Editing Fernandel

{{short description|French actor (1903-1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{Expand French|topic=bio|Fernandel|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name         = Fernandel
| image        = Fernandel-Toulouse-1970.png
| imagesize    = 
| caption      = Fernandel in 1970
| birth_name   = Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1903|5|8|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Marseille]], France
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1971|2|26|1903|5|8|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Paris]], France
| occupation   = Actor, director, singer, comedian
| years_active = 1908–1970
| spouse       = {{marriage|Henriette-Félicie Manse|1925}}
}}

'''Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin''' (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971),<ref name=dmyb>{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=kDUyAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Contandin%22 |title=Daily Mail Year Book |date=1963 |publisher=Associated Newspapers Groups, Limited |page=84 |language=en}}</ref> better known as '''Fernandel''', was a French comic actor. Born in [[Marseille]], France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in [[Perosa Argentina]], a town located in the [[province of Turin]], Italy,<ref>{{cite web |language=it|title=Le borgate|url= http://www.comune.perosaargentina.to.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=88:le-borgate&catid=45:territorio&Itemid=90 |date= 28 December 2009|website= comune.perosaargentina.to.it/|publisher= Comune di Perosa Argentina|access-date= 11 June 2015 }}</ref> he became a comedy star, first gaining popularity in French [[vaudeville]], [[operetta]]s, and [[music-hall]] revues. His [[stage name]] originated from his marriage to Henriette Manse, the sister of his best friend and frequent cinematic collaborator [[Jean Manse]]. So attentive was he to his wife that his mother-in-law amusingly referred to him as ''Fernand d'elle'' ("Fernand of her").<ref>[http://frenchfilmguide.com/biogs/FFG_Fernandel_bio.html Fernandel 1903&ndash;1971 (biography)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103001602/http://frenchfilmguide.com/biogs/FFG_Fernandel_bio.html |date=3 November 2014 }}. French Film Guide.</ref>{{failed verification|date=July 2023}}<ref>{{cite book|author1=Dayna Oscherwitz|author2=MaryEllen Higgins|title= The A to Z of French Cinema|url= https://archive.org/details/atozoffrenchcine0000osch|url-access= registration|date= 2009|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=978-0-8108-7038-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/atozoffrenchcine0000osch/page/162 162]–}} {{dead link|date=July 2023}}</ref>

==Biography==
[[File:Laleggeèlegge.JPG|upright=1.2|thumb|right|Fernandel (left) and [[Totò]] in ''[[The Law Is the Law]]'' (1958)]]

Appearing as Fernandel since 1922,<ref name=dmyb/> in 1930, Fernandel appeared in his first<ref name=dmyb/> [[motion picture]] and for more than forty years he would be one of France's top comic actors. He was perhaps best loved for his portrayal of the irascible Italian village priest at war with the town's Communist mayor in the ''[[Don Camillo]]''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Palacio |first=Manuel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VsT7AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA72 |title=Transnational Cinema in Europe |last2=Türschmann |first2=Jörg |date=2013 |publisher=LIT Verlag Münster |page=72 |isbn=978-3-643-90478-2 |language=en}}</ref> series of motion pictures. His horse-like teeth became part of his trademark.

He also appeared in Italian and American films. His first [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] motion picture was 1956's ''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 movie)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' in which he played [[David Niven]]'s coachman. His popular performance in that film led to his starring with [[Bob Hope]] and [[Anita Ekberg]] in the 1958 comedy ''[[Paris Holiday (1958 film)|Paris Holiday]]''.

In addition to acting, Fernandel also directed or co-produced several of his own films. His profile was raised in Britain by the 60s TV advertisements for [[Dubonnet]] in which he would say "''Do 'Ave A Dubonnet''"

Fernandel died from [[lung cancer]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fernandel Death - Vanderbilt University 
|url=https://catalog.library.vanderbilt.edu/discovery/fulldisplay/alma991043357599903276/01VAN_INST:vanui |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=catalog.library.vanderbilt.edu |language=en}}</ref> and is buried in the [[Cimetière de Passy]], Paris, France.

