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Raimu

 
Actor: Raimu
Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: Dec 17, 1883 in Toulon, France
  • Died: Sep 20, 1946 in Paris, France
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '30s-'40s
  • Major Genres: Comedy Drama, Drama
  • Career Highlights: La Fille Du Puisatier, The Baker's Wife, Fanny
  • First Major Screen Credit: Marius (1931)

Biography

French actor Raimu (sometimes billed as Jules Raimu) was on-stage from the age of 15, performing at "coffee concerts" and appearing as a supernumerary in casino shows in his native Toulon. After several years' ascendency in music halls and regional shows, Raimu was "discovered" for the legitimate stage in 1916 by writer/director Sacha Guitry. Throughout the 1920s, Raimu was a leading light of the Parisian theater scene, alternating between classic comedy roles, modern-dress fare, and well-received appearances at the Cigale and the Folies Bergere. In 1929, Raimu was cast in what was considered his finest role to date, the philosophical Marseilles tavern keeper Cesar in Marcel Pagnol's Marius. When time came to commit Marius to film in 1931, it was a "given" that Raimu would re-create his roles. An unhappy fling at moviemaking some 20 years earlier had made him reluctant to stand before the cameras, but Raimu agreed to make his talkie debut in Le Blanc et le Noir (1931), directed by old mentor Sacha Guitry. After this pleasant experience, Raimu, as enthusiastic as a schoolboy, agreed to appear in Marius (1931); he would go on to repeat his Cesar characterization in the two remaining entries in Pagnol's "Marseilles Trilogy," Fanny (1932) and Cesar (1935). Though little known in America outside the big cities that could support "art" cinema houses, Raimu was regarded by the rest of the world as one of France's greatest actors; some observers, notably Orson Welles, considered him the greatest. In 1943, Raimu took a three-year sabbatical from filmmaking when he was invited to join La Comedie Francaise, where he excelled in the plays of Moliere. At war's end, Raimu made one last film, The Eternal Husband (1946), before his death at age 63. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
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Wikipedia: Raimu
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Raimu was the stage name for the French actor Jules Auguste Muraire (December 17, 1883 - September 20, 1946).

Biography

Born in Toulon in the Var département, he made his stage debut there in 1899. After coming to the attention of the then great music hall star Félix Mayol who was also from Toulon, in 1908 he was given a chance to work as a secondary act in the Paris theater scene. Primarily a comedian, in 1916 writer/director Sacha Guitry gave him significant parts in productions at the Folies Bergère and other major venues. In addition to his appearances on stage, Raimu also developed a successful career in films sometimes under the name Jules Raimu.

He starred in the premiere of Messager's operetta Coups de roulis in 1928. In 1929, already a leading actor, he gained wide acclaim for his starring role in the stage production of the Marcel Pagnol play Marius. Although reluctant because of his disappointment over his first film role many years before, he agreed to act in Guitry's film Le Blanc et le Noir and then reprised his Marius role on film a year later. By his late forties, Raimu had become one of his country's most respected actors and considered the ultimate actor by luminaries such as Alec Guinness, Marlene Dietrich, and Orson Welles.

On his passing in 1946 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, he was interred in the cemetery of his birthplace in Toulon-sur-Mer where there is the Cinéma Raimu Toulon named in his honor. In 1961, the government of France honored him with his image on a postage stamp.

Partial filmography

External links


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Learn More
La Fille Du Puisatier (1941 Drama Film)
Noix De Coco (1938 Comedy Drama Film)
Derniere Jeunesse (1939 Drama Film)

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Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Raimu".  Read more

 
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Raimu at LocateTV.com

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