Jean Gabin Alexis Moncorgé (born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé), known as Jean Gabin (17 May 1904 – 15 November 1976), was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films, including Pépé le Moko (1937), La grande illusion (1937), Le Quai des brumes (1938), La bête humaine (1938), Le jour se lève (1939), and Le plaisir (1952). During his career, he twice won the Silver Bear for Best Actor from the Berlin International Film Festival and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor from the Venice Film Festival, respectively. Gabin was made a member of the Légion d'honneur in recognition of the important role he played in French cinema.
Gabin was born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé in Paris, the son of Madeleine Petit and Ferdinand Moncorgé, a cafe owner and cabaret entertainer whose stage name was Gabin, which is a first name in French. He grew up in the village of Mériel in the Seine-et-Oise (now Val-d'Oise) département, about 22 mi (35 km) north of Paris. He attended the Lycée Janson de Sailly. Gabin left school early, and worked as a laborer until the age of 19 when he entered show business with a bit part in a Folies Bergère production. He continued performing in a variety of minor roles before going into the military.
After completing his military service in the Fusiliers marins, he returned to the entertainment business, working under the stage name of Jean Gabin at whatever was offered in the Parisian music halls and operettas, imitating the singing style of Maurice Chevalier, which was the rage at the time. He was part of a troupe that toured South America, and upon returning to France found work at the Moulin Rouge. His performances started getting noticed, and better stage roles came along that led to parts in two silent films in 1928.
Two years later Gabin made the transition to sound films in a 1930 Pathé Frères production, Chacun sa chance. Playing secondary roles, he made more than a dozen films over the next four years, including films directed by Maurice and Jacques Tourneur. But he only gained real recognition for his performance in Maria Chapdelaine, a 1934 production directed by Julien Duvivier. He was then cast as a romantic hero in the 1936 war drama La Bandera; this second Duvivier-directed film established him as a major star. The next year he teamed up with Duvivier again in the highly successful Pépé le Moko. Its popularity brought Gabin international recognition. That same year he starred in Jean Renoir's La Grande Illusion, an antiwar film that ran at a New York City theatre for an unprecedented six months. This was followed by another of Renoir's major works, La Bête Humaine (The Human Beast), a film noir tragedy based on the novel by Émile Zola and starring Gabin and Simone Simon, as well as Le Quai Des Brumes (Port of Shadows), one of director Marcel Carné's classics of poetic realism. His rugged charisma could be compared with Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney.
He divorced his second wife in 1939. ...
Source: Article "Jean Gabin" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Known For
The Century of Icons
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2022
Alain Delon, l'ombre au tableau
Self (archive footage)
2019
The Image Book
(archive footage)
2018
Mireille Darc, la femme libre
Monsieur (archive footage)
2018
Lino Ventura, la part intime
Self (archive footage)
2018
Quand Jean devint Renoir
Self (archive footage)
2017
Jean Gabin, une âme française
Self (archive footage)
2015
Jean Gabin, le dernier des géants
Self (archive footage)
2015
Belmondo, il était une fois le beau monde
Self (archive footage)
2011
Jean Moncorgé, la face cachée de Jean Gabin
Self (archive footage)
2010
Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2002
Sacrée soirée
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1987
My American Uncle
Self (archive footage)
1980
Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1978
