Joannon, Léo

(August 21, 1904, Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France - March 28, 1969, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France)

   After studying law, he published a novel (1929 Nos­talgie, Gallimard), film articles, and short stories. He made his film debut as a location manager at Gaumont and as a cameraman. He collaborated as a screenwriter on many movies (1928 Funf bange Tage, as co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, Gennaro Righelli, Germany; 1952 Les Sept Péchés capitaux / I sette peccati / I sette peccati capitali / UK and USA: The Seven Deadly Sins, as co-screenwriter, Jean Dréville, Roberto Rosselini, Yves Allégret, Carlo Rim, Eduardo De Filippo, Claude Autant-Lara, Georges Lacombe, France / Italy; 1954 Les Révoltés de Lomanach / L'eroe della Vendea, as screenwriter, Richard Pottier, France / Italy; 1956 Casta Diva / A toi . . . toujours, Carmine Gallone, as screenwriter, Italy / France, shot in 1954; 1957 Pot-Bouille / Le donne degli altri / UK: The House of Lovers / USA: Lovers of Paris, as screenwriter, co-adapter, Julien Duvivier, France / Italy; 1961 Le vergini di Roma / Les Vierges de Rome / USA: Amazons of Rome, as screenwriter, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia, Vit-torio Cottafavi, Italy / France / Yugoslavia; 1969 S.O.S. Fréquence, TV series, episode "Alerte générale", as co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, Claude Boissol). He also was a production manager (1929 Quartier Latin, Au-gusto Genina), supervising director (1939 Le Paradis des Voleurs / Avec les Chevaux de Bois, L. C. Marsoudet; 1944 La Collection Ménard, Bernard-Roland), and actor (1955 Les Aristocrates / UK: The Aristocrats, Denys de La Patellière; 1957 Un Amour de Poche / UK: Nude in His Pocket / USA: Girl in His Pocket, Pierre Kast). Harold Huth shot a British remake of his film Alerte en Méditerranée (1939 Hell's Cargo / USA: Dangerous Cargo). In 1950-1951, he directed Laurel and Hardy's last film, the mediocre Atoll K, which was released in the USA in 1954 as Utopia.

 Filmography

1931 ◘ Durand contre Durand (French-language version of Eugene Thiele's Einer Frau muss alles verzelh'n; Germany / France)

        ◘ Sur la Voie du Bonheur

        ◘ Suzanne (co-director with Raymond Rouleau)

        ◘ Il a été perdu une Mariée

        ◘ Six Cent Mille Francs par Mois

        ◘ Adieu les Copains! (also screenwriter, dialogist)

        ◘ Bibi la Purée

        ◘ On a trouvé une Femme nue

        ◘ Le Bouif chez les Pur-Sang (short)

1935 ◘ Quelle Drôle de Gosse!

        ◘ Train de Plaisir

        ◘ Les Conquêtes de César (short)

1936 ◘ Quand Minuit sonnera (also Dutch-language version of Klokslag twsalf; France / Netherlands)

        ◘ Mais n'te promène donc pas toute Nue! (short)

1937 ◘ Vous n'avez rien à déclarer? / USA: Confessions of a Newlywed (also producer)

        ◘ L'Homme sans Cœur (also Dutch-language version: De man zonder Hart; France / Neth­erlands)

        ◘ Le Chanteur de Minuit

1938 ◘ Alerte en Méditerranée / UK: Alert in the Mediterranean / USA: S.O.S. Mediterranean (also screenwriter)

1940 ◘ L'Emigrante (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)

        ◘ Caprices (also screenwriter)

        ◘ Le Camion blanc (also screenwriter)

        ◘ Fucrèce

        ◘ Le Carrefour des Enfants perdus / UK and USA: Children of Chaos

        ◘ Documents secrets (shot in 1940)

        ◘ Le 84 prend des Vacances (also co-adapter)

        ◘ Atoll K / Atollo K / UK: Escapade / Robinson Crusoeland / USA: Utopia (also screenwriter; France / Italy)

        ◘ Drôle de Noce (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, producer)

1954 ◘ Le Défroqué (also screenwriter, co-adapter, actor)

1956 ◘ Le Secret de Sœur Angèle / Il segreto di Suor Angela / UK: Secret of Sister Angela / USA: Sister Angele's Secret (also screenwriter, co-dialogist, actor; France / Italy)

        ◘ L'Homme aux Clés d'Or (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, actor)

1958 ◘ Le Désert de Pigalle / L'inferno di Pigalle / UK: A Priest in Pigalle (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, actor; France / Italy)

        ◘ Tant d'Amour perdu / Le insaziabili (also co-screenwriter; France / Italy)

        ◘ L'Assassin est dans l'Annuaire (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, actor)

        ◘ Fort-du-Fou / Il forte dei disperati / USA: Outpost in Indochina (also co-adapter, actor; France / Italy)

        ◘ Trois Enfants dans le Désordre (also screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Arnaud / Voglia vivere la mia vita (also screenwriter, co-adapter; France / Italy)