Clair, Philippe

(Charles Bensoussan / Septem­ber 14, 1930, Martimprey-du-Kiss, Morocco-)

   At age twenty-three, he settled in Paris and attended the Conservatoire d'Art Dramatique de Paris. Hav­ing graduated with two best young actor first prizes in 1956, he began working with such prestigious stage directors as Raymond Rouleau. He specialized in Algerian-born Jewish humor and directed and performed several plays (Les Îles fortunées; Purée de nous z'ôtres; La Parodie du Cid). Seen as an actor in films (1962 Les Petits Matins, Jacqueline Audry; 1964 Donnez-moi dix Hommes désespérés, Pierre Zimmer, shot in 1961; 1966 Du Rififi à Paname / Rififi inter-nazionale / Der Boss von Paris / UK: Rififi in Paris / USA: The Upper Hand, Denys de La Patellière, France / Italy / West Germany; 1987 Cayenne Palace, Alain Maline) and on TV (1960 Cyrano de Bergerac, Claude Barma; 1962 L'Inspecteur Leclerc enquête, episodes "Le Taxi", "La Trahison de Leclerc"; Les Cinq dernières Minutes, episode "C'était écrit", Claude Loursais; 1963 Les Cinq dernières Minutes, episode "Une Affaire de Famille", Jean-Pierre Marchand; 1964 La Caravane Pacouli, 13 X 26', Louis Soulanes; 1982 Les Sept Jours du Marié, Serge Moati; 1985 Les Mondes engloutis, voice only, Michel Gauthier, France / South Korea / Lebanon), he directed comedies that were often commercial successes.

 Filmography

1965 ◘ Déclic . . . et des Claques (also screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, actor; France / Italy)

1971 ◘ La Grande Java (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ La Grande Maffia / Un matto, due matti, tutti matti (also screenwriter, actor; France / Italy)

        ◘ La Brigade en Folie (also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Fuhrer en Folie / Tre ramazze in fuori gioco (also co-screenwriter, adapter, actor; France / Italy / West Germany)

1976 ◘ Le Grand Fanfaron / Les Bidasses en Cavale (also co-screenwriter)

1978 ◘ Comment se faire réformer (also screenwriter, editor, actor)

        ◘ Les Réformés se portent bien (also screenwriter, co-adapter, actor, associate producer)

        ◘ Ces Flics étranges venus d'ailleurs (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist, actor)

        ◘ Rodriguez au Pays des Merguez / La Parodie du Cid (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, actor; France / Tunisia)

        ◘ Tais-toi quand tu parles / Zitto, quando parli (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, actor; France / Italy)

1982 ◘ Plus beau que moi, tu meurs . . . (also screenwriter, co-adapter, actor)

1984 ◘ Par où t'es rentré, on t'a pas vu sortir? / USA: How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, actor)

        ◘ Si t'as besoin de rien, fais-moi signe (also screenwriter, co-adapter, dialogist, actor)

        ◘ Si tu vas à Rio . . . tu meurs / No Rio vale tudo (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, actor; France / Brazil)

1990 ◘ L'Aventure extraordinaire d'un Papa peu ordinaire (also screenwriter, co-dialogist)