== Family ==
He had two daughters, Josette (1926) and Janine (1930), and son Franck (1935). His son, known as [[Franck Fernandel]], became an actor and a singer. Franck acted alongside his father in two films, [[Gilles Grangier]]'s ''[[L'Âge ingrat]]'' and [[Georges Bianchi]]'s ''[[En avant la musique]]''.<ref name="purepeople20110608">{{cite web|url=http://www.purepeople.com/article/deces-de-franck-fernandel-une-vie-dans-l-ombre-gigantesque-de-son-pere_a81385/1|title=Décès de Franck Fernandel : Une vie dans l'ombre gigantesque de son père...|publisher=Purepeople|date=2011-06-08|access-date=2017-03-06|language=fr}}</ref>

==Literature==
In ''[[The Stranger (Camus novel)|The Stranger]]'' by [[Albert Camus]], Meursault and his female friend Marie Cordona watch a movie starring Fernandel on the day after the funeral of Meursault's mother. According to Meursault, "The movie was funny in parts, but otherwise it was just too stupid."<ref>https://bxscience.edu/ourpages/auto/2019/2/28/69275970/The%20Stranger%20-%20Albert%20Camus.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{see also|:fr:Filmographie de Fernandel|l1=:fr:Filmographie de Fernandel (Filmography of Fernandel)}}
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year
! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title
! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role
! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Director
! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1931|1931]]
|''[[Black and White (1931 film)|Black and White]]''
|Le groom vierge
|Marc Allégret and Robert Florey
|
|-
|''[[On purge bébé]]''
|Horace Truchet
|[[Jean Renoir]]
|
|-
|''[[The Darling of Paris (1931 film)|The Darling of Paris]]''
|Ficelle
|[[Augusto Genina]]
|
|-
|''Bric-à-brac et compagnie''
|Fernand
|André E. Chotin
|
|-
|rowspan=10|[[French films of 1932|1932]]
|''[[Sailor's Song (film)|Sailor's Song]]''
|
|Carmine Gallone
|
|-
| ''[[Lilac (film)|Lilac]]''
|Le garçon d'honneur
|Anatole Litvak
|
|-
|''Le rosier de Madame Husson''
|Isidore
|Dominique Bernard-Deschamps
|
|-
|''Vive la classe''
|Moussin
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''[[No Women]]''
|Casimir
|Mario Bonnard
|
|-
|''[[Fun in the Barracks]]''
|Vanderague
|[[Maurice Tourneur]]
|
|-
|''[[Man Without a Name (1932 film)|Man Without a Name]]''
|Julot
|Roger Le Bon and Gustav Ucicky
|
|-
|''Un beau jour de noces''
|Gustave Dupied
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''Par habitude''
|Valentin Bourgeasse
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''L'Ordonnance malgré lui''
|Alfred Leveneux
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|rowspan=6|[[French films of 1933|1933]]
|''Le jugement de minuit''
|Sam Hackitt
|Alexander Esway and André Charlot
|
|-
|''[[The Orderly (1933 film)|The Orderly]]''
|Étienne
|Viktor Tourjansky
|
|-
|''D'amour et d'eau fraîche''
|Eloi
|Félix Gandéra
|
|-
|''Le coq du régiment''
|Médard
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''Le gros lot''
|
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''Ça colle''
|
|Christian-Jaque
|
|-
|rowspan=10|[[French films of 1934|1934]]
|''La garnison amoureuse''
|Frédéric, un cavalier
|Max de Vaucorbeil
|
|-
|''[[The Bread Peddler (1934 film)|The Bread Peddler]]''
|Billenbuis
|René Sti
|
|-
|''Une nuit de folies''
|Fernand
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''Le train de huit heures quarante-sept''
|Croquebol
|Henry Wulschleger
|
|-
|''Les bleus de la marine''
|Lafraise
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''[[Angèle (film)|Angèle]]''
|Saturnin
|[[Marcel Pagnol]]
|
|-
| ''[[Skylark (1934 film)|Skylark]]''
|Méchelet
|Jean Tarride
|
|-
| ''[[Hotel Free Exchange]]'' 
|Boulot
|Marc Allégret
|
|-
|''Le cavalier Lafleur''
|Fernand Lafleur
|Pierre-Jean Ducis
|
|-
| ''[[The Darling of His Concierge (1934 film)|The Darling of His Concierge]]''
|Eugene Crochard
|Giuseppe Guarino
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1935|1935]]
