Directing

Philippe Clair

Born 1930-09-14 · Ahfir, Moroco

Prosper Charles Bensoussan professionally known as Philippe Clair (14 September 1930 – 28 November 2020) was a Moroccan-French actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and popular humorist. Along with fellow French directors Max Pécas and Richard Balducci, his name is synonymous with the golden age of camp and low comedy in French cinema. Philippe Clair moved to Paris in 1950 to study acting at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts of Paris. He won the Bernstein and College Stars awards, honors given to the best young Parisian actors. He performed on stage and television with major directors and writers in shows such as L'Affaire des poisons [Affair of the Poisons] directed by Raymond Rouleau, Une femme libre [A free woman] by Armand Salacrou, and Les Îles fortunées [The Prosperous Islands] by Simon Gantillon. Eventually he got a show of his own and became an important French humorist, mounting such works as the Judeo-Arabic Purée de nous z'otres [Mashed we z'otres], and Le Cid in Oued Bel [Parody of El Cid] based on the book by Edmond Brua. He specialized in improvisation and in writing comedy sketches. In 1965 Clair directed his first film, Déclic et des claques [Clicks and Slaps] with Annie Girardot, the comic misadventures of a young pied-noir [French Algerian] in Paris. He continued his work as a singer: in 1967, his sketch Rien Nasser de courir which satirized the Six-Day War was banned because of its political overtones. In 1970, Philippe Clair became the leading director of popular comedy. His humor usually had a French Algerian flavor. Most of his films were commercial successes, although sometimes they were panned by critics who called them vulgar or overacted. His films were often plagiarized by other directors with typical French disrespect or–as the French call it–franchouillards. His 1971 film La Grande Java [Great Java] launched the comedy careers of the members of the French band Les Charlots. He went on to use band member Aldo Maccione in The Great Maffia, Plus beau que moi, tu meurs [More beautiful than me, you die], and Tais-toi quand tu parles! [Shut up when you talk]. He made several surreal films, such as Le Führer en folie [The Fuhrer Runs Amok], which featured Henri Tisot in the role of Adolf Hitler and in which Michel Galabru plays the role of a football referee. In 1984, he managed the greatest coup of his career by casting Jerry Lewis in the film Par où t'es rentré? On t'a pas vu sortir [How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave]. In 2013 journalist and filmmaker Gilles Botineau joined with Philippe Clair to produce a documentary portrait titled, Plus drôle que lui, tu meurs [Funnier than him, you die]. The film, lasting 55 minutes covered Clair's entire career, focusing especially on his vision of comedy. Clair retired in 1990 at the age of 60. However, he returned with a production he wrote in 2013 titled, Help, Philippe Clair returns. Philippe Clair was not always treated kindly by the critics. Critic John Tulard in the "Dictionary of French directors" said, "His work is incredibly stupid and vulgar". The weekly French magazineTélérama opined, "Every film by Philippe Clair is worse than the last, and yet it never stops". ... Source: Article "Philippe Clair" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Acting credits

4.5

France and Germany are at war. Adolf Hitler challenges the Allies to seal the fate of the war by playing a football match.

The Fuhrer Runs Amok

1974

6.1

Fantasies and clichés about Brazil and Brazilians as reinforced by international films, even those actually shot in Brazil. This documentary features interviews with non-Brazilian directors, writers and stars who have been involved in some of those films.

The Foreign Eye

2006

6.3

In Paris, a gold smuggler is at war with other local gangsters who want piece of the action. Then the mob shows up and makes things worse. And an undercover US Treasury Department agent is trying to infiltrate the smuggling business.

The Upper Hand

1966

Ces flics étranges venus d'ailleurs poster

10.0

No synopsis available yet.

Ces flics étranges venus d'ailleurs

1979

6.0

Five friends come to the city Brizul. Here they want to find Mr Auguste Kougloff who owns them money, namely 20 million.

The Great Java

1971

5.9

During a stay at a roadside inn, long-distance lorry driver Jean Viard meets a young woman Clothilde who works there. Their friendship soon develops into a passionate love affair, even though Jean is already married and is old enough to be Clothilde’s father. Things take a turn for the worse when Jean loses his job and his wife finds out about his affair. But Clothilde’s predicament is even more distressing...

People of No Importance

1956

6.1

Aldo and Marco are twins. Marco, a parish priest, has always been his mother's pride and joy, whereas Aldo has a history of repeated prison stints. A womanizer and high-rolling gambler constantly in need of cash, he frequently finds himself embroiled in wild, shady schemes—most of which go awry. Wanted by the police, he flees to Tunisia, posing as his brother Marco and disguised as a priest. There, he reconnects with his childhood friend Prosper, dragging him into a life of reckless escapades, chasing after a million-dollar fortune and pretty women alike.

