Yves Montand
Born
October 13, 1921
Died
November 9, 1991 (70 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Monsummano Terme, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy
Ivo Livi (13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists.
Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a small village in the hills of Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer. Montand's mother Giuseppina Simoni was a devout Catholic. The family left Italy for France in 1923 following fascist Benito Mussolini's rise to power. He grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sister's beauty salon (Salon de Coiffure), as well as later on the docks. He began a career in show business as a music-hall singer. In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris; she made him part of her act.
Montand achieved international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in many films. He is recognised for crooner style songs, with those about Paris becoming instant classics. He was one of the best known performers at Bruno Coquatrix's Paris Olympia music hall, and toured with musicians including Didi Duprat. In October 1947, he sang "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai?" (music by Henri Betti and lyrics by Édith Piaf) at the Théâtre de l'Étoile. Betti also asked him to sing "C'est si bon" but Montand refused. Following the success of the recording of this song by the Sœurs Étienne in 1948, he decided to record it. Montand was also very popular in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, where he did a concert tour in 1956-57.
During his career, Montand acted in American motion pictures as well as on Broadway. He was nominated for a César Award for Best Actor in 1980 for I comme Icare and again in 1984 for Garçon! In 1986, after his international box-office draw power had fallen off considerably, the 65-year-old Montand gave one of his best remembered performances, as the scheming uncle in Jean de Florette, co-starring Gérard Depardieu, and Manon des Sources (both 1986), co-starring Emmanuelle Béart. The film was a worldwide critical hit and revived Montand's profile in the United States, where he made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.
In 1951, he married Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers. The marriage was, by all accounts, fairly harmonious, lasting until her death in 1985, although Montand had a number of well-publicised affairs, notably with American actress Marilyn Monroe, with whom he starred in one of her final films, Let's Make Love. He was the stepfather to Signoret's daughter from her previous marriage, Catherine Allégret.
Montand's only child, a son named Valentin, by his second wife, Carole Amiel (b. 1960), was born in 1988. In a paternity suit that caused commotion across France, another woman accused Montand of being the father of her daughter and went to court to obtain a DNA sample from him. Montand refused, but the woman persisted even after his death. In a court ruling that made international headlines, the woman won the right to have Montand exhumed and a sample taken. The results indicated that he was not the girl's biological father.
He supported left-wing causes during the 1950s and 1960s, and attended Communist festivals and meetings. ...
Source: Article "Yves Montand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Les Rois de la comédie
Self (archive footage)
2023
Trintignant by Trintignant
Self (archive footage)
2021
Mitterrand, président culturel
Self (archive footage)
2021
Le Parti du cinéma
Self (archive footage)
2021
Signoret et Montand, Monroe et Miller : Deux couples à Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2020
1958: Those Who Said No
Self (archive footage)
2018
The Force of Destiny
2017
Claude Sautet, Romy, Yves, Michel et les autres
Self (archive footage)
2017
The Incredible Mr. Piccoli
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2017
The End of a Beautiful Epoch
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2015
Les Enfoirés - Les Enfoirés en chœur de 1985 à aujourd'hui
2014
Dans les coulisses: le tournage de 'Trois Places pour le 26'
Self (Archive Footage)
2013
Il était une fois... Vincent, François, Paul et les autres
Self (archive footage)
2011
D'un film à l'autre
Self (archive footage)
2011
Comiques de toujours (Vol. 1 à 4)
Self (archive footage)
2009
Pushing the Limit: The Making of Grand Prix
Self (archive footage)
2006
Making 'The Misfits'
Self (archive footage)
2002
Montand
Self (archive footage)
1994
IP5: The Island of Pachyderms
Léon Marcel
1992
Netchayev is Back
Pierre Marroux
1991
Stars 90
Self · (1 episode)
1990
Rush - Voyage à Moscou
Self
1990
Three Seats for the 26th
Yves Montand
1988
Manon of the Spring
César Soubeyran, aka "le Papet"
1986
Jean de Florette
César Soubeyran, aka 'le Papet'
1986
Victoires de la musique
Self · (1 episode)
1985
Vive la crise !
1984
Good Morning, Mr. Orwell
Self
1984
Waiter!
