Veber, Francis

(July 28, 1937, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France - )

   He was born into a family that had seven writers among his members. Tristan Bernard was his great-uncle; his grandfather, Pierre Veber, was a journalist and screenwriter (he authored the novel Fanfan la Tulipe); his father was a literary director for an avant-garde review; and his mother wrote sentimental novels under the pseudonym of Georgette Paul. After completing his secondary studies at Claude Bernard High School, he successively spent four years in the faculty of medicine and two years in the faculty of law. He finally became a journalist and reporter for three years at Radio Luxembourg, for which he also wrote a radiophonic play (Deux plus un). Gifted for writing, he published many works in the magazines Lui, Adam, and Marie-France. In 1967, he authored his first play, L'Enlèvement, which led him to screenwriting (he adapted it as Appelez-moi Mathilde, directed by Pierre Mondy in 1969). From 1972 to 1998, he wrote or co-wrote about twenty screenplays and dialogues, no­tably for Georges Lautner (1971 Il était une Fois un Flic / C'era una volta un commissario / UK: Flic Story, France / Italy; 1973 La Valise / UK: The Girl in the Trunk / USA: Man in the Trunk; 1976 On aura tout vu / USA: The Bot­tom Line), Yves Robert (1972 Le Grand Blond avec une Chaussure noire / UK: Follow That Guy with the One Black Shoe; 1974 Le Retour du grand Blond / USA: The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black shoe), Edouard Molinaro (1973 UEmmerdeur / Il rompiballe / UK: A Pain in the A . . . , also author of original play; 1975 Le Télé­phone rose / UK and USA: The Pink Telephone), Philippe de Broca (1973 Le Magnifique / Come si distrugge la riputazione del più grande agente segreto del mondo / UK: How to Destroy the Reputation of the Greatest Secret Agent / USA: The Magnificent One, France / Italy), Henri Verneuil (1975 Peur sur la Ville / Il poliziotto della brigata criminale / UK: The Night Caller / USA: Fear over the City, France / Italy), Pierre Granier-Deferre (1975 Adieu poulet / USA: The French Detective), and Jean-Jacques Annaud (1979 Coup de Tête / UK and USA: Hothead). He also wrote an American comedy, Partners (James Burrows). Several US remakes were adapted from his original screenplays (1981 Buddy Buddy, Billy Wilder; 1982 The Toy, Richard Donner; 1985 The Man with One Red Shoe, Stan Dragoti; 1991 Pure Luck, also executive producer, Nadia Tass; 1996 The Birdcage / Birds of a Feather, Mike Nichols; 1997 Father's Day, also executive producer, Ivan Reitman). He produced the following movies: 1990 Tom et Lola, Bertrand Arthuys; 1993 Cuisines et Dépendances, Philippe Muyl; 1996 Les Victimes, Patrick Grandperret.

 Filmography

1976 ◘ Le Jouet / USA: The Toy (also author of original short story, screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

1981 ◘ La Chèvre / Mas locos que una cabra / UK: Knock on Wood / USA: The Goat (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Mexico)

1983 ◘ Les Compères / USA: ComDads (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

1986 ◘ Les Fugitifs (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, executive producer)

1989 ◘ Three Fugitives (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, executive producer; USA)

1992 ◘ Out on a Limb (shot in 1990-1991)

1996 ◘ Le Jaguar (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer)

1998 ◘ Le Dîner de Cons / Canada and USA: The Dinner Game (author of original play, screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer)

2001 ◘ Le Placard (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer)

2003 ◘ Tais-toi! / UK: Shut Up! / USA: Ruby & Quentin (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer)

2006 ◘ La Doublure / Una top model nel mio letto / USA: The Valet (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, associate producer; France / Italy / Belgium)