More Beautiful Than Me You Die

1982

6.0

Giacomo has an idol: James Bond. When he dreams, he dreams of himself, his fabulous adventures, especially in Tunisia, and a beautiful wife, Belle. In reality he is unemployed, overwhelmed by an obsessive mother who continually called to see if he wore his woolen tank top and is treated by a doctor who thinks he is Einstein. Finally Giacomo is followed by bizarre characters, kidnapped and taken to Tunisia to live a wonderful adventure of her dreams, from the dangers of any kind ... and he met Beatrice

Shut Up When You Speak!

1981

4.5

In order to subdue the conscripts of Chamber 13, a new captain is assigned. He is an adventurer, a nostalgic of his warrior past and the resistance is quickly born within the young soldiers.

Les réformés se portent bien

1978

6.5

Lieutenant Gilles Castelet would have liked to marry like anybody else. But he has always been under the sexual spell of Colonel Popoti's wife. Once returned to civilian life he tries desperately to escape her, all the more as she is now widowed and she shamelessly chases him away. One day, Gilles meets Charlie, a former army buddy. His friend, sorry about what happens to him, undertakes to rid him of the possession he is under.

The Braggart

1976

3.7

French Guiana has long been the site for some notorious prisons surrounded by dense jungle. In this story, Noel Caradec (Richard Berry) is a bereft son who has come from France to the tropical South American country to look for his father, who fled from the prison and disappeared years ago. He runs into serious opposition from the owner of a hotel and bar known as Cayenne-Palace. The man also happens to be at the center of all the illegal goings-on in the region. However, Noel is not entirely without friends, as his half-brother Xavier and the people of the jungle are on his side.

Cayenne Palace

1987

4.5

From their native Algeria, four friends discover Paris, hoping to find fortune and love. One of them meets the charming Sandra, who is looking for meaning in her life.

Déclic et des claques

1965

6.0

After receiving a mobster's heart as a transplant, a modest bank teller embarks on a life of criminal exploits.

La Grande Maffia

1971

How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave poster

5.8

Clovis Blaireau is a private detective. It is charged by Nadège de Courtaboeuf wife knew wealthy industrialist Prosper de Courtaboeuf, to obtain evidence of the infidelity of her husband. Clovis managed to penetrate the intimacy of Prosper, and became his friend. Following diverse Clovis and Prosper adventures will find themselves in Tunisis pursued by a band of Mafioso and by members of the Front of breaking load of Couscous.

How Did You Get In? We Didn't See You Leave

1984

No artwork available

8.0

This is a story that is less a developed tale than a thumbnail sketch about imaginary events on a kibbutz in Palestine. Set in the period just before Israel gained its status as an independent nation, the drama shows the occupants of the kibbutz engaged in typical hard work. They have to find a source of water, construct their buildings, and do all the chores needed to stay alive, and these pressures as well as the times in which they live cause tensions to rise. The mix of kibbutzim covers a wide range of personality types, from the deeply religious to the ingrained soldier.

Give Me Ten Desperate Men

1962

No artwork available

No synopsis available yet.

Arte 1 Documenta

2006

4.0

Two friends, Philippe and Jeannot, are drafted the same day and assigned to the same place. They have no taste for military life and during the conscription visit they try all they can to be declared unfit for service. They fail and land in barrack room 13, where a bunch of other "rebels" is gathered together, under the approximate control of a stupid warrant officer and a depressing captain.They all still have hopes of returning home soon.Besides Philippe and Jeannot, this motley crew consists of a rich allegedly kleptomaniac snob, a phony queen, an orthodox Jew, a yogi, a hippie, a Belgian, a hermetic poet, an Arab, and that's not the half of it...

Comment se faire réformer

1978

4.8

A police brigade and a financial brigade are sent to Switzerland to dismantle a banking sector.

La Brigade en folie

1973

5.4

Twin brothers arrive in Rio during the Carnival. One is a priest and is going to work in a parish; the other, a drug-dealer, in a business trip to sell cocaine. They’re not aware of each other’s presence. People expecting them always get in touch with the wrong guy.

Si tu vas à Rio... tu meurs

1987

3.5

In Bab El Oued, during the French colonization, the action takes place against the backdrop of elections. The unemployed Roro, son of skewer merchant Dodièze likes Chipette, daughter of hairdresser Gongormatz.

Rodriguez au pays des merguez

1980

Si t'as besoin de rien, fais-moi signe poster

4.0

Once inseparable, Charles the artist and Daniel the schemer reunite after 15 years of separation and confess their mutual misfortune. Determined to start over, the two friends and Sylvie, a friend of Charles, take on the movie business. But they come up against the well-established laws of the business and create havoc wherever they go. But their optimism will save them.

Si t'as besoin de rien, fais-moi signe

1986

No artwork available

6.5

No synopsis available yet.

Lâche-moi les valseuses!...

1977

Behind the camera

4.5

France and Germany are at war. Adolf Hitler challenges the Allies to seal the fate of the war by playing a football match.