French actor, b. 9 April 1895 in Geneva/ Switzerland, d. Bry-sur-Marne, France, 30 May 1975. Birth name: François Michel Simon. Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German: //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland, situated where Lake Geneva (French Lac Léman) flows into the Rhône River. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Biography

Michel Simon used to say about himself that he was born in 1895 and, "as misfortune never comes singly, cinema was born the same year."

Son of a sausage-maker, Protestant, Michel Simon quickly turns way aside his family and town to go to Paris, where he first lived at Hotel Renaissance, Saint-Martin street, than in Montmartre. He got many jobs to survive, giving boxing lesson or peddling smuggled lighters. He was considered to devouring every book he could find, with a special preference to Courteline's writings. The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ... Montmartre seen from the centre Georges Pompidou (1897), a painting by Camille Pissarro of the boulevard that led to Montmartre as seen from his hotel room. ...

His artistic beginnings in 1912 were modest: magician, clown and acrobat stooge in a dancers show called "Ribert's and Simon's", in the Montreuil-sous-Bois Casino... Montreuil-sous-Bois (officially Montreuil), is a town and commune of France, in the suburbs is of Paris. ...

Conscripted into the Swiss Army in 1914, he was an undisciplined soldier, spending most of his time in prison and falling in tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (commonly shortened to TB) is an infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system (meningitis), lymphatic system, circulatory system (Miliary tuberculosis), genitourinary system, bones and joints. ...

In 1915, during a leave, he saw Georges Pitoëff's beginnings in French language, at the Theatre de la Comédie of Geneva, acting the Ibsen's play "Hedda Gabler". He then decided to become an actor too. But he have to wait until 1920 to make a brief appearance in the Pitoëff' company, telling three lines for the registrar role in the Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure" play. He also worked at this time as photographer of the company. He was spotted for the first time in a second-role in "Androclès et le lion", a play of George Bernard Shaw. In 1922, his company has moved to Paris at the Comédie des Champs-Elysées. Henrik Johan Ibsen (March 20, 1828–May 23, 1906) was an extremely influential Norwegian playwright who was largely responsible for the rise of the modern realistic drama. ... (George) Bernard Shaw (July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950) was an Irish playwright and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ...

He quitted the following year to become a light comedy actor in Tristan Bernard, Marcel Achard and Yves Mirande plays. Marcel Achard presented him to Charles Dullin, in whose company he acted in "Je ne vous aime pas", with Valentine Tessier. Tristan Bernard (September 7, 1866 - December 7, 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. ... Marcel Achard (July 5, 1899 – September 4, 1974) was a French playwright and script writer. ... Marcel Achard (July 5, 1899 – September 4, 1974) was a French playwright and script writer. ... Charles Dullin (May 8, 1885 Yenne, Savoie - December 11, 1949, Paris) was a French actor and director. ...

Inimitable talent

Louis Jouvet, who has meanwhile replaced Pitoëff, hired him at the Comédie des Champs Elysées. Michel Simon then made a brilliant name in "Jean de la Lune", a Marcel Achard's play (April 18, 1929). His inimitable talent transformed his Cloclo second-role to the bug attraction of the play. Louis Jouvet (December 24, 1887 - August 16, 1951) was a renowned French actor and producer. ...

His theatrical career then began to meet a huge success for a large repertoire: Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, Pirandello, Oscar Wilde, Bourdet, Bernstein. But cinema brought him a biggest popularity. William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... Multiple people share the name Bernard Shaw: George Bernard Shaw, the celebrated Irish playwright (1856 - 1950) Bernard Shaw, a journalist and longtime CNN anchorman (1940 - ) This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (June 28, 1867 – December 10, 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934. ... Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, short story writer and Freemason. ... // Bernstein may mean: Place names Bernstein im Burgenland Bernstein (Brandenburg) (now Poland), now PeÅ‚czyce Personal names Aaron Bernstein Alexander Bernstein, Baron Bernstein of Craigweil, British television executive and politician Al Bernstein Basil Bernstein, UK linguist Barton J. Bernstein, historian Carl Bernstein, American investigative journalist Charles Bernstein, American poet Daniel...

He made his first appearance in the film "Feu Mathias Pascal", adapted from Pirandello, with Marcel L'Herbier as director. Nearly at the same time, he participated in Switzerland to a film directed by Jean Choux, "La vocation d'André Carel". The film used small-scale production methods, as the future French "Nouvelle Vague” will do and claim for authorship, in 1958. The New Wave (French: Nouvelle vague) of French cinema was a cinematic movement of the 1960s. ...

In silent movies, he brought his amazing appearance and his unusual face, talented by an exceptional mobility but truly without mannerism. He easily played with his body using an unlimited virtuosity, especially his ugliness, evolving from smartness to sympathy, goodness to naivety, ludicrousness to frightening, stupidity to comical, mischievousness to cruelty.

