Paul Bonifas
Acting • Born 1902-06-03 – Died 1975-11-09
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.
Filmography
80 credits
The Train
Movie • 1964
Spinet
Charade
Movie • 1963
Mr. Felix
The Last Train
Movie • 1973
Le voisin
Greed in the Sun
Movie • 1964
Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
Cold Sweat
Movie • 1970
The doctor
The Truth
Movie • 1960
Un greffier
The Green Glove
Movie • 1952
Inspector
Aventure Malgache
Movie • 1944
Michel
Love in the Afternoon
Movie • 1957
Police Chief (uncredited)
Maxim's Porter
Movie • 1939
La parole est au témoin
Movie • 1963
Their Last Night
Movie • 1953
le commissaire principal
The Common Man
Movie • 1975
Le Maire
An Artistic Couple
Movie • 1970
Henri Faroy
The Five Cents of Lavarede
Movie • 1939
Sailor
Duel à Dakar
Movie • 1951
The Commander
The Truth About Bebe Donge
Movie • 1952
Traveler (uncredited)
Piédalu fait des miracles
Movie • 1952
Clara de Montargis
Movie • 1951
Ils sont dans les vignes...
Movie • 1952
American
Amazing Monsieur Fabre
Movie • 1951
Le ministre Victor Duruy
Holiday for Henrietta
Movie • 1952
The Newsagent (uncredited)
Lettre ouverte
Movie • 1953
Honoré, the father-in-law
Le naïf amoureux
Movie • 1965
'Tonton Louis'
Le Père Amable
Movie • 1975
Vatinol
Les Célibataires
Movie • 1962
Chandelier
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Movie • 1956
Master Lecornu
Secret World
Movie • 1969
Gustave / servant
The Man from Morocco
Movie • 1945
French Mayor
Fanny
Movie • 1961
The Postman
Lucky Jo
Movie • 1964
Légiste (uncredited)
Two Fathers
Movie • 1944
The Frenchman
The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
Movie • 1974
le père de François Perrin
A Woman Like Satan
Movie • 1958
Innkeeper
Love and the Frenchwoman
Movie • 1960
Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
Mademoiselle and Her Gang
Movie • 1957
Marcel, owner of the hotel
Les Misérables
Movie • 1958
Hospital doctor
The Gigolo
Movie • 1960
(uncredited)
Dans la vie tout s'arrange
Movie • 1952
Monsieur Bleubois
Love Me Strangely
Movie • 1971
Hotel porter
Sinners of Paris
Movie • 1958
L'inspecteur Renaud
Keep Talking, Baby
Movie • 1961
The Sleeping Sentinel
Movie • 1966
Lanier
The Trip to Biarritz
Movie • 1963
Bourrély
La séparation
Movie • 1968
Prêtre
A Legitimate Defense
Movie • 1958
le président de la cour
Pardon My French
Movie • 1951
Monsieur Bleubois
The Enemy General
Movie • 1960
Mayor
The Depths
Movie • 1963
Mons. Lapeyre
Sundays and Cybele
Movie • 1962
Grocer
Lisbon Story
Movie • 1946
Stephan Corelle
Goodbye Again
Movie • 1961
Cellarman
Blood on His Sword
Movie • 1961
Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
Champagne Charlie
Movie • 1944
Targetino
The Foreman Went to France
Movie • 1942
Prefect of Rouville
The Horse
Movie • 1970
Witness to car accident
Bedelia
Movie • 1946
Insurance Manager
The Christmas Tree
Movie • 1969
(uncredited)
Johnny Frenchman
Movie • 1945
Jerome
English Without Tears
Movie • 1944
Monsieur Rolland
Juliette, or Key of Dreams
Movie • 1951
Captain of the cargo ship
The Terror with Women
Movie • 1956
Dead of Night
Movie • 1945
French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
Jeff Gordon, Secret Agent
Movie • 1964
Le notaire
Frou-Frou
Movie • 1955
Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
Antigone
Movie • 1974
le choeur
Triple Cross
Movie • 1966
Charlie
Candlelight in Algeria
Movie • 1944
French Proprietor
The Case of Dr. Laurent
Movie • 1957
Guillaumin
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
Movie • 1966
Rosebud
Movie • 1975
Crime and Punishment
Movie • 1935
La Duchesse d'Avila
TV • 1973
L'aubergiste
Sherlock Holmes
TV • 1954
Prof. von Gaulkins
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
TV • 1951
Les Dossiers de l'Agence O
TV • 1968
Le vieux Vick
At Theatre Tonight
TV • 1966
Félix Ducotel
Illusions perdues
TV • 1966
Camusot
Bayard
TV • 1964
Aymon Terrail
Maurin des Maures
TV • 1970
Pons