Daniel Gélin


Daniel Yves Alfred Gélin was a French film and television actor.

Early life

Gélin was born in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, the son of Yvonne and Alfred Ernest Joseph Gélin.
When he was ten, his family moved to Saint-Malo where Daniel went to college until he was expelled for 'uncouthness'. His father then found him a job in a shop that sold cans of salted cod. It was seeing the shooting of Marc Allégret's film Entrée des artistes that triggered his desire to go to Paris to train to be an actor. He trained at the Cours Simon in Paris before entering the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique
. There he met Louis Jouvet and embarked on a theatrical career. He made his first film appearance in 1940 in Miquette and for several years was an extra or played small roles in French films. He appeared with Jean Gabin and Marlene Dietrich in Martin Roumagnac.

Career

He won his first leading role in Rendez-vous de juillet. From that time, he went on to appear in more than 150 films, including Max Ophüls' films La Ronde and Le Plaisir, Jacques Becker's Édouard et Caroline, Sacha Guitry's films Si Versailles m'était conté and Napoléon, Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much, Jean Cocteau's Le Testament d'Orphée, Le souffle au cœur, and La Nuit de Varennes . He also wrote and directed one film, The Long Teeth, in 1952.
Gélin was a leading man in French cinema during the 1950s, but his career declined with the coming of the New Wave. He worked in theater for several years, but later found new success on screen as a character actor. He appeared extensively in French films and television productions from the 1970s until his death, often playing cynical characters or grumpy old men.

Personal life

In 1946, Gélin married actress Danièle Delorme with whom he had a son, actor, director and producer Xavier Gélin. They divorced in 1954. While still married to Delorme, he had an affair with 17-year-old model Marie Christine Schneider that produced a daughter, Maria Schneider. Due to his status as a married man, Gélin could not recognize Maria as his daughter. He visited the child several times but eventually severed his relationship with her mother. Maria Schneider and Daniel Gélin reconnected when she was sixteen and came to visit him. They remained in contact, although their relationship was irregular.
Gélin was married to model Sylvie Hirsch from 1954 until their divorce in 1968. This marriage produced three children: Pascal, Fiona, and Manuel, the latter two also becoming actors. In 1973, he married Lydie Zaks, with whom he had a daughter, Laura.

