Philipe, Gérard (1922-59). French actor. The outstanding young male lead of his generation, he acted in the first productions of Giraudoux'sSodome et Gomorrhe (1943) and Camus'sCaligula (1945). In the 1950s his warm and charismatic acting was a significant element in the popularity of the Théâtre National Populaire, most memorably in Le Cid and Musset's Les Caprices de Marianne. His notable film successes included Claude Autant-Lara's Le Diable au corps and René Clair's La Beauté du diable.
Career Highlights: Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960, The Devil in the Flesh, Les Grandes Manoeuvres
First Major Screen Credit: Le Pays Sans Etoiles (1945)
Biography
If it is true that Gerard Philipe entertained thoughts of becoming a physician, he'd purged himself of such notions before his teen years were over. After studying acting in his native Cannes with Jean Wall and Jean Huet, Philipe was discovered for the stage by veteran performer Claude Dauphin. Philipe's first theatrical success, at age 20, was the title role in Camus' Caligula. In 1947, after a few negligible movie roles, he exploded upon the European film scene in Autant-Lara's Le Diable a Corps, playing Francois Jaubert, a callow youth in love with much-older and very married Micheline Presle. Superstardom followed almost immediately: female filmgoers doted upon Philipe's sensitive, handsome features and strapping physique, while men identified with his soulfulness and introspection. Far more versatile than your average romantic lead ("Whenever you thought he had reached his limit, there was still more," enthused director Rene Clair), Philipe contributed a wealth of highly varied film characterizations: Faust in Beauty and the Devil (1950), the tongue-in-cheek titular swashbuckler in Fanfan the Tulip (1952), the artist Modigliani in Montparnasse 19 (1957), and so on. And let us not overlook Philipe's inspired performances as the hedonistically ambitious antiheroes in the Stendhal adaptations La Chartreuse de Parme (1947) and The Red and the Black (1954). In 1956, Phillipe both directed and starred in a filmization of the old folk tale Till Eulenspiegel. While working on Bunuel's Le Fievre Monte a El Pao (1959), Philipe either succumbed to cancer or was stricken by a fatal heart attack; he was one week shy of his 37th birthday. Like Rudolph Valentino, Jean Harlow and James Dean before him, Phillipe passed from the scene at the peak of his popularity and with his legend intact. In 1961, his image was used on a French commemorative stamp--an honor hitherto bestowed upon only one other actor, the immortal Raimu. Gerard Philipe's widow Anne has written two memoirs of her husband's life: Souvenirs (1960), No Longer Than a Sigh (1964). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Born Gérard Philip[1] in Cannes, France as a teenager Philipe took acting lessons before going to Paris to study at the Conservatory of Dramatic Art. At age 19, he made his stage debut at a theater in Nice and the following year his strong performance in the Albert Camus play, Caligula, brought an invitation to work with the Théâtre national populaire (T.N.P.) in Paris and Avignon, whose festival, founded in 1947 by Jean Vilar, is France's oldest and most famous.
Philipe made his film debut in Les Petites du Quai aux Fleurs (1943) and after a few more minor film roles, he rocketed to fame as a result of his performance in Claude Autant-Lara's Devil in the Flesh (1947). Adored by women for his good looks, Gérard Philipe was also a very talented actor and highly regarded by his peers. He played roles as diverse as Faust and Modigliani and he was sought out by France's preeminent directors for his versatility and professionalism.
In 1951, Philipe married Nicole Fourcade (1917–1990), an actress/writer, with whom he had two children. She adopted the pseudonym, Anne Philipe, and wrote about her husband in two books, the first called Souvenirs (1960) and a second biography titled Le Temps d'un soupir (No Longer Than a Sigh, 1963).
Recognized worldwide for his talent, he was at the pinnacle of his career when he died from liver cancer while working on a film project in Paris, a few days short of his 37th birthday. He is buried in the village cemetery in Ramatuelle, Var near the Mediterranean Sea coast.[2]
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of film in 1995, the government of France issued a series of limited edition coins that included a 100 Franc coin bearing the image of Philipe. One of the most popular French actors of his time, his image has been enhanced by his young death at the peak of his popularity and has elevated him to near legendary status in France. In 1986, his portrait appeared on a French commemorative postage stamp. There is a film festival named in his honor as well as a number of theaters, schools (ex: College Gérard Philipe - Cogolin) and colleges in various parts of France. Also very popular in Germany, a theater has also been named for him in Berlin.
