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Photo of Yves Montand

Yves Montand

Actor, Producer, Additional Credits
Born October 13, 1921Died November 9, 1991 (70 years)
Ivo Livi (13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), better known as Yves Montand, was an Italian-born French actor and singer. He is said to be one of France's greatest 20th-century artists.

Montand was born Ivo Livi in Stignano, a small village in the hills of Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer. Montand's mother Giuseppina Simoni was a devout Catholic. The family left Italy for France in 1923 following fascist Benito Mussolini's rise to power. He grew up in Marseille, where, as a young man, he worked in his sister's beauty salon (Salon de Coiffure), as well as later on the docks. He began a career in show business as a music-hall singer. In 1944, he was discovered by Édith Piaf in Paris; she made him part of her act.

Montand achieved international recognition as a singer and actor, starring in many films. He is recognised for crooner style songs, with those about Paris becoming instant classics. He was one of the best known performers at Bruno Coquatrix's Paris Olympia music hall, and toured with musicians including Didi Duprat. In October 1947, he sang "Mais qu'est-ce que j'ai?" (music by Henri Betti and lyrics by Édith Piaf) at the Théâtre de l'Étoile. Betti also asked him to sing "C'est si bon" but Montand refused. Following the success of the recording of this song by the Sœurs Étienne in 1948, he decided to record it. Montand was also very popular in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, where he did a concert tour in 1956-57.

During his career, Montand acted in American motion pictures as well as on Broadway. He was nominated for a César Award for Best Actor in 1980 for I comme Icare and again in 1984 for Garçon! In 1986, after his international box-office draw power had fallen off considerably, the 65-year-old Montand gave one of his best remembered performances, as the scheming uncle in Jean de Florette, co-starring Gérard Depardieu, and Manon des Sources (both 1986), co-starring Emmanuelle Béart. The film was a worldwide critical hit and revived Montand's profile in the United States, where he made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.

In 1951, he married Simone Signoret, and they co-starred in several films throughout their careers. The marriage was, by all accounts, fairly harmonious, lasting until her death in 1985, although Montand had a number of well-publicised affairs, notably with American actress Marilyn Monroe, with whom he starred in one of her final films, Let's Make Love. He was the stepfather to Signoret's daughter from her previous marriage, Catherine Allégret.

Montand's only child, a son named Valentin, by his second wife, Carole Amiel (b. 1960), was born in 1988. In a paternity suit that caused commotion across France, another woman accused Montand of being the father of her daughter and went to court to obtain a DNA sample from him. Montand refused, but the woman persisted even after his death. In a court ruling that made international headlines, the woman won the right to have Montand exhumed and a sample taken. The results indicated that he was not the girl's biological father.

He supported left-wing causes during the 1950s and 1960s, and attended Communist festivals and meetings. ...

Source: Article "Yves Montand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • Hollywood Heaven: Tragic Lives, Tragic Deaths

Known For

  • Z
  • Jean de Florette
  • Manon of the Spring
  • Le cercle rouge
  • State of Siege
  • The Confession
  • I... For Icarus
  • Let's Make Love
  • Delusions of Grandeur
  • All's Well
  • Vincent, François, Paul and the Others
  • The War Is Over
  • The Sleeping Car Murder
  • On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
  • Le Sauvage
  • Police Python 357
  • Choice of Arms
  • The Devil by the Tail
  • Womanlight
  • All Fired Up
  • La Menace
  • Le joli mai
  • Waiter!
  • One Night... a Train

Filmography

2017
2007
2003
1992
Ca détourne · as Cast
1992
1991
Netchaïev est de retour · as Pierre Marroux
1990
1986
Manon of the Spring · as César Soubeyran, Aka "le Papet"
1986
Jean de Florette · as César Soubeyran, Aka 'le Papet'
1983
Waiter! · as Alex, Head Waiter
1983
1982
All Fired Up · as Victor Valance
1981
Choice of Arms · as Noel Durieux
1979
I... For Icarus · as Henri Volney
1979
Womanlight · as Michel Follin
1978
Roads to the South · as Jean Larrea
1977
A Grin Without A Cat · as Narrator (voice)
1977
La Menace · as Henri Savin
1976
The Big Operator · as Morland
1976
Police Python 357 · as Inspecteur Marc Ferrot
1976
1975
Le Sauvage · as Martin
1975
Special Section · as Un Milicien
1974
Vincent, François, Paul and the Others · as Vincent, Entrepreneur
1974
Vive la France · as Cast
1974
Chance and Violence · as Laurent Bermann
1973
The Son · as Ange Orahona
1972
State of Siege · as Philip Michael Santore
1972
Cesar & Rosalie · as César
1972
All's Well · as Him, Jacques
1971
Delusions of Grandeur · as Blaze, Don Sallust's Valet
1970
Le cercle rouge · as Jansen
1970
Kelly's Heroes · as German Sturmbannführer
1970
1970
The Confession · as Gérard (a.l. / Artur London)
1969
Z · as The Deputy, A Doctor
1969
The Devil by the Tail · as Le Baron César Maricorne
1968
Mr. Freedom · as Capt. Formidable (uncredited)
1968
One Night... a Train · as Mathias
1967
Live for Life · as Robert Colomb
1966
Grand Prix · as Jean-Pierre Sarti
1966
Is Paris Burning? · as Sgt. Marcel Bizien
1966
The War Is Over · as Diego Mora / Carlos / Domingo
1965
The Sleeping Car Murder · as L'inspecteur Grazzi
1963
Le joli mai · as Narrator (french Version) (voice)
1962
My Geisha · as Paul Robaix
1961
Goodbye Again · as Roger Demarest
1961
Sanctuary · as Candy Man
1960
Let's Make Love · as Jean-Marc Clement / Alexander Dumas
1959
The Law · as Matteo Brigante
1958
Premier mai · as Jean Meunier
1957
La grande strada azzurra · as Giovanni Squarciò
1957
The Crucible · as John Proctor
1957
Men and Wolves · as Ricuccio
1957
Django Reinhardt · as Narrator (voice)
1955
Marguerite de la nuit · as M. Léon
1955
Heroes and Sinners · as Michel Rivière
1955
Napoleon · as Lefebvre
1954
1953
The Wages of Fear · as Mario Livi
1951
The Red Inn · as Singing Commentator (voice)
1950
Lost Souvenirs · as Raoul, Street Singer (segment "le Violon")
1948
The Idol · as Fontana
1946
Gates of the Night · as Jean Diego
1946
Star Without Light · as Pierre

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