Holy Year
Max Lambert
1976
Spécial cinéma
Self (archive footage) · (2 episodes)
1974
Jury of One
Leguen
1974
Two Men in Town
Germain Cazeneuve
1973
The Dominici Affair
Gaston Dominici
1973
Killer
Commissioner Le Guen
1972
The Black Flag Waves Over the Scow
Victor Ploubaz
1971
V.I.P. Schaukel
Self · (1 episode)
1971
The Cat
Julien Bouin
1971
The Horse
Auguste Maroilleur
1970
The Sicilian Clan
Vittorio Manalese
1969
Under the Sign of the Bull
Albert Raynal
1969
The Tattoo
Count Enguerand de Montignac,aka 'Legrain'
1968
Pasha
Comissaire Joss, le Pacha
1968
Action Man
Denis Ferrand
1967
The Gardener of Argenteuil
M. Martin dit « Le père Tulipe »
1966
The Upper Hand
Paul Berger dit Paulo les Diam's
1966
God's Thunder
Léandre Brassac
1965
That Tender Age
Émile Malhouin
1964
Monsieur
The banker René Duchêne, alias Georges Baudin known as “Monsieur”
1964
Maigret Sees Red
Commissaire Jules Maigret
1963
Any Number Can Win
Charles
1963
The Gentleman from Epsom
Richard Briand-Charmery
1962
A Monkey in Winter
Albert Quentin
1962
The Counterfeiters of Paris
Ferdinand Maréchal, aka 'le Dabe'
1961
The President
Emile Beaufort
1961
The Old Guard
Jean-Marie Pejat, bicycle repairer
1960
The Baron of the Locks
Baron Jérôme Napoléon Antoine
1960
Rue de Paris
Henri Neveu
1959
Maigret and the St. Fiacre Case
Commissioner Jules Maigret
1959
The Magnificent Tramp
Joseph, Hugues Guillaume Boutier-Blainville dit : Archimède
1959
The Possessors
Noël Schoudler, le patriarche financier
1958
Love Is My Profession
Maître André Gobillot
1958
The Night Affair
Inspecteur Georges Vallois
1958
Les Misérables
Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
1958
Maigret Sets a Trap
Commissaire Maigret
1958
Speaking of Murder
Louis Bertain/Louis le blond
1957
The Case of Dr. Laurent
le docteur Laurent
1957
Crime and Punishment
Commissaire Gallet
1956
La Traversée de Paris
Grandgil, artist painter
1956
Blood to the Head
François Cardinaud
1956
Deadlier Than the Male
André Chatelin
1956
People of No Importance
Jean Viard
1956
Cinépanorama
Self · (5 episodes)
1956
The Little Rebels
Julien Lamy
1955
Hi-Jack Highway
Jean Chape
1955
House on the Waterfront
Commander Lequévic
1955
French Cancan
Henri Danglard
1955
Razzia
Henri Ferré dit 'Le Nantais'
1955
Napoleon
Marshal Jean Lannes
1955
Air of Paris
Victor Le Garrec
1954
Touchez Pas au Grisbi
Max dit Max le Menteur
1954
Rhine Virgin
Martin Schmidt, alias Jacques Ledru
1953
Their Last Night
Pierre Ruffin
1953
Storms
il professore Antonio Sanna
1953
Le Plaisir
Joseph Rivet
1952
The Truth About Bebe Donge
François Donge
1952
The Night Is My Kingdom
Raymond Pinsard
1951
Victor
Victor
1951
The Moment of Truth
Dr Pierre Richard
1951
Twelve Hours to Live
Carlo Bacchi
1950
Marie of the Port
Henri Chatelard
1950
The Walls of Malapaga
Pierre Arrignon
1949
Mirror
Pierre Lussac
1947
Martin Roumagnac
Martin Roumagnac
1946
The Impostor
Clément / Maurice Lafarge
1944
Moontide
Bobo
1942
Stormy Waters
Le capitaine André Laurent
1941
Daybreak
François
1939
Coral Reefs
Ted "Trott" Lennard
1939
La Bête Humaine
Lantier
1938
Port of Shadows
Jean
1938
Lady Killer
Lucien Bourrache, dit 'Gueule d'Amour'
1937
The Messenger
Nicolas Dange
1937
Grand Illusion
Le lieutenant Maréchal
1937
Pépé le Moko
Pépé le Moko
1937
The Lower Depths
Pepel Wasska
1936
They Were Five
Jean dit Jeannot
1936
Varieté
Georges
1935
La Bandera
Pierre Gilieth
1935
Behold the Man
Ponce Pilate
1935
Zouzou
Jean
1934
Maria Chapdelaine
François Paradis
1934
Le Tunnel
Mac Allan
1933
High and Low
Charles Boulla
1933
Adieu les beaux jours
Pierre Lavernay
1933
L'Étoile de Valencia
Pedro Savedra
1933
The Beautiful Sailor
Le capitaine
1932
Happy Hearts
Charles
1932
The Crowd Roars
Joe Greer
1932
Fun in the Barracks
Fricot
1932
Lilac
Martousse
1932
For one evening..!
Jean
1932
Gloria
Robert Nourry
1931
All That Is Not Worth Love
Jean Cordier
1931
The Darling of Paris
Bob
1931
Méphisto
Jacques Miral
1931
Everyone Has Their Chance
Marcel Grivot
1930
Les lions
1928
Ohé! Les valises
1928