Jules Berry
Jules Berry (born Marie Louis Jules Paufichet; 9 February 1883 – 23 April 1951) was a French actor.
Berry and his two brothers were born to parents who sold hardware and settled in Poitou. The family moved to Paris in 1888. Berry completed his studies at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand and then graduated from École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts.
It was during his studies that Berry developed an interest in the theater. Following an audition, he was hired by the Théâtre Antoine-Simone Berriau to act in La Mort du duc d'Enghien by Léon Hennique, and Le Perroquet vert by Arthur Schnitzler.
Later he performed at the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique and the Théâtre de l'Athénée. During a tour in Lyon, he was noticed by Jean-François Ponson, who hired him for a period of 12 years at the Théâtre royal des Galeries Saint-Hubert in Brussels. Audiences in Brussels gave him a warm welcome, where he played in productions such as Le Mariage de mademoiselle Beulemans.
Berry subsequently performed in 30 successful plays for Marcel Achard, Alfred Savoir, Louis Verneuil, and Roger Ferdinand. One of Berry's first movie roles was the silent film Oliver Cromwell (1911) directed by Henri Desfontaines. His first appearance in a talking picture was Mon coeur et ses millions (1931) with Suzy Prim. Over the course of his career, Berry acted in 89 motion pictures.
Bombastic, extravagant, and whimsical, Berry was as flamboyant as any entertainer of the period, including Pierre Brasseur. Berry is often considered one of the greatest actors in the history of French cinema.
Among Berry's best films are: The Crime of Monsieur Lange by Jean Renoir, Les Visiteurs du Soir by Marcel Carné, Le Jour Se Lève by Marcel Carné, Strange Inheritance by Louis Daquin, Baccara by Yves Mirande, 27 Rue de la Paix by Richard Pottier and L'Habit vert by Roger Richebé.
Berry ended his film career in 1951 to interpret the texts of Jacques Prévert.
Berry was romantically involved with actresses Jane Marken, Suzy Prim, and Josseline Gaël. He and Gaël had a daughter named Michelle in 1939.
A compulsive gambler, Berry frequented casinos and horse races. In April 1951, Berry was admitted to the Hôpital Broussais, where he died of a heart attack caused by treatment for rheumatism. He is buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery (division 80).
Source: Article "Jules Berry" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Acted in
The Image Book
2018
as (archive footage)
Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma
1978
as Self (archive footage)
Stars Never Die
1957
as Self (archive footage)
Les Maîtres-nageurs
1951
as Chamboise
The Rear-Wheel Drive Gang
1950
as The Baron of Puy de la Margelle
Tête blonde
1950
as Frédéric Octave Pancrace Truche
Without Trumpet or Drum
1950
as Saint-Rosay,le cousin écossais d'André
Not Any Weekend for Our Love
1950
as Le baron Richard de Valirman
Portrait of a Murderer
1949
as Pfeiffer
Strange Tales
1949
as Fortunato
Si jeunesse savait...
1948
as Charles Vigne
The Crowned Fish Tavern
1947
as Léo
Distress
1947
as Frontenac
Dreams of Love
1947
as Belloni
La Troisième Dalle
1946
as Professor Barbaroux
The Murderer Is Not Guilty
1946
as Jules Berry
Mr. Gregoire Runs Away
1946
as Charles Tuffal
Messieurs Ludovic
1946
as M. Mareuil
Star Without Light
1946
as Billy Daniel
Dorothy Looks for Love
1945
as Mr. Pascal
Le mort ne reçoit plus
1944
Behold Beatrice
1944
as Richelière
T'amerò sempre
1943
as Oscar
Tristi amori
1943
as Il conte Ettore Arcieri
Le Soleil de minuit
1943
as Forestier
The London Man
1943
as Brown
Marie-Martine
1943
as Loïc Limousin, le romancier
Le Voyageur de la Toussaint
1943
as Plantel
The White Truck
1943
as Shabbas
The Big Fight
1942
Little Nothings
1942
as Lefèvre (uncredited)
The Devil's Envoys
1942
as The Devil
L'assassin a peur la nuit
1942
as Jérôme
Soyez les bienvenus
1942
as The player
Retour au bonheur
1942
La Symphonie fantastique
1942
as Schlesinger
Chambre 13
1942
Parade in 7 Nights
1941
as Inspector Calas
Face au destin
1941
as Claude Davenay
L'Embuscade
1941
as Armand Limeuil
L'An 40
1941
as Stanislas
After the Storm
1941
as Alex Krakow
The Mondesir Heir
1940
as Waldemar, le mage
Paris - New-York
1940
as Sinclar
The Duraton Family
1940
as Sammy Walter
Daybreak
1939
as M. Valentin
His Uncle from Normandy
1939
Cas de conscience
1939
Behind the Facade
1939
as Alfredo d'Avila, dancer of these ladies
Deputy Eusèbe
1939
as Félix Jacassar
Final Accord
1938
as Larzac
Café de Paris
1938
as Fleury
The Midnight Airplane
1938
as L'inspecteur Leroy
The Woman of Monte Carlo
1938
as Count Messirian
Clodoche
1938
The Woman Thief
1938
as Sadoc Torner
Hercule
1938
as Vasco
The West
1938
as Max - Le portier
Les Deux Combinards
1938
as Jacques Barisart
Crossroads
1938
as Lucien Sarrow
Balthazar
1937
A Picnic on the Grass
1937
as Pierre Haguet
The Green Dress
1937
as Parmeline
The Kings of Sport
1937
as Acteur
Le Club des Aristocrates
1937
as Serge de Montbreuse
Arsène Lupin, Detective
1937
as Barnett, alias Arsène Lupin
Champs-Elysees
1937
as Maxime Germont
La Bête aux sept manteaux
1937
A Man to Kill
1937
French White Cargo
1937
as Moreno
Mr. Nobody
1936
as Monsieur Personne
Adventure in Paris
1936
as Michel Levasseur
27, rue de la Paix
1936
as Denis Grand
Rigolboche
1936
as Berry
Wolves Between Them
1936
Disk 413
1936
as Captain Richard Maury
A Hen on a Wall
1936
as Henri Sornin
The Crime of Monsieur Lange
1936
as Batala
The Fleeing Dead
1936
as Hector Trignol
Baccara
1935
as André Leclerc
Touche-à-tout
1935
as Bressac
Et moi, j'te dis qu'elle t'a fait de l'oeil
1935
as André Courvalin
Jeunes filles à marier
1935
Une femme chipée
1934
as Doctor Germont
Arlette et ses papas
1934
King of Hotels
1932
Quick
1932
as Quick, Music Clown
My Heart and Its Millions
1931
L'Argent
1928
as Huret