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Fernand Gravey
Actor

Fernand Gravey

25 Dec 1905Born
2 Nov 1970Died
64Age at death
70Credits

Biography

Fernand Gravey (25 December 1905 in Ixelles (Belgium) – 2 November 1970 in Paris, France), also known as Fernand Gravet in the United States, was the son of actors Georges Mertens and Fernande Depernay, who appeared in silent films produced by pioneer Belge Cinéma Film (a subsidiary of Pathé).

Gravey started performing at age five under his father's direction.

Before World War I, he received an education in Britain and could speak both French and English fluently, something which became useful in his movie roles. During the war, Gravey served in the British Merchant Marine Corp.

In 1936, he married the French actress Jane Renouardt, who was 15 years his senior.

Read the full biography

They remained together until his death on 2 November 1970 of a heart-attack. Jane died on 3 February 1972. They had no children.

Gravey performed in four films in 1913 and 1914 (as Fernand Mertens), but his first film of importance was L'Amour Chante, released in 1930. In 1933, he made Bitter Sweet, his first English language movie, which became more famous in its 1940 incarnation with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.

In 1937, after several more French and British movies, Gravey went to Hollywood, where the spelling of his last name was altered to Gravet, and he became the focus of a rather extensive Hollywood publicity campaign (instructing moviegoers to pronounce his name properly: "Rhymes with Gravy"). Unfortunately for Gravey, he was offered only standard parts, the type of Gallic-lover roles that Louis Jourdan played in the 1950s and 1960s.

The first two films he made in Hollywood were for Warner Brothers: The King and the Chorus Girl (1937), with Joan Blondell and Jane Wyman, and Fools for Scandal (1938), with Carole Lombard and Ralph Bellamy. Gravey then signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was cast as Johann Strauss in the expensive biopic The Great Waltz, with Luise Rainer and Miliza Korjus.

MGM next planned to star Gravey in a film version of Rafael Sabatini's adventure novel Scaramouche, but instead he returned to France just before the Nazi occupation began. Although he had agreed to appear in German-approved French films, Gravey was an underminer of the invaders as a member of the French Secret Army and the Foreign Legion.

At the end of the war, Gravey was considered a war hero, and continued to be featured in French productions such as La Ronde (with Danielle Darrieux), and Royal Affairs in Versailles (1954). Among his last English language performances were How to Steal a Million (1966), Guns for San Sebastian (1968) and The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), in which he played the police inspector.

Source: Article "Fernand Gravey" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 1976That's Entertainment, Part IIFilm: (archive footage)
  2. 1971The House in the WoodsSeries: Le marquis de Fresnoy (5 episodes)
  3. 1971The HideoutFilm: Labrize
  4. 1971Pas moral pour deux sousFilm: Daniel Wilde
  5. 1970Promise at DawnFilm: Jean-Michel Serusier
  6. 1970Give Her the MoonFilm: Captain Ragot
  7. 1969The Madwoman of ChaillotFilm: Police sergeant
  8. 1967Guns for San SebastianFilm: Governor
  9. 1966How to Steal a MillionFilm: Grammont
  10. 1965The Woman from BeirutFilm: Dr. Castello
  11. 1963Harry's GirlsSeries: Andre Giraud (1 episode)
  12. 1961The Crumblers Are Doing WellFilm: François Legrand
  13. 1958Toto in ParisFilm: Il dottor Duclos
  14. 1958School for CoquettesFilm: Stanislas de La Ferronière
  15. 1958Hardboiled Egg TimeFilm: Raoul Grandvivier
  16. 1957La GarçonneFilm: Georges Sauvage
  17. 1956MitsouFilm: Pierre Duroy-Lelong
  18. 1956Slightly AheadFilm: Olivier Parker, le faux entraîneur hippique, escroc
  19. 1955Thirteen at the TableFilm: Antoine Villardier
  20. 1953Royal Affairs in VersaillesFilm: Molière
  21. 1953The Age of IndiscretionFilm: Padre di Andrea, presidente del tribunale
  22. 1953My Husband Is MarvelousFilm: Claude Chatel
  23. 1952The Happiest of MenFilm: Armand Dupuis-Martin
  24. 1951My Wife Is FormidableFilm: Raymond Corbier, sculpteur et mari de Sylvia
  25. 1950Gunman in the StreetsFilm: Commissioner Dufresne
  26. 1950Le TraquéFilm: Commissioner Dufresne
  27. 1950La RondeFilm: Charles Breitkopf, son mari
  28. 1950Mademoiselle Josette, ma femmeFilm: André Ternay
  29. 1949Du GuesclinFilm: Bertrand du Guesclin
  30. 1947Captain BlometFilm: Blomet
  31. 1946Once Is EnoughFilm: Jacques Reval
  32. 1945PamélaFilm: Paul Barras
  33. 1944La RabouilleuseFilm: Colonel Philippe Brideau
  34. 1943DominoFilm: Dominique
  35. 1943Captain FracasseFilm: Baron de Cigognac
  36. 1942Fantastic NightFilm: Denis
  37. 1942Threesome RomanceFilm: Charles
  38. 1941Foolish HusbandsFilm: Gérard Barbier
  39. 1939Four Flights to LoveFilm: Pierre Leblan
  40. 1939The Last TurningFilm: Frank Maurice
  41. 1938Breakdowns of 1938Film: Rene (archive footage) (uncredited)
  42. 1938The Great WaltzFilm: Johann 'Schani' Strauss II
  43. 1938Fools for ScandalFilm: Rene
  44. 1937The Lie of Nina PetrovnaFilm: Lieutenant Franz Korff
  45. 1937The King and the Chorus GirlFilm: Alfred Bruger VII
  46. 1936Mister FlowFilm: Antonin Rose
  47. 1936Symphonie D'AmourFilm: Charles Panard
  48. 1936Seven Men, One WomanFilm: Viscount Brémontier
  49. 1935Fanfare of LoveFilm: Jean Rameau / Jeanette, piano des " Tulipes Hollandaises "
  50. 1935Touche-à-toutFilm: Georges Martin aka 'Touche-à-Tout'
  51. 1935VarietéFilm: Pierre
  52. 1935Monsieur Sans-GêneFilm: Fernand Martin
  53. 1935AntoniaFilm: Captain Douglas Parker
  54. 1934Si j'étais le patronFilm: Henri Janvier
  55. 1934C'était un musicienFilm: Jean
  56. 1934The Queen's AffairFilm: Carl
  57. 1933Court WaltzesFilm: Franz
  58. 1933The Premature FatherFilm: Édouard Puma & Fred
  59. 1933Bitter SweetFilm: Carl Linden
  60. 1933Early to BedFilm: Carl
  61. 1932The Improvised SonFilm: Fernand Brassart
  62. 1932PassionatelyFilm: Robert Perceval
  63. 1932Ladies HairdresserFilm: Mario
  64. 1932You Will Be a DuchessFilm: Marquis André de la Cour
  65. 1931Un homme en habitFilm: André de Lussanges
  66. 1931Let's Get MarriedFilm: Francis Latour
  67. 1930Love SongsFilm: Armand Petitjean
  68. 1914La Fille de DelftFilm: Jonge Jefke / Young Jefke
  69. 1913Monsieur Beulemeester, Civic GuardFilm: Le petit Paul
  70. 1913Saïda Makes Off with the Manneken PisFilm: Fernand Mertens

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