- Decoin, Henri
- (March 18, 1890, Paris, France - July 5, 1969, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France)A first-rate athlete, he took part in the 1912 Olympic Games as a member of the French swimming team. After serving as an airman during World War I, he started a career in sports journalism, writing articles for L'Auto, L'Intransigeant, and Paris-Soir. He authored a novel, Quinze Combats, and several plays (Hector; Normandie; Le Téméraire; Jeux dangereux). A film director since 1931, he also worked as co-screenwriter (1925 Le Roi de la Pédale, also co-author of original novel, Maurice Champreux; Le P'tit Parigot, René Le Somptier; 1936 Port-Arthur / USA: I Give My Life, French-language version of Nickolas Farkas's Port Arthur, Nicolas Farkas, Germany; 1949 Portrait d'un Assassin, Bernard-Roland); screenwriter (1928 La Ronde infernale, Luitz-Morat; 1931 Le Chanteur inconnu, Victor Tourjansky; 1942 Annette et la Dame blonde also adapter, Jean Dréville; 1947 Capitaine Blomet, also co-adapter, Andrée Feix); screenwriter, adapter, and dialogist (1931 Un Soir de Rafle / USA: Dragnet Night, Carmine Gallone; 1932 Le Chant du Marin, Carmine Gallone; Hôtel des Etudiants, Victor Tourjansky; 1934 Roi de Camargue, Jacques de Baroncelli; Poliche, Abel Gance); co-adapter (1931 Son Altesse l'Amour, French-language version of Joe May's Ihre Majestàt die Liebe, Erich Schmidt, Robert Péguy, Germany; 1938 Katia, as co-dialogist, Maurice Tourneur); dialogist (1932 L'Homme qui ne sait pas dire non, French-language version of Heinz Hilpert's Ich will Dich Liebe lehren, Germany; 1951 Boîte de Nuit / USA: Hotbed of Sin, Alfred Rode); adapter and dialogist (1932 Je vous aimerai toujours, French-language version of Mario Camerini's T'amero sempre, Mario Camerini, Italy; 1934 L'Or dans la Rue, Kurt Bernhardt; 1951 Avalanche, Raymond Ségard); film supervisor (1935 J'aime toutes les Femmes, French-language version of Carl Lamac's Ich liebe alle Frauen, Carl Lamac, Germany); technical adviser (1942 Le Grand Combat, also co-adapter, dialogist, Bernard-Roland); and technical and artistic consultant (1946 Il suffit d'une Foi, Andrée Feix). He appeared in archives included in a documentary (1997 Ombre & Lumière: Henri Decoin, Cinéaste, Hubert Niogret). From 1927 to 1933, he was married to actress Blanche Montel (1902-1998) and from 1935 to 1941 to actress Danielle Darrieux (b. 1917). His son is novelist and screenwriter Didier Decoin (b. 1945).Filmography1931◘ A bas les Hommes (short; also screenwriter)1933 ◘ Les Bleus du Ciel (also screenwriter, dialogist)◘ Pes Requins du Pétrole (French-language version of Rudolf Katscher's Unsichtbare Gagner; Germany)◘ Toboggan / Battling-Geo (also screenwriter, 1954 dialogist)◘ Le Domino vert (French-language version of Herbert Selpin's Der grune Domino; Germany / France)1937 ◘ Mademoiselle ma Mère◘ Abus de Confiance / UK and USA: Abused Confidence (also co-adapter)19551938 ◘ Retour à l'Aube / USA: She Returned at Dawn (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)1940 ◘ Battement de Cœur◘ Coup de Foudre (unfinished)◘ Premier Rendez-vous / USA: Her First Affair (also screenwriter)◘ Les Inconnus dans la Maison / USA: Strangers in the House◘ Mariage d'Amour (also co-screenwriter)◘ Le Bienfaiteur / USA: The Benefactor (also adapter)1943 ◘ L'Homme de Londres (also screenwriter, adapter)◘ Je suis avec toi◘ La Fille du Diable / USA: Devil's Daughter (also adapter)◘ Non Coupable / UK and USA: Not Guilty (also adapter)◘ Les Amants du Pont Saint-Jean1948 ◘ Les Amoureux sont seuls au Monde / USA: Monelle1949 ◘ Entre Onze Heures et Minuit / USA: Between Eleven and Midnight (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)◘ Au Grand Balcon◘ Trois Télégrammes / USA: Paris Incident (also co-adapter, dialogist)◘ Clara de Montargis (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ Le Désir et l'Amour / El deseo y l'amor (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, actor as himself; France / Spain)◘ La Vérité sur Bébé Donge / UK: The Truth of Our 1964 Marriage / USA: The Truth About Bebe Donge (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)1953 ◘ Les Amants de Tolède / Gli amanti di Toledo / El tirano de Toledo / UK: Lovers of Toledo / USA: The Lovers of Toledo (also co-adapter; France / Italy / Spain)◘ Dortoir des Grandes / UK: Girls' Dormitory / USA: Inside a Girls' Dormitory (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)◘ Secrets d'Alcôve / Il letto / USA: The Bed (segment "Le Billet de Logement"; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; France / Italy)◘ Les Intrigantes (also co-screenwriter)◘ Bonnes à tuer / Quattro donne nella notte / USA: One Step to Eternity (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; France / Italy)◘ Razzia sur la Chnouf / UK: Chnouf / USA: Razzia / Razzia sur la Chnouf (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter; France / Italy)◘ L'Affaire des Poisons / Il processo dei veleni / USA: The Case of Poisons / The Poison Affair / US TV: Hangman and the Witch (also co-adapter; France / Italy)◘ Folies-Bergère (also co-screenwriter)◘ Le Feu aux Poudres / X3, operazione dinamite (also co-adapter; France / Italy)◘ Tous peuvent me tuer / Tutti possono uccidermi / UK: Anyone Can Kill Me / US TV: Everybody Wants to Kill Me (also co-adapter; France / Italy)◘ Charmants Garçons / UK: Charming Boys / USA: Too Many Lovers◘ La Chatte / UK: The Face of the Cat / USA: The Cat (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)◘ Pourquoi viens-tu si tard? / USA: Too Late to Love (also co-screenwriter)◘ Nathalie Agent secret / Pelo di spia / USA: Atomic Agent (France / Italy)◘ La Chatte sort ses Griffes / UK: The Cat Shows Her Claws / US TV: Spy Is a Girl (also co-adapter)◘ Tendre et violente Elisabeth (also co-adapter)◘ La Française et l'Amour / La Francese e l'amore / USA: Love and the Frenchwoman (segment "L'Enfance / Childhood"; France / Italy)◘ Le Pavé de Paris (also co-adapter)◘ Maléfices / UK: Sorcery / USA: Where the Truth Lies (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)◘ Le Masque de Fer / L'uomo dalla maschera nera (France / Italy)◘ Les Parias de la Gloire / I disperati della gloria / Los parias de la gloria / UK: Outcasts of Glory / USA: Pariahs of Glory (also co-screenwriter; France / Italy / Spain)◘ Casablanca, Nid d'Espions / Spionaggio a Casablanca / Noches de Casablanca (France / Italy / Spain)◘ Nick Carter va tout casser / Nick Carter non per-dona / USA: License to Kill (France / Italy)
Encyclopedia of French film directors . Philippe Rège. 2011.
