Édouard Molinaro

Directing

Édouard Molinaro

Born — Died

1928-05-13 — 2013-12-07

Place of birth

Bordeaux, Gironde, France

Known for

Directing

Credits

59 titles

He was born in Bordeaux, Gironde. He is best known for his comedies with Louis de Funès (Oscar, etc.), My Uncle Benjamin (with Jacques Brel and Claude Jade), Dracula and Son (with Christopher Lee), and the Academy Award-nominated La Cage aux Folles (with Michel Serrault and Ugo Tognazzi). Molinaro was active as a director until a few years before his death, although he had almost exclusively been producing works for television.[2] In 1996, his cinematic work was awarded the René Clair Award, a prize given by the Académie française for excellent film work. Molinaro died of a respiratory insufficiency in 2013. He was 85. (source: wikipedia)

Known for

Film credits

2010s · 2 titles

2000s · 2 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

Hibernatus poster
6.7

Hubert de Tartas' life becomes a complete muddle when his wife's grandfather is unearthed after having spent 65 years in frozen hibernation in the polar circle. After being de-frosted, the Hibernating Man believes it is still the beginning of the century. Nothing is spared to keep that illusion alive. At the end of his rope, Hubert blurts out the truth and takes the man from Edwardian times on a crazy spree through an ultramodern Twentieth Century.

Hibernatus

1969

La Cage aux Folles poster
6.8

Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership of the drag club downstairs when the fiancée and her parents come for dinner.

La Cage aux Folles

1978

La Cage aux Folles poster
6.8

Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership of the drag club downstairs when the fiancée and her parents come for dinner.

La Cage aux Folles

1978

La Cage aux Folles II poster
6.1

In a move to make his partner, Renato, jealous, the flamboyant Albin waits in a local cafe - dressed as a woman - hoping to be picked up. But Albin gets more than he bargains for when the fly he catches in his web is actually a spy, who uses him as an unwitting courier of secret microfilm. Now on the run from ruthless agents, Albin and Renato flee to Italy where they attempt to hide out on a farm, with Albin posing as Renato's wife. Can Albin escape the deadly pursuit of these relentless spies or does he have to sustain this charade - as a woman - forever?

La Cage aux Folles II

1980

The Hurried Man poster
5.8

Art collector Pierre Niox rushes through life, lives a frantic life, does everything in full speed -- searching for and acquiring works of art or real estate, marrying or even dying -- and in total disregard for any kind of morality. His misdeeds finally turn on him and destroy him.

The Hurried Man

1977

Dracula and Son poster
5.7

With angry villagers driving them away from their castle in Transylvania, Dracula and his son Ferdinand head abroad. Dracula ends up in London, England where he becomes a horror movie star exploiting his vampire status. His son, meanwhile, is ashamed of his roots and ends up a night watchman in Paris, France where he falls for a girl. Naturally, tensions arise when father and son are reunited and both take a liking to the same girl.

Dracula and Son

1976

The Seven Deadly Sins poster
5.9

Seven directors each dramatize one of the seven deadly sins in a short film. In "Anger," a domestic argument over a fly in the Sunday soup escalates into nuclear war. In "Sloth," a movie star would rather pay someone to tie his shoe than bend over to do it himself, and he can't be bothered to accept a starlet's sexual favors. In "Gluttony," a peasant family on its way to the funeral of a relative who died from indigestion stops regularly to eat and drink en route, arriving in time to eat some more. In "Greed," a high-class prostitute refunds the price of a cadet's lottery ticket. In "Pride," an unfaithful wife finds reason to reform. And so on through lust and envy.

The Seven Deadly Sins

1962

Door on the Left as You Leave the Elevator poster
6.2

Yan is a successful artist. One day he is waiting for his date Florence to turn up at his apartment. As the doorbell rings, he finds another young woman in underwear on his doorstep: his neighbor Eva! She tells him she locked herself out of her apartment and insists that he helps her. Whilst Yan is trying to enter Eva's apartment via their adjoining balcony, his phone rings. It is Florence, and she is not impressed when a female voice answers the phone. At this point, Eva's rabidly jealous boyfriend Boris returns home. Seeing Yan in his apartment, he deduces that Eva has been having an affair behind his back. Florence then turns up and Yan tries in vain to explain the situation. By chance, Florence's husband suddenly puts in an appearance. After that, it all starts to get a bit complicated.

Door on the Left as You Leave the Elevator

1988

Sunday Lovers poster
5.8

A sex comedy anthology containing four stories, each from a different country (England, France, USA and Italy). "An Englishman's Home" "The French Method" "Armando's Notebook" "Skippy"

Sunday Lovers

1980

A Pain in the Ass poster
7.0

Ralf Milan, a hitman, arrives in Montpellier to kill an important witness. He checks in a hotel without knowing that his neighbour has become neurotic after his wife left him.

