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).

[David Walker]

The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French. Copyright © 1995, 2005 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.