Daniel Gélin

Daniel Gélin
Gélin in 1963
Born
Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin

(1921-05-19)19 May 1921
Died29 November 2002(2002-11-29) (aged 81)
Paris, France
Years active1940–2002
Spouses
(m. 1946; div. 1954)
Sylvie Hirsh
(m. 1954; div. 1968)
Lydie Zaks
(m. 1973)
Children6, including Xavier Gélin, Maria Schneider and Fiona Gélin

Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin (19 May 1921 – 29 November 2002) was a French film and television actor.

Early life

Gélin was born in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, the son of Yvonne (née Le Méner) and Alfred Ernest Joseph Gélin.[1][2][3]

When he was ten, his family moved to Saint-Malo where Daniel went to college until he was expelled for 'uncouthness'. His father then found him a job in a shop that sold cans of salted cod. It was seeing the shooting of Marc Allégret's film Entrée des artistes that triggered his desire to go to Paris to train to be an actor. He trained at the Cours Simon in Paris before entering the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique . There he met Louis Jouvet and embarked on a theatrical career. He made his first film appearance in 1940 in Miquette and for several years was an extra or played small roles in French films. He appeared with Jean Gabin and Marlene Dietrich in Martin Roumagnac (1946).[citation needed]

Career

He won his first leading role in Rendez-vous de juillet (1949). From that time, he went on to appear in more than 150 films, including Max Ophüls' films La Ronde (1950) and Le Plaisir (1952), Jacques Becker's Édouard et Caroline (1951), Sacha Guitry's films Si Versailles m'était conté (Royal Affairs in Versailles) (1954) and Napoléon (1955), Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Jean Cocteau's Le Testament d'Orphée (1960), Le souffle au cœur (Murmur of the Heart) (1971), and La Nuit de Varennes (That Night in Varennes) (1982). He also wrote and directed one film, The Long Teeth, in 1952.[4]

Gélin was a leading man in French cinema during the 1950s, but his career declined with the coming of the New Wave. He worked in theater for several years, but later found new success on screen as a character actor. He appeared extensively in French films and television productions from the 1970s until his death, often playing cynical characters or grumpy old men.[5]

Personal life

In 1946, Gélin married actress Danièle Delorme with whom he had a son, actor, director and producer Xavier Gélin. They divorced in 1954. While still married to Delorme, he had an affair with 17-year-old model Marie Christine Schneider that produced a daughter, Maria Schneider.[6][7] Due to his status as a married man, Gélin could not recognize Maria as his daughter. He visited the child several times but eventually severed his relationship with her mother. Maria Schneider and Daniel Gélin reconnected when she was sixteen and came to visit him. They remained in contact, although their relationship was irregular.[8]

Gélin was married to model Sylvie Hirsch from 1954 until their divorce in 1968. This marriage produced three children: Pascal (who died aged one year), Fiona, and Manuel, the latter two also becoming actors. In 1973, he married Lydie Zaks, with whom he had a daughter, Laura.

Death

Gélin died in Paris on 29 November 2002 of kidney failure.[9][10][11]

