The famous commissar Juve from Fantomas and the cunning mafioso Saroyan from Razin, beloved by Russian viewers, was a completely different person in real life. He was distinguished by his peaceful, cheerful character, decency, love for his family and children. The famous French comedian Louis de Funes did not suffer from hysteria, fervor and a tendency to insidious attacks. His loved ones felt like behind a stone wall with him. Of course, most of this protection was provided for them by the wife of Louis de Funes, Jeanne Augustine.
Her full name is Jeanne Augustine de Barthelemy de Maupassant and she was the great-niece of the famous writer. Jeanne and her future husband met in Paris during the German occupation in 1942 and lived together for 40 years. Shortly before this, Funes divorced his first wife, Germaine Louise Elodie Carroye, whose family life did not work out. There is information that Germaine gave her consent to divorce only in return for Louis' promise never to see their common son Daniel. There were also rumors that the actor secretly but saw the boy, but, in any case, all his biographers do not pay special attention to the existence of this child in the life of Funes.
Jeanne Augustine and Louis got married in September 1943, when he was working as a jazz pianist in nightclubs, and she later recalled that she did not know a more talented and charming musician. In order to support his family, Funes got a job as a storekeeper. This made it possible to feed his wife and son Patrick, who was born in 1944. The second son, Olivier, was born in 1949. After the end of the war, Funes starred in his first film in 1946. His film career developed slowly and the actor gained fame only in 1958, playing the main role in the comedy "Not caught - not a thief."
After 1960, Louis de Funes began to appear in 3-4 films annually, and then even more often. Incredible world fame comes to him, marked in 1974 by the highest French award - the Order of the Legion of Honor. All these years, the actor lived in complete love and harmony with his charming Jeanne, who became for him not only his wife and friend, but also a comrade-in-arms in the art of cinema. She was involved in many aspects of her husband's creative activities. In particular, she found an ideal companion for him in many films - the actress Claude Zhansak. It happened that she was paid to be on the set next to Louis, as the director Jules Borkon did.
In his private life, Funes adored plants and animals with which he surrounded his family in the ancient castle of Château de Clermont near Nantes. He touchingly took care of his children and grandchildren and was delighted with his wife until the end of his life. Their mutual respect, unanimity and spiritual closeness were later described in the book by their sons as one of the best memories of childhood and youth. In 1983, in the arms of the wife of Louis de Funes - Jeanne Augustine, the great comedian of France died of a heartache. His sons have chosen their own path in life. Although Olivier in his youth starred in several films with his father, he decided to become a pilot. Patrick wanted to become a doctor.
Translation from French
A. Braginsky
Publishing house "Text"
Patrick and Olivier de Funes are the sons of Louis de Funes. The elder, Patrick, is a radiologist. The youngest, Olivier, in his youth starred with his father in the films "Fantômas Raged", "Big Vacation" and "Oscar", but abandoned his acting career and became a pilot.
Favorite drug
- theatre -
Olivier de Funes recalls:
When Patrick and I watch James Lipton's Actors Studio, we often think our dad would be happy to take part in it. Not to talk about yourself, but to give advice to students. I’m even ready to imagine that he would answer the notorious Proust questionnaire, which the presenter often offers at the end of the program:
- What's your favorite name?
- Jeanne.
- The word you hate?
- Murder, including bullfighting.
- What is your favorite drug?
- Theatre.
- Sound, noise, which do you like?
- Chicken clucking.
- Sound, noise, which you hate?
- Rifle shot on the hunt.
- What is your favorite curse, harsh word or curse?
- Fool.
- A profession with which you would not want to do business?
- Politics.
- A plant, tree or animal that you would like to become?
- Cedar.
- If God exists, what would you like to hear from him after death?
- All your friends are here. They have been waiting for you for a long, long time.
- Louis and Jeanne -
Remembers Patrick de Funes:
My parents met during the occupation in 1942 at a jazz school on the rue Faubourg-Poissonniere. Mom recalled meeting her father as if it were yesterday:
- I was knocking on a typewriter when Charles-Henri 1 burst into the room shouting: “Hurry, Jeanne! You will see a phenomenal person! " He was very excited and dragged me into the classroom. It was there that I first saw your father. He was sitting at the piano. The rest of the students crowded around.
“Just listen, this is incredible,” Charles-Henri whispered to me. “I don’t understand why he should take lessons! I'm afraid if I start to teach him, he will start thinking and ruin his talent. It can be assumed that, like Sergeant Cruchot and Madame Colonel in the film "The Gendarme Marries", between Jeanne and Louis, as soon as they met, a spark ran. One way or another, but they never parted.
- Can you give me private lessons? - the conquered mother asked him.
- First, come and listen to me at Horizon. I'll buy you dinner. She went there that evening.
