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Jean Gabin
Actor

Jean Gabin

17 May 1904Born
15 Nov 1976Died
72Age at death
101Credits

Biography

Jean Gabin Alexis Moncorgé (born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé), known as Jean Gabin (17 May 1904 – 15 November 1976), was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films, including Pépé le Moko (1937), La grande illusion (1937), Le Quai des brumes (1938), La bête humaine (1938), Le jour se lève (1939), and Le plaisir (1952). During his career, he twice won the Silver Bear for Best Actor from the Berlin International Film Festival and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor from the Venice Film Festival, respectively.

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Gabin was made a member of the Légion d'honneur in recognition of the important role he played in French cinema.

Gabin was born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé in Paris, the son of Madeleine Petit and Ferdinand Moncorgé, a cafe owner and cabaret entertainer whose stage name was Gabin, which is a first name in French. He grew up in the village of Mériel in the Seine-et-Oise (now Val-d'Oise) département, about 22 mi (35 km) north of Paris. He attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly. Gabin left school early, and worked as a laborer until the age of 19 when he entered show business with a bit part in a Folies Bergère production. He continued performing in a variety of minor roles before going into the military.

After completing his military service in the Fusiliers marins, he returned to the entertainment business, working under the stage name of Jean Gabin at whatever was offered in the Parisian music halls and operettas, imitating the singing style of Maurice Chevalier, which was the rage at the time. He was part of a troupe that toured South America, and upon returning to France found work at the Moulin Rouge. His performances started getting noticed, and better stage roles came along that led to parts in two silent films in 1928.

Two years later Gabin made the transition to sound films in a 1930 Pathé Frères production, Chacun sa chance. Playing secondary roles, he made more than a dozen films over the next four years, including films directed by Maurice and Jacques Tourneur. But he only gained real recognition for his performance in Maria Chapdelaine, a 1934 production directed by Julien Duvivier. He was then cast as a romantic hero in the 1936 war drama La Bandera; this second Duvivier-directed film established him as a major star. The next year he teamed up with Duvivier again in the highly successful Pépé le Moko. Its popularity brought Gabin international recognition. That same year he starred in Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion, an antiwar film that ran at a New York City theatre for an unprecedented six months. This was followed by another of Renoir's major works, La Bête Humaine (The Human Beast), a film noir tragedy based on the novel by Émile Zola and starring Gabin and Simone Simon, as well as Le Quai Des Brumes (Port of Shadows), one of director Marcel Carné's classics of poetic realism. His rugged charisma could be compared with Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney.

He divorced his second wife in 1939. ...

Source: Article "Jean Gabin" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Known for

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 101 credits.

