Patrick Topaloff

Born: 1944-12-30

Patrick Topaloff (30 December 1944 – 7 March 2010) was a French comedian, singer, and actor. The son of a Georgian father and a Corsican mother which, according to him, made him "a delicate Franco-Russian dessert", Topaloff began his career on Europe 1, where his comic antics drew a wide audience, especially among children who delighted in his many silly catch phrases. Popular singer Claude François encouraged him to try his hand at singing, and his recording of "Il Vaut Bien Mieux Etre Jeune, Riche et Beau" ("It's Much Better to Be Young, Rich, and Beautiful") became a major hit and the first of several gold records. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, writer/director Philippe Clair cast Topaloff in a number of slapstick comedy films similar to the Carry On series in the UK or those made by Jerry Lewis in the US after splitting with Dean Martin. His last feature film was Drôles de Zèbres for writer/director Guy Lux in 1977. In his later years, problems in Topaloff's private life overshadowed his professional successes. Deeply in debt, he frequently worked without billing in an effort to avoid liens being placed on his salary. In 1995, he was sentenced to a year in prison for non-payment of alimony and taxes. Paroled after four months, he undertook a new and successful stage career. He died, aged 65, from a heart attack. His autobiography, Les Pleurs du Rire (Tears of Laughter), was a major bestseller. Source: Article "Patrick Topaloff" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.


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La TV des 70's : Quand Giscard était président

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2022-01-07

In May 1974, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing became President of the Republic and wanted to bring about...

Movie page

Erotissimo

as le 2e speaker à RT2
Released: 1969-06-07

Annie is a middle-age wife, still sexy and pampered by her husband, Phillippe, who is the owner...

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Drôles de zèbres

as Anatole Fridum
Released: 1977-03-22

Two unemployed men, heavily in debt due to losses at the racetrack, are hired by a criminal...

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Bedmania

as Monsieur Loyal
Released: 1974-04-02

A large bed recounts stories from its brief existence. Clumsy burglars, adulterated husbands and...

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The Fuhrer Runs Amok

as Toto
Released: 1974-04-12

France and Germany are at war. Adolf Hitler challenges the Allies to seal the fate of the war by...

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The Ponies

as Le présentateur Poney-Shop
Released: 1967-06-12

The rise and fall of a journalist, named Max Torp, who runs a youth magazine, a private club, a...

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Par ici la monnaie

as Wolfgang Amadeus Bozard
Released: 1974-04-03

All the inhabitants of an old house are swindlers, dreaming only of the big score that will...

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La brigade en folie

as Toto
Released: 1973-02-07

A police brigade and a financial brigade are sent to Switzerland to dismantle a banking sector.

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Champs-Elysées

as Self
First aired: 1982-01-16

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Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

as Self
First aired: 1975-01-12

A talk show presented by Michel Drucker

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Midi Première

as Self
First aired: 1975-01-06

Midi Première is a French variety show presented by Danièle Gilbert, directed by Jacques Pierre...

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Les Jeux de 20 heures

as Self
First aired: 1976-03-22

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Cadet Rousselle

as Self
First aired: 1971-11-04

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