“He ordered a low table to be put to the piano, on which lobster and champagne were served,” my mother recalled. - Spent my entire month's salary on this. We laughed about this for many years! During the break, he sat down next to him, when suddenly a door slammed and a tall brunette appeared. Without a word, akimbo, she stood in front of your father and gave him a slap in the face. Then she turned and evaporated. And he, having played up the situation, slipped on his heels and crashed into a chair, as if he had received a strong blow. The audience laughed loudly. “We barely know her,” he explained to me. "I completely forgot that I had made a date with her!" Mom was fascinated by this energetic young man and became a regular at Horizon. They sang there. We were dancing ... ... One day, being late for the subway, my father kissed my mother for the first time:
- From now on, consider that we are engaged ... But my father forgot about one important detail: he was already married. In 1936, he married a woman named Germaine. Probably, they were not created for each other, because after a month they decided to leave. From this marriage, a child was born - Daniel. Mom was saddened by this news:
- My family will never agree that I live with a married man. I don't want that either. Our meeting will remain a wonderful memory, Louis, but we will decide on that ... Then, realizing that he had to take the bull by the horns and divorce, he sent his sister Mina to test the waters. She herself recently experienced a divorce from her first husband and knew what to do. It turned out that Germain herself was glad to part with the surname de Funes ...
Mom could not get used to the idea that she had stolen her husband from another woman.
- To calm you down, I'll take you to Germaine tomorrow! - suggested the father. - She wants to meet you! A pleasant smiling woman opened the door for them. After kissing her mother, she exclaimed:
- How beautiful you are! I'm so happy for Louis! Mom got the impression that she paid a visit to her fiance's cousin ...
- From de Gaulle to Mitterrand -
In 1971, Georges Pompidou expressed a desire to see the Oscars at the Elysee Palace in the presence of members of the government. This happened in the winter garden. The ministers and secretaries of state, surrounding the president, awaited the lifting of the curtain; father could easily imagine himself as Moliere playing for the royal court. As if it were a sin, his head ached terribly; he lay down on the floor and, breathing measuredly, waited for the pain to subside. The knowledge that he was making the president wait did not make the task easier. But the dignitaries showed no impatience. After recovering a little, my father ordered a third call. On stage, all the pains miraculously vanished at once. The President laughed like a child.
“He was delighted,” my father told me. - And at the reception Madame Pompidou kept repeating: "Georges, you smoke too much!" I noticed too: he smoked one cigarette after another. The next day, a 17th-century watercolor depicting roses was delivered to my father from the presidential office. Before hanging it, he paid attention to the date. A couple of days later, a package was delivered to us from the Principality of Monaco: their Excellencies also wanted to see the Oscar in their palace, stressing that the father can set any price. By return mail, my father sent a refusal without explanation.
“If the princess wants to see the play, she can, like everyone else, go to the theater,” he told us. “When we were filming the Razini scene in Monaco, she got out of the car to look at us and didn't even say hello. I have not forgotten that.
Don't talk too much about me
- a lot, my children! -
My father loved the circus. When we were little, he often took us there. I will not analyze his addiction to the red-nosed clown, because he still gave his preference to the white one. Let's talk better about chimpanzees dressed up as schoolchildren on Sundays. They ran around the arena, accompanied by dogs, urged on by the vulgar jokes of the audience.
- These poor animals would feel much better in their native forest. How sorry I am for them! he grieved. Having become famous, the father was most afraid of being in their place. He hated the New Years and July 14th:
“If, my children, they suddenly find me in the car, people want to touch me, kiss me, wish me a happy New Year, or make jokes like:“ How are you, Fufyu? Show how you grimace! " Then they will shake like a pear. So I'll quickly become a monkey for them. I hate the crowd! Her mood changes like a breath of wind, and sympathy can turn into aggression. I can easily be crushed in a flea market ...
It's time to put an end to this, for we can already hear his voice: “Don't talk too much about me, my children! There are so many people on earth that are much more interesting than me. "
Today we remember a unique person and a legendary comedian Louis de Funes, born on this day back in 1914. My childhood has passed since " Fantomas"And the adventures of the gendarme Cruchot... But Louis' life was not like the comedies he starred in. Let's flip through the pages of his rich biography together.
The full name of the actor is Louis Germain David de Funes de Galarza... In youth Fu-Fu(as the French called their pet) dreamed of becoming a musician or an actor, as we know, he succeeded in both. He is considered to be one of the greatest comedians in world cinema.
Father Louis was a descendant of a Spanish-Portuguese aristocratic family from Seville, had a law degree, but after moving to France, became a diamond cutter. Mother Louis de Funes also had Spanish and Portuguese roots.
Louis de Funes knew three languages perfectly: English, French and Spanish. And also since childhood he was fond of playing the piano and drawing.
Into the cinema de Funes came at the age of 30, having tried many professions before: he worked as a furrier (made fur), a draftsman, a messenger, decorated windows, delivered milk in the morning, was a pianist in a restaurant " Pigalle» ( Pigalle), where he performed jazz music, as an accountant, a graphic designer, performed in a cabaret, a music hall and on the radio.
In 1939, due to poor health de Funes exempt from military service - with a height of 164 cm, he weighed only 55 kg. In a year Louis nevertheless, he ended up in a military camp - here he entertained the soldiers by performing popular songs, even then he played the piano well.
