Yves Robert Explained

Yves Robert
Birth Date:19 June 1920
Birth Place:Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France
Death Place:Paris, France
Restingplace:Montparnasse cemetery
Occupation:Actor, director, producer, screenwriter
Yearsactive:1948–2001
Nationality:French
Spouse:Danièle Delorme (m. 1956–2002)
Relatives:Xavier Gélin
(stepson, deceased)

Yves Robert (pronounced as /fr/; 19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002)[1] was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.

Life and career

Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with unpaid parts on stage in the city's various theatre workshops. From ages 12–20 he set type as a typographer, then studied mime in his early 20s.[1] In 1948 he made his motion picture debut with one of the secondary roles in the film, Les Dieux du dimanche. Within a few years, Robert was writing scripts, directing, and producing.

Yves Robert's directorial efforts included several successful comedies[2] for which he had written the screenplay. His 1962 film, La Guerre des boutons won France's Prix Jean Vigo. His 1972 film The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe won the Silver Bear at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival in 1973.[3] In 1976, Pardon Mon Affaire, starring his wife, earned him international acclaim. Robert's 1973 devastating comedy Hail the Artist is considered by many performers to be the ultimate film about the humiliations of the actor's life. In 1977, he directed another comedy, Pardon Mon Affaire, Too!, which was nominated for a César Award for Best Film.

In 1990, Robert directed two dramatic films, My Mother's Castle and My Father's Glory. Based on autobiographical novels by Marcel Pagnol, they were jointly voted "Best Film" at the 1991 Seattle International Film Festival,[4] and received rave reviews.[5] [6] Over his career, he directed more than twenty feature-length motion pictures,[7] wrote an equal number of scripts, and acted in more than seventy-five films. Although his last major role was perhaps in 1980, A Bad Son by Claude Sautet, as the working-class father of a drug-dealer,[1] he continued acting past 1997.

Robert played opposite Danièle Delorme in the 1951 play Colombe by Jean Anouilh. They married in 1956, and jointly formed the film production company La Guéville in 1961.[8] La Guéville also released several films by Monty Python and Terry Gilliam, which was very influential into establishing the comedy troupe to French audiences. He died in Paris on 10 May 2002[7] from a cerebral hemorrhage. He was buried in Montparnasse Cemetery with the epitaph "A man of joy ...", where visitors leave buttons of many colors. He was survived by Danièle and two children, Anne and,[7] by first wife, actress Rosy Varte. That month's Cannes Film Festival paid homage to his contribution to French film.

Selected filmography

Director

Actor

Producer

Reissues and remakes

His black and white adaptation of the book La Guerre des Boutons having sold nearly 10 million tickets at the French box office in 1962, was hugely popular, and planned for a nationwide reissue 12 October 2011.[9]

Some films were also re-made in Hollywood.[7] The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972), a spy spoof featuring the physical comedic skills of Pierre Richard, became The Man with One Red Shoe (1985) with Tom Hanks. Pardon Mon Affaire (1976), a sexy farce with Jean Rochefort, became The Woman in Red (1984).

DVD releases

External links

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. News: UK Guardian Obit. 1 May 2013 . London. The Guardian. Ronald. Bergan. 14 May 2002.
  2. Web site: Popular Comedies. Movieslist.in. 1 May 2013.
  3. Web site: Berlinale 1973: Prize Winners . 29 June 2010 . Berlinale.de.
  4. News: Seattle Festival Award. 30 April 2013 . The Seattle Times. John. Hartl. 12 June 1991.
  5. Web site: Ebert reviews Pere-Mere Pagnol duo. Rogerebert.com. 1 May 2013.
  6. Web site: Film Reviews. Allmovie.com. 1 May 2013.
  7. News: LA Times Obituary. 1 May 2013 . Los Angeles Times. 11 May 2002.
  8. News: NY Obit- children. 1 May 2013 . The New York Times. Alan. Riding. 11 May 2002.
  9. News: 2011 Reissue 1962 War of Buttons. 30 April 2013 . The Wall Street Journal.
  10. Web site: DVD Pere + Mere. Moviemail.com. 30 April 2013.
  11. Web site: Amazon DVDs Nu Vu Connu. Amazon.com. 1 May 2013.
  12. Web site: Two Yves Robert Films Heading to Blu-ray. 7 October 2021. Blu-ray.com.
  13. Web site: Blu-ray Pere Mere. Moviemail.com. 30 April 2013.
  14. Web site: DVD Tall Blonde Man x 2. Moviemail.com. 30 April 2013.

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