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Claude Autant-Lara

Directing 98 (deceased) years old Luzarches, Val-d'Oise, France ★ 0.4
Born: August 5, 1901
Died: February 5, 2000

Biography

Claude Autant-Lara (August 5, 1901–February 5, 2000) was a French film director and later Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

Born at Luzarches in Val-d'Oise, Autant-Lara was educated in France and at London's Mill Hill School during his mother's exile as a pacifist. Early in his career, he worked as an art director and costume designer, his best-known work in this vein was possibly for Nana (1926), a silent film directed by Jean Renoir. Autant-Lara also acted in the film.

As a director, he frequently created provocative movies, saying "if a film does not have venom, it is worthless". In the 1960s, he turned his back on the New Wave movement, and from then on he had no popular successes.

On 18 June 1989, he came to public notice again, controversially, when he was elected to the European Parliament as a member of the National Front and the oldest member of the assembly. In his maiden speech, in July 1989, he caused a scandal by expressing his "concerns about the American cultural threat", provoking a walkout by the majority of the deputies.

In an interview granted to the monthly magazine Globe in September 1989, he accused ex-President of the European Parliament and Holocaust survivor Simone Veil of playing "ethnic politics" to try and "infiltrate and dominate", saying that "If they try to speak to me about genocide, I say they missed mother Veil!" He also described Nazi gas chambers as a "string of lies". The resulting scandal led to his resignation as European deputy. Moreover, the members of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, of which he was a vice-president for life, voted to prohibit him from taking his seat thenceforth.

His memoir, The Rage in the Heart, appeared in 1984. He died at Antibes in Alpes-Maritimes in 2000.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Filmography

Directing Credits (46)

Gloria
Gloria Director 1977
Lucien Leuwen
Lucien Leuwen Director 1973
Potatoes
Potatoes Director 1969
Franciscan of Bourges
Franciscan of Bourges Director 1968
The Oldest Profession
The Oldest Profession Director 1967
A Woman in White Revolts
A Woman in White Revolts Director 1966
A Woman in White
A Woman in White Director 1965
Black Humor
Black Humor Director 1965
Josefa's Loot
Josefa's Loot Director 1963
Enough Rope
Enough Rope Director 1963
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo Director 1961
Thou Shalt Not Kill
Thou Shalt Not Kill Director 1961
Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love!
Long Live Henry IV... Long Live Love! Director 1961
Lovers Woods
Lovers Woods Director 1960
The Regattas of San Francisco
The Regattas of San Francisco Director 1960
The Green Mare
The Green Mare Director 1959
The Gambler
The Gambler Director 1958
Love Is My Profession
Love Is My Profession Director 1958
La Traversée de Paris
La Traversée de Paris Director 1956
Marguerite of the Night
Marguerite of the Night Director 1955
Le Rouge et le Noir
Le Rouge et le Noir Director 1954
The Game of Love
The Game of Love Director 1954
Good Lord Without Confession
Good Lord Without Confession Director 1953
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins Director 1952
The Red Inn
The Red Inn Director 1951
Keep an Eye on Amelia
Keep an Eye on Amelia Director 1949
Devil in the Flesh
Devil in the Flesh Director 1947
Sylvia and the Ghost
Sylvia and the Ghost Director 1946
Douce
Douce Director 1943
Love Letters
Love Letters Director 1942
The Marriage of Chiffon
The Marriage of Chiffon Director 1942
The Mysterious Mr. Davis
The Mysterious Mr. Davis Director 1939
Fric-Frac
Fric-Frac Director 1939
The Stream
The Stream Assistant Director 1938
Courier of Lyons
Courier of Lyons Director 1937
Ciboulette
Ciboulette Director 1933
Plumber in love
Plumber in love Director 1932
The incomplete athlete
The incomplete athlete Director 1932
Buster se marie
Buster se marie Director 1931
Boul se met au vert
Boul se met au vert Director 1929
Little Devil May Care
Little Devil May Care Assistant Director 1928
To Build a Fire
To Build a Fire Director 1928
The Imaginary Voyage
The Imaginary Voyage Assistant Director 1926
Vittel
Vittel Director 1926
The Crazy Ray
The Crazy Ray Assistant Director 1925
News Item
News Item Director 1923

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