A Pain in the Ass

1973

The Pink Telephone poster
4.8

A small industrialist from Toulouse, goes to Paris to negotiate the buyout of his company from an American financial group. During his stay, the representative of the large firm calls on a luxury call girl to facilitate their "business".

The Pink Telephone

1975

Male Hunt poster
6.5

A few stories about marriage and its problems. Antoine is about to marry Gisèle. His friend Julien, an established bachelor, desperately tries to convince him not to do it, recounting his own painful experiences.

Male Hunt

1964

Love on the Quiet poster
5.4

A lawyer hires a call girl after learning his wife has invited her lover to move in; the husband and wife separate and the two new couples live side-by-side without issue - until an ex-boyfriend shows up and things start to go wrong.

Love on the Quiet

1985

Just the Way You Are poster
6.0

Despite her success as a professional flute player and the constant attention of men around her, Susan Berlanger feels insecure because of her lame right leg. During a European tour, she decides to cover her leg with a cast to see how people will react to her as a nondisabled person.

Just the Way You Are

1984

Oscar poster
7.3

This film originated as a play in Paris. The story focuses on the one-day adventures of Bertrand Barnier played with a genius of French cinema, Louis de Funes. In the same morning he learns that his daughter is pregnant, an employee stole a large amount of money from his company, his maid is about to resign in order to marry a wealthy neighbor and his body builder is interested in marrying his daughter. The seemingly complicated story-line is full of comedy or errors and some of the most hilarious mime scenes of the French cinema.

Oscar

1967

Back to the Wall poster
6.5

Rich industrialist Jacques Decret learns his wife Gloria is having an affair with a young actor. For revenge, he bombards her with anonymous letters, convincing her that her lover is the culprit while Gloria desperately seeks a way out.

Back to the Wall

1958

Agent 38-24-36 poster
5.7

A Russian spy is assigned to steal sensitive information from NATO about military mobilisation. Without much intelligence of his own, the distrusted Soviet intelligence agent needs all the help he can get from his 'talented' partner Penelope Lightfeather as they scatter around the French countryside for secret rendezvous while trying to avoid being caught by counterintelligence agents and distrustful communist operatives.

Agent 38-24-36

1964

For 200 Grand, You Get Nothing Now poster
6.3

After getting screwed over by life (again), two losers decide that enough is enough. Using stolen ski masks and stolen toy guns, they take hostages in their local bank, holding them for ransom. Things go well until the hostages learn what's going on, and demand a piece of the action for themselves.

For 200 Grand, You Get Nothing Now

1982

Witness in the City poster
6.3

Industrialist Pierre Verdier kills his mistress Jeanne Ancelin by throwing her off a train. Her husband, Ancelin, decides to take revenge on his wife's murderer, who has been acquitted by justice.

Witness in the City

1959

Witness in the City poster
6.3

Industrialist Pierre Verdier kills his mistress Jeanne Ancelin by throwing her off a train. Her husband, Ancelin, decides to take revenge on his wife's murderer, who has been acquitted by justice.

Witness in the City

1959

The Passion of Slow Fire poster
6.7

Stéphane Blanchon lives a quiet life in Switzerland with his wife, Christine, until a young American boarder named Belle, who was living with them, is found murdered. Despite Stéphane's innocence, the evidence points to him, and he learns that Belle harbored romantic feelings for him. Suspicions mount against him; even Christine thinks he is the culprit. Stéphane's sanity begins to crumble, and he lashes out in unprecedented ways.

The Passion of Slow Fire

1961

The Passion of Slow Fire poster
6.7

Stéphane Blanchon lives a quiet life in Switzerland with his wife, Christine, until a young American boarder named Belle, who was living with them, is found murdered. Despite Stéphane's innocence, the evidence points to him, and he learns that Belle harbored romantic feelings for him. Suspicions mount against him; even Christine thinks he is the culprit. Stéphane's sanity begins to crumble, and he lashes out in unprecedented ways.

The Passion of Slow Fire

1961

The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg poster
3.8

The 35-year-old ministry official Baron Leisenbohg had the stage career ten years ago as the cast of the "Queen of the Night", opera that promoted singer Klare Hell. Klare shows no gratitude however.

The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg

1991

The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg poster
3.8

The 35-year-old ministry official Baron Leisenbohg had the stage career ten years ago as the cast of the "Queen of the Night", opera that promoted singer Klare Hell. Klare shows no gratitude however.

The Fate of Baron Leisenbohg

1991

Arsène Lupin vs. Arsène Lupin poster
6.3

André Laroche, an industrialist, has just passed away. Face to his grave, as he is being buried, Anne de Vierne, the wife of a magistrate, confesses to her son François that Laroche was in fact Lupin and that he is his natural child. But he is not the gentleman thief's only offspring! Lupin had indeed another son by a housemaid, Gérard Dagmar, a dancer, magician and - occasionally - burglar. Which complicates the task of François who, to respect the last wishes of the testator, has gone in search of the treasure of Poldavia. For he keeps finding Gérard on his way and his efforts are constantly thwarted by his half-brother. Will Gérard prevent François from becoming the worthy successor to their father or will the two young men decide to join forces? That is the question.

