About

Known credits:
81
Birthday:
1933-03-15
Place of birth:
Paris, France
Website:
N/A

Philippe de Broca

Overview

Philippe de Broca (15 March 1933 – 26 November 2004) was a French movie director.

He directed 30 full-length feature films, including the highly successful That Man from Rio (L'Homme de Rio), The Man from Acapulco (Le Magnifique) and On Guard (Le Bossu). His works include historical, romantic epics such as Chouans! and King of Hearts (Le Roi de cœur), as well as comedies with a charismatic, breezy hero ready to embark upon any adventure which comes his way, so long as it means escaping everyday modern life: Practice Makes Perfect (Le Cavaleur), The Devil by the Tail (Le Diable par la queue), The African (L'Africain). He had links with the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, with whom he made six films, as well as with Jean-Pierre Cassel, Philippe Noiret and Jean Rochefort.

Philippe de Broca was born on 15 March 1933 in Paris, France. He was the son of a cinema set designer and the grandson of a well-known painter, Philippe de Broca. He studied at the Paris Photography and Cinematography School (école Vaugirard), graduating in 1953. He carried out his military service with the service cinématographique des armées (army film service) in Germany and then in Algeria, directing or acting as head cameraman on short films. Greatly affected by the war he witnessed, he vowed to show life in its best light in his future films “because laughter is the best defence against upsets in life”. After his discharge from the military, he set off on a journey taking in the length of Africa in Berliet trucks before returning to Paris.

He began working as an intern with Henri Decoin, before finding assistant positions with Claude Chabrol: Bitter Reunion (Le Beau Serge), The Cousins (Les Cousins), Web of Passion (À Double Tour), François Truffaut: The 400 Blows (Les 400 Coups) and Pierre Schoendoerffer: Ramuntcho. In 1959, Claude Chabrol produced de Broca's first film for him, The Love Game (Les jeux de l’amour) with Jean-Pierre Cassel. De Broca went on to work with Cassel again in The Joker (Le Farceur, 1960), Five Day Lover (L’Amant de cinq jours, 1961), and Male Companion (Un Monsieur de Compagnie, 1964).

De Broca's first commercial success came with Swords of Blood (Cartouche), filmed in 1962. This film also saw two more names become associated with de Broca: the actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and the producer Alexandre Mnouchkine. International acclaim came with That Man from Rio (L'Homme de Rio) in 1964, Up to His Ears (Les tribulations d'un Chinois en Chine) in 1965, The Man from Acapulco (Le Magnifique) in 1973 and Incorrigible (L'Incorrigible) in 1975.

In 1966, he co-wrote, directed and produced King of Hearts (Le Roi de Cœur). This parody of the Great War, which some cinema-lovers consider his masterpiece, was a commercial and personal failure, to de Broca's dismay. Yet it eventually achieved genuine cult-film status during the mid 1970s when it was presented in repertory movie theaters as well as non-theatrical college and university film series across the United States, eventually running for five years at the now defunct film house, the Central Square Cinemas in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ...

Source: Article "Philippe de Broca" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known for

Acting
2020 Le Terminus des prétentieux Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2011 Belmondo, il était une fois le beau monde Actor Self (archive footage) 59
Average
2006 The Foreign Eye Actor Self 59
Average
1996 Elle s'appelait Françoise Actor Self N/A
N/A
1981 Droit de Réponse Actor Self 59
Average
1973 The Magnificent One Actor Second Plumber (uncredited) 63
Fair
1971 Le Cinema de Papa Actor Jean Timent 59
Average
1969 The Devil by the Tail Actor Un passant suédois 59
Average
1966 King of Hearts Actor Adolf Hitler 60
Fair
1964 Les pieds nickelés Actor le chauffeur de taxi 59
Average
1964 The Little Misses Actor Le timide N/A
N/A
1963 People in Luck Actor Le passant qui reçoit l'affiche (« Une nuit avec la vedette ») 58
Average
1962 The Girls of La Rochelle Actor N/A
N/A
1962 Cartouche Actor L'homme qui crie 'les aristocrates à la lanterne' 60
Fair
1960 The Love Game Actor L'homme au cabaret Le Bateau Mouche 59
Average
1960 Breathless Actor A Journalist (uncredited) 71
Good
1959 The 400 Blows Actor Man in Funfair (uncredited) 75
Good
1958 Le beau Serge Actor Jacques Rivette de la Chasuble 60
Fair

