Jouvet, Louis (1887-1951), actor and director, contributed to the theatrical revival after World War I and gave prominence to the director's function. He began his acting career at the Vieux-Colombier with Copeau in 1913, and went on to score many successes with parts on stage (often in his own productions) and in the cinema. A member of the Cartel, he stressed the importance of the text in drama, though noted for the elegant theatricalism of his sets. Eclectic and keen to entertain, his most notable productions included Knock by Jules Romains (1923) and involved a sustained partnership with Giraudoux (Siegfried, 1928; La Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu, 1937).
Jouvet, Louis (lwē zhūvā'), 1887-1951, French actor, producer, and director. A member of Copeau's Théâtre du Vieux Colombier after 1913, he left in 1922 to organize his own theater. He was director of the Comédie des Champs Élysées (1924-34) and from 1934 of the Athénée in Paris. He was the first to produce and act in many of the plays of Giraudoux. Jouvet's simple though powerful stage decors and lighting effects were extremely influential.
Career Highlights: Quai des Orfèvres, Volpone, La Kermesse Héroïque
First Major Screen Credit: Knock (1933)
Biography
A superb leading man of French stage and screen with an ugly, humorous, tragic face, Jouvet is considered by some to be the finest French actor of his time. Determined to be an actor, he was rejected three times by the Paris Conservatoire; in 1908 he joined a stage company as an administrator, then debuted onstage two years later. In 1913 he was appointed director of the Theatre du Vieux-Colombier in Paris. During World War One he served in combat at the front. From 1919-21 he was in New York, appearing with his troupe in a repertory of productions that received much acclaim. Back in France, he became the director of the Theatre de Champs Elysees; by the early '30s he was one of the most prominent performers on the Paris stage. Having appeared in one film (1913's Shylock), in 1933 he began taking film roles to support his theatrical work; his subtle, forceful, witty performances redeemed poor movies and intensified high-quality work. During World War Two he toured South America with his company; after the war he returned to Paris, continuing to appear on stage and screen until shortly before his death. His daughter is actress Lisa Jouvet. ~ All Movie Guide