Death

Gélin died in Paris on 29 November 2002 of kidney failure.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleDirectorNotes
1940MiquetteJean Boyer
1940Radio SurprisesMarcel AboulkerUncredited
1941Premier rendez-vousMonsieur Chauveau-LaplaceHenri DecoinUncredited
1942The Strangers in the HouseHenri DecoinUncredited
1942Soyez les bienvenusJacques de Baroncelli
1942The Murderer Lives at Number 21PolicemanHenri-Georges ClouzotUncredited
1943LucrèceUn collégienLéo Joannon
1944Les Petites du quai aux fleursMarc AllégretUncredited
1945Les Cadets de l'océanPhilippe DermantesJean Dréville
1946The Temptation of BarbizonMichelJean Stelli
1946A Friend Will Come TonightPierre RibaultRaymond Bernard
1946Martin RoumagnacLe surveillant du collège – épris de BlancheGeorges Lacombe
1946Ouvert pour cause d'inventaireAlain Resnais
1947Sybille's NightStanyJean-Paul Paulin
1947MirrorCharles LussacRaymond Lamy
1947The Woman in RedSaladinLouis Cuny
1948The Murdered ModelLéopoldPierre de Hérain
1949Le Paradis des pilotes perdusLieutenant VilleneuveGeorges Lampin
1949Rendezvous in JulyLucien BonnardJacques Becker
1950La RondeAlfredMax Ophüls
1950God Needs MenJoseph Le BerreJean Delannoy
1951Edward and CarolineÉdouard MortierJacques Becker
1951Dirty HandsHugo BarineFernand Rivers, Simone Berriau
1951Young LoveJean BompartGuy Lefranc
1951Traité de bave et d'éternitéHimselfIsidore Isou
1952Le PlaisirJean, the young painterMax Ophüls
1952Adorables CréaturesAndré NobletChristian-Jaque
1952La Minute de véritéDaniel PrévostJean Delannoy
1953The Long TeethLouis CommandeurHimself
1953Rue de l'EstrapadeRobertJacques Becker
1953Voice of SilenceAndrea Sanna / L'ancien prisonnierGeorg Wilhelm Pabst
1953The SlaveMichel LandaYves Ciampi
1954Royal Affairs in VersaillesJean CollinetSacha Guitry
1954Stain in the SnowFrank FriedmayerLuis Saslavsky
1954Public OpinionPaolo JaierMaurizio Corgnati and Goffredo Alessandrini
1954Love in a Hot ClimateRicardo GarciaGeorges Rouquier and Munoz Suay
1954On Trial Léonard MauriziusJulien Duvivier
1954The Cheerful SquadronIl soldato Frédéric d'HéricourtPaolo Moffa
1954Woman of RomeMinoLuigi Zampa
1955The Lovers of LisbonPierre RoubierHenri Verneuil
1955NapoléonNapoleon Sacha Guitry
1956Maid in ParisAntoine du MerletPierre Gaspard-Huit
1956The Man Who Knew Too MuchLouis BernardAlfred Hitchcock
1956Plucking the DaisyDaniel RoyMarc Allégret
1956'Georges BernierRalph Baum
1956I'll Get Back to KandaraBernard CormièreVictor Vicas
1957Fugitive in SaigonPaul HorcierMarcel Camus
1957Three Days to LiveSimon BelinGilles Grangier
1957Retour de manivelleRobert MontillonDenys de La Patellière
1957Charming BoysAlain CartierHenri Decoin
1958The Daughter of HamburgPierreYves Allégret
1958Suivez-moi jeune hommeMichel CorbierGuy Lefranc
1959Ce corps tant désiréGuillaume FéraudLuis Saslavsky
1959Julie the RedheadÉdouard Lavigne / Jean LavigneClaude Boissol
1960Carthage in FlamesPhégorCarmine Gallone
1960Testament of OrpheusL'interne / The internJean CocteauUncredited
1960Le tre eccetera del colonnelloLieutenant VillardClaude Boissol
1961La Proie pour l'ombreEric KraemmerAlexandre Astruc
1961La Morte-Saison des amoursJacques Saint-FordPierre Kast
1961Dans la gueule du loupUn droguéJean-Charles Dudrumet
1961Reveille-toi chérieMasure
1962Girl on the RoadLe comédienJacqueline Audry
1962The Longest DayMinor RoleKen Annakin
1963Règlements de compteNickyPierre Chevalier
1963Portuguese VacationDanielPierre Kast
1963Three Girls in ParisRaymondGabriel Axel
1964La Bonne SoupeRaymondRobert Thomas
1964Cherchez l'idoleUn invité au spectacle de Sylvie VartanMichel BoisrondUncredited
1965The Sleeping Car Murdersthe veterinaryConstantin Costa-Gavras
1965'DavidHenri Calef
1965The Sleeping Car MurdersLe vétérinaireCosta-GavrasUncredited
1966'Bora PetrovićŽika Mitrović
1966'BallardSammy Drechsel
1966The SultansLéoJean Delannoy
1966Line of DemarcationDoctor Jacques LafayeClaude Chabrol
1966Living It UpBernardPierre Gaspard-Huit
1966Is Paris Burning?Yves BayetRené Clément
1966Black SunGuy RodierDenys de La Patellière
1968La TrêveArnoClaude Guillemot
1968The Most Beautiful MonthLe capitaine du GénieGuy Blanc
1969SloganEvelyne's fatherPierre Grimblat
1969Hallucinations sadiquesCharlesJean-Pierre Bastid
1969Détruire, dit-elleBernard AlioneMarguerite Duras
1970La servanteDr. Robert MarboisJacques-Paul Bertrand
1971Murmur of the HeartCharles ChevalierLouis Malle
1971Swedish Fly GirlsAndréJack O'Connell
1972Aimez-vous les uns les autres... mais pas tropPaul RoccardDaniel Moosmann
1972Far from DallasJeanPhilippe Toledano
1973The Police Serve the Citizens?BreraRomolo Guerrieri
1974Un linceul n'a pas de pochesLaurenceJean-Pierre Mocky
1974ArianeLe comédienPierre-Jean de San Bartolomé
1975Dialogues of Exiles-Raoul Ruiz
1975Trop c'est tropUn flicDidier Kaminka
1977Nous irons tous au paradisBastienYves Robert
1977Urgent ou À quoi bon exécuter des projets puisque le projet est en lui-même une jouissance suffisanteHimself
1978L'honorable sociétéMax de MarcillyAnielle Weinberger
1978The Suspended VocationMalagridaRaoul Ruiz
1979Qu'il est joli garçon l'assassin de papaDon GomezMichel Caputo
1980L'oeil du maîtreSamuelStéphane Kurc
1981Signé FuraxBroutechouxMarc Simenon
1981Peacetime in ParisGérard CourantPredrag Golubovic
1982Guy de MaupassantGustaveMichel Drach
1982That Night in VarennesMonsieur de WendelEttore Scola
1985Les EnfantsEnricoMarguerite Duras
1986KellermannMichael Verhoeven
1987Via Monte NapoleoneElena's fatherCarlo Vanzina
1987Sécurité publiqueMartino MorandoGabriel Benattar
1988DandinMonsieur de SotenvilleRoger Planchon
1988Life Is a Long Quiet RiverLe docteur MavialÉtienne Chatiliez
1988Itinéraire d'un enfant gâtéPierrot DuvivierClaude Lelouch
1990Mister FrostSimon ScolariPhilippe Setbon
1990Promotion canapéLe responsable des Inspecteurs JusticeDidier Kaminka
1991Mauvaise FilleFernandRégis Franc
1991Les secrets professionnels du Dr ApfelglückRoland GrumaudAlessandro Capone
1991Un type bienDocteur AvrilLaurent Bénégui
1992Les Eaux dormantesLe docteur NedelecJacques Tréfouel
1993Coup de jeuneGaudeamus à 70 ansXavier Gélin
1993De force avec d'autresL'autre lui-mêmeSimon Reggiani
1993Roulez jeunesse !Jean MoulinierJacques Fansten
1993Les MarmottesLéoÉlie Chouraqui
1993Les TénorsMaître Léon MontlucetFrancis de Gueltzl
1994Des feux mal éteintsLe monsieur de la plageSerge Moati
1994La Cité de la peurMonsieur MireilleAlain Berbérian
1994Pushing the LimitsHimselfThierry Donard
1995FugueusesBrunoNadine Trintignant
1996Fantôme avec chauffeurLe passeurGérard Oury
1996Les BidochonLe père BidochonSerge Korber
1996Hommes, femmes, mode d'emploithe widowerClaude Lelouch
1997ObsessionXavier FabrePeter Sehr