Filmography

Gélin at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival
Year Title Role Director Notes
1940 Miquette Jean Boyer
Radio Surprises Marcel Aboulker Uncredited
1941 Premier rendez-vous Monsieur Chauveau-Laplace Henri Decoin Uncredited
1942 The Strangers in the House Henri Decoin Uncredited
Soyez les bienvenus Jacques de Baroncelli
The Murderer Lives at Number 21 Policeman Henri-Georges Clouzot Uncredited
1943 Lucrèce Un collégien Léo Joannon
1944 Les Petites du quai aux fleurs Marc Allégret Uncredited
1945 Les Cadets de l'océan Philippe Dermantes Jean Dréville
1946 The Temptation of Barbizon Michel Jean Stelli
A Friend Will Come Tonight Pierre Ribault Raymond Bernard
Martin Roumagnac Le surveillant du collège – épris de Blanche Georges Lacombe
Ouvert pour cause d'inventaire Alain Resnais
1947 Sybille's Night Stany Jean-Paul Paulin
Mirror Charles Lussac Raymond Lamy
The Woman in Red Saladin Louis Cuny
1948 The Murdered Model Léopold Pierre de Hérain
1949 Le Paradis des pilotes perdus Lieutenant Villeneuve Georges Lampin
Rendezvous in July Lucien Bonnard Jacques Becker
1950 La Ronde Alfred Max Ophüls
God Needs Men Joseph Le Berre Jean Delannoy
1951 Edward and Caroline Édouard Mortier Jacques Becker
Dirty Hands Hugo Barine Fernand Rivers, Simone Berriau
Young Love Jean Bompart Guy Lefranc
Traité de bave et d'éternité Himself Isidore Isou
1952 Le Plaisir Jean, the young painter Max Ophüls (segment "Le Modèle")
Adorables Créatures André Noblet Christian-Jaque
La Minute de vérité Daniel Prévost Jean Delannoy
1953 The Long Teeth Louis Commandeur Himself
Rue de l'Estrapade Robert Jacques Becker
Voice of Silence Andrea Sanna / L'ancien prisonnier Georg Wilhelm Pabst
The Slave Michel Landa Yves Ciampi
1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Jean Collinet Sacha Guitry
Stain in the Snow Frank Friedmayer Luis Saslavsky
Public Opinion Paolo Jaier Maurizio Corgnati and Goffredo Alessandrini
Love in a Hot Climate Ricardo Garcia Georges Rouquier and Munoz Suay
On Trial (L'affaire Maurizius) Léonard Maurizius Julien Duvivier
The Cheerful Squadron Il soldato Frédéric d'Héricourt Paolo Moffa
Woman of Rome Mino Luigi Zampa
1955 The Lovers of Lisbon Pierre Roubier Henri Verneuil
Napoléon Napoleon (as a young man) Sacha Guitry
1956 Maid in Paris Antoine du Merlet Pierre Gaspard-Huit
The Man Who Knew Too Much Louis Bernard Alfred Hitchcock
Plucking the Daisy Daniel Roy Marc Allégret
Bonsoir Paris, bonjour l'amour [fr] Georges Bernier Ralph Baum
I'll Get Back to Kandara Bernard Cormière Victor Vicas
1957 Fugitive in Saigon Paul Horcier Marcel Camus
Three Days to Live Simon Belin Gilles Grangier
Retour de manivelle Robert Montillon Denys de La Patellière
Charming Boys Alain Cartier Henri Decoin
1958 The Daughter of Hamburg Pierre Yves Allégret
Suivez-moi jeune homme Michel Corbier Guy Lefranc
1959 Ce corps tant désiré Guillaume Féraud Luis Saslavsky
Julie the Redhead Édouard Lavigne / Jean Lavigne Claude Boissol
1960 Carthage in Flames Phégor Carmine Gallone
Testament of Orpheus L'interne / The intern Jean Cocteau Uncredited
Le tre eccetera del colonnello Lieutenant Villard Claude Boissol
1961 Prey for the Shadows Eric Kraemmer Alexandre Astruc
La Morte-Saison des amours Jacques Saint-Ford Pierre Kast
Dans la gueule du loup Un drogué Jean-Charles Dudrumet
Reveille-toi chérie Masure Claude Magnier [fr]
1962 Girl on the Road Le comédien Jacqueline Audry
The Longest Day Minor Role Ken Annakin (French Version) (scenes deleted)
1963 Règlements de compte Nicky Pierre Chevalier
Portuguese Vacation Daniel Pierre Kast
Three Girls in Paris Raymond Gabriel Axel
1964 La Bonne Soupe Raymond Robert Thomas
Cherchez l'idole Un invité au spectacle de Sylvie Vartan Michel Boisrond Uncredited
1965 The Sleeping Car Murders the veterinary Constantin Costa-Gavras
The Hour of Truth [fr] David Henri Calef
The Sleeping Car Murders Le vétérinaire Costa-Gavras Uncredited
1966 Witness Out of Hell [de] Bora Petrović Žika Mitrović
Zwei Girls vom Roten Stern [de] Ballard Sammy Drechsel
