About

Known credits:
28
Birthday:
1895-08-25
Place of birth:
Oran, Algeria
Website:
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Habib Benglia

Overview

Habib Benglia, born August 25, 1895 in Oran (Algeria) and died December 2, 1960 at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris 4th, is a French actor and dancer. He was the first black French artist to experience such success in the 1920s. Married, he was the father of two children.

Born to caravan parents, originally from Mali (then called French Sudan), he lived his entire childhood in Timbuktu, before arriving, with his parents, in mainland France to deliver camels to the acclimatization garden where the exhibition was held. colonial "Les Nègres", in 1912. He decided to stay in France and began his career in 1913, both in theater and in cinema, after having met the actress and dancer Régine Flory, who introduced him to Cora Laparcerie, director of the Théâtre de la Renaissance. Mobilized for the First World War, he then joined Firmin Gémier's theater company which ended up at the Théâtre National de l'Odéon with Gaston Baty in 1922. Benglia was thus the first black to play roles from the classical repertoire, and he found himself also performing the title role of The Emperor Jones at the Odéon in 19234, at the age of 27. However, he explored other aspects of his art: dance, revues, vaudeville... Theater in all its forms remained his passion for more than 36 years. It was primarily through theater that he played a major role in Parisian cultural life between the wars.

Benglia was also interested in cinema, but French cinema hardly offered him good roles. He is most often found in small roles in second-rate films, but also in a few colonial propaganda films, sometimes in ridiculously exotic roles. A few exceptions: Benglia stars in “Daïnah La Métisse”, he has interesting passages in “Sola ou Les Mystères de Paris”, then he makes a brief appearance in “Les Enfants du Paradis”, a film in which he only worked two days (December 5 and 6, 1943). In total, he appeared in around sixty films. It was the range of his deep voice which was most remarkable and which determined the roles entrusted to him.

He died on December 2, 1960 at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris.

Known for

Acting
1960 Candide or The Optimism in the 20th Century Actor Le noir molesté (uncredited) 59
Average
1960 Some Like It... Cold Actor 58
Average
1958 Tamango Actor The Black Chief 59
Average
1955 A Missionary Actor N/A
N/A
1955 Native Drums Actor N/A
N/A
1950 La Danseuse de Marrakech Actor Taraor N/A
N/A
1948 The Figurehead Actor The black 59
Average
1948 La Renégate Actor Youssef 59
Average
1947 Le Bateau à soupe Actor Le nègre 59
Average
1945 Children of Paradise Actor L'employé des bains turcs 68
Fair
1940 African Diary Actor 59
Average
1938 Mon curé chez les riches Actor (uncredited) 58
Average
1938 Les Rois de la flotte Actor N/A
N/A
1938 Tempête sur l'Asie Actor N/A
N/A
1938 Hatred Actor 59
Average
1937 The Secrets of the Red Sea Actor N/A
N/A
1937 Grand Illusion Actor Le sénégalais 69
Fair
1937 L'empreinte rouge Actor N/A
N/A
1936 Nitchevo Actor N/A
N/A
1936 Les Gaietés du palace Actor N/A
N/A
1936 Le Roman d'un spahi Actor Nyaor 59
Average
1935 Mysteries of Paris Actor Le docteur noir N/A
N/A
1932 Dainah the Mixed Actor Le mari 59
Average
1932 You Will Be a Duchess Actor N/A
N/A
1932 Storm of Marrakech Actor N/A
N/A
1931 The woman and the nightingale Actor le chef de tribu N/A
N/A
1931 Alone Actor L'Hindou N/A
N/A
1927 Yasmina Actor N/A
N/A