Grimault, Paul

(March 23, 1905, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France - March 29, 1994, Le Mesnil-Saint-Denis, Yvelines, France)

   The son of an archaeologist, he studied commercial art at the Ecole d'Art appliqué Germain Pilon (1919-1922). From 1923 to 1930, he worked in advertising as an actor, production designer, cameraman, direc­tor, and screenwriter with the collaboration of Jean Aurenche, Jean Anouilh, Marcel Carné, Yves Allégret, Jacques Prévert, and Max Ernst. An artistic director for the Les Gémeaux society, he began directing animated films (1936-1950). In 1952, he created his own production company, Les Films Paul Grimault.

   He played in a few movies (1934 LAtalante / Le Chaland qui passe, Jean Vigo; L'Hôtel du Libre Echange, Marc Allégret; 1935 Le Crime de Monsieur Lange / USA: The Crime of Monsieur Lange, Jean Renoir; 1957 Paris mange son Pain, short, Pierre Prévert; 1962 Le Pèlerinage, short, Jean L'Hôte). Other credit (as author of animated sequences): 1962 Mourir à Madrid (documentary, Frédéric Rossif).

 Filmography

1929 ◘ Brummel (animated short)

        ◘ L'Armoire (animated short)

        ◘ La Table tournante (animated short; co-director with Jean Aurenche)

        ◘ Monsieur Pipe fait de la Peinture (animated short; also screenwriter; unfinished)

        ◘ Concours de Pêche Lesieur (animated short)

        ◘ Phénomènes électriques (animated short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Le Messager de la Lumière (animated short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Gô chez les Oiseaux (animated short; the shoot­ing of the film was interrupted by the war and resumed in 1941 under the title Les Passagers de la Grande Ourse; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Le Marchand de Notes (animated short; also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ L'Epouvantail / USA: The Scarecrow (animated short; also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ Le Voleur de Paratonnerres (animated short; also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ Niglo Reporter (animated short)

        ◘ La Flûte magique (animated short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Le Petit Soldat (animated short; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)

1952 ◘ La Bergère et le Ramoneur / UK: The Shepherd­ess and the Chimneysweep / USA: Adventures of Mr. Wonderful / The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderful (animation; also co-screenwriter; shot in 1947-1950)

        ◘ Lierres oubliées (animated short)

        ◘ Enrico Cuisinier (short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ La Faim du Monde / La Faim dans le Monde (animated short; also co-screenwriter)

1969 ◘ Le Diamant (animated short; also co-screenwriter)

1973 ◘ Le Chien mélomane (animated short; also co-screenwriter)

1980 ◘ Le Roi et l'Oiseau / UK and USA: The King and the Mockingbird (animation; Paul Grimault used some characters and footage from La Bergère et le Ramoneur; also co-screenwriter, co-producer, production designer; shot in 1948-1950; new footage shot in 1977-1979)

1988 ◘ La Table tournante (animation; co-director with Jacques Demy; also co-screenwriter, co-producer, actor)