The first film in the series about the adventures of a provincial gendarme brought him immense popularity. Cruchot « Gendarme of Saint-Tropez"(1964) and the trilogy about Fantomas: « Fantomas"(1964)," Fantomas raged"(1965) and" Fantomas vs Scotland Yard"(1967).
During the occupation Paris German troops Louis de Funes taught solfeggio at a music school, where he fell in love with a secretary Jeanne Augustine de Barthelemy de Maupassant, the great-niece of the famous writer Guy de Maupassant... She reciprocated " to the little man who played jazz like a god". The lovers got married in 1943 and lived together for 40 years, until their death. Louis de Funes in 1983. Two sons were born in this marriage– Patrick and Olivier... Also have Louis have a son Daniel from the first marriage.
Olivier de Funes- airline pilot Air france» ( Louis wanted his son to become a professional actor, because he played with his father in several films, but Olivie was against), and Patrick de Funes a doctor by profession.
Sons Louis wrote a book “ Don't talk about me kids". The widow also took part in the work on the biographical story of the actor's life as a consultant. Louis... Contrary to the father's request, the children made the reader's property, including the rather unsightly aspects of the great comedian's character.
Vulnerable and impressionable actors can be ruthless towards colleagues - here's the saying Catherine Deneuve(71) o Louis de Funes: « No one would want to have this midget in bed". but Louis loved women, and they reciprocated.
The brothel is where Louis de Funes freed himself from complexes and grievances, he received his first sexual experience with a prostitute. They say since then Louis forever remained a cynic - he was looking not for love, but for pleasure. Working as a pianist in the square Pigalle, often he left the entire salary with corrupt women.
He did everything that befits a man: he gave birth to three sons, instead of a tree he brought out a new variety of roses, named after him, bought and restored the family castle ...
But the main thing that he gave to the world is joy and laughter ...
This man's name is Carlos Luis de Funes de Galarza - or simply Louis De Funes!
Today is the birthday of the greatest French comedian ...
I can't even imagine a movie without his comedies ... I think everyone who watched them became a little kinder ...
He made our world brighter, well, as much as possible, of course!
Maybe Providence sent him as compensation for those terrible years ...
His father, a Spanish nobleman, Hizpan Carlos de Funes de Galarza was a lawyer. But the house was completely ruled by the temperamental Madame Leonor de Funes. Louis, her favorite, who knew how to make his mother laugh colic, was kicked out for leprosy from everywhere where he, growing up, tried to earn money.
The boy did not lose heart, fished in the Seine and enthusiastically copied the antics of his beloved Chaplin. He did not tell his parents about the burning desire to act - he was afraid that they would be forbidden to think about the career of an actor. De Funes spent his younger years fooling around, making faces to classmates and parodying teachers.
Carlos Luis de Funes de Galarza - this is the full name Louis bore, by birth he was also a descendant of an ancient Spanish family. For many years he had to force himself to forget about his noble origin. First of all, it was necessary to get rid of the inconvenient name.
In his youth, he had to get a piece of bread with a job for which the short Louis was more suitable. Taper Louis, bookkeeper Louis, traveling salesman Louis, shoe shiner Louis ... And changing roles in life, he began to think about the theater.
I'll put out the morgals ..))
In 1939, due to poor health, de Funes was released from military service - with a height of 1 meter 64 cm, he weighed only 55 kg. A year later, Louis still ended up in a military camp - here he entertained the soldiers by performing popular songs - even then he played the piano well.
It was useful to him during the years of the occupation of Paris by the Germans .. Yes, our Louis played in front of drunken Germans ... Then the main thing was to survive.
But he not only worked as a pianist, but during the day he studied at the drama courses of Miishel Simon and even played in small theaters.
Despite his not very presentable appearance, Louis loved women and they reciprocated. The nimble "napoleon" conquered the ladies with impudence, sensuality and fierce pressure.
Louis did not just love his wife - he was proud of her. Still, the granddaughter of Guy de Maupassant gave him her heart. He and Jeanne got married during the war, when the future inspector Juve was still a modest extra in the theater.
The family became for the actor the subject of anxious love and unremitting care.
For his wife and children, he was ready for anything. True, the household rarely had to hear kind words from his lips.
With his wife, sons Olivier and Patrick.
Louis was so afraid of losing loved ones that he was constantly on his toes.
But marriage with Jeanne is not the first ... In 1936, in the city of Louis de Funes, he marries Saint-Etienne Germain Cara, but they were not together for long, their divorce took place in 1942. In this marriage, the first son of Louis is born - Daniel Charles Louis de Funès
During the war, Daniel finds refuge with his mother in Clermont-Ferrand. It is known that the father visited his son in secret from his new family, passing him his love for cinema and drawing, brought oranges and other gifts. But the connection between Daniel and his father is cut off when he was 11 years old. Daniel attended his father's performances, his premiere. But still he remained in the shadows. When Louis de Funes died of a heart attack on January 27, 1983, Daniel was neither notified nor invited to the funeral, he was in pain ...!
Louis - Daniel de Funes in the photo on the right.
He learns about the death of his father on the radio. "It's good that I still managed to live the life I wanted," says Daniel in his interview.
Continuation