Yanne, Jean

(Jean Roger Gouyé / July 18, 1933, Les Lilas, Seine-Saint-Denis, France - May 23, 2003, Morsains, Marne, France)

   The son of a lithographer father and a dressmaker mother, he was trained at the Centre de Formation des Journalistes and was only eighteen years old when he began writing in newspapers Paris-Presse and L'Aurore. Soon after switching to radio journalism, he wrote sketches and songs (for Line Renaud and Philippe Clay). He won some fame as a satirical stand-up comedian in the most famous Parisian cabarets (Les Trois Baudets, La Fontaine des Quatre Saisons, L'Amiral). He made his film acting debut in 1963 (La Vie à l'Envers / USA: Life Upside Down, Alain Jessua) and gave strong performances in more than seventy movies. He was at his best in two Claude Chabrol films (1969 Que la Bête meure / Uccidero un uomo / UK: The Beast Must Die / USA: This Man Must Die, France / Italy; 1970 Le Boucher / Il tagliagole / UK and USA: The Butcher, France / Italy) and in Maurice Pialat's Nous ne vieillirons pas ensemble / L'amante giovane / UK: Break­Up / USA: We Won't Grow Old Together (France / Italy; 1972), for which he won the best actor award in 1972 Cannes Film Festival. In 1971 he created his own pro­duction company, Ciné Qua Non. The first movie he directed, a satire of advertising, was a huge box-office hit in 1972. He produced or co-produced unconven­tional films (1974 Touche pas à la Femme blanche / Non toccare a la donna Bianca / US video: Don't Touch the White Woman, Marco Ferreri, France / Italy; La Ma­man et la Putain / UK and USA: The Mother and the Whore, Jean Eustache; 1974 Lancelot du Lac / Lancillotto e Ginevra / USA: Lancelot of the Lake, Robert Bresson, France / Italy; Flesh for Frankenstein / Andy Warhol's Frankenstein / Chair pour Frankenstein / Carne per Frankenstein / Il mostro è in tavola barone Frankenstein, Paul Morrissey and Antonio Margheriti, USA / France / Italy; Blood for Dracula / Andy Warhol's Dracula / Du Sang pour Dracula / Dracula vuole vivere: Cerca sangue di vegine / Dracula cerca sange di vergine . . . e mori di sete!!!, Paul Morrissey and Antonio Margheriti, USA / France / Italy). In 1969 he wrote the screenplay of a comic book (Les Dossiers du B.I.D.E.: La Langouste ne passera pas, Tito Topin, Editions Casterman). He also authored several humoristic books (2000 Dictionnaire des Mots qu'il y a que moi qui les connais, Plon; 2003 Je suis un être exquis, Le Cherche-Midi editeur; 2005 J'me marre [J'ai Lu]).

 Filmography

        ◘ Tout le Monde il est beau, tout le Monde il est gentil / Questo nostro simpatico mondo di pazzi (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, producer, actor, songs; France / Italy)

        ◘ Moi y en a vouloir des Sous (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, producer, actor)

        ◘ Les Chinois à Paris / I Cinese a Parigi (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, producer, actor; France / Italy)

        ◘ Chobizenesse (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, producer, actor)

1979 ◘ Je te tiens, tu me tiens par la Barbichette / USA: I've Got You, You've Got Me by the Chin Hairs (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, executive producer, actor, songs)

1982 ◘ Deux Heures moins le Quart avant Jésus-Christ (also screenwriter, dialogist, actor, composer, France / Tunisia)

1985 ◘ Liberté, Egalité, Choucroute / La vera storia della rivoluzione francese (also screenwriter, dialogist, co-composer; France / Italy / West Germany)