Paul Grimault

Born: 1905-03-23

Paul Grimault (23 March 1905 – 29 March 1994) was one of the most important French animators. He made many traditionally animated films that were delicate in style, satirical, and lyrical in nature. His most important work is Le Roi et l'oiseau, which ultimately took over 30 years to produce. He began it as La Bergère et le Ramoneur (The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep) in 1948 and it was highly anticipated, but Grimault's partner André Sarrut showed the film unfinished in 1952, against Grimault's wishes. This caused a rift between partners and a stop in production. In 1967, Grimault got possession of the film and subsequently was able to complete it in 1980 under a new title, Le Roi et l'oiseau, incorporating some footage from the original and re-hiring the original animators, together with some new, younger ones. There are many names for it in English that have been used in various releases, including: The King and the Bird (literal), The King and the Mockingbird, The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird and The King and Mr. Bird (1980). He also collected his best shorts in a retrospective compilation movie, La table tournante (1988), which is included in the deluxe edition of Le Roi et l'oiseau. In 1936 Grimault founded, with André Sarrut, Les Gémeaux, which was the second significant French animation venture, following the work of Émile Cohl, which had closed years earlier. During World War II, Americans films being unavailable, its films found a captive audience. The studio produced a number of shorts, then closed its doors in 1952 following the expense of making La Bergère et le Ramoneur, which was the first feature-length French animated movie. Grimault was part of the agitprop group Groupe Octobre. At this group he met Jacques Prévert, with whom he went on to collaborate on several animated films, most notably Le roi et l'oiseau. Source: Article "Paul Grimault" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.


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L'Atalante

as Le chaland qui passe (uncredited)
Released: 1934-04-24

Capricious small-town girl Juliette and barge captain Jean marry after a whirlwind courtship,...

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Coup de Torchon

as Le condamné à mort (dans le film publicitaire "Galeries Barbès")
Released: 1981-11-04

A pathetic police chief, humiliated by everyone around him, suddenly wants a clean slate in...

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The Lower Depths

as Uncredited
Released: 1936-12-11

Inhabitants of a flophouse struggle to survive under the harsh treatment imposed by the...

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The Crime of Monsieur Lange

as Typesetter (uncredited)
Released: 1936-01-24

A man and a woman arrive in a cafe-hotel near the Belgian frontier. The customers recognize the...

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The Free Trade Hotel

as uncredited
Released: 1934-11-10

There's never a dull moment at the Hôtel du Libre Echange. Deceptions, hitches and other...

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Turning Table

as Himself, The Jester
Released: 1988-12-21

On a winter night, the author of "The King and the Mockingbird" is visited by the cartoon...

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Le Colisée

as The Barrel Organ Player
Released: 1933-01-01

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Paul Grimault, image par image

as Himself
Released: 2003-11-25

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The Seance is Over

as Himself
Released: 1931-12-31

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Paris mange son pain

as uncredited
Released: 1958-02-19

This short documents the important role played by bread in the daily life of the city of Paris.

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Levitan: That Night

as Henri II
Released: 1932-12-31

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Drôle d'oiseau

as Self
Released: 2003-11-25

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S'il n'en reste qu'un, nous serons ces deux-là

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2013-10-15

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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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