Jean Marchat(1902-1966)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
A prestigious theater actor and stage director, member of the
Comédie-Française, Jean Marchat also founded his own company, the
Rideau de Paris. But, as is often the case with great names of the
stage, Marchat's movie career does not live up to what he achieved on
the boards. The handsome, manly, impressive actor could proudly say: 'I
served Corneille, Péguy, Gide, Giraudoux, Mérimée, Roblès ... and many
others'. He certainly did not boast about the ones he worked for in
films: Gleize, Paulin, Stelli, Reinert, Vernay or Kapps! Not that any
of their work was systematically terrible but those filmmakers
definitely lacked ambition and personality. Occasionally though,
Marchat would appear in a more artistic work. He was in a scene or two
for Grémillon, Bresson or Guitry. But most of the time he lent his name
to run-of-the-mill productions. He did it playing by the rules, without
disdain. He always brought all his authority and his assurance to the
characters he played, inferior as the film he was in was. He
particularly shone when he embodied unpleasant fellows (an arrogant
aristocrat, an upper class criminal, a spy, a collaborator) or figures
of authority such as judges, prosecutors, bishops, generals and nobles.
