Jean Gabin

Jean Gabin was a French actor and singer who became a key figure in French cinema. He starred in several classic films that are considered as masterpieces of French cinema, such as Pépé le Moko, La Grande Illusion, Le Quai des Brumes, La Bête Humaine, Le Jour se Lève, and Le Plaisir. He worked with some of the most renowned directors of his time, such as Jean Renoir, Marcel Carné, Julien Duvivier, Jacques Becker, and Jean Grémillon. He also collaborated with some of the most famous actors and actresses of his generation, such as Michèle Morgan, Simone Simon, Jeanne Moreau, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, and Lino Ventura. Gabin was born in Paris in 1904 as Jean-Alexis Moncorgé. His father was a café owner and cabaret entertainer who used the stage name Gabin. His mother was a seamstress. He grew up in the village of Mériel in the Val-d'Oise department, north of Paris. He attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly but left school early to work as a laborer. He entered show business at the age of 19 with a bit part in a Folies Bergères production. He then performed in various music halls and operettas, imitating the singing style of Maurice Chevalier. He made his film debut in 1928 in two silent films directed by Maurice and Jacques Tourneur. He transitioned to sound films in 1930 with Chacun sa chance. He played secondary roles in more than a dozen films until he gained recognition for his performance in Maria Chapdelaine (1934), directed by Julien Duvivier. He became a major star with La Bandera (1935), also directed by Duvivier. He then teamed up with Duvivier again for the highly successful Pépé le Moko (1937), which brought him international fame. He also starred in Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion (1937), an antiwar film that was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. He followed this with another Renoir masterpiece, La Bête Humaine (1938), a film noir based on the novel by Émile Zola. He also worked with Marcel Carné for Le Quai des Brumes (1938) and Le Jour se Lève (1939), two classics of poetic realism. Gabin was offered several roles in Hollywood but turned them down until the outbreak of World War II. He joined the Free French Forces and fought against Nazi Germany. He was wounded and decorated for his bravery. After the war, he returned to France and resumed his film career. However, he struggled to find roles that matched his previous success. He also faced competition from younger actors such as Yves Montand and Gérard Philipe. He had some hits with La Marie du Port (1950), Touchez pas au grisbi (1954), French Cancan (1955), and Voici le temps des assassins (1956), but also some flops. He regained his popularity in the 1960s with films such as Le Président (1961), Un singe en hiver (1962), Mélodie en sous-sol (1963), Le Gentleman d'Epsom (1962), and Le Pacha (1968). He also played the role of Inspector Maigret in several adaptations of the novels by Georges Simenon. He received several awards and honors for his career, such as the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, and the Legion of Honor. Gabin married three times and had three children. His first wife was Gaby Basset, a music hall singer whom he married in 1925 and divorced in 1930. His second wife was Suzanne Marguerite Jeanne Mauchain, a film actress whom he married in 1933 and divorced in 1939. His third wife was Dominique Fournier, a journalist whom he married in 1949 and remained with until his death. He had a daughter, Florence, with Basset, and two children, Valérie and Mathias, with Fournier. Gabin died of leukemia at the American Hospital of Paris in 1976. He was 72 years old. His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea from a military ship in the Iroise Sea, off the coast of Brittany. He is remembered as one of the greatest actors of French cinema and a symbol of French culture.