Léon Zitrone

Acting

Léon Zitrone

Born 1914-11-25 · Petrograd, Russian Empire [now St. Petersburg, Russia]

Léon Zitrone (25 November 1914 – 25 November 1995) was a Russian-born French journalist and television presenter. Zitrone was born in Petrograd, Russia. He arrived in France with his family fleeing communism at the age of six. He graduated from the ESJ Paris. He began by training in scientific studies but his mastership of Russian, French, English and German gave him entrance in 1948 to the radio foreign broadcasting services of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). In 1959, he joined the television activity of RTF. From 1961, he became news presenter, function he occupied for nearly 20 years, first until 1975, on the first French television channel (now TF1), then also on Antenne 2, the other public service channel. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach called him back in 1979. He then took charge of the news program during the week-end (his contract was established until 1 February 1981). He would come back for those news programs also during the Easter and Pentecost week-ends. But Léon Zitrone's celebrity is due to the programs he presented or co-presented. He was host of the televised program Intervilles (French counterpart of Britain's It's a Knockout) with Guy Lux. He commented 6 times the Tour de France, and he is remembered for his prodigious memory for names of riders. He presented the Olympics for 8 times, commented the Eurovision Song Contest on 4 occasions and presented 16 Bastille Day military parades. Above all, he was the key-commenter for big events, such as weddings, burials or investitures of world's key figures, some thirty of them during the course of his career. In 1978, following French singer Marie Myriam's victory the previous year, the Eurovision song contest took place in Paris. Léon Zitrone co-presented with Denise Fabre and made the presentation in English. He was the oldest host of the Eurovision Song Contest, aged 63. In 1984, Zitrone took a leading role in the movie American Dreamer. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage on his 81st birthday, 25 November 1995, at the Val-de-Grâce hospital in Paris. Source: Article "Léon Zitrone" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Acting credits

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Actualités télérévisées

1964

The Party poster
6.6

A thirteen-year-old French girl deals with moving to a new city and school in Paris, while at the same time her parents are getting a divorce.

The Party

1980

J'ai tout donné poster
9.3

An intimate cinéma vérité style documentary following french mega star Johnny Hallyday's summer tour.

J'ai tout donné

1972

Les gros malins poster
5.0

Paul Blanc runs a butcher's shop with his Neapolitan wife, the vivacious Giulia. One night, thanks to sleeping pills received from his brother in Argentina, he dreams of horse racing and sees in his dream the order of arrival of the horses. Giulia praises her husband's gift at the local café. But the turfmen dissuade her from betting on the nags chosen by Paul, who they consider to be real losers! But her vision proves to be right. When her secret is discovered, everyone wants to buy this miracle medicine. But the product is no longer manufactured, as it is considered dangerous and has been banned by the authorities.

Les gros malins

1969

Menace poster
5.0

An esteemed surgeon, Charles Bernard, and his family are victims of a violent home invasion. When his young child is held for ransom, Charles must decide whether to comply or fight back.

Menace

1972

Marriage poster
5.7

Four wedding anniversaries serve to chronicle the beginning and end of a thirty-year marriage.

Marriage

1974

Clémentine chérie poster
6.2

Gaston Bellus, is the director of a textile house, and the research laboratory makes a sensational discovery: the elastic fabric. This new discovery is used to manufacture new modern stretchable bathing suits. His daughter Clementine, enters the beauty pageant to represent France for the swimsuit launch. But scandal ensues when the public soon discover, the photos of the event in which this new revolutionary material is completely invisible on photographs & live television.

Clémentine chérie

1964

Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ poster
6.0

In ancient Rome, a simple pepboy for chars becomes involved in a coup against Cesar. Rahatlocum is a North African Roman colony where Julius Caesar came to spend an expensive holiday. The revolt rumbles among the locals who find a leader in the person of Ben-Hur Marcel.

Quarter to Two Before Jesus Christ

1982

Cocagne poster
5.0

As the driver of a garbage truck in Arles, Marc-Antoine leads a quiet life with his wife, Mélanie, and their two children. When Amédée's "Fanny" is stolen from the bouliste club, Marc-Antoine offers to repaint another one. As soon as the work is finished, he becomes a local celebrity and, intoxicated by his new-found fame, leaves his family to go with Hélène, the young waitress, to his friend Septime's house in the Camargue to take up painting. Eventually, Marc-Antoine realizes that he is dissatisfied and that his success seems dishonest. He realizes that happiness awaits him with his wife, children and friends, and resumes his simple life without remorse.

Cocagne

1961

American Dreamer poster
6.3

American housewife Cathy Palmer loses her memory on a trip to Paris after being hit by a car. She wakes up in the hospital believing she's the fictional international spy, Rebecca Ryan.