Alex, head waiter
1983
One Minute for One Image
Narrator
1983
Champs-Elysées
Self · (1 episode)
1982
All Fired Up
Victor Valance
1982
Choice of Arms
Noel Durieux
1981
I... For Icarus
Henri Volney
1979
Womanlight
Michel Follin
1979
Roads to the South
Jean Larrea
1978
A Grin Without a Cat
Narrator (voice)
1977
La Menace
Henri Savin
1977
The Big Operator
Morland
1976
Police Python 357
Inspecteur Marc Ferrot
1976
A Butterfly in the Night
Voz
1976
Lovers Like Us
Martin
1975
Special Section
Un milicien
1975
Numéro un
Self · (1 episode)
1975
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Self · (6 episodes)
1975
Apostrophes
Self · (4 episodes)
1975
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer
Self
1974
Vincent, Francois, Paul and the Others
Vincent, entrepreneur
1974
Spécial cinéma
Self · (3 episodes)
1974
Spécial cinéma
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
1974
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
Les Deux mémoires
Self
1974
Chance and Violence
Laurent Bermann
1974
T'es fou Marcel
Self
1974
The Son
Ange Orahona
1973
State of Siege
Philip Michael Santore
1972
Cesar and Rosalie
César
1972
J'ai tout donné
Self
1972
Tout Va Bien
Him, Jacques
1972
Le Grand Échiquier
Self · (10 episodes)
1972
Le Grand Échiquier
Self - Main Guest · (1 episode)
1972
Delusions of Grandeur
Blaze, Don Sallust's valet
1971
You Speak of Prague: The Second Trial of Artur London
Self - Interviewee
1971
Le Cercle Rouge
Jansen
1970
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Dr. Marc Chabot
1970
The Confession
Gérard (A.L. / Artur London)
1970
Z
The Deputy, a doctor
1969
The Devil by the Tail
Le baron César Maricorne
1969
Mr. Freedom
Capt. Formidable (uncredited)
1969
À bout portant
Self · (1 episode)
1968
One Night... a Train
Mathias
1968
Live for Life
Robert Colomb
1967
Grand Prix
Jean-Pierre Sarti
1966
Grand Prix: Challenge of the Champions
Self
1966
Is Paris Burning?
Sgt. Marcel Bizien
1966
The War Is Over
Diego Mora / Carlos / Domingo
1966
Rotterdam-Europoort
Narrator (French version) (voice)
1966
The Sleeping Car Murder
L'inspecteur Grazzi
1965
Einer wird gewinnen
Self · (1 episode)
1964
The Lovely Month of May
Narrator (French version) (voice)
1963
My Geisha
Paul Robaix
1962
Goodbye Again
Roger Demarest
1961
Sanctuary
Candy Man
1961
Let's Make Love
Jean-Marc Clement / Alexander Dumas
1960
Discorama
Self · (4 episodes)
1959
The Law
Matteo Brigante
1959
Premier mai
Jean Meunier
1958
The Wide Blue Road
Giovanni Squarciò
1957
The Witches of Salem
John Proctor
1957
Yves Montand is Singing
Self
1957
The Wind Rose
Yves (archive footage)
1957
Men and Wolves
Ricuccio
1957
Django Reinhardt
Narrator (voice)
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self · (2 episodes)
1956
Cinépanorama
Self · (7 episodes)
1956
Un matin comme les autres
Yves
1956
Marguerite of the Night
M. Léon
1955
Heroes and Sinners
Michel Rivière
1955
Napoleon
Lefebvre
1955
Reflets de Cannes
Self · (1 episode)
1954
The Anatomy of Love
Vasco
1954
The Wages of Fear
Mario Livi
1953
The Oscars
Self · (1 episode)
1953
Paris Still Sings!
Self
1951
Paris Is Always Paris
Yves Montand
1951
The Red Inn
Singing Commentator (voice)
1951
Lost Souvenirs
Raoul, street singer (segment "Le violon")
1950
Rendez-vous de l'espérance
Self
1950
What's My Line?
Self - Mystery Guest · (2 episodes)
1950
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · (1 episode)
1948
The Idol
Fontana
1948
Bambi-Verleihung
Self · (1 episode)
1948
Gates of the Night
Jean Diego
1946
Star Without Light
Pierre
1946