Ronet, Maurice

(April 13, 1927, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France - March 14, 1983, Paris, France)

   The son of stage actors, he made his stage debut with his parents at age sixteen in Les Deux couverts, a play by Sacha Guitry. After completing his second­ary studies, he took speech lessons with performers Robert Dhéry, Julien Bertheau, and Bernard Blier. He enrolled in the Paris National Conservatoire and entered films in 1949 (Rendez-vous de Juillet). He played leading and then supporting roles in more than ninety films, including Celui qui doit mourir / Colui che deve morire / USA: He Who Must Die (Jules Das­sin, France / Italy, 1957), Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud / UK: Lift to the Scaffold / USA: Frantic (Louis Malle, 1958), Plein Soleil / Delitto in pieno sole / UK: Blazing Sun / UK and USA: Purple Noon / USA: Lust for Evil (René Clément, France / Italy, 1960), Le Feu follet / Fuoco fatuo / UK: A Time to Live and a Time to Die / USA: The Fire Within (Louis Malle, France / Italy, 1963), Lost Command (Mark Robson, USA, 1966), La Femme infidèle / Stephane, una moglie infedele / UK and USA: The Unfaithful Wife (Claude Chabrol, France / Italy, 1969), La Piscine / La piscina / UK: The Sinners / USA: The Swimming Pool (Jacques Deray, France / Italy), and Raphaël ou le Débauché (Michel Deville, 1971). He directed several films and TV movies, notably some adaptations from Herman Melville and Edgar Allan Poe. His interviews with his friend, journalist Hervé Le Boterf, were collected in a book (1977 Le Métier de Comédien, Editions France - Empire). He died of cancer at age fifty-five. Formerly married to actress Maria Pacôme (1950-1956), he was the partner of Josephine Chaplin (1977-1983). Other book: 1973 L'Ile des Dragons (Editions France - Empire).

 Filmography

1965 ◘ Le Voleur de Tibidabo / La vida es magnifica (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist; France / Spain)

1973 ◘ L'Ile des Dragons / Vers l'Ile Dragon (documentary; short; also screenwriter)

1978 ◘ Bartleby (originally shot for TV; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; shot in 1976)

 Television Filmography

1973 ◘ Mozambique (documentary)

        ◘ Ni Lune ni Etoiles La Folie du Doute Orient-Express

        ◘ Histoires insolites (episode "Folies douces"; also actor)

1981 ◘ Ligeia (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

        ◘ Histoires extraordinaires: Le Scarabée d'Or / Escarabajo de oro (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)