Jean Devaivre

Jean Devaivre , born as Jean Justin Michel de Vaivre , (born December 18, 1912 in Boulogne-Billancourt , † April 27, 2004 in Villejuif ) was a French assistant director, screenwriter and film director .

Live and act

Devaivre had primarily studied architecture at the art college before joining the film industry in 1934. He then worked primarily as an assistant director to directors such as Pierre Billon , Richard Pottier , Léon Mathot and Léo Joannon . In 1938 he worked as technical director on Joannon's international drama The Great Decision (Alerte en méditerranée) and ended it after the director was absent due to an accident. After Dréville had been employed as an assistant at the tiny company Sirius-Film until 1942 and made his official directorial debut there in 1941 with a short film, he was hired by the German-controlled company Continental Films in 1942 and served as a veteran director that same year -Veterans Maurice Tourneur in his late work The Devil's Hand . Devaivre is said to have shot the last scenes of the film independently. Although working in the lion's den for Germany, the enemy of the war, Jean Devaivre, who had campaigned for the defenders of the republic in the Spanish Civil War from 1936 onwards , had long since been a member of the Resistance . Devaivre's cover name was - given his cooperation for French freedom issues as well as for the German occupiers - Janus .

After the liberation, Jean Devaivre was able to work regularly as a film director since 1945. But hardly any of his works came beyond the level of simple entertainment; After all, Devaivre was able to receive the Grand Prize at the Locarno Film Festival for his production La ferme des sept péchés in 1949 . In 1957, after a dozen or so mediocre productions, Devaivre's directing career was over and he devoted himself to other things. Since 1961 he was busy with his autobiography, which also included his work for Continental and his underground activity as a resistance fighter. It was published in 2002 under the title "Action!". His memories also formed the basis for the French film Laissez-passer (passenger ticket), which dealt with the collaboration of French filmmakers with Continental Films from 1940 to 1944. The film directed by Bertrand Tavernier was also released in 2002. Devaivre was played there by Jacques Gamblin .

Honors

Devaivre was honored with numerous national honors for his military service in 1939/40 and his underground work as well as his artistic activities:

• Member of the Legion of Honor (Légion d'Honneur)
• Étoile d'argent 1940 - citation à l'ordre de la Division - Croix du Combattant - Croix du combattant Volontaire - CVR / Croix du combattant volontaire de la Résistance - Croix des services militaires volontaires. - Médaille Guerre 39-45. “Témoignage de Satisfaction” of the Minister of War.
• President of the Resistance Volunteers and the Maquis of Charolais.
• Chevalier des Arts et Lettres.

Filmography

As director (complete):

• 1941: La légende de Saint Nicolas (short film, also screenplay)
• 1942: Sirius symphonies (short films)
• 1945: King of the Nassau (Le Roi des resquilleurs)
• 1946: Boîte de nuit (short film)
• 1946: La pythonisse (short film, also screenplay)
• 1947: SOS - 11 a.m. (La Dame d'onze heures) (also production)
• 1949: Steppenrache (Vendetta en Camargue) (documentary, also screenplay)
• 1949: La Ferme des sept péchés (also screenplay, production)
• 1950: L'Inconnue de Montreal (also screenplay)
• 1951: Les anonymes du ciel (short film)
• 1952: Ma femme, ma vache et moi
• 1953: Men living for love (Un caprice de Caroline chérie)
• 1953: Alerte au Sud (also production)
• 1954: Dark red star of Venus (Le Fils de Caroline chérie)
• 1956: L'inspecteur aime la bagarre (also screenplay)

Web links

• Biography on telepro.be
• Short biography
• Short biography on allocine.fr
• Jean Devaivre in the Internet Movie Database (English)