Tual, Denise

(Denise Piazza / May 15, 1906, Paris, France - 2000, France)

   The daughter of an art publisher father and a musician mother, she grew up among artists (composer Claude Debussy was a friend of the family) and learned musi­cal notation with Pablo Casals. She entered films as an assistant director and editor under the name of Denise Batcheff (1930 Le Blanc et le Noir, Robert Florey; 1931 L'Amour à l'Américaine / USA: American Love, Claude Heymann; La Chienne, as sound editor, Jean Renoir; 1932 La Dame de chez Maxim's, Alexander Korda; Fantômas, Paul Fejos; 1934 L'Hôtel du Ubre-Echange, Marc Allégret; Lac aux Dames / USA: Ladies Lake, Marc Allégret; Zouzou, Marc Allégret; 1935 Les Beaux Jours, Marc Allégret). She married Roland Tual, with whom she created a produc­tion company in 1936, La Société Synops. Later she founded another society, SEPIC. She notably produced with her husband: 1937 Drôle de Drame / USA: Bizarre Bizarre (as co-producer, Marcel Carné); 1938 Mollenard / USA: Hatred (as production director, Robert Siod-mak); La Bête humaine / UK:Judas Was a Woman / USA: The Human Beast (as production manager, Jean Renoir); 1939 La Loi du Nord / La Piste du Nord (as producer, Jacques Feyder); 1941 Remorques / USA: Stormy Waters (Jean Grémillon, shot in 1939-1940); Le Pavillon brûle (Jacques de Baroncelli); 1942 Le Lit à Colonnes (Roland Tual); 1943 Lettres d'Amour / USA: Love Letters (Claude Autant-Lara); Les Anges du Péché / UK and USA: Angels of the Streets (Robert Bresson); 1944 Bonsoir Mesdames, Bonsoir Messieurs (Roland Tual); 1945 L'Espoir / Espoir— Sierra de Teruel / UK and USA: Days of Hope / Man's Hope (as production manager, André Malraux); 1947 Voyage Surprise (Pierre Prévert). She also produced alone: 1966 Un Choix d'Assassins (Philippe Fourastié, France / Italy); Made in USA (Jean-Luc Godard); 1968 L'Ecume des Jours (Charles Belmont); Phèdre (Pierre Jourdan). She also worked as an associate producer on The Ambassador's Daughter (Norman Krasna, USA, 1956) and collaborated as an art director on Jean de la Lune (Marcel Achard, 1949). She authored several books (1980 Le Temps dévoré, Fayard; 1987 Au Coeur du Temps, Carrère). Her first husband was actor Pierre Batcheff (1907-1932).

 Filmography

1950 ◘ Ce Siècle a Cinquante Ans / Hallo, die grosse Weltrevue / Die letzten 60 Jahren / USA: Days of Our Years (documentary; co-director with Werner Malbran, Roland Tual; France / West Germany)