Directing
2004 Viper in the Fist Directing Director 60
Fair
2003 Un amour en kit Directing Director N/A
N/A
2003 Y aura pas école demain Directing Director N/A
N/A
2002 Madame Sans-Gêne Directing Director N/A
N/A
2000 Amazon Directing Director 58
Average
1997 On Guard Directing Director 61
Fair
1996 Le Veilleur de nuit Directing Director 59
Average
1995 Les hommes et les femmes sont faits pour vivre heureux… mais pas ensemble Directing Director N/A
N/A
1994 Tales from the Zoo Directing Director N/A
N/A
1991 Les clés du Paradis Directing Director 58
Average
1990 1001 Nights Directing Director 58
Average
1988 Chouans! Directing Director 59
Average
1986 The Gypsy Directing Director 58
Average
1984 Louisiana Directing Director 58
Average
1983 The African Directing Director 59
Average
1981 Psy Directing Director 58
Average
1980 Jupiter's Thigh Directing Director 59
Average
1979 The Skirt Chaser Directing Director 59
Average
1978 Dear Inspector Directing Director 58
Average
1977 Julie pot-de-colle Directing Director 58
Average
1975 Incorrigible Directing Director 59
Average
1973 The Magnificent One Directing Director 63
Fair
1972 Dear Louise Directing Director 58
Average
1971 Touch and Go Directing Director 58
Average
1970 Give Her the Moon Directing Director 58
Average
1969 The Devil by the Tail Directing Director 59
Average
1967 The Oldest Profession Directing Director 58
Average
1966 King of Hearts Directing Director 60
Fair
1965 Up to His Ears Directing Director 62
Fair
1964 Male Companion Directing Director 58
Average
1964 That Man from Rio Directing Director 65
Fair
1963 People in Luck Directing Director 58
Average
1962 Cartouche Directing Director 60
Fair
1962 The Seven Deadly Sins Directing Director 58
Average
1962 La gourmandise Directing Director N/A
N/A
1961 Five Day Lover Directing Director 59
Average
1961 The Joker Directing Director 58
Average
1960 The Love Game Directing Director 59
Average
1959 The 400 Blows Directing Assistant Director 75
Good

Writing
2004 Viper in the Fist Writing Writer 60
Fair
2000 Amazon Writing Writer 58
Average
1997 On Guard Writing Screenplay 61
Fair
1991 Les clés du Paradis Writing Writer 58
Average
1990 1001 Nights Writing Writer 58
Average
1988 Chouans! Writing Scenario Writer 59
Average
1986 The Gypsy Writing Writer 58
Average
1983 The African Writing Writer 59
Average
1983 The African Writing Scenario Writer 59
Average
1979 The Skirt Chaser Writing Writer 59
Average
1978 Dear Inspector Writing Adaptation 58
Average
1975 Incorrigible Writing Writer 59
Average
1973 The Magnificent One Writing Writer 63
Fair
1971 Touch and Go Writing Writer 58
Average
1970 Give Her the Moon Writing Writer 58
Average
1964 Male Companion Writing Writer 58
Average
1964 That Man from Rio Writing Writer 65
Fair
1963 People in Luck Writing Writer 58
Average
1962 Cartouche Writing Writer 60
Fair
1961 Five Day Lover Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1961 The Joker Writing Scenario Writer 58
Average
1960 The Love Game Writing Screenplay 59
Average

Production
1968 Don't Play with Martians Production Co-Producer 58
Average
1966 King of Hearts Production Producer 60
Fair