Angiolino Giuseppe Pasquale Ventura, known as Lino Ventura, was an Italian-born actor and philanthropist, who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was considered one of the greatest leading man of French cinema during the 1960s and 1970s, known for his portrayal of tough characters on both sides of the law in crime dramas.
Julien Auguste Pélage Brizeux was a French poet. He was said to belong to a family of Irish origin, long settled in Brittany. He was educated for the law, but in 1827 he produced at the Théâtre Français a one-act verse comedy, Racine, in collaboration with Philippe Busoni.
Henri Verneuil was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d'Or awards, and won Locarno International Film Festival, Edgar Allan Poe Awards, French Legion of Honor, Golden Globe Award, French National Academy of Cinema and Honorary Cesar awards.
Touchez pas au grisbi, released as Honour Among Thieves in the United Kingdom and Grisbi in the United States, is a 1954 French-Italian crime film based on a novel by Albert Simonin. It was directed by Jacques Becker and stars Jean Gabin, with René Dary, Paul Frankeur, Lino Ventura, Jeanne Moreau, Dora Doll, and Marilyn Buferd. The film was screened in competition at the 1954 Venice Film Festival where Gabin won a best actor award.
Marcel Bozzuffi was a French film actor. Internationally, he appeared as a hitman in the Oscar-winning American film The French Connection. In 1963, he married French actress Françoise Fabian.
Paul Frankeur was a French actor who appeared in films by Jacques Tati and Luis Buñuel. He was sometimes credited as Paul Francoeur.
José Giovanni was the pseudonym of Joseph Damiani, a French writer and film-maker of Corsican origin who became a naturalized Swiss citizen in 1986.
The Sicilian Clan is a 1969 French-Italian gangster film based on the novel by Auguste Le Breton. The film was directed by Henri Verneuil and stars Jean Gabin, Lino Ventura and Alain Delon, whose casting led to the film's box-office success in France. Ennio Morricone composed the score for the picture.
Gabriel Gobin was a Belgian film actor. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1947 and 1990. He was born in Hacquegnies, Belgium and died in Brie-Comte-Robert, France.
Henri Decoin was a French film director and screenwriter, who directed more than 50 films between 1933 and 1964. He was also a swimmer who won the national title in 1911 and held the national record in the 500 m freestyle. He competed in the 400 m freestyle at the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the water polo tournament at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Paul François Robert Azaïs was a French film actor. He appeared in more than 110 films between 1929 and 1966.
La bonne année is a 1973 film directed by Claude Lelouch. It tells the story of a gangster who organises a successful heist but is himself caught and jailed. Released early, he not only recoups his share of the takings but also regains his girlfriend. The film is edited to present a nonlinear narrative, with the beginning and ending of the film showing the present-day in black-and-white, and the center of the film showing a flashback of the events in color.
Albert Rémy was a French actor best known for his supporting roles in François Truffaut's first two feature films. He played Antoine Doinel's father in The 400 Blows and Charlie Koller's brother in Shoot the Piano Player. He also appeared in Marcel Carné's Les Enfants du Paradis, John Frankenheimer's The Train and René Clément's Is Paris Burning?
Le Diable et les Dix Commandements is a French film from 1962 directed by Julien Duvivier that consists of seven sketches played by an ensemble cast that includes Michel Simon, Micheline Presle, Françoise Arnoul, Mel Ferrer, Charles Aznavour, Lino Ventura, Fernandel, Alain Delon, Danielle Darrieux, Jean-Claude Brialy, and Louis de Funès.
Auguste Le Breton was a French novelist who wrote primarily about the criminal underworld. His novels were adapted into several notable films of the 1950s, such as Rififi, Razzia sur la chnouf, Le rouge est mis and Le clan des siciliens. He wrote the dialogue for the noir film Bob le flambeur.
Speaking of Murder is a 1957 French crime film directed by Gilles Grangier and starring Jean Gabin. The original French title is Le rouge est mis, which means "the red light is on". The screenplay is based on a novel by Auguste Le Breton.
Le désordre et la nuit is a 1958 French crime film directed by Gilles Grangier and starring Jean Gabin and Danielle Darrieux. The screenplay is based on the novel Le Désordre et la Nuit by Jacques Robert. The film was released in the United States as Night Affair.
La Horse is a 1970 French-language thriller directed by Pierre Granier-Deferre and based on Michel Lambesc's novel of the same name.
Jo Peignot was a French actor. He was born in Paris and died in Argentan in France.
