Henri-Georges Clouzot

Henri-Georges Clouzot (French: [ɑ̃ʁi ʒɔʁʒ kluzo]; 20 November 1907 – 12 January 1977) was a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best remembered for his work in the thriller film genre, having directed The Wages of Fear (1953) and Les Diaboliques (1955), which are critically recognized as among the greatest films of the 1950s. He also directed documentary films, including The Mystery of Picasso (1956), which was declared a national treasure by the government of France.

Clouzot was an early fan of the cinema and, desiring a career as a writer, moved to Paris. He was later hired by producer Adolphe Osso to work in Berlin, writing French-language versions of German films. After being fired from UFA studio in Nazi Germany due to his friendship with Jewish producers, Clouzot returned to France, where he spent years bedridden after contracting tuberculosis. Upon recovering, he found work in Nazi-occupied France as a screenwriter for the German-owned company Continental Films. At Continental, Clouzot wrote and directed films that were very popular. His second film Le Corbeau drew controversy over its harsh look at provincial France, and he was fired from Continental before its release. As a result of his association with Continental, he was barred by the French government from filmmaking until 1947.

After the ban was lifted, Clouzot reestablished his reputation and popularity in France during the late 1940s with successful films including Quai des Orfèvres. After the release of his comedy film Miquette, Clouzot married Véra Gibson-Amado, who would star in his next three feature films. In the early and mid-1950s, Clouzot drew acclaim from international critics and audiences for The Wages of Fear and Les Diaboliques; both films would serve as source material for remakes decades later. After the release of La Vérité, his wife Véra died of a heart attack, and Clouzot's career suffered due to depression, illness and new critical views of films from the French New Wave.

Clouzot is one of three filmmakers whose films have won the Golden Bear at Berlin, the Golden Lion at Venice, and the Palme d'Or at Cannes (the other two being Robert Altman and Michelangelo Antonioni). Clouzot's career became less active in later years, limited to a few television documentaries and two feature films in the 1960s. He wrote several unused scripts in the 1970s and died in Paris in 1977.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 20, 1907 (Niort), Died January 12, 1977 (17th arrondissement of Paris)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1933 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia (U.K.) CL4569 10-in. 12/6/1933 Ninon... quand tu me souris Eugène Bigot ; Georges Thill Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL4770 10-in. 3/13/1934 Le jeu de massacre Valdo Garman ; Marianne Oswald Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL4909 10-in. 6/6/1934 Ils étaient trois Gilles and Julien Male vocal duet, with piano lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL4910 10-in. 6/6/1934 Le jeu de massacre Gilles and Julien Male vocal duet, with piano lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Clouzot, Henri-Georges," accessed April 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/362814.

Clouzot, Henri-Georges. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/362814.

"Clouzot, Henri-Georges." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/362814

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