Arsène Lupin vs. Arsène Lupin

1962

When the Pheasants Pass poster
6.7

Arsène Baudu and Hyacinthe, a pair of small-time crooks, fall prey to Alexandre Larsan-Bellac, who involves them (against their will) in high-profile swindling, but their success is quite limited. For starters they are deceived by Mrs. Paterson, a charming widow. Later on, Ribeiro, a Portuguese contractor and former victim of the two crooks, traces them and forces them to work on one of his building sites for damages. Just then, Larsan-Bellac resurfaces with plans to lure Ribeiro once again. —Guy Bellinger

When the Pheasants Pass

1965

The Irony of Chance poster
5.6

A series of events beginning during the German occupation of France showing what might have happened if one thing had gone differently. The premise concerns the assassination of a German officer by a young member of the Resistance.

The Irony of Chance

1974

The Road to Shame poster
6.1

Pierre Rossi and Béatrice live in the same block of flats in Marseille and love each other. One night, Béatrice leaves her apartment. Pierre knows that his fiancée goes to a rendezvous, but she would not tell him more than just that. Worried, Pierre follows her but he is attacked and stolen his identity papers by two men, Tom and Nasol, on the payroll of Quaglio, one of the city's bosses. Later on, Quaglio kills Nasol and deposits the body in a garage, leaving Pierre's papers nearby. As for Pierre, he manages to follow Tom to a villa where several young women have been invited. Pierre, horrified, realizes that this place is the headquarters for the white slave trade. - Written by Guy Bellinger

The Road to Shame

1959

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel poster
6.5

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel is a biopic film based on the life of the French playwright, financier and spy Pierre Beaumarchais depicting his activities during the American War of Independence and his authorship of the Figaro trilogy of plays.

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel

1996

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel poster
6.5

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel is a biopic film based on the life of the French playwright, financier and spy Pierre Beaumarchais depicting his activities during the American War of Independence and his authorship of the Figaro trilogy of plays.

Beaumarchais the Scoundrel

1996

Cause toujours... tu m'intéresses poster
6.4

François Perrin is a journalist who reads the news on RTL radio. Alone in life, his only "amusement" is his neighbor from Africa, who makes mildly fun of him from time to time. One evening, François is bored, and decides to call a random telephone number. He gets Christine on the line, a bit of an old school pharmacist, who hesitates to put down the phone, and plays the game of seduction with the charming "Mr X"...

Cause toujours... tu m'intéresses

1979

The Hostage Gang poster
6.3

Barely out of the psychiatric hospital where he went to seek care, Gilbert Nodier commits several assaults to have some money.

The Hostage Gang

1973

The Most Gentle Confessions poster
6.2

A sunny seaside town... Jean and Catherine are in love. They are young, beautiful, and poor. One of Jean's friends suggests he rob the cash box of a traveling circus. But the plan goes wrong: a circus employee is seriously injured, and Jean is arrested. He chooses to proclaim his innocence. To force him to confess and denounce his accomplice, the two detectives in charge of the investigation devise a Machiavellian plan...

The Most Gentle Confessions

1971

La Femme abandonnée poster
5.5

Tired of Parisian life, Louis de Nueil settles in a provincial village to rest from his hectic life. But he quickly gets bored. He then meets Fanny de Lussange, as beautiful as she is mysterious. The young man decides to court Fanny.

La Femme abandonnée

1992

La Femme abandonnée poster
5.5

Tired of Parisian life, Louis de Nueil settles in a provincial village to rest from his hectic life. But he quickly gets bored. He then meets Fanny de Lussange, as beautiful as she is mysterious. The young man decides to court Fanny.

La Femme abandonnée

1992

To Commit a Murder poster
5.0

A writer gets wrapped up in espionage.

To Commit a Murder

1967

To Commit a Murder poster
5.0

A writer gets wrapped up in espionage.

To Commit a Murder

1967

Palace poster
4.8

1944. Lucien, a fighter in the Free French Forces, is taken prisoner by the Germans. He is sent to a prison camp and then becomes a pianist in a palace.

Palace

1985

Palace poster
4.8

1944. Lucien, a fighter in the Free French Forces, is taken prisoner by the Germans. He is sent to a prison camp and then becomes a pianist in a palace.

Palace

1985

La pitié dangereuse poster
NR

Set in a garrison town in Austria before 1914, is the story of the unfortunate love between simple lieutenant Anton Hofmiller and Edith, the paralyzed daughter of the count, who is the richest man in the region.

La pitié dangereuse

1979