Paul Bonifas
Paul Bonifas (3 June 1902 – 9 November 1975) was a French actor, born in Paris.
In the 1920s, while working for the French customs service, Bonifas took classes in acting at the Conservatoire de Paris in his spare time. He left with the first prize for comedy, which allowed him to join the Odéon Theatre in 1933, then the Comédie-Française in 1938.
He made his first film appearance in 1935 in a version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, directed by Pierre Chenal.
During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the artillery, was badly wounded, and evacuated from Dunkirk with his unit. In London he joined the Free French, and worked for Radio Londres broadcasting to occupied France.
In 1942 he appeared in the film The Foreman Went to France.
In 1943 he formed "The Molière Players", who staged a repertoire of mainly Molière works in London theatres, as well as in regional towns and at French army barracks. He came to the Comedy Theatre, London with Théâtre Molierè in 1943 and 1944, performing in L'Anglais Tel Qu'on Le Parle, Le Malade Imaginaire, Gringoire, Le Misanthrope et L'Auvergnat, Les Femmes Savantes, Le Paquebot Tenacity, La Testament Du Pere Leleu and L'Extra. His Company included Andre Frere, Georges Rex, Suzette Marquis, Elma Soiron and Paul Clarus.
In 1944 "The Molière Players" appeared in the short film Aventure malgache directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This was written by, and based on the experiences of, Jules Francois Clermont, an actor in Bonifas' troupe working under the name of Paul Clarus, who had operated an illegal radio station Madagascar Libre in Madagascar while the island was under Vichy control.
Bonifas then appeared in a number of other British films, including Two Fathers with Bernard Miles, directed by Anthony Asquith, and had minor roles in the musicals Heaven Is Round the Corner and Champagne Charlie, the action adventure film The Man from Morocco, the comedy-drama Johnny Frenchman and the horror film Dead of Night.
Bonifas returned to France in 1946 and resumed his career in theatre, specializing in comedy, but also taking dramatic roles.
His later film career included appearances in Trapeze (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956), Fanny (1961), Charade (1963), Greed in the Sun (1964), The Train (1964), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Triple Cross (1966), and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974).
Bonifas died on 9 November 1975 at Vernouillet, Yvelines, France.
Source: Article "Paul Bonifas" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Fotos
Películas (72)
Le Père Amable
1975 · Vatinol
Rosebud
1975
The Common Man
1975 · Le Maire
Antigone
1974 · le choeur
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
1974 · le père de François Perrin
The Last Train
1973 · Le voisin
Love Me Strangely
1971 · Hotel porter
Cold Sweat
1970 · The doctor
An Artistic Couple
1970 · Henri Faroy
The Horse
1970 · Witness to Car Accident
The Christmas Tree
1969 · (uncredited)
Secret World
1969 · Gustave / servant
La Séparation
1968 · Prêtre
Triple Cross
1966 · Charlie
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
1966
The Sleeping Sentinel
1966 · Lanier
Le Naïf amoureux
1965 · 'Tonton Louis'
Lucky Jo
1964 · Légiste (uncredited)
The Train
1964 · Spinet
Greed in the Sun
1964 · Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
Jeff Gordon, Secret Agent
1964 · Le notaire
Charade
1963 · Mr. Felix
La parole est au témoin
1963
The Depths
1963 · Mons. Lapeyre
The Trip to Biarritz
1963 · Bourrély
Sundays and Cybele
1962 · Grocer
Les Célibataires
1962 · Chandelier
Keep Talking, Baby
1961
Blood on His Sword
1961 · Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
Fanny
1961 · The Postman
Goodbye Again
1961 · Cellarman
The Truth
1960 · Un greffier
The Gigolo
1960 · (uncredited)
The Enemy General
1960 · Mayor
Love and the Frenchwoman
1960 · Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
A Woman Like Satan
1958 · Innkeeper
A Legitimate Defense
1958 · le président de la cour
Les Misérables
1958 · Hospital doctor
Sinners of Paris
1958 · L'inspecteur Renaud
Mademoiselle and Her Gang
1957 · Marcel, owner of the hotel
Love in the Afternoon
1957 · Police Chief (uncredited)
The Case of Dr. Laurent
1957 · Guillaumin
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1956 · Master Lecornu
The Terror with Women
1956
Frou-Frou
1955 · Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
Their Last Night
1953 · le commissaire principal
Lettre ouverte
1953 · Honoré, the father-in-law
Holiday for Henrietta
1952 · The Newsagent (uncredited)
Ils sont dans les vignes...
1952 · American
Piédalu fait des miracles
1952
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
1952 · Monsieur Bleubois
The Green Glove
1952 · Inspector
The Truth About Bebe Donge
1952 · Traveler (uncredited)
Duel à Dakar
1951 · The Commander
Amazing Monsieur Fabre
1951 · Le ministre Victor Duruy
Pardon My French
1951 · Monsieur Bleubois
Clara de Montargis
1951
Juliette, or Key of Dreams
1951 · Captain of the cargo ship
Bedelia
1946 · Insurance Manager
Lisbon Story
1946 · Stephan Corelle
Johnny Frenchman
1945 · Jerome
Dead of Night
1945 · French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
The Man from Morocco
1945 · French Mayor
Champagne Charlie
1944 · Targetino
English Without Tears
1944 · Monsieur Rolland
Candlelight in Algeria
1944 · French Proprietor
Two Fathers
1944 · The Frenchman
Aventure Malgache
1944 · Michel
The Foreman Went to France
1942 · Prefect of Rouville
Maxim's Porter
1939
The Five Cents of Lavarede
1939 · Sailor
Crime and Punishment
1935
