Paul Bonifas
Born
June 3, 1902
Died
November 9, 1975 (73 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Paris, France
Paul Bonifas (3 June 1902 – 9 November 1975) was a French actor, born in Paris.
In the 1920s, while working for the French customs service, Bonifas took classes in acting at the Conservatoire de Paris in his spare time. He left with the first prize for comedy, which allowed him to join the Odéon Theatre in 1933, then the Comédie-Française in 1938.
He made his first film appearance in 1935 in a version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, directed by Pierre Chenal.
During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the artillery, was badly wounded, and evacuated from Dunkirk with his unit. In London he joined the Free French, and worked for Radio Londres broadcasting to occupied France.
In 1942 he appeared in the film The Foreman Went to France.
In 1943 he formed "The Molière Players", who staged a repertoire of mainly Molière works in London theatres, as well as in regional towns and at French army barracks. He came to the Comedy Theatre, London with Théâtre Molierè in 1943 and 1944, performing in L'Anglais Tel Qu'on Le Parle, Le Malade Imaginaire, Gringoire, Le Misanthrope et L'Auvergnat, Les Femmes Savantes, Le Paquebot Tenacity, La Testament Du Pere Leleu and L'Extra. His Company included Andre Frere, Georges Rex, Suzette Marquis, Elma Soiron and Paul Clarus.
In 1944 "The Molière Players" appeared in the short film Aventure malgache directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This was written by, and based on the experiences of, Jules Francois Clermont, an actor in Bonifas' troupe working under the name of Paul Clarus, who had operated an illegal radio station Madagascar Libre in Madagascar while the island was under Vichy control.
Bonifas then appeared in a number of other British films, including Two Fathers with Bernard Miles, directed by Anthony Asquith, and had minor roles in the musicals Heaven Is Round the Corner and Champagne Charlie, the action adventure film The Man from Morocco, the comedy-drama Johnny Frenchman and the horror film Dead of Night.
Bonifas returned to France in 1946 and resumed his career in theatre, specializing in comedy, but also taking dramatic roles.
His later film career included appearances in Trapeze (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956), Fanny (1961), Charade (1963), Greed in the Sun (1964), The Train (1964), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Triple Cross (1966), and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974).
Bonifas died on 9 November 1975 at Vernouillet, Yvelines, France.
Source: Article "Paul Bonifas" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Known For
Le père Amable
Vatinol
1975
The Common Man
Le Maire
1975
Antigone
le choeur
1974
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
le père de François Perrin
1974
The Last Train
Le voisin
1973
La Duchesse d'Avila
L'aubergiste · (4 episodes)
1973
Love Me Strangely
Le portier de l'hôtel
1971
Cold Sweat
The doctor
1970
An Artistic Couple
Henri Faroy
1970
The Horse
Witness to car accident
1970
Maurin des Maures
Pons · (26 episodes)
1970
The Christmas Tree
(uncredited)
1969
Secret World
Gustave / servant
1969
La séparation
Prêtre
1968
Les Dossiers de l'Agence O
Le vieux Vick · (1 episode)
1968
Triple Cross
Charlie
1966
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
1966
At Theatre Tonight
Félix Ducotel · (1 episode)
1966
Illusions perdues
Camusot · (4 episodes)
1966
The Sleeping Sentinel
Lanier
1966
Le naïf amoureux
'Tonton Louis'
1965
Lucky Jo
Légiste (uncredited)
1964
The Train
Spinet
1964
Greed in the Sun
Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
1964
Jeff Gordon, Secret Agent
Le notaire
1964
Bayard
Aymon Terrail · (13 episodes)
1964
Charade
Mr. Felix
1963
La parole est au témoin
1963
The Depths
Mons. Lapeyre
1963
The Trip to Biarritz
Bourrély
1963
Sundays and Cybele
Grocer
1962
Les Célibataires
Chandelier
1962
Keep Talking, Baby
1961
Blood on His Sword
Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
1961
Fanny
The Postman
1961
Goodbye Again
Cellarman
1961
The Truth
Un greffier
1960
The Gigolo
(uncredited)
1960
The Enemy General
Mayor
1960
Love and the Frenchwoman
Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
1960
A Woman Like Satan
Innkeeper
1958
A Legitimate Defense
le président de la cour
1958
Les Misérables
Hospital doctor
1958
Sinners of Paris
L'inspecteur Renaud
1958
Mademoiselle and Her Gang
Marcel, owner of the hotel
1957
Love in the Afternoon
Police Chief (uncredited)
1957
The Case of Dr. Laurent
Guillaumin
1957
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Master Lecornu
1956
The Terror with Women
1956
Frou-Frou
Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
1955
Sherlock Holmes
Prof. von Gaulkins · (1 episode)
1954
Their Last Night
le commissaire principal
1953
Lettre ouverte
Honoré, the father-in-law
1953
Holiday for Henrietta
The Newsagent (uncredited)
1952
Ils sont dans les vignes...
American
1952
Piédalu fait des miracles
1952
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
Monsieur Bleubois
1952
The Green Glove
Inspector
1952
The Truth About Bebe Donge
Traveler (uncredited)
1952
Duel à Dakar
The Commander
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
(1 episode)
1951
Amazing Monsieur Fabre
Le ministre Victor Duruy
1951
Pardon My French
Monsieur Bleubois
1951
Clara de Montargis
1951
Juliette, or Key of Dreams
Captain of the cargo ship
1951
Bedelia
Insurance Manager
1946
Lisbon Story
Stephan Corelle
1946
Johnny Frenchman
Jerome
1945
Dead of Night
French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
1945
The Man from Morocco
French Mayor
1945
Champagne Charlie
Targetino
1944
English Without Tears
Monsieur Rolland
1944
Candlelight in Algeria
French Proprietor
1944
Two Fathers
The Frenchman
1944
Madagascar Landing
Michel
1944
The Foreman Went to France
Prefect of Rouville
1942
Maxim's Porter
1939
The Five Cents of Lavarede
Sailor
1939