| ''[[Ferdinand the Roisterer]]''
|Ferdinand Piat
|René Sti
|
|-
|''Jim la houlette''
|Moluchet
|André Berthomieu
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1936|1936]]
|''Les gaîtés de la finance''
|Marivol Lambinet
|Jack Forrester
|
|-
|''[[A Legionnaire]]''
|Fernand Espitalion
|Christian-Jacque
|
|-
|rowspan=7|[[French films of 1937|1937]]
|''[[Josette (1937 film)|Josette]]''
|Albert Durandal aka Albertal
|Christian-Jacque
|
|-
| ''[[Francis the First (film)|Francis the First]]''
|Honorin
|Christian-Jacque
|
|-
|''Les dégourdis de la 11ème''
|L'ordonnance Patard
|Christian-Jacque
|
|-
| ''[[Ignace (film)|Ignace]]''
|Le soldat Ignace Boitaclou
|Pierre Colombier
|
|-
|''[[Life Dances On]]''
|Fabien Coutissol
|Julien Duvivier
|
|-
|''[[The Kings of Sport]]''
|Fernand
|Pierre Colombier
|
|-
|''[[Harvest (1937 film)|Harvest]]''
|Urbain Gédémus
|[[Marcel Pagnol]]
|
|-
|rowspan=5|[[French films of 1938|1938]]
|''[[Hercule (film)|Hercule]]''
|Hercule Maffre
|[[Alexander Esway]]
|
|-
|''[[Heartbeat (1938 film)|Heartbeat]]''
|Irénée Fabre, 'le Schpountz'
|Marcel Pagnol
|
|-
|''Barnabé''
|Barnabé
|Alexander Esway
|
|-
|''[[Tricoche and Cacolet]]''
|Tricoche
|Pierre Colombier
|
|-
|''[[Ernest the Rebel]]''
|Ernest Pic
|[[Christian-Jaque]]
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1939|1939]]
|''Raphaël le tatoué''
|Modeste Manosque, alias Raphaël
|Christian-Jaque
|
|-
|''[[The Five Cents of Lavarede (1939 film)|The Five Cents of Lavarede]]''
|Armand Lavarède
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''[[Berlingot and Company]]''
|François Arnaud
|[[Fernand Rivers]]
|
|-
|''[[Fric-Frac]]''
|Marcel
|[[Claude Autant-Lara]] and [[Maurice Lehmann]]
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1940|1940]]
|''[[The Mondesir Heir]]''
|Bienaimé de Mondésir, le baron de Mondésir & ses aïeux
|Albert Valentin
|
|-
|''[[Monsieur Hector]]''
|Hector
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|''[[The Well-Digger's Daughter (1940 film)|La Fille du Puisatier]]''
|Félipe Rambert
|[[Marcel Pagnol]]
|
|-
|''[[The Marvelous Night]]''
|Le berger
|Jean-Paul Paulin
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1941|1941]]
|''[[The Acrobat]]''
|Ernest Sauce
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
| ''[[The Suitors Club]]'' 
|Antoine Valoisir
|Maurice Gleize
|
|-
|''[[The Italian Straw Hat (1941 film)|The Italian Straw Hat]]''
|Fadinard
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1942|1942]]
|''Simplet''
|Simplet
|Fernandel and Carlo Rim
|
|-
|''Les petits riens''
|Astier
|Raymond Leboursier
|
|-
|rowspan=5|[[French films of 1943|1943]]
|''[[The Lucky Star (1943 film)|The Lucky Star]]'' 
|Auguste
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
| ''[[A Dog's Life (1943 film)|A Dog's Life]]'' 
|Gustave Bourdillon
|Maurice Cammage
|
|-
| ''[[Don't Shout It from the Rooftops]]'' 
|Vincent Fleuret
|Jacques Daniel-Norman
|
|-
|''La cavalcade des heures''
|Antonin
|Yvan Noé
|
|-
|''[[Adrien (1943 film)|Adrien]]''
|Adrien Moulinet
|Fernandel
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1945|1945]]
|''[[St. Val's Mystery]]''
|Le détective Désiré, Henri Le Sec
|René Le Hénaff
|
|-
|''[[Nais (film)|Nais]]''
|Toine
|[[Raymond Leboursier]]
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1946|1946]]
|''[[Hoboes in Paradise]]''
|Pons
|[[René Le Hénaff]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Adventure of Cabassou]]''
|Cabassou
|[[Gilles Grangier]]
|
|-
| ''[[Pétrus (film)|Pétrus]]''
|Pétrus
|[[Marc Allégret]]
|
|-
|''[[Rooster Heart]]''
|Tulipe
|[[Maurice Cloche]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1948|1948]]
|''[[Emile the African]]''
|Émile Boulard
|Robert Vernay
|
|-
| ''[[If It Makes You Happy (film)|If It Makes You Happy]]'' 
|Martial Gonfaron
|Jacques Daniel-Norman
|
|-
|''[[The Cupboard Was Bare]]'' 
|Alfred Puc
|Carlo Rim
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1949|1949]]
|''[[The Heroic Monsieur Boniface]]'' 
|Boniface
