Henri Jeanson

Writing

Henri Jeanson

Born 1900-03-06 · Paris, France

Henri Jules Louis Jeanson (6 March 1900 in Paris – 6 November 1970 in Équemauville) was a French writer and journalist. He was a "satrap" in the "College of 'Pataphysics". Jeanson was born on 6 March 1900 in Paris. His father was a teacher. Before becoming a journalist, he had several casual jobs, including being depicted as a soldier on a good-luck card for a postcard seller, belying his future pacifism. In 1917, he started work for La Bataille, newspaper of the Confédération générale du travail. Noted for his strong writing, he was a journalist throughout the 1920s, with intervening stints as reporter, interviewer and film critic. He was distinguished by the potency of his style and a taste for polemic. Jeanson worked for several papers including the Journal du peuple, Hommes du Jour and the Canard enchaîné, where he defended complete pacifism. He resigned from the Canard enchaîné in 1937, in solidarity with Jean Galtier-Boissière. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in July 1939, for publishing an article in Solidarité internationale antifasciste, a periodical founded in November 1938 by Louis Lecoin, in which he congratulated Herschel Grynszpan for his assassination of Ernst vom Rath, an official of the German embassy in Paris. He was arrested in November 1939, at which time he had already joined his regiment in Meaux, for articles which had appeared in March and August 1939, and for having signed Louis Lecoin's tract "Paix immédiate". On 20 December 1939, he was sentenced by a military tribunal to five years in prison for "calling for disobedience within the ranks". Jeanson was in prison for his pacifist writings, and this only a few days before the German army marched into Paris. His freedom was obtained by the lawyer and minister César Campinchi. He remained in Paris and in August 1940 was given the chief editorship of Aujourd'hui, an "independent" newspaper. The first issue went out on 10 September 1940. In November 1940, the German authorities pressured him to take a public position against the Jews and in favour of the politics of collaboration with the Vichy regime. Jeanson resigned and went back to prison. He was freed a few months later after the intervention of his friend Gaston Bergery, a neo-radical who had turned to the collaborationists through ultra-pacifism. From that point on he was banned from the press and the cinema, and worked secretly, writing film dialogues without putting his name to them. With Pierre Bénard, Jeanson participated in the development of secret pamphlets, and just missed being re-arrested in 1942. He continued to lie low until the liberation of France. His story is said to illustrate the contradictions and compromises of absolute pacifism: the willingness to seek an understanding with Germany to avoid war, transforming, after France's defeat, into a desire for proper coexistence, even offering to serve the Germans. The newspaper Aujourd'hui was far from being innocent in its hunting down those allegedly responsible for France's defeat, resorting to the "clean sweep of the broom" myth in its Anglophobia. The paper entered into resonance with Marshal Philippe Pétain's narrative, and took the direction of German propaganda. ... Source: Article "Henri Jeanson" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

The Black Tulip poster
6.3

Aristocrat Guillaume de Saint Preux leads a double life as a masked bandit known as the Black Tulip. The Black Tulip only robs rich aristocrats, so the local peasants regard him as a hero. Baron La Mouche is convinced Guillaume is the Tulip. During a robbery, he scars the Tulip's face, and hopes to use this to expose Guillaume, but Guillaume is one step ahead.

The Black Tulip

1964

Holiday for Henrietta poster
7.1

Two scriptwriters argue about the fate of Henrietta, a charming and gamine shopgirl. One favors a comical path for their heroine, who is overcome with sentimental love for a young photographer on Bastille Day. The other has a more thrilling and dastardly fate in mind for her. Among the film's irresistible conceits is Hildegarde Neff as an oversexed circus bareback rider.

Holiday for Henrietta

1952

Hôtel du Nord poster
7.1

On the meandering Canal St. Martin, at the Parisian Hôtel du Nord, a nearly fatal gunshot separates a dejected young couple. But, amid a sad but beautiful panorama of lively characters, love has the final say. Can life be a fairy tale?

Hôtel du Nord

1938

A Lover's Return poster
6.1

A ballet producer returns to his native town and schemes to avenge himself on the family who tried to murder him 20 years before.

A Lover's Return

1946

The Man in My Life poster
6.0

L'homme de ma vie stars Madeleine Robinson as Madeleine, who after being abandoned by her lover is forced to raise her baby all by herself. Supporting herself and her child as a prostitute, Madeleine manages to give her daughter an expensive girl's-school education, all the while keeping her own identity and profession a secret. The girl grows up to be an insufferable snob; nonetheless, Madeleine attempts to re-establish a relationship. Things take a sorry turn when the daughter takes drastic actions to defend her mother's honor.

The Man in My Life

1952

Madame du Barry poster
6.0

The daughter of a seamstress, Jeanne Bécu could hardly imagine she would later become one of the most influential women of the Kingdom of France...

Madame du Barry

1954

Princess Tarakanova poster
10.0

Italian version of 'Princess Tarakanova'. A film about the story of princess Élisabeth Tarakanova.

Princess Tarakanova

1938

Daughters of Destiny poster
4.6

Three stories, very different in space and time. Lysistrata, a dancer from ancient times, Jeanne d'Arc, medieval warrior and Elisabeth, American war widow who comes on pilgrimage in Italy.

