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.
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 3.0.
Acted in
Le père Amable
1975
as Vatinol
The Common Man
1975
as Le Maire
Antigone
1974
as le choeur
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
1974
as le père de François Perrin
The Last Train
1973
as Le voisin
La Duchesse d'Avila
1973
as L'aubergiste
Love Me Strangely
1971
as Le portier de l'hôtel
Cold Sweat
1970
as The doctor
The Horse
1970
as Witness to car accident
Maurin des Maures
1970
as Pons
An Artistic Couple
1970
The Christmas Tree
1969
as (uncredited)
Secret World
1969
as Gustave / servant
La séparation
1968
as Prêtre
Les Dossiers de l'Agence O
1968
as Le vieux Vick
Triple Cross
1966
as Charlie
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
1966
At Theatre Tonight
1966
as Félix Ducotel
Illusions perdues
1966
as Camusot
The Sleeping Sentinel
1966
Le naïf amoureux
1965
as 'Tonton Louis'
Lucky Jo
1964
as Légiste (uncredited)
The Train
1964
as Spinet
Greed in the Sun
1964
as Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
Jeff Gordon, Secret Agent
1964
as Le notaire
Bayard
1964
as Aymon Terrail
Charade
1963
as Mr. Felix
La parole est au témoin
1963
The Depths
1963
as Mons. Lapeyre
The Trip to Biarritz
1963
Sundays and Cybele
1962
as Grocer
Les Célibataires
1962
as Chandelier
Keep Talking, Baby
1961
Blood on His Sword
1961
as Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
Fanny
1961
as The Postman
Goodbye Again
1961
as Cellarman
The Truth
1960
as Un greffier
The Gigolo
1960
as (uncredited)
The Enemy General
1960
as Mayor
Love and the Frenchwoman
1960
as Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
A Woman Like Satan
1958
as Innkeeper
A Legitimate Defense
1958
as le président de la cour
Les Misérables
1958
as Le médecin de l'hôpital
Sinners of Paris
1958
as L'inspecteur Renaud
Mademoiselle and Her Gang
1957
as Marcel, owner of the hotel
Love in the Afternoon
1957
as Police Chief (uncredited)
The Case of Dr. Laurent
1957
as Guillaumin
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
1956
as Master Lecornu
The Terror with Women
1956
Frou-Frou
1955
as Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes
1954
Their Last Night
1953
as le commissaire principal
Lettre ouverte
1953
as Honoré, the father-in-law
Holiday for Henrietta
1952
as The Newsagent (uncredited)
Ils sont dans les vignes...
1952
as American
Piédalu fait des miracles
1952
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
1952
as Monsieur Bleubois
The Green Glove
1952
as Inspector
The Truth About Bebe Donge
1952
Duel à Dakar
1951
as The Commander
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Amazing Monsieur Fabre
1951
as Le ministre Victor Duruy
Pardon My French
1951
as Monsieur Bleubois
Clara de Montargis
1951
Juliette, or Key of Dreams
1951
as La capitaine du cargo
Bedelia
1946
as Insurance Manager (as Paul Boniface)
Lisbon Story
1946
as Stephan Corelle
Johnny Frenchman
1945
as Jerome
Dead of Night
1945
as French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
The Man from Morocco
1945
as French Mayor
Champagne Charlie
1944
as Targetino
English Without Tears
1944
as Monsieur Rolland
Candlelight in Algeria
1944
as French Proprietor
Two Fathers
1944
as The Frenchman
Madagascar Landing
1944
as Michel
The Foreman Went to France
1942
as Prefect of Rouville
Maxim's Porter
1939
The Five Cents of Lavarede
1939