|Maurice Labro
|
|-
|''On demande un assassin''
|Bob
|Ernst Neubach
|
|-
|rowspan=5|[[French films of 1950|1950]]
|''[[I'm in the Revue]]''
|Philippe - le peintre dévot
|[[Mario Soldati]]
|
|-
|''[[Casimir (film)|Casimir]]''
|Casimir
|Richard Pottier
|
|-
|''Tu m'as sauvé la vie''
|Fortuné Richard
|Sacha Guitry
|
|-
| ''[[Murders (film)|Murders]]'' 
|Noël Annequin
|Richard Pottier
|
|-
|''[[Uniformes et grandes manœuvres]]''
|Luc
|René Le Hénaff
|
|-
|rowspan=5|[[French films of 1951|1951]]
|''[[Topaze (1951 film)|Topaze]]''
|Albert Topaze
|[[Marcel Pagnol]]
|
|-
|''[[The Sleepwalker (1951 film)|The Sleepwalker]]''
|Victor Boniface
|[[Maurice Labro]]
|
|-
|''[[The Red Inn]]''
|The Monk
|[[Claude Autant-Lara]]
|
|-
| ''[[Adhémar (film)|Adhémar]]''
|Adhémar Pomme
|Fernandel
|
|-
|''[[Village Feud]]''
|Urbain Coindet
|Henri Verneuil
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1952|1952]]
|''[[Little World of Don Camillo]]''
|Don Camillo
|Julien Duvivier
|
|-
|''[[An Artist with Ladies]]''
|Marius, dit Mario
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
|''[[Forbidden Fruit (1952 film)|Forbidden Fruit]]''
|Doctor Charles Pellegrin
|[[Henri Verneuil]]
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1953|1953]]
| ''[[The Baker of Valorgue]]'' 
|Félicien Hébrard - le boulanger
|Henri Verneuil
|
|-
| ''[[Carnival (1953 film)|Carnival]]''
|Dardamelle
|Henri Verneuil
|
|-
|''[[The Return of Don Camillo]]''
|Don Camillo
|[[Julien Duvivier]]
|
|-
|''[[The Most Wanted Man]]''
|Joe Calvet
|[[Henri Verneuil]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1954|1954]]
|''[[Mam'zelle Nitouche (1954 film)|Mam'zelle Nitouche]]''
|Célestin Floridor
|[[Yves Allégret]]
|
|-
|''[[The Sheep Has Five Legs]]''
|Alain / Désiré / Étienne / Bernard / Charles / Édouard (their father)
|[[Henri Verneuil]]
|
|-
|''[[Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (1954 film)|Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves]]''
|Ali Baba
|Jacques Becker
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1955|1955]]
|''[[Spring, Autumn and Love]]''
|Fernand 'Noël' Sarrazin
|Gilles Grangier
|
|-
|''[[Don Camillo's Last Round]]''
|Don Camillo
|Carmine Gallone
|
|-
|rowspan=5|[[French films of 1956|1956]]
|''[[Don Juan (1956 film)|Don Juan]]
|Sganarelle
|[[John Berry (film director)|John Berry]]
|
|-
| ''[[Fernandel the Dressmaker]]''
|Fernand Vignard
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
|''[[Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)|Around the World in 80 Days]]'' 
|a coachman in Paris
|[[Michael Anderson (director)|Michael Anderson]]
|[[cameo appearance]]
|-
|''[[The Virtuous Bigamist]]''
|Paul Verdier
|[[Mario Soldati]]
|
|-
|''[[Honoré de Marseille]]''
|Honoré
|[[Maurice Régamey]]
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1957|1957]]
|''[[The Man in the Raincoat]]''
|Albert Constantin
|[[Julien Duvivier]]
|
|-
| ''[[Sénéchal the Magnificent]]'' 
|François, Lucien Sénéchal
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
|''[[Easiest Profession]]''
|Baptistin Lachaud dit Tistin
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1958|1958]]
|''[[Paris Holiday (1958 film)|Paris Holiday]]''
|Fernydel
|[[Gerd Oswald]]
|
|-
|''[[The Law Is the Law]]''
|Ferdinand Pastorelli
|Christian-Jaque
|
|-
| ''[[Life Together (film)|Life Together]]''
|Marcel Gaboufigue (Marguerite's husband)
|[[Clément Duhour]]
|
|-
|''[[The Lord's Vineyard]]'' 
|Henri Lévrier
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1959|1959]]
| ''[[The Big Chief]]''
|Antoine Venturen
|Henri Verneuil
|
|-
|''Le Confident de ces dames''
|Giuliano Goberti
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
|''[[La Vache et le Prisonnier]]''
|Charles Bailly
|[[Henri Verneuil]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1960|1960]]
|''[[Croesus (film)|Croesus]]''
|Jules
|Jean Giono
|
|-
|''Le caïd''
|Justin Migonet
|Bernard Borderie
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1961|1961]]
