About

Known credits:
131
Birthday:
1885-02-20
Place of birth:
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire [now Russia]
Website:
N/A

Sacha Guitry

Overview

Alexandre-Pierre Georges Guitry (21 February 1885 – 24 July 1957), known as Sacha Guitry, was a French stage actor, film actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright of the boulevard theatre. He was the son of a leading French actor, Lucien Guitry, and followed his father into the theatrical profession. He became known for his stage performances, particularly in boulevardier roles. He was also a prolific playwright, writing 115 plays throughout his career. He was married five times, always to rising actresses whose careers he furthered. Probably his best-known wife was Yvonne Printemps to whom he was married between 1919 and 1932.

Guitry's plays range from historical dramas to contemporary light comedies. Some have musical scores, by composers including André Messager and Reynaldo Hahn. When silent films became popular Guitry avoided them, finding the lack of spoken dialogue fatal to dramatic impact. From the 1930s to the end of his life he enthusiastically embraced the cinema, making as many as five films in a single year.

The later years of Guitry's career were overshadowed by accusations of collaborating with the occupying Germans after the capitulation of France in the Second World War. The charges were dismissed, but Guitry, a strongly patriotic man, was disillusioned by the vilification he received from some of his compatriots. By the time of his death, his popular esteem had been restored to the extent that 12,000 people filed past his coffin before his burial in Paris.

Guitry was born at No 12 Nevsky Prospect, Saint Petersburg, Russia, the third son of the French actors Lucien Guitry and his wife Marie-Louise-Renée née Delmas de Pont-Jest (1858–1902). The couple had eloped, in the face of family disapproval, and were married at St Martin in the Fields, London, in 1882. They then moved to the then Russian capital, where Lucien ran the French theatre company, the Théâtre Michel, from 1882 to 1891. The marriage was brief. Guitry senior was a persistent adulterer, and his wife instituted divorce proceedings in 1888. Two of their sons died in infancy (one in 1883 and the other in 1887); the other surviving son, Jean (1884–1920) became an actor and journalist. The family's Russian nurse habitually shortened Alexandre-Pierre's name to the Russian diminutive "Sacha", by which he was known all his life. The young Sacha made his stage debut in his father's company at the age of five.

Lucien Guitry, considered the most distinguished actor in France since Coquelin, was immensely successful, both critically and commercially. When he returned to Paris he lived in a flat in a prestigious spot, overlooking the Place Vendôme and the Rue de la Paix. The young Sacha lived there, and for his schooling he was first sent to the well-known Lycée Janson de Sailly in the fashionable Sixteenth arrondissement. He did not stay long there, and went to a succession of other schools, both secular and religious, before abandoning formal education at the age of sixteen. ...

Source: Article "Sacha Guitry" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Acting
1956 If Paris Were Told to Us Actor le narrateur et Louis XI 59
Average
1955 Napoleon Actor Talleyrand 59
Average
1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Actor Louis XIV (plus âgé) 59
Average
1953 The Virtuous Scoundrel Actor 59
Average
1952 I Was It Three Times Actor Jean Renneval 58
Average
1951 Deburau Actor Jean-Gaspard Deburau 59
Average
1950 Tu m'as sauvé la vie Actor Le baron de Saint-Rambert 58
Average
1950 The Treasure of Cantenac Actor le baron de Cantenac et le conteur 59
Average
1949 Toâ Actor Michel Desnoyers 58
Average
1949 Two Doves Actor Maître Jean-Pierre Walter 59
Average
1948 The Devil Who Limped Actor Talleyrand 59
Average
1948 The Private Life of an Actor Actor Lucien Guitry et Sacha Guitry 59
Average
1944 From Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain Actor Narrator (voice) N/A
N/A
1944 La Malibran Actor Eugène Malibran 59
Average
1943 My Last Mistress Actor François 59
Average
1941 Mlle. Desiree Actor Napoléon 1er 58
Average
1939 Nine Bachelors Actor Jean Lécuyer 59
Average
1938 Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées Actor Le Professeur, Louis XV, Ludovic, Jean-Louis et Napoléon III 59
Average
1938 Bluebeard's Eighth Wife Actor Man Leaving Hotel in France (uncredited) 60
Fair
1938 Quadrille Actor Philippe de Morannes 59
Average
1937 Désiré Actor Désiré 59
Average
1937 The Pearls of the Crown Actor Jean Martin / François Ier / Barras / Napoléon III 59
Average
1937 Le Mot de Cambronne Actor Le Général Pierre Cambronne 58
Average
1936 Let's Make a Dream Actor L'Amant 59
Average
1936 My Father Was Right Actor Charles Bellanger 59
Average
1936 The Story of a Cheat Actor le tricheur 60
Fair
1936 The New Testament Actor Le Docteur Marcelin 59
Average
1935 Good Luck Actor Claude 58
Average
1935 Pasteur Actor Louis Pasteur 58
Average
1934 Dîner de gala aux Ambassadeurs Actor lui-même 58
Average
1926 Camille: The Fate of a Coquette Actor Mancha y Zaragosa 58
Average
1918 Un roman d’amour et d’aventures Actor Jean et Jacques Sarrazin N/A
N/A

Directing
1957 Three Make a Pair Directing Director 58
Average
1956 Murderers and Thieves Directing Director 58
Average
1956 If Paris Were Told to Us Directing Director 59
Average
1955 Napoleon Directing Director 59
Average
1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Directing Director 59
Average
1953 The Virtuous Scoundrel Directing Director 59
Average
1952 I Was It Three Times Directing Director 58
Average
1951 Poison Directing Director 60
Fair
1951 Deburau Directing Director 59
Average
1950 Tu m'as sauvé la vie Directing Director 58
Average
1950 The Treasure of Cantenac Directing Director 59
Average
1949 Toâ Directing Director 58
Average
1949 Two Doves Directing Director 59
Average
1948 The Devil Who Limped Directing Director 59
Average
1948 The Private Life of an Actor Directing Director 59
Average
1944 From Joan of Arc to Philippe Pétain Directing Director N/A
N/A
1944 La Malibran Directing Director 59
Average
1943 My Last Mistress Directing Director 59
Average
1941 Mlle. Desiree Directing Director 58
Average
1939 Nine Bachelors Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Quadrille Directing Director 59
Average
1937 Désiré Directing Director 59
Average
1937 The Pearls of the Crown Directing Director 59
Average
1937 Le Mot de Cambronne Directing Director 58
Average
1936 Let's Make a Dream Directing Director 59
Average
1936 My Father Was Right Directing Director 59
Average
1936 The Story of a Cheat Directing Director 60
Fair
1936 The New Testament Directing Director 59
Average
1935 Pasteur Directing Director 58
Average
1935 Good Luck Directing Director 58
Average
1934 Dîner de gala aux Ambassadeurs Directing Director 58
Average
1922 Une petite main qui se place Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 Oscar rencontre mademoiselle Manageot Directing Director 58
Average
1915 Those of Our Land Directing Director 58
Average
1915 Edgar Degas Filmed Walking Down a Paris Street Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2021 N'écoutez pas mesdames Writing Writer N/A
N/A
2016 Une folie Writing Writer 59
Average
2013 Quadrille Writing Author 59
Average
2007 Faisons un rêve Writing Author 59
Average
2007 Mon Père Avait Raison Writing Writer 59
Average
2001 A Crime in Paradise Writing Writer 60
Fair
1999 Le Nouveau Testament Writing Author N/A
N/A
1997 Quadrille Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1996 Le Veilleur de nuit Writing Theatre Play 59
Average
1996 Mon père avait raison Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1992 La jalousie Writing Author N/A
N/A
1985 Georges Courteline au travail & Boubouroche Writing Author N/A
N/A
1984 Nono Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1976 La jalousie Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
1972 La Pèlerine écossaise Writing Author 59
Average
1970 Zwei ganze Tage Writing Original Story N/A
N/A
1960 The Nabob Affair Writing Writer 59
Average
1958 Life Together Writing Writer 59
Average
1957 Three Make a Pair Writing Writer 58
Average
1956 Murderers and Thieves Writing Writer 58
Average
1956 If Paris Were Told to Us Writing Story 59
Average
1955 Napoleon Writing Writer 59
Average
1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Writing Writer 59
Average
1953 The Virtuous Scoundrel Writing Writer 59
Average
1952 I Was It Three Times Writing Writer 58
Average
1951 Poison Writing Writer 60
Fair
1951 Adhémar or the Toy of Destiny Writing Writer 59
Average
1951 Deburau Writing Writer 59
Average
1949 Rendezvous in July Writing Story 58
Average
1949 Toâ Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1949 Two Doves Writing Adaptation 59
Average
1949 Two Doves Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1949 Two Doves Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1948 The Devil Who Limped Writing Writer 59
Average
1944 La Malibran Writing Writer 59
Average
1943 My Last Mistress Writing Writer 59
Average
1940 Lucky Partners Writing Story 58
Average
1939 Nine Bachelors Writing Writer 59
Average
1938 Let’s Go Up the Champs-Élysées Writing Writer 59
Average
1938 L'Accroche-cœur Writing Writer 59
Average
1938 Quadrille Writing Writer 59
Average
1937 Désiré Writing Writer 59
Average
1937 The Pearls of the Crown Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1937 Le Mot de Cambronne Writing Writer 58
Average
1936 Let's Make a Dream Writing Theatre Play 59
Average
1936 Let's Make a Dream Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1936 My Father Was Right Writing Writer 59
Average
1936 The Story of a Cheat Writing Writer 60
Fair
1936 The New Testament Writing Theatre Play 59
Average
1936 The New Testament Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1936 The New Testament Writing Dialogue 59
Average
1935 Pasteur Writing Scenario Writer 58
Average
1935 Good Luck Writing Writer 58
Average
1934 Dîner de gala aux Ambassadeurs Writing Screenplay 58
Average
1934 Dîner de gala aux Ambassadeurs Writing Dialogue 58
Average
1931 Black and White Writing Screenstory 58
Average
1931 Black and White Writing Theatre Play 58
Average
1930 Sleeping Partners Writing Theatre Play N/A
N/A
1924 The Clairvoyant Writing Theatre Play N/A
N/A
1924 The Lover of Camille Writing Novel N/A
N/A
1918 Un roman d’amour et d’aventures Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A

Production
1954 Royal Affairs in Versailles Production Producer 59
Average

Sound
1969 Vingt-neuf degrés à l'ombre Sound Songs N/A
N/A