René Clair (11 November 1898 â€" 15 March 1981) born René-Lucien
Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his
reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy
was often mingled with fantasy. He went on to make some of the most
innovative early sound films in France, before going abroad to work in
the UK and USA for more than a decade. Returning to France after World
War II, he continued to make films that were characterised by their
elegance and wit, often presenting a nostalgic view of French life in
earlier years. He was elected to the Académie française in 1960.
Clair's best known films include The Italian Straw Hat (1928), Under
the Roofs of Paris (1930), Le Million (1931), À nous la liberté
(1931), I Married a Witch (1942), and And Then There Were None
(1945).René Clair was born and grew up in Paris in the district of
Les Halles, whose lively and picturesque character made a lasting
impression on him. His father was a soap merchant; he had an elder
brother, Henri Chomette (born 1896). He attended the Lycée Montaigne
and the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. In 1914 he was studying philosophy; his
friends at that time included Raymond Payelle who became the actor and
writer Philippe Hériat. In 1917, at the age of 18, he served as an
ambulance driver in World War I, before being invalided out with a
spinal injury. He was deeply affected by the horrors of war that he
witnessed and gave expression to this in writing a volume of poetry
called La Tête de l'homme (which remained unpublished). Back in Paris
after the war, he started a career as a journalist at the left-wing
newspaper L'Intransigeant.Having met the music-hall singer Damia and
written some songs for her, Clair was persuaded by her to visit
Gaumont studios in 1920 where a film was being cast and he then agreed
to take on a leading role in Le Lys de la vie. He adopted the
stage-name of René Clair, and several other acting jobs followed,
including Parisette for Louis Feuillade. In 1922 he extended his
career as a journalist, becoming the editor of a new film supplement
to a monthly magazine, Théâtre et ComÅ"dia illustrés. He also
visited Belgium and after an introduction from his brother Henri, he
became an assistant to the director Jacques de Baroncelli on several
films.
Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his
reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy
was often mingled with fantasy. He went on to make some of the most
innovative early sound films in France, before going abroad to work in
the UK and USA for more than a decade. Returning to France after World
War II, he continued to make films that were characterised by their
elegance and wit, often presenting a nostalgic view of French life in
earlier years. He was elected to the Académie française in 1960.
Clair's best known films include The Italian Straw Hat (1928), Under
the Roofs of Paris (1930), Le Million (1931), À nous la liberté
(1931), I Married a Witch (1942), and And Then There Were None
(1945).René Clair was born and grew up in Paris in the district of
Les Halles, whose lively and picturesque character made a lasting
impression on him. His father was a soap merchant; he had an elder
brother, Henri Chomette (born 1896). He attended the Lycée Montaigne
and the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. In 1914 he was studying philosophy; his
friends at that time included Raymond Payelle who became the actor and
writer Philippe Hériat. In 1917, at the age of 18, he served as an
ambulance driver in World War I, before being invalided out with a
spinal injury. He was deeply affected by the horrors of war that he
witnessed and gave expression to this in writing a volume of poetry
called La Tête de l'homme (which remained unpublished). Back in Paris
after the war, he started a career as a journalist at the left-wing
newspaper L'Intransigeant.Having met the music-hall singer Damia and
written some songs for her, Clair was persuaded by her to visit
Gaumont studios in 1920 where a film was being cast and he then agreed
to take on a leading role in Le Lys de la vie. He adopted the
stage-name of René Clair, and several other acting jobs followed,
including Parisette for Louis Feuillade. In 1922 he extended his
career as a journalist, becoming the editor of a new film supplement
to a monthly magazine, Théâtre et ComÅ"dia illustrés. He also
visited Belgium and after an introduction from his brother Henri, he
became an assistant to the director Jacques de Baroncelli on several
films.
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