Paul Bonifas

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

Spinet

The Train

Mr. Felix

Charade

Le voisin

Le Train

Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon

Cent Mille Dollars au soleil

The doctor

Cold Sweat

Un greffier

La Vérité

Inspector

The Green Glove

Michel

Aventure Malgache

Police Chief (uncredited)

Love in the Afternoon

Le Chasseur de chez Maxim's

La parole est au témoin

le commissaire principal

Leur dernière nuit

Le Maire

Dupont Lajoie

Henri Faroy

Un couple d'artistes

Sailor

Les Cinq Sous de Lavarède

The Commander

Duel à Dakar

Traveler (uncredited)

La Vérité sur Bébé Donge

Piédalu fait des miracles

Clara de Montargis

American

Ils sont dans les vignes...

Le ministre Victor Duruy

Monsieur Fabre

The Newsagent (uncredited)

La Fête à Henriette

Honoré, the father-in-law

Lettre ouverte

'Tonton Louis'

Le naïf amoureux

Vatinol

Le père Amable

Chandelier

Les Célibataires

Master Lecornu

Notre-Dame de Paris

Gustave / servant

La Promesse

French Mayor

The Man from Morocco

The Postman

Fanny

Légiste (uncredited)

Lucky Jo

The Frenchman

Two Fathers

le père de François Perrin

Le Retour du Grand Blond

Innkeeper

La Femme et le Pantin

Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")

La Française et l'Amour

Marcel, owner of the hotel

Mademoiselle et son gang

Hospital doctor

Les Misérables

(uncredited)

Le Gigolo

Monsieur Bleubois

Dans la vie tout s'arrange

Hotel porter

Un beau monstre

L'inspecteur Renaud

Rafles sur la ville

Cause toujours, mon lapin

Lanier

La Sentinelle endormie

Bourrély

Le Voyage à Biarritz

Prêtre

La séparation

le président de la cour

En légitime défense

Monsieur Bleubois

Pardon My French

Mayor

The Enemy General

Mons. Lapeyre

Les abysses

Grocer

Cybèle ou les dimanches de ville d'Avray

Stephan Corelle

Lisbon Story

Cellarman

Goodbye Again

Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI

Le Miracle des loups

Targetino

Champagne Charlie

Prefect of Rouville

The Foreman Went to France

Witness to car accident

La Horse

Insurance Manager

Bedelia

(uncredited)

L'Arbre de Noël

Jerome

Johnny Frenchman

Monsieur Rolland

English Without Tears

Captain of the cargo ship

Juliette ou La Clef des Songes

La terreur des dames

French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)

Dead of Night

Le notaire

Des frissons partout

Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)

Frou-Frou

le choeur

Antigone

Charlie

Triple Cross

French Proprietor

Candlelight in Algeria

Guillaumin

Le Cas du docteur Laurent

Qui êtes-vous, Polly Maggoo ?

Rosebud