The Sultans Léo Jean Delannoy
Line of Demarcation Doctor Jacques Lafaye Claude Chabrol
Living It Up Bernard Pierre Gaspard-Huit
Is Paris Burning? Yves Bayet René Clément
Black Sun Guy Rodier Denys de La Patellière
1968 La Trêve Arno Claude Guillemot
The Most Beautiful Month Le capitaine du Génie Guy Blanc
1969 Slogan Evelyne's father Pierre Grimblat
Hallucinations sadiques Charles Jean-Pierre Bastid
Détruire, dit-elle Bernard Alione Marguerite Duras
1970 La servante Dr. Robert Marbois Jacques-Paul Bertrand
1971 Murmur of the Heart Charles Chevalier Louis Malle
Swedish Fly Girls André Jack O'Connell
1972 Aimez-vous les uns les autres... mais pas trop Paul Roccard Daniel Moosmann
Far from Dallas Jean Philippe Toledano
1973 The Police Serve the Citizens? Brera Romolo Guerrieri
1974 Un linceul n'a pas de poches Laurence Jean-Pierre Mocky
Ariane Le comédien Pierre-Jean de San Bartolomé
1975 Dialogues of Exiles - Raoul Ruiz
Trop c'est trop Un flic Didier Kaminka
1977 Nous irons tous au paradis Bastien Yves Robert
Urgent ou À quoi bon exécuter des projets puisque le projet est en lui-même une jouissance suffisante Himself
1978 L'honorable société Max de Marcilly Anielle Weinberger
The Suspended Vocation Malagrida Raoul Ruiz
1979 Qu'il est joli garçon l'assassin de papa Don Gomez Michel Caputo
1980 L'oeil du maître Samuel Stéphane Kurc
1981 Signé Furax Broutechoux Marc Simenon
Peacetime in Paris Gérard Courant Predrag Golubovic
1982 Guy de Maupassant Gustave Michel Drach
That Night in Varennes Monsieur de Wendel Ettore Scola
1985 Les Enfants Enrico Marguerite Duras
1986 Killing Cars [de] Kellermann Michael Verhoeven
1987 Via Monte Napoleone Elena's father Carlo Vanzina
Sécurité publique Martino Morando Gabriel Benattar
1988 Dandin Monsieur de Sotenville Roger Planchon
Life Is a Long Quiet River Le docteur Mavial Étienne Chatiliez
Itinéraire d'un enfant gâté Pierrot Duvivier Claude Lelouch
1990 Mister Frost Simon Scolari Philippe Setbon
Promotion canapé Le responsable des Inspecteurs Justice Didier Kaminka
1991 Mauvaise Fille Fernand Régis Franc
Les secrets professionnels du Dr Apfelglück Roland Grumaud Alessandro Capone
Un type bien Docteur Avril Laurent Bénégui
1992 Les Eaux dormantes Le docteur Nedelec Jacques Tréfouel
1993 Coup de jeune Gaudeamus à 70 ans Xavier Gélin
De force avec d'autres L'autre lui-même Simon Reggiani
Roulez jeunesse ! Jean Moulinier Jacques Fansten
Les Marmottes Léo Élie Chouraqui
Les Ténors Maître Léon Montlucet Francis de Gueltzl
1994 Des feux mal éteints Le monsieur de la plage Serge Moati
La Cité de la peur Monsieur Mireille Alain Berbérian
Pushing the Limits Himself Thierry Donard
1995 Fugueuses Bruno Nadine Trintignant
1996 Fantôme avec chauffeur Le passeur Gérard Oury
Les Bidochon Le père Bidochon Serge Korber
Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploi the widower Claude Lelouch
1997 Obsession Xavier Fabre Peter Sehr

References

  1. ^ "Daniel Gelin : biographie". OverBlog. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Daniel GÉLIN". Archived from the original on 23 July 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  3. ^ "Daniel Yves Alfred Gelin – Arbre généalogique Henri FREBAULT – Geneanet". Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  4. ^ Travers, James (1 January 2014). "Review of the film Les Dents longues (1952)". Films de France. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  5. ^ Daniel Gélin, Bibliothèque du film
  6. ^ David Thomson. A Biographical Dictionary of Film. Andre Deutsch.
  7. ^ "Maria Schneider". www.mariaschneider.eu. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  8. ^ Vanessa Schneider, Tu t'appelais Maria Schneider, Grasset, 2018, pp. 21-31, 186-188, 191-192
  9. ^ "Daniel Gelin, 81; Versatile French Actor Had 60-Year Career". Los Angeles Times. 30 November 2002. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Obituary: Daniel Gélin". TheGuardian.com. 2 December 2002.
  11. ^ "Gélin Daniel – Memoires de guerre". 11 February 2020.