Paul Bonifas
Acting
Biography
Paul Bonifas (3 June 1902 – 9 November 1975) was a French actor, born in Paris. In the 1920s, while working for the French customs service, Bonifas took classes in acting at the Conservatoire de Paris in his spare time. He left with the first prize for comedy, which allowed him to join the Odéon Theatre in 1933, then the Comédie-Française in 1938. He made his first film appearance in 1935 in a version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, directed by Pierre Chenal. During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the artillery, was badly wounded, and evacuated from Dunkirk with his unit. In London he joined the Free French, and worked for Radio Londres broadcasting to occupied France. In 1942 he appeared in the film The Foreman Went to France. In 1943 he formed "The Molière Players", who staged a repertoire of mainly Molière works in London theatres, as well as in regional towns and at French army barracks. He came to the Comedy Theatre, London with Théâtre Molierè in 1943 and 1944, performing in L'Anglais Tel Qu'on Le Parle, Le Malade Imaginaire, Gringoire, Le Misanthrope et L'Auvergnat, Les Femmes Savantes, Le Paquebot Tenacity, La Testament Du Pere Leleu and L'Extra. His Company included Andre Frere, Georges Rex, Suzette Marquis, Elma Soiron and Paul Clarus. In 1944 "The Molière Players" appeared in the short film Aventure malgache directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This was written by, and based on the experiences of, Jules Francois Clermont, an actor in Bonifas' troupe working under the name of Paul Clarus, who had operated an illegal radio station Madagascar Libre in Madagascar while the island was under Vichy control. Bonifas then appeared in a number of other British films, including Two Fathers with Bernard Miles, directed by Anthony Asquith, and had minor roles in the musicals Heaven Is Round the Corner and Champagne Charlie, the action adventure film The Man from Morocco, the comedy-drama Johnny Frenchman and the horror film Dead of Night. Bonifas returned to France in 1946 and resumed his career in theatre, specializing in comedy, but also taking dramatic roles. His later film career included appearances in Trapeze (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956), Fanny (1961), Charade (1963), Greed in the Sun (1964), The Train (1964), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Triple Cross (1966), and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974). Bonifas died on 9 November 1975 at Vernouillet, Yvelines, France. Source: Article "Paul Bonifas" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Born: June 3, 1902
Place of Birth: Paris, France
Known For
Filmography
as Vatinol
as Le Maire
as le choeur
as le père de François Perrin
as Le voisin
as L'aubergiste
as Hotel porter
as The doctor
as Henri Faroy
as Witness to car accident
as Pons
as (uncredited)
as Gustave / servant
as Prêtre
as Le vieux Vick
as Charlie
as Félix Ducotel
as Camusot
as Lanier
as 'Tonton Louis'
as Légiste (uncredited)
as Spinet
as Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
as Le notaire
as Aymon Terrail
as Mr. Felix
as Mons. Lapeyre
as Bourrély
as Grocer
as Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
as The Postman
as Cellarman
as Un greffier
as Mayor
as (uncredited)
as Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
as Innkeeper
as le président de la cour
as Hospital doctor
as L'inspecteur Renaud
as Marcel, owner of the hotel
as Police Chief (uncredited)
as Guillaumin
as Master Lecornu
as Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
as Prof. von Gaulkins
as le commissaire principal
as Honoré, the father-in-law
as The Newsagent (uncredited)
as American
as Monsieur Bleubois
as Inspector
as Traveler (uncredited)
as The Commander
as Le ministre Victor Duruy
as Monsieur Bleubois
as Captain of the cargo ship
as Insurance Manager
as Stephan Corelle
as Jerome
as French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
as French Mayor
as Targetino
as Monsieur Rolland
as French Proprietor
as Michel
as Prefect of Rouville
as Sailor