Overview

When one thinks of the quintessential Frenchman, one likely pictures Jean Gabin (1904-1976). The son of music hall performers, the Paris-born actor grew up in the entertainment business. His onscreen debut in the 1930's marked the beginning of many memorable roles in films such as La Grande Illusion (1937) and Émile Zola's La Bête Humaine (1938). His performances would earn him international recognition and establish his reputation as one of the greatest stars of film noir. Pausing his performances on screen, Gabin joined the Allied struggle of WWII. Serving under General Charles De Gaulle in the Free French Forces as a tank commander, Gabin was awarded several medals for his service. Upon his return to acting after the war, he became the embodiment of the uniquely French spirit - a persona that would define his future roles. In Jean Gabin: The Actor Who Was France, Joseph Harriss tells the story of this French icon. This well-researched biography documents Gabin's life from his start as a reluctant singer and dancer in Parisian music halls to his rise to film superstardom. Harriss recounts the actor's multi-faceted persona, including his famously fiery temper, his tumultuous love affairs - including a six-year relationship with the German star Marlene Dietrich - and his military valor. With this enthralling work, film enthusiasts can gain an appreciation of France's quintessential movie star and his lasting impact on world cinema during its Golden Age.

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9780813198750

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Reviews

A thorough, well-researched biography --Los Angeles Times; fascinating and thoroughly researched.... This is the first full-length account of Gabin's colorful life in English and is likely to be the book of choice for film scholars and Anglophone French cinema fans for some time to come.... Harriss brings narrative skill and sweeping historical context to the Gabin saga.... Harris weaves the threads of Gabin's life into a coherent chronological story covering 72 years, from his birth in 1904 to his death in 1976. He avoids the star-struck tone of so many such biographies and lets the story tell itself. And the story is riveting. --Facts & Arts; This beautifully written, fast-moving book is immaculately researched. One of the best film bios I have ever read, it will be a useful work of scholarship for many years to come. --Charles Zigman, Los Angeles based screenwriter and teacher of film studies

"""A thorough, well-researched biography""--Los Angeles Times; ""fascinating and thoroughly researched.... This is the first full-length account of Gabin's colorful life in English and is likely to be the book of choice for film scholars and Anglophone French cinema fans for some time to come.... Harriss brings narrative skill and sweeping historical context to the Gabin saga.... Harris weaves the threads of Gabin's life into a coherent chronological story covering 72 years, from his birth in 1904 to his death in 1976. He avoids the star-struck tone of so many such biographies and lets the story tell itself. And the story is riveting.""--Facts & Arts; ""This beautifully written, fast-moving book is immaculately researched. One of the best film bios I have ever read, it will be a useful work of scholarship for many years to come.""--Charles Zigman, Los Angeles based screenwriter and teacher of film studies"

Author Information

Joseph Harriss's articles and columns from his posts in Paris, North Africa, Brussels and Washington have appeared in many newspapers and magazines, including Time, The New York Times, Smithsonian, and The American Spectator. He is the author of three previous books on France. He lives in Paris.

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