Daughters of Destiny

1954

It Happened All Night poster
5.3

Michel Ferréol reluctantly meets up with an old school friend, Antoine Fiesco. Michel didn’t like Antoine much when they were at school and tries to get away by making an excuse. He changes his mind when Antoine introduces him to his wife, a beautiful brunette named Christine.

It Happened All Night

1960

The Cow and I poster
6.7

In 1942, a French prisonner of war in Germany decide to escape to France using a cow hold by a lunge as a decoy. He cross all Germany in this way.

The Cow and I

1959

Lovers of Paris poster
6.1

Young, handsome, dashing but cynical, Octave Mouret arrives in Paris, determined to conquer the belles of the capital.

Lovers of Paris

1957

Madame poster
5.8

Catherine Hubscher, who washes the shirts of young Napoleon and other soldiers fighting the Revolution, falls in love with Sergeant Lefebvre. Circumstances bring Lefebvre a noble title and even more -- Napoleon decides to make him the local ruler over a large territorial fiefdom. But trouble brews when Madame Sans-Gene, now elevated to the nobility along with her man -- cannot keep her frank observations under control.

Madame

1961

This Time it Must Be Caviar poster
6.6

Thomas Lieven is a German secret agent trying to leave that profession, to live a peaceful life. Adventure is too strong an appeal, he starts working again, and soon it's difficult to say if he is doing his job, or turned out as double agent for England, France or even communist Russia! To save his skin, he'll do - almost - anything, to anyone...

This Time it Must Be Caviar

1961

The Sword and the Balance poster
7.7

Three young men are suspected of kidnapping and murdering a little boy. Most likely, two of them are really involved, but one is not. All of their pasts are questionable, riddled with violence and controversy. Neither the police nor the court can decide how to solve that puzzle.

The Sword and the Balance

1963

Sidonie Panache poster
8.5

In 1842, during the conquest of Algeria Sidonie Panache disguised as a Soave runs away with her lover who is doing his military service there.

Sidonie Panache

1934

Monelle poster
6.6

Gérard Favier is a famous composer who is deeply in love with his wife Sylvia. The couple meet Monelle, a pretty, talented young pianist and ardent admirer of Gérard Favier. The musician takes the young woman under his wing and launches her to success. But a tabloid reveals an affair between the composer and his protégée.

Monelle

1948

Savage Triangle poster
6.5

Based on the novel of the same name by writer Edouard Peisson, this Jean Delannoy film display one boy’s unconditional love for his mother, despite her tragic mistreatment of him. After being raised by a shepherd for the past 12 years, Simon (Pierre-Michel Beck) is reunited with his mother Marie (Madeleine Robinson). Marie is a prostitute in Marseilles and is now stable enough to welcome Simon back into her life. Unaware of her profession at first, Simon is happy to have his mom back, but in time he learns how she makes her living. This troubles Simon but he continues to love her, despite not loving her chosen profession. His anger toward this issue gets directed toward Marie’s louse of a boyfriend, Paul (Frank Villard), and the result is a heartfelt tale about love and family.

Savage Triangle

1951

The Moment of Truth poster
6.0

Dr Pierre Richard learns that his wife Madeleine has been unfaithful for years. This comes as a shock after a decade of supposedly wedded bliss. Back home, he demands answers, and a long night of explanations ensues.

The Moment of Truth

1952

No artwork available
5.5

Summoned by his mother to plead, a very young lawyer has a trio of pathetic criminals acquitted. The daughter of one of them reveals to the lawyer that the three accomplices hoped to find food and board in prison. For the beautiful eyes of the young girl, Master of La Bastide attaches the three rogues to his service. Disasters, confusion, clumsiness follow one another until the planned wedding.

Square of Knaves

1947

Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love! poster
5.6

Henri IV falls in love with the young Charlotte de Montmorency, 40 years his junior. The king decided to marry her off to his nephew, Henri de Condé, so that he could later make her his mistress.

Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love!

1961

Champagne for Savages poster
6.2

A diverse group of friends gather to celebrate a witless woman's birthday in this comedy drama set in France during World War II. The guests include an uncle who is a Nazi collaborator, a blind war veteran, a simpering physician, an arrogant educator, a patriotic girl, and the husband of the guest of honor. When some German soldiers are killed outside the house, the group is told by the Gestapo that they must choose among themselves two who will be shot if the killer is not caught. If two victims are not chosen, all seven at the party will be captured. Things sound pretty grim, but the black comedy begins when all seven try to save themselves by any means possible.

Champagne for Savages

1964

The Damned poster
5.9

In April 1945, a group of Nazis and collaborators gather in Oslo to board a submarine headed for South America, aiming to avoid justice. Kidnapped Doctor Guilbert is forced to accompany them.

The Damned

1947

Atomic Agent poster
4.5

Murderous foreign agents are after a scientist who has invented an atomic engine that could change the future of rocketry.

Atomic Agent

1959

Nana poster
6.1

In Paris during the Second Empire, Count Muffat, despite his prejudices against loose women, falls madly in love with Nana, a young kept woman and star of the Théâtre des Variétés. This all-consuming passion will lead nowhere and, like Nana's other lovers, will lead him to ruin and crime... An adaptation of Émile Zola's novel Nana.

Nana

1955