Charles Denner (29 May 1926 – 10 September 1995) was a French actor born to a Jewish family in Tarnów, Poland. During his 30-year career he worked with some of France's greatest directors of the time, including Louis Malle, Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard, Costa-Gavras, Claude Lelouch and François Truffaut, who gave him two of his most memorable roles, as Fergus in The Bride Wore Black (1968) and as Bertrand Morane in The Man Who Loved Women (1977).
Early life Charles Denner was born in 1926 to a Yiddish-speaking Jewish family in the city of Tarnów in Galicia in south-eastern Poland. His parents were Joseph Denner, a tailor, and Jenta Micenmacher. He had a sister, Élise, and two brothers, Alfred and Jacques. When he was four, the family emigrated to France.
During World War II, his family took refuge in Brive-la-Gaillarde, where they were helped by Rabbi David Feuerwerker. Denner served as a Free French partisan in the Vercors mountains and destroyed a Nazi SS truck with a grenade; he was wounded and later received the Croix de Guerre for this operation.
Passionate about theatre from his childhood, Denner became a student of Charles Dullin, a famous theatre teacher of his time, under whose guidance he remained until 1945. Another great figure of French theatre, Jean Vilar, impressed by Denner's performance at Les mamelles de Tirésias (The Breasts of Tiresias), called him four years after he left Vilar to join the Théâtre National Populaire (TNP). It was there that he gave some of his earliest stage performances, in plays such as Heinrich von Kleist's Prinz Friedrich von Homburg and Alfred de Musset's Lorenzaccio, among others.
Career In 1955, director Yves Allégret offered Denner a small role in La Meilleure part (The Best Part), thus introducing him for the first time to cinema audiences. Two years later, in 1957, he secured another secondary role in Louis Malle's legendary Elevator to the Gallows, alongside Jeanne Moreau, a co-performer of his from the days of the TNP.
In 1962 Jean-Luc Godard wanted to film Jean Giraudoux's play Pour Lucrèce starring Denner along with Sami Frey and Michel Piccoli, but when cast and crew had already been assembled he called off the shoot on the first day of filming after a prolonged downpour caused a long delay.Witt, Michael (1958), "Unfinished Business: Godard, Cinema and Theatre in the 1960s" in James Fenwick, Kieran Foster, David Eldridge (eds.), Shadow Cinema: The Historical and Production Contexts of Unmade Films, pp. 76-80, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2020 (ISBN 9781501351600).
In 1963 Denner was offered his first leading role by Claude Chabrol in Landru, a film considered by many as his greatest on-screen performance. Despite his growing recognition on the big screen, the stage remained his true passion. He gave his most memorable performances in plays such as Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin (Scapin's Schemings) and Brecht's Drums in the Night.
Death
On 10 September 1995 Denner died of pneumonia in Dreux, France.
Filmography Year Title Role Director Notes1954Poisson d'avrila guest in a caféGilles GrangierUncreditedMen in WhiteUn interneRalph HabibLa Meilleure PartUn ingénieur adjointYves Allégret1958Elevator to the GallowsL'adjoint du commissaire CherrierLouis Malle1963BluebeardHenri Désiré LandruClaude Chabrol1964La Vie à l'enversJacques ValinAlain JessuaLes plus belles escroqueries du mondethe swindlerJean-Luc Godard(segment "Le Grand Escroq") (scenes deleted)Les Pieds nickelésFilochardJean-Claude ChambonMata Hari, Agent H21Soldier #1Jean-Louis RichardUncredited1965Marie-Chantal contre le docteur KhaJohnsonClaude ChabrolThe Sleeping Car MurdersBob Vaski - l'amant de GeorgetteCosta-Gavras1966YUL 871L'ingénieur européenJacques Godbout1967The Thief of ParisJean-François CannonierLouis MalleThe Two of UsMonsieur LangmannClaude Berri 1968The Bride Wore BlackFergusFrançois TruffautLa trêveJulienClaude Guillemot1969ZManuelCosta-GavrasLe corps de DianeJulien KellerJean-Louis Richard1970Le VoyouMonsieur GalloisClaude Lelouch1971The Married Couple of the Year Twothe travellerJean-Paul RappeneauLes Assassins de l'ordreGrazianiMarcel Carné1972L'aventure, c'est l'aventureSimon DurocClaude LelouchSuch a Gorgeous Kid Like MeArthurFrançois Truffaut1973The InheritorDavid LoweinsteinPhilippe LabroUn officier de police sans importanceSerge MonnierJean LarriagaDéfense de savoirJean RavierNadine Trintignant1974The HolesMinistre des travaux publicsPierre TcherniaAnd Now My LoveDavid GoldmanClaude Lelouch1975Peur sur la villeInspector MoissacHenri VerneuilVous ne l'emporterez pas au paradisNicolasFrançois Dupont-Midi1976If I Had to Do It All Over Againthe lawyerClaude LelouchMadoReynald ManeccaClaude SautetLa Première FoisFatherClaude Berri1977The Man Who Loved WomenBertrand MoraneFrançois Truffaut 1978Robert et RobertRobert GoldmanClaude Lelouch1980La verdad sobre el caso SavoltaLepprinceAntonio DroveLe coeur à l'enversGuillaumeFranck Apprederis1982WalteHenri VerneuilA Captain's HonorMaître Gillard - un avocatPierre Schoendoerffer1983Rock 'n TorahJoseph, le père d'IsaacMarc-André GrynbaumStellaRichardLaurent Heynemann1986L'uniqueVox, le producteurJérôme Diamant-BergerGolden EightiesM. SchwartzChantal Akerman(final film role)
References
External links
Charles Denner - All Things Denner