  1. 2022Belmondo: The IncorrigibleFilm
  2. 2018The Image BookFilm: (archive footage)
  3. 2018Mireille Darc, la femme libreFilm: Monsieur (archive footage)
  4. 2012The Bardot mysteryFilm
  5. 1976Holy YearFilm: Max Lambert
  6. 1974Jury of OneFilm: Leguen
  7. 1973Two Men in TownFilm: Germain Cazeneuve
  8. 1973The Dominici AffairFilm: Gaston Dominici
  9. 1972KillerFilm: Commissioner Le Guen
  10. 1971The Black Flag Waves Over the ScowFilm: Victor Ploubaz
  11. 1971The CatFilm: Julien Bouin
  12. 1970The HorseFilm: Auguste Maroilleur
  13. 1969The Sicilian ClanFilm: Vittorio Manalese
  14. 1969Under the Sign of the BullFilm: Albert Raynal
  15. 1968The TattooFilm: Comte Enguerand de Montignac,alias « Legrain »
  16. 1968PashaFilm: Comissaire Joss, le Pacha
  17. 1967Action ManFilm: Denis Ferrand
  18. 1966The Gardener of ArgenteuilFilm: M. Martin dit « Le père Tulipe »
  19. 1966The Upper HandFilm: Paul Berger dit Paulo les Diam's
  20. 1965God's ThunderFilm: Léandre Brassac
  21. 1964That Tender AgeFilm: Émile Malhouin
  22. 1964MonsieurFilm: Monsieur
  23. 1963Maigret Sees RedFilm: Commissioner Jules Maigret
  24. 1963Any Number Can WinFilm: Charles
  25. 1962The Gentleman from EpsomFilm: Richard Briand-Charmery
  26. 1962A Monkey in WinterFilm: Albert Quentin
  27. 1961The Counterfeiters of ParisFilm: Ferdinand Maréchal, aka 'le Dabe'
  28. 1961The PresidentFilm: Émile Beaufort
  29. 1960The Old GuardFilm: Jean-Marie Pejat, bicycle repairer
  30. 1960The Baron of the LocksFilm: Baron Jérôme Napoléon Antoine
  31. 1959Rue de ParisFilm: Henri Neveu
  32. 1959Maigret and the St. Fiacre CaseFilm: Commissioner Jules Maigret
  33. 1959The Magnificent TrampFilm: Joseph, Hugues Guillaume Boutier-Blainville dit : Archimède
  34. 1958The PossessorsFilm: Noël Schoudler, le patriarche financier
  35. 1958Love Is My ProfessionFilm: André Gobillot
  36. 1958The Night AffairFilm: Georges Vallois
  37. 1958Les MisérablesFilm: Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
  38. 1958Maigret Sets a TrapFilm: Commissioner Jules Maigret
  39. 1957Speaking of MurderFilm: Louis Bertain/Louis le blond
  40. 1957The Case of Dr. LaurentFilm: le docteur Laurent
  41. 1956Crime and PunishmentFilm: Commissaire Gallet
  42. 1956La Traversée de ParisFilm: Grandgil, artist painter
  43. 1956Blood to the HeadFilm: François Cardinaud
  44. 1956Deadlier Than the MaleFilm: André Chatelin
  45. 1956People of No ImportanceFilm: Jean Viard
  46. 1955The Little RebelsFilm: Julien Lamy
  47. 1955Hi-Jack HighwayFilm: Jean Chape
  48. 1955House on the WaterfrontFilm: Commander Lequévic
  49. 1955French CancanFilm: Henri Danglard
  50. 1955RazziaFilm: Henri Ferré dit 'Le Nantais'
  51. 1955NapoleonFilm: Marshal Jean Lannes
  52. 1954Air of ParisFilm: Victor Le Garrec
  53. 1954Touchez Pas au GrisbiFilm: Max dit Max le Menteur
  54. 1953Rhine VirginFilm: Martin Schmidt, alias Jacques Ledru
  55. 1953Their Last NightFilm: Pierre Ruffin
  56. 1953StormsFilm: il professore Antonio Sanna
  57. 1952The Moment of TruthFilm: Dr Pierre Richard
  58. 1952Le PlaisirFilm: Joseph Rivet
  59. 1952The Truth About Bebe DongeFilm: François Donge
  60. 1951The Night Is My KingdomFilm: Raymond Pinsard
  61. 1951VictorFilm: Victor
  62. 1950Twelve Hours to LiveFilm: Carlo Bacchi
  63. 1950Marie of the PortFilm: Henri Chatelard
  64. 1949The Walls of MalapagaFilm: Pierre Arrignon
  65. 1947MirrorFilm: Pierre Lussac
  66. 1946Martin RoumagnacFilm: Martin Roumagnac
  67. 1944The ImpostorFilm: Clément / Maurice Lafarge
  68. 1942MoontideFilm: Bobo
  69. 1941Stormy WatersFilm: Le capitaine André Laurent
  70. 1939DaybreakFilm: François
  71. 1939Coral ReefsFilm: Ted "Trott" Lennard
  72. 1938La Bête HumaineFilm: Lantier
  73. 1938Port of ShadowsFilm: Jean
  74. 1937Lady KillerFilm: Lucien Bourrache, dit 'Gueule d'Amour'
  75. 1937The MessengerFilm: Nicolas Dange
  76. 1937Grand IllusionFilm: Lieutenant Maréchal
  77. 1937Pépé le MokoFilm: Pépé le Moko
  78. 1936The Lower DepthsFilm: Pepel Wasska
  79. 1936La Belle ÉquipeFilm: Jean dit Jeannot
  80. 1935VarietéFilm: Georges

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.