His film career was really boosted with the talking pictures coming. People remarked that his elocution and voice tone were as original as his appearance and play. He then revealed his unclassifiable talent: action comedy, drama, tragedy, light comedy… He acted in 55 plays from 1920 to 1965, and 101 from 1965 to 1975. He did an unforgettable work for Jean Renoir ('La Chienne', 'Boudu Saved From Drowning'), Jean Vigo ('L'Atalante') and Marcel Carné ('Port of the Shadows', 'Bizarre, Bizarre'). Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (September 15, 1894 – February 12, 1979), born in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France was a film director. ... Jean Vigo (April 26, 1905 – October 5, 1934) was a short-lived French film director, who helped in the establishment of poetic realism in film in the 1930s and went on to be a posthumous influence on the French nouvelle vague of the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Marcel Carné (August 18, 1906 - October 31, 1996) was an important French film director. ...

« Living with animals than humans »

Since the 1950s, he has restrained his activities, thanks to an accident involving a makeup dye that paralysed part of his body and face.

He lived for a long time in Noisy-le-Grand, near Paris, in a kind of bohemian house, filled with an amazing bric-a-brac and surrounded with rank weeds. He usued to say that he preferred « living with animals than humans ». Noisy-le-Grand is a town of France, in the suburbs of Paris. ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation). ...

Less known aspect, he was found of pornography: he got a remarkable collection of pornographic items, pictures and films, which was unfortunately broke up when he died, in 1975, from a pulmonary embolism, at Saint-Camille Hospital, Bry-sur-Marne. Bry-sur-Marne is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. ...

He was buried in the Grand-Lancy Cemetery of Geneva, in the grave of his parents, following his last wills. Geneva (pronunciation //; French: Genève //, German: //, Italian: Ginevra) is the second most populous city in Switzerland, situated where Lake Geneva (French Lac Léman) flows into the Rhône River. ...

Anecdotes

In the 1920's/30's Michel Simon enjoyed associating with people of the lower classes in Paris and for a while, at a time when prostitution was legal, he lived in a brothel.

Selective Filmography

1. 1932: Boudu sauvé des eaux ('Boudu Saved from Drowning', Jean Renoir)... Priape Boudu
2. 1931: La Chienne ('Isn't Life a Bitch?', Jean Renoir)... Maurice Legrand
3. 1934: L'Atalante (Jean Vigo)... Old Jules
4. 1937: Drôle de drame ('Bizarre, Bizarre', Marcel Carné... Irwin Molyneux
5. 1938: Les Disparus de Saint-Agil ('Boys' School', Christian-Jaque)... Lemel, the drawing teacher
6. 1939: Quai des brumes ('Port of Shadows', Marcel Carné)... Zabel
7. 1939: Fric-Frac (Claude Autant-Lara, Maurice Lehmann)... Jo
8. 1940: La Comédie du bonheur (Marcel L'Herbier)... M. Jourdain
9. 1946: Panique ('Panic', Julien Duvivier)... M. Hire
10. 1951: La Poison ('Poison', Sacha Guitry)... Paul-Louis Victor Braconnier
11. 1955: L'Impossible Monsieur Pipelet ('The Impossible Mr. Pipelet', André Hunebelle)... Maurice Martin
12. 1960: Pierrot la tendresse ('Pete the Tender', François Villiers)... Pierrot
13. 1966: Le Vieil homme et l'enfant ('The Two of Us', Claude Berri)... Pepe
14. 1972: La plus belle soirée de ma vie ('The Most Wonderful Evening of My Life', Ettore Scola)... Attorney Zorn
15. 1975: L'ibis rouge ('The Red Ibis', Jean-Pierre Mocky)... Zizi

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (September 15, 1894 – February 12, 1979), born in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France was a film director. ... Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (September 15, 1894 – February 12, 1979), born in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France was a film director. ... Jean Vigo (April 26, 1905 – October 5, 1934) was a short-lived French film director, who helped in the establishment of poetic realism in film in the 1930s and went on to be a posthumous influence on the French nouvelle vague of the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Marcel Carné (August 18, 1906 - October 31, 1996) was an important French film director. ... Marcel Carné (August 18, 1906 - October 31, 1996) was an important French film director. ... Claude Autant-Lara (b. ... Julien Duvivier (October 8, 1896 in Lille - October 30, 1967 in Paris) was a French film director. ... Sacha Guitry, born February 21, 1885 in St. ... Claude Berri (born July 1, 1934) is a French film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. ... Ettore Scola (born May 10, 1931) is an Italian screenwriter and film director. ...

Links and Bibliography

1. Film data base
2. Geneva website