American Dreamer

1984

La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président poster
7.2

In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about a new era of modernity. One of his first decisions was to break up the ORTF with the creation of three new television channels: TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3. Three new public channels but autonomous and competing. It is a race for the audience which is engaged then, and from now on the channels will make the war! This competition will give birth to a real golden age for television programs, with variety shows in the forefront. The stars of the song are going to invade the living rooms of the French for their biggest pleasure. This unedited documentary tells the story of the metamorphosis of this television of the early 1970s, between freedom of tone, scandals, political intrigues and programs that have become mythical.

La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président

2022

Les années Bouvard : le rire et l’impertinence poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Les années Bouvard : le rire et l’impertinence

2019

Operation Double Cross poster
5.0

In Barcelona, secret agent Antoine Donadieu thwarts the plans of a Nazi scientist.

Operation Double Cross

1965

Drôles de zèbres poster
3.7

Two unemployed men, heavily in debt due to losses at the racetrack, are hired by a criminal mastermind to harass the guests of a hotel he hopes to purchase at a below-market price in order to access a tunnel below the building that leads directly to a nearby bank.

Drôles de zèbres

1977

Live for Life poster
6.4

Famous TV newscaster Robert Colomb is married to Catherine, but is continually unfaithful to her. Then he meets, and becomes fascinated with Candice.

Live for Life

1967

Rue de Paris poster
6.6

While Henri was a POW during the war, his wife passed away, and he returned to face the challenges of bringing up three children alone. Henri may get drunk and angry at times, but he also has a better side that will not stay buried.

Rue de Paris

1959

The Bamboo Stroke poster
4.5

Albert is the irremovable waiter in a small bistro that has just been sold by his former bosses, Angèle and Léon. Angèle, having forgotten the ten million paid by the notary in a cab, prefers to feign madness rather than incur her husband's wrath; but Léon, in turn, eventually learns what has happened to his money, goes mad and kicks out the honest cab driver who comes to return the lost sum. A phone call from the police station later informs Albert that the money is at his boss's disposal; but as the boss is now in an institution, Albert borrows his identity papers and goes to collect the money - which he pays in full to the pari-mutuel betting house. After a series of shocks and counter-shocks, Angèle and Léon regain their senses enough to watch for the outcome of the race, and share with Albert the final winnings, which are very substantial.

The Bamboo Stroke

1963

The Boss of Champignol poster
8.0

Claudius finds a foal and takes it home to his boss. The men who stole the animal are looking for him. Claudius names him Champignol and trains him for racing. When he grows up, Champignol wins a regional race. But the thieves return, and Claudius is forced to do odd jobs to keep his horse.

The Boss of Champignol

1966

Marriage of the Century poster
5.4

Princess Charlotte is scheduled to marry a boring duke, but before that event happens, Paul has taken a bet that he can seduce her. He does, profits from his act, and then falls in love with her. Meanwhile, the wedding with the duke is still planned, and it remains to be seen whether Paul will give in and give up.

Marriage of the Century

1985

From Hong Kong with Love poster
5.1

Bons baisers de Hong Kong (From Hong Kong with Love) is a 1975 French film directed by Yvan Chiffre. It is a parody of James Bond movies featuring Les Charlots with scenes shot in Hong Kong. Mickey Rooney featured in the film as well as Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell, stars of the James Bond films who appeared as M and Moneypenny respectively.

From Hong Kong with Love

1975

Dorothée Show poster
7.5

The romanticized life of Dorothée summarized in various sketches and songs.

Dorothée Show

1987

Be Careful Ladies poster
6.5

Charles Rouvier, a lawyer, is in jail for trying to save one of his clients, Hedwige. He decides to be revenged on women and his inmates teach him how to seduce and exploit them.As soon as he is released from prison he places a personal ad in a newspaper. This is how the newly self-appointed "cynical Don Juan" will meet three creatures: Florence, Gisèle and Henriette. Who will eat who?

Be Careful Ladies

1963

Three Faces of Sin poster
7.3

Laurent is an artist and sometimes con-man. He wanders into the life of Renee one day in her antique shop and tries to seduce her. Before they can leave town on a weekend getaway together, Renee's teenage daughter Daniele quits school and unexpectedly shows up. Laurent and Daniele fall for each other immediately and end up getting married. The film follows the disastrous situation created by the jealous mother and her daughter's immature husband.

Three Faces of Sin

1961

Leon Garros Is Looking for His Friend poster
9.5

During World War II, the Frenchman Léon Garros and Boris Vaganov escape from the Nazi concentration camp. After 15 years, Léon, who became a journalist, and his friends came to the USSR to make a report and find Boris in the meantime. In Moscow he doesn't found, and for the sake of meeting with a friend, Garros has to travel around the country by car... The foreigners are accompanied by Nikolai, the translator, who, in turn, is looking for his brother's runaway bride, Natasha.

Leon Garros Is Looking for His Friend

1961