Herman, Jean

(May 17, 1933, Pagny-sur-Moselle, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France - )

   He came to Paris to study literature but finally opted for cinema and attended courses at the IDHEC. In the late 1950s, he moved to India, where he taught French and met Roberto Rossellini, who hired him as an assistant (1959 India: Matri Bhumi / Inde, Terre Mère, documentary, Roberto Rossellini, Italy / France, shot in 1957). Having returned to France, he worked as an assistant on many movies (1960 Paris nous appartient/ UK: Paris Is Ours / USA: Paris Belongs to Us, Jacques Riv-ette, shot in 1958; 1962 The Longest Day, Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Gerd Oswald, John Sullivan, Bern-hard Wicki, Elmo Williams, Darryl F. Zanuck, USA). A successful novelist since 1973, he became very in demand as a screenwriter (1976 Le Grand Escogriffe, as co-screenwriter, Claude Pinoteau, France / Italy; 1977 Banlieue Sud-Est, TV miniseries, as screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, Gilles Grangier; 1979 Les Insulaires, TV, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, Gilles Grangier; Flic ou Voyou, as screenwriter, adapter, Georges Lautner; Histoires insolites, episode "Le Lo­cataire d'en Haut", as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist; Miss, TV series, as dialogist, Roger Pigaut; Le Guignolo, as screenwriter, Georges Lautner, France / Italy; 1980 L'Entourloupe, as screenwriter, adapter, Gé­rard Pires; Jean-Sans-Terre, as co-screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, Gilles Grangier; 1981 Garde à Vue / UK: The Inquisitor / USA: Under Suspicion, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, Claude Miller; 1983 Le Marginal, as co-screenwriter, actor, Jacques Deray; 1984 Rue Barbare, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, Gilles Béhat; Canicule / USA: Dog Day, as author of original novel, co-screenwriter, co-adapter, Yves Boisset; 1985 Ur­gence, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, Gilles Béhat; 1986 Bleu comme l'Enfer, as co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, Yves Boisset; 1987 Charlie Dingo, also co-screenwriter, dialogist, Gilles Béhat). Some of his novels were brought to the screen (1986 Billy Ze Kick, also actor, Gérard Mordillat; 1991 Berlin Lady / La Dame de Berlin, TV miniseries, Pierre Boutron). In 2000, Stephen Hopkins shot an American remake of Garde-à-Vue (Under Suspicion / Suspicion, Stephen Hop­kins, USA / France). He also played a supporting role in a TV movie (1986 Série noire, episode "La Nuit du Flingueur", Pierre Grimblat).

 Filmography

1958 ◘ Voyage en Boscavie (short; co-director with Claude Choublier; also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ Le Coup de main (short)

        ◘ Reggane à l'Heure H (short)

        ◘ Survie en Brousse (short)

        ◘ Actua-Tilt (short; also co-screenwriter, author of commentary)

        ◘ La Quille (short; also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Fusils (short; also screenwriter, dialogist)

        ◘ Les Premiers Jours (short)

1962 ◘ Twist Parade (short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Enquête à Rennes (short)

        ◘ La Cinémathèque française (documentary; short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Bon pour la Vie civile (short; forbidden by cen­sorship, it was cut and released as Le Chemin de la mauvaise Route; also screenwriter, author of commentary)

        ◘ Pif le Chien (animated short)

        ◘ Le Dimanche de la Vie / USA: The Sunday of Life (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter; France / West Germany)

        ◘ Adieu l'Ami / Due sporche carogne / Tecnica di una rapina / USA: Farewell, Friend / Honor Among Thieves (also co-adapter; France / Italy)

        ◘ Jeff / Addio Jeff!. (France / Italy)

        ◘ Popsy Pop / Fuori il malloppo / La reina de dia-mantes / UK: The 21 Carat Snatch / The Great Diamond Chase / USA: Queen of Diamonds / The Butterfly Affair (also adapter, dialogist; France / Italy / Venezuela)

        ◘ L'Oeuf (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

 Television Filmography

1963 ◘ Sur un Air de Violon (six episodes)

        ◘ De nos Envoyés spéciaux (episodes "Le Spéciali­ste", "Un Pur Sang ambarrassant", "Rodéo en Seine-et-Oise")

        ◘ La France dans Vingt Ans (also screenwriter)

        ◘ Lapin Jules (animation)

        ◘ La Conquête de l'Angleterre par les Normands (3 X 60')

1973 ◘ Les Grands Détectives (episodes "Monsieur Lecoq", "Rendez-vous dans les Ténèbres")

        ◘ Le Comte Yoster a bien l'Honneur / Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre (episodes "Le Jeu avec la Mort" / "Das Spiel mit dem Tode", "La Cage aux Perroquets"; France / West Germany)

        ◘ Les Peupliers de la Prétentaine (6 X 52')