Desagnat, Jean-Pierre

(October 18, 1934, Paris, France - )

   A movie buff since childhood, he wrote and shot 8.5­mm films with his high school friends. After complet­ing his secondary studies, he obtained a certificate of proficiency in English. During his summer holidays in Chamonix in 1949 and 1955, he joined as a carrier the crews of two American movies (1950 The White Tower, Ted Tetzlaff; 1956 The Mountain, John Sturges). Thanks to his father, a former journalist before World War II, who introduced him to Pierre Foucaud, An­dré Hunebelle's screenwriter, he made his film debut as a trainee assistant director (1956 Mannequins de Paris, André Hunebelle). From 1957 to 1959, he spent thirty-one months in Algeria in the army's Cin­ematographic Service and shot documentaries before becoming a reporter and cameraman. Back to civilian life, he directed his only short and then resumed his collaboration with André Hunebelle as second as­sistant director (1960 Le Capitan / El capitano del re / USA: Captain Blood / US TV: The Invincible Man, André Hunebelle, France / Italy; 1961 Le Miracle des Loups / La congiura dei potenti / USA: Blood on His Sword / The Miracle of the Wolves, André Hunebelle, France / Italy) and then first assistant director (1964 Fantômas / Fantomas 70, André Hunebelle, France / Italy; 1965 Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117 / OSS 117 furia a Bahia / UK: Mission for a Killer / USA: OSS 117: Mission for a Killer, André Hunebelle, France / Italy; Fantômas se déchaîne / Fantomas minaccia il mondo / UK and USA: Fantomas strikes Back / The Vengeance of Fantomas, André Hunebelle, France / Italy; 1966 Atout Coeur à Tokyo pour OSS 117 / OSS 117 a Tokio si muore / UK: Mission to Tokyo / USA: O.S.S. 117—Terror in Tokyo, Michel Boisrond, France / Italy; 1967 Fantômas contre Scotland Yard / Fantomas contro Scotland Yard, André Hunebelle, France / Italy). He also worked as an as­sistant to Robert Guez (1961 Le Temps des Copains, I15 X 13' TV series), delegate producer (1972 Le 16 à Kerbriant, 25 X 13' TV series, Michel Wyn), second unit director (1972 Le Petit Poucet, Michel Boisrond; 1980 Les Chevaux du Soleil, 13 X 52'TV series, François Villiers, France / West Germany / Spain; 1989 Pause Café, 10 X 52', Serge Leroy), technical adviser (1974 Impossible . . . pas français, Robert Lamoureux; 1975 Opération Lady Marlène, Robert Lamoureux, France / West Germany; 1977 Drôles de Zèbres, Guy Lux; Ar­rête ton Char . . . Bidasse! / Oh la la—Die kleinen blonden sind da, Michel Gérard, France / West Germany), and production manager for films (1976 La Situation est grave mais pas désespérée, Jacques Besnard; Le Jour de Gloire / Ein Priester, ein Panzer und ein Haufen muder Landesen, Jacques Besnard, France / West Germany; 1999 O Vyssinokipos / La Cerisaie / The Cherry Orchard, Michael Cacoyannis, Greece / Cyprus / France) and TV (1983 Gaspard de la Meije, Bernard Choquet; 1988 Les Nouveaux Chevaliers du Ciel, 10 X 52', Patrick Ja-main, France / Switzerland; 1989 Le Chinois, 10 X 52', Denys de La Patellière; 1997 Les Héritiers / Gli eredi, 2 X 90', Josée Dayan, France / Italy).

 Filmography

1959 ◘ La Cloche de Noël (short)

        ◘ Pas de Roses pour OSS 117 / Niente rose per OSS 117 / UK: OSS 117 Murder for Sale / USA: OSS 117—Double Agent (co-director with An­dré Hunebelle; France / Italy)

        ◘ Les Etrangers / Quelli che sanno uccidere / Que esperen los cuervos / Fruhstuck mit dem Killer / Geier kônnen warten (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter; France / Italy / Spain / West Germany)

        ◘ Vertige pour un Tueur / Vertigine per un assassino (also co-screenwriter; France / Italy)

1980 ◘ Les Charlots contre Dracula (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1983 ◘ Flics de Choc

 Television Filmography

1963 ◘ Janique Aimée (52 X 13')

1965 ◘ Chambre à louer / Villa rose (26 X 3'; shot in 1963)

1973 ◘ L'Eloignement (30 X 13')

        ◘ Arsène Lupin (episodes "Herlock Sholmes lance un Défi", "Le Mystère de Gesvres", "Le Secret de l'Aiguille", "L'Homme au Chapeau noir", "L'Echarpe rouge"; France / Canada / Switzerland / Italy / Austria / Netherlands / Belgium / West Germany)

1974 ◘ Arsène Lupin (episodes "La Demeure mysté­rieuse", "Les huit Coups de l'Horloge", "Le Coffre-Fort de Madame Imbert", "Arsène Lupin prend des Vacances"; France / Canada / Switzerland / Italy / Austria / Netherlands / Belgium / West Germany)

1980 ◘ La Vie des Autres (episodes "La Crétoise", "Le Scandale")

        ◘ Les cinq dernières Minutes (episode "Rouge Marine")

        ◘ La Ligne de Conduite (20 X 13')

        ◘ Le Seul Témoin

        ◘ Rue Carnot (fifty first episodes)

        ◘ Les cinq dernières Minutes (episode "Tilt")

        ◘ Symphonie / In bester Gesselschaft (18 X 50'; France / Switzerland / Belgium / Italy / West Germany)

        ◘ Les cinq dernières Minutes (episode "Mystère et Pomme de Pin"; shot in 1986)

        ◘ Les cinq dernières Minutes (episode "Les Chéru­bins ne sont pas des Anges")

        ◘ Les Nouveaux Chevaliers du Ciel (two episodes; France / Switzerland)