
Bourvil
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1917-07-27
Day of Death
1970-09-23 (53 years old)
Place of Birth
Prétot-Vicquemare, Seine-Inférieure [now Seine-Maritime], France
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.
Acting
(2023)
Les Rois de la comédie
as Self (archive footage)
(2022)
La Traversée de Bourvil
as Self (archive footage)
(2018)
Lino Ventura, la part intime
as Self (archive footage)
(2016)
Bourvil, un homme vrai
as Self (archive footage)
(2015)
Le Tournage du Corniaud… Tout sauf un long fleuve tranquille
as Self (archive footage)
(2015)
Jean Gabin, le dernier des géants
as Self (archive footage)
(2015)
Bourvil, du comique paysan au génie de l'acteur
as Self (archive footage)
(2009)
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
as Self (archive footage)
(2009)
Bourvil : Bien... si bien
as Self (archive footage)
(2008)
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 3 & 4)
as Self (archive footage)
(2007)
Comiques de toujours, coffret Vol. 1 & 2
as Self (archive footage)
(1971)
Clodo
as Gaston (uncredited)
(1970)
Atlantic Wall
as Léon Duchemin, Norman restaurateur
(1970)
Le Cercle Rouge
as Commissioner François Mattei
(1970)
The Stud
as William Chaminade
(1969)
The Brain
as Anatole
(1969)
The Christmas Tree
as Verdun
(1969)
Monte Carlo or Bust!
as Monsieur Dupont
(1968)
The Big Wash
as Armand Saint-Just
(1968)
The Hotshots
as Jules Auguste Duroc
(1967)
Les Arnaud
as Judge Henri Arnaud
(1966)
Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At!
as Augustin Bouvet, house painter
(1966)
Three Disordered Children
as Eugène Laporte, entrepreneur de travaux publics
(1965)
The Sucker
as Antoine Maréchal
(1965)
The Dirty Game
as Lalande
(1965)
The Wise Guys
as Hector Valentin
(1965)
The Big Swag
as Louis Bourdin, metro ticket puncher and writer
(1964)
(1964)
La Bonne Planque
as Antoine Perrin
(1963)
Josefa's Loot
as Pierre Corneille
(1963)
Don't Tempt the Devil
as Albert Gaudet, investigating judge
(1963)
Thank Heaven for Small Favors
as Georges Lachaunaye
(1963)
My Wife's Husband
as André Colombey
(1962)
The Longest Day
as Mayor of Colleville
(1962)
Les Culottes rouges
as Fendard
(1962)
Un clair de Lune à Maubeuge
as Le chanteur à la télévision
(1962)
Tartarin de Tarascon
as Priest who reinflates the tire of his moped
(1961)
All the Gold in the World
as Mathieu Dumont / Antoine Dumont / Martial Dumont
(1961)
The Busybody
as André Loriot
(1960)
Captain Blood
as Baladin Cogolin
(1960)
Fortunate
as Noël Fortunat
(1959)
The Hunchback of Paris
as Passepoil
(1959)
Way of Youth
as Charles Michaud
(1959)
The Green Mare
as Honoré Haudouin
(1958)
Les Misérables
as Thénardier
(1958)
Serenade of Texas
as Me Jérôme Quilleboeuf
(1958)
Sunday Encounter
as Jean Brévent
(1958)
The Mirror Has Two Faces
as Pierre Tardivet
(1957)
The Singer from Mexico
as Bilou
(1956)
La Traversée de Paris
as Marcel Martin, unemployed taxi driver
(1955)
The Hussars
as le trompette Flicot Jean-Louis
(1954)
April Fools' Day
as Émile Dupuy
(1954)
Le Fil à la patte
as Camille Bouzin
(1954)
Royal Affairs in Versailles
as Museum guard
(1954)
Cadet Rousselle
as Jérôme Baguindet
(1953)
The Three Musketeers
as Planchet
(1953)
(1952)
Crazy for Love
as Hippolyte Lemoine, neveu d'Augustine
(1951)
Mr. Peek-a-Boo
as Léon Dutilleul
(1951)
Alone in Paris
as Henri Milliard, le jeune marié campagnard
(1950)
The Prize
as Isidore Pastouret
(1950)
Le roi Pandore
as Léon Ménard, le gendarme
(1950)
Miquette
as Urbain de la Tour-Mirande
(1949)
Wear His Heart on His Sleeve
as Leon Ménard
(1948)
By the Window
as Gaston 'Pilou'
(1948)
White as Snow
as Léon Ménard
(1947)
Not So Stupid
as Léon Ménard
(1947)
Studio en folies
as Self
(1945)
Hanged Man's Farm
as Le bourrelier, le chanteur à la noce
(1943)
A Star to the Sun
as (uncredited)
(1942)
Sideral Cruises
as Scientist
Crew
(2023)