Jean Martin

Born

March 6, 1922

Died

February 2, 2009 (86 years old)

Known For

Acting

Place of Birth

Paris, France

Jean Martin (6 March 1922 - 2 February 2009) was a French actor. Coming from a Berry family, he spent part of his childhood in Biarritz, where his father worked for a furrier. During the Second World War, he hid to escape the Forced Labor Service. Staying in Paris, he appeared in two films by Maurice Tourneur: "The Devil's Hand" (1942) then "Cécile Est Mort" (1943). At the twilight of the forties, he started doing theater.

In 1953, Jean Martin gained notoriety by playing the new play by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, "Waiting for Godot", under the direction of Roger Blin, becoming the first to take on the role of Lucky. The same Roger Blin produced “End of the Game” (1957), by the same Beckett, a few years later, and entrusted the same Jean Martin with the role of Clov. In 1960, Jean Martin staged his first play, “Letter Dead”, by Robert Pinget. In 1962, he again staged a play, “The Representatives”, by Aglaé and Mona Mitropoulos, adapted by Michel Arnaud. Alongside this theatrical career which would prove to be rich, Jean Martin returned to cinema: “Notre-Dame de Paris” (1956), by Jean Delannoy, “Paris belongs to us” (1958), by Jacques Rivette, “Ballade for a thug " (1962), by Jean-Claude Bonnardot, "La foire aux dunces" (1963), by Louis Daquin and "À toi de fait mignon" (1963), by Bernard Borderie.

In 1960, he was a signatory of the Manifesto of the 121 entitled “Declaration on the right to insubordination in the Algerian war”. In 1965, a role marked his career, that of Colonel Mathieu, in a film retracing the struggle in 1957 for control of the Casbah district of Algiers between FLN militants and French soldiers: "The Battle of Algiers" . Three years after the end of the Algerian War, the subject is still sensitive on each side of the Mediterranean; the film was banned in France upon its release, then censored until 2004. Jean Martin, very convincing in this role of division commander (historically, the commander is General Massu, but the character is inspired by Colonel Bigeard), is the only professional actor in the film. His large stature, his strong personality and his imperious face predispose him to notable roles generally showing authority: chief doctor, police commissioner, high-ranking military officer, ecclesiastical dignitary...; one of the most impressive will undoubtedly be that of a doctor vehemently expelling from his hospital a judge Fayard, Patrick Dewaere, a bit of a cavalier in "Le Juge Fayard Dit Le Shérif" (1976). Claude Zidi mocks these roles in his comedies: principal in “La moutarde monte au nose” (1974), bank director in “La Course À L'Échalote” (1975), chief doctor in “L'aile ou la thigh” (1976), principal inspector in “Bête mais disciplined” (1979) and examiner in “Inspecteur la Bavure” (1980). Alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo, he is… cardinal in “L’Hériter” (1972) and… divisional commissioner in “Peur Sur La ville” (1975)! But also alongside Terence Hill in “My Name is Nobody” (1973) in the role of Sullivan, or “One Genius, Two Associates, One Bell (1975).

After devoting a large part of his career to the theater, appearing in around fifty films, Jean Martin died on February 2, 2009, in Paris.

Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers

Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers

Self

7.2

2004

Lucie Aubrac

Lucie Aubrac

Paul Lardanchet

6.5

1997

Les Jupons de la révolution

Marquis de persan · (1 episode)

1.0

1989

The Crime of Ovide Plouffe

The Crime of Ovide Plouffe

Sculpteur

6.3

1984

La Puce et le privé

La Puce et le privé

Gérard Le Tizou, head waiter

4.0

1981

Inspector Blunder

Inspector Blunder

Examination policeman (uncredited)

6.3

1980

The King and the Mockingbird

The King and the Mockingbird

L’oiseau (voice)

7.8

1980

La Femme flic

La Femme flic

Le colonel Morange

6.2

1980

The Associate

The Associate

M. Bastias

6.4

1979

Dossier 51

Dossier 51

Vénus

6.5

1978

The Cat

The Cat

Legrand

6.0

1977

Rendez-vous en noir

Le commissaire · (6 episodes)

9.0

1977

Judge Fayard Called the Sheriff

Judge Fayard Called the Sheriff

Surgeon

7.0

1977

The Carpathian Castle

The Carpathian Castle

Orfanik, the Inventor

6.0

1976

A Woman at Her Window

A Woman at Her Window

Drieu La Rochelle (uncredited)

5.8

1976

Le Gentleman des Antipodes

Le Gentleman des Antipodes

Sainte-Rose

0.0

1976

The Wing or the Thigh?

The Wing or the Thigh?

Duchemin's Doctor at Clinic

7.2

1976

Police Commissioner Moulin

Police Commissioner Moulin

Larsen · (1 episode)

5.8

1976

A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot

A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot

Colonel Pembroke

6.3

1975

The Messiah

The Messiah

Pontius Pilate

6.5

1975

The Wild Goose Chase

The Wild Goose Chase

Le directeur de la banque

6.0

1975

Alouqa or the Comedy of the Dead

Alouqa or the Comedy of the Dead

Jean Croix

0.0

1975

The Night Caller

The Night Caller

Divisional commissioner Sabin

7.2

1975

An Invitation to the Hunt

An Invitation to the Hunt

Marquis of La Rocherie

0.0

1974

The Time of the Beginning

The Time of the Beginning

Direttore clinica / Sottocapo

3.5

1974

I'm Losing My Temper

I'm Losing My Temper

Headmaster

6.0

1974

Cry of the Heart

Cry of the Heart

M. Bunkermann

1.0

1974

Successive Slidings of Pleasure

Successive Slidings of Pleasure

The Priest

6.0

1974

My Name Is Nobody

My Name Is Nobody

Sullivan

7.3

1973

The Day of the Jackal

The Day of the Jackal

Victor Wolenski

7.5

1973

The Inheritor

The Inheritor

Mgr. Schneider

6.3

1973

The Beguines

The Beguines

René

5.6

1972

Mandrin

Mandrin

Robert de Cazes · (6 episodes)

7.0

1972

La nuit bulgare

La nuit bulgare

6.0

1972

HPW ou Anatomie d'un faussaire

HPW ou Anatomie d'un faussaire

Bjorn

0.0

1971

Troubleshooters

Troubleshooters

Homme de Varèse

6.3

1971

Promise at Dawn

Promise at Dawn

Igor Igorevitch

5.3

1970

The Companions of Baal

The Companions of Baal

Mauvouloir

7.0

1970

Safety Catch

Safety Catch

5.5

1970

Don't Take God's Children for Wild Geese

Don't Take God's Children for Wild Geese

A henchman of Charles (uncredited)

5.9

1968

Baal's Companions

Baal's Companions

M. De Plassans · (7 episodes)

0.0

1968

Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime

Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime

Un responsable d'édition

6.5

1968

The Invention of Morel

The Invention of Morel

Stoewer

7.4

1967

Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre

Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre

Gaston · (1 episode)

6.1

1967

Les filous

7.0

1967

Soldier Martin

Soldier Martin

Monnier

7.0

1966

The Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers

Colonel Philippe Mathieu

7.9

1966

The Nun

The Nun

Monsieur Hébert

7.1

1966

Your Turn, Darling

Your Turn, Darling

4.4

1963

Les Culottes rouges

Les Culottes rouges

Un homme de la troupe (uncredited)

6.5

1962

Gustave Moreau

Gustave Moreau

Narrator

0.0

1962

Paris Belongs to Us

Paris Belongs to Us

6.5

1961

Fortunate

Fortunate

faux croque-mort

7.6

1960

Forgotten Stones

Forgotten Stones

0.0

1952

Cecile Is Dead

Cecile Is Dead

Le garçon d'étage (uncredited)

6.0

1944