-office appeal in France waned in the mid-1960s. Having remarried to a German television producer, he eventually relocated to Germany, where he worked as a character actor, appearing in German television dramas as well as film. Constantine later claimed that he had never taken his acting career seriously, as he considered himself to be a singer by trade, and that he had been an actor strictly for the money. In 1982 he appeared in Rosa von Praunheim's film Red Love. He nevertheless worked with directors including Godard and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and his last notable film appearance was in Lars von Trier's Europa in 1991. He had taken up the part of Lemmy for the last time that year, in Godard's experimental film Germany Year 90 Nine Zero.

Personal life

Constantine was married three times: to Helene Musil (1942-1976, divorced), with whom he had three children; Dorothea Gibson (1977, divorced); and the film producer Maya Faber-Jansen (1979–1993, Constantine's death), with whom he had one child. His daughter Tanya (b. 1943) is a photographer. His daughter Barbara (b. 1955) is a writer, his son Lemmy (b. 1957) is also a singer and actor. His daughter Mia (b. 1981) is a theater director.

Death

Constantine died of a heart attack on February 25, 1993 in Wiesbaden, Germany, aged 79. His remains were cremated and remanded to Paris.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1953Egypt by ThreeNickVictor Stoloff(third episode)
La môme vert-de-gris Lemmy Caution
This Man Is Dangerous Jean Sacha
1954The Women Couldn't Care Less
Franco CesariVittorio Cottafavi
Yours Truly, BlakeLarry BlakeJean Laviron
1955Give 'em HellJohnny JordanJohn Berry
Je suis un sentimentalBarney MorganJohn Berry
Lemmy CautionPierre Chevalier
1956Monsieur HowardDimitri KirsanoffUncredited
Folies-Bergère Bob WellingtonHenri Decoin
Man and ChildFred BarkerRaoul André
cameo appearanceRalph Baum
1957Et par ici la sortieEddieWilly RozierUncredited
Eddie F. Morgan
Ces dames préfèrent le mamboBurt BrickfordBernard Borderie
Les TruandsJim EspositoCarlo Rim
1958Bob Stanley
Eddie PetersenWerner Klingler
Passport to ShameJohnny McVeyAlvin Rakoff
1959Du rififi chez les femmesInterpol Agent Williams
The Treasure of San Teresa (Hot Money Girl)Larry BrennanAlvin Rakoff
SOS PacificMark ReisnerGuy Green
1960Bombs on Monte CarloCaptain Eddie CronenGeorg Jacoby
Women Are Like That Lemmy CautionBernard Borderie
Jack of SpadesPatrickYves Allégret
Ravishingcameo appearanceRobert LamoureuxUncredited
John Lewis / John JarvisPierre Montazel
1961Eddie MacAvoy
Destination FuryFelice EspositoGiorgio Bianchi
JacksonGuy Lefranc
1962Napoléon "Naps" DuboisClaude de Givray
The Seven Deadly Sinscameo appearanceJean-Luc Godard(segment "La paresse")
Lemmy pour les damesLemmy CautionBernard Borderie
Cléo from 5 to 7cameo appearanceAgnès VardaUncredited
Lykke og kronecameo appearanceColbjørn Helander and Stein Saelen
Bonne chance, CharlieCharlieJean-Louis Richard
Eddie
Nous irons à DeauvilleFriend of Pin-Up GirlUncredited
1963Jeff Gordon, Secret AgentJeff GordonRaoul André
Bobby CaraoRaoul André
Tela de arañaEddie RossJosé Luis Monter
Your Turn, DarlingLemmy CautionBernard Borderie
1964HimselfFranz Antel
How Do You Like My Sister?HimselfMichel Boisrond
Jeff GordonGuy Lefranc
Nick Carter va tout casserNick Carter
Lucky JoLucky JoMichel Deville
1965Ces dames s'en mêlentJeff GordonRaoul André
Mike WarnerMarcel Ophuls
Cent briques et des tuiles Le consommateur au bar
AlphavilleLemmy CautionJean-Luc Godard
Je vous salue, mafia!Rudy HambergRaoul Lévy
Nick Carter and Red ClubNick Carter
1966Attack of the RobotsAl PereiraJesus Franco
(Residence for Spies)Dan LeytonJesus Franco
1968Cousin LemmyRaoul André
À tout casserRicJohn Berry
1969EddieRaymond Leboursier
Lions LoveHimselfAgnès Varda
1970MalatestaMalatestaPeter LilienthalTV movie
Eine Rose für JaneBossHans W. GeißendörferTV movie
1971SupergirlPartygast bei PolonskyRudolf ThomeTV movie
Beware of a Holy WhoreHimselfRainer Werner Fassbinder
Haytabo (Eddie geht weiter)the professorUlli Lommel
1973Geen paniekBill SilkstockingKo Koedijk
World on a WireMan in carRainer Werner FassbinderTV serial
1974EddieJacques Bral
1975Souvenir of GibraltarFather JoHenri Xhonneux
Frank CabotUlli Lommel
1976Raid on EntebbeCapt. Michel BacosTV movie
1977BloedverwantenPriestWim Lindner
Le Couple témoinDr. GoldbergWilliam Klein
1978It Lives AgainDr. ForrestLarry Cohen
1979The Third GenerationPeter LurzRainer Werner Fassbinder
Ticket of No Return (Bildnis einer Trinkerin)KüstlerUlrike Ottinger
1980Exit... nur keine PanikPoigrardFranz Novotny
Panic TimeLemmy CautionUdo Lindenberg
Car-nappingpolice officer LarouxWigbert Wicker
The Long Good FridayCharlieJohn Mackenzie
1981Die AlptraumfrauLothar Lambert
Tango durch DeutschlandEddieLutz Mommartz
NeigePierrotJuliet Berto et Jean-Henri Roger
Freak OrlandoSäulenheiligerUlrike Ottinger
1982Red LovePawel PawlowitschRosa von Praunheim
BoxofficeHugh BarrenJosef Bogdanovitch
1983Gregori UstinovOttokar Runze
the bar proprietorPatrick Chaput
Das Mikado-ProjektLemmy CautionTorsten Emrich
1984Rambo ZamboHarryTV movie
Fluchtpunkt BerlinHimselfChristopher Petit
SammyMariano Laurenti
Lemmy CautionPeter Patzak
SeifenblasenAlfred Ninaus
1985Seifenblasencameo appearance
Boy PappaPim de la Parra
1986Lemmy CautionBela Csepesanyi
RoncalliPabloMichael MackenrothTV series
1987Frankenstein's AuntAlois - Water SpiritJuraj JakubiskoTV series, 7 episodes
Freckled Max and the SpooksAlojzJuraj Jakubisko
Helsinki Napoli All Night LongOld GangsterMika Kaurismäki
1989Le retour de Lemmy CautionLemmy CautionJosée DayanTV movie
Europa, abendsMr. HardayleClaudia Schröder
1991EuropaColonel HarrisLars von Trier
Germany Year 90 Nine ZeroLemmy CautionJean-Luc Godard
William WrightNaoki Nagao
1993Don FabrizziAndy Bausch
2010DimensionN/ALars von TrierUnfinished

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 5 March 1993 . Eddie Constantine (obituary) . Variety . 24 April 2017.
  2. "California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VL1H-SYB : 27 November 2014), Israel Constantine, 29 Oct 1913; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.
  3. "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGL4-VY1T : 1 March 2021), Israel Constantine, 29 Oct 1913; citing Birth, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, California State Archives, Sacramento.
  4. http://www.cinemapassion.com/biographie-Eddie-Constantine-1053.php Eddie Constantine biography at cinemapassion.com