Paul Bonifas
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- June 3, 1902
- Died
- November 9, 1975 (aged 73)
- Birthplace
- Paris, France
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Common Man
Movie · as Le Maire
Le Père Amable
Movie · as Vatinol
Rosebud
Movie
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
Movie · as le père de François Perrin
Antigone
Movie · as le choeur
The Last Train
Movie · as Le voisin
La Duchesse d'Avila
TV · as L'aubergiste · 4 eps
Love Me Strangely
Movie · as Hotel porter
Cold Sweat
Movie · as The doctor
An Artistic Couple
Movie · as Henri Faroy
The Horse
Movie · as Witness to Car Accident
Maurin des Maures
TV · as Pons · 26 eps
Secret World
Movie · as Gustave / servant
The Christmas Tree
Movie · as (uncredited)
La Séparation
Movie · as Prêtre
Les Dossiers de l'Agence O
TV · as Le vieux Vick · 1 ep
The Sleeping Sentinel
Movie · as Lanier
Triple Cross
Movie · as Charlie
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
Movie
At Theatre Tonight
TV · as Félix Ducotel · 1 ep
Illusions perdues
TV · as Camusot · 4 eps
Le Naïf amoureux
Movie · as 'Tonton Louis'
The Train
Movie · as Spinet
Greed in the Sun
Movie · as Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
Lucky Jo
Movie · as Légiste (uncredited)
Bayard
TV · as Aymon Terrail · 13 eps
Charade
Movie · as Mr. Felix
La parole est au témoin
Movie
The Trip to Biarritz
Movie · as Bourrély
The Depths
Movie · as Mons. Lapeyre
Jeff Gordon, Secret Agent
Movie · as Le notaire
Les Célibataires
Movie · as Chandelier
Sundays and Cybele
Movie · as Grocer
Fanny
Movie · as The Postman
Keep Talking, Baby
Movie
Goodbye Again
Movie · as Cellarman
Blood on His Sword
Movie · as Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
The Truth
Movie · as Un greffier
Love and the Frenchwoman
Movie · as Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
The Gigolo
Movie · as (uncredited)
The Enemy General
Movie · as Mayor
A Woman Like Satan
Movie · as Innkeeper
Les Misérables
Movie · as Hospital doctor
Sinners of Paris
Movie · as L'inspecteur Renaud
A Legitimate Defense
Movie · as le président de la cour
Love in the Afternoon
Movie · as Police Chief (uncredited)
Mademoiselle and Her Gang
Movie · as Marcel, owner of the hotel
The Case of Dr. Laurent
Movie · as Guillaumin
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Movie · as Master Lecornu
The Terror with Women
Movie
Frou-Frou
Movie · as Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
Sherlock Holmes
TV · as Prof. von Gaulkins · 1 ep
Their Last Night
Movie · as le commissaire principal
Lettre ouverte
Movie · as Honoré, the father-in-law
The Green Glove
Movie · as Inspector
The Truth About Bebe Donge
Movie · as Traveler (uncredited)
Piédalu fait des miracles
Movie
Ils sont dans les vignes...
Movie · as American
Holiday for Henrietta
Movie · as The Newsagent (uncredited)
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
Movie · as Monsieur Bleubois
Duel à Dakar
Movie · as The Commander
Clara de Montargis
Movie
Amazing Monsieur Fabre
Movie · as Le ministre Victor Duruy
Pardon My French
Movie · as Monsieur Bleubois
Juliette, or Key of Dreams
Movie · as Captain of the cargo ship
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV · 1 ep
Lisbon Story
Movie · as Stephan Corelle
Bedelia
Movie · as Insurance Manager
The Man from Morocco
Movie · as French Mayor
Johnny Frenchman
Movie · as Jerome
Dead of Night
Movie · as French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
Aventure Malgache
Movie · as Michel
Two Fathers
Movie · as The Frenchman
Champagne Charlie
Movie · as Targetino
English Without Tears
Movie · as Monsieur Rolland
Candlelight in Algeria
Movie · as French Proprietor
The Foreman Went to France
Movie · as Prefect of Rouville
Maxim's Porter
Movie
The Five Cents of Lavarede
Movie · as Sailor
Crime and Punishment
Movie