About

Known credits:
29
Birthday:
1914-11-25
Place of birth:
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Website:
N/A

Léon Zitrone

Overview

Léon Zitrone (25 November 1914 – 25 November 1995) was a Russian-born French journalist and television presenter.

Zitrone was born in Petrograd, Russia. He arrived in France with his family fleeing communism at the age of six. He graduated from the ESJ Paris. He began by training in scientific studies but his mastership of Russian, French, English and German gave him entrance in 1948 to the radio foreign broadcasting services of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). In 1959, he joined the television activity of RTF. From 1961, he became news presenter, function he occupied for nearly 20 years, first until 1975, on the first French television channel (now TF1), then also on Antenne 2, the other public service channel. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach called him back in 1979. He then took charge of the news program during the week-end (his contract was established until 1 February 1981). He would come back for those news programs also during the Easter and Pentecost week-ends.

But Léon Zitrone's celebrity is due to the programs he presented or co-presented. He was host of the televised program Intervilles (French counterpart of Britain's It's a Knockout) with Guy Lux. He commented 6 times the Tour de France, and he is remembered for his prodigious memory for names of riders. He presented the Olympics for 8 times, commented the Eurovision Song Contest on 4 occasions and presented 16 Bastille Day military parades. Above all, he was the key-commenter for big events, such as weddings, burials or investitures of world's key figures, some thirty of them during the course of his career.

In 1978, following French singer Marie Myriam's victory the previous year, the Eurovision song contest took place in Paris. Léon Zitrone co-presented with Denise Fabre and made the presentation in English.

In 1984, Zitrone took a leading role in the movie American Dreamer.

He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on his 81st birthday, 25 November 1995, at the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris.

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

Known for

Acting
2022 La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
1987 Dorothée Show Actor Vigile N/A
N/A
1985 Marriage of the Century Actor Voix du commentateur (voice) 58
Average
1984 American Dreamer Actor Ivan Stranauvlitch 59
Average
1983 Les mots pour le dire Actor 59
Average
1982 Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ Actor Presenter of the circus games 59
Average
1980 The Party Actor Lui-même 63
Fair
1977 Drôles de zèbres Actor Race Commentator 58
Average
1975 From Hong Kong with Love Actor Espion français 58
Average
1974 Marriage Actor lui-même 58
Average
1972 J'ai tout donné Actor 59
Average
1972 Menace Actor Le journaliste 58
Average
1971 La lucarne magique Actor Une personnalité N/A
N/A
1970 Let Them Live! Actor Self - Narrator N/A
N/A
1969 Les gros malins Actor Self 58
Average
1967 Live for Life Actor lui-même 59
Average
1967 Live for Life Actor Le présentateur télé 59
Average
1966 Seventeenth Heaven Actor Self (voice) (uncredited) 58
Average
1966 The Boss of Champignol Actor Self N/A
N/A
1965 Operation Double Cross Actor Himself 58
Average
1964 Clémentine chérie Actor lui-même à la télévision (image d'archives) 59
Average
1964 Actualités télérévisées Actor N/A
N/A
1963 Be Careful Ladies Actor Self 58
Average
1963 The Bamboo Stroke Actor 58
Average
1962 Assassin's Check Actor Le journaliste télé N/A
N/A
1961 Three Faces of Sin Actor Self 59
Average
1961 Cocagne Actor acteur 58
Average
1961 Leon Garros Is Looking for His Friend Actor Léon Garros 59
Average
1959 Rue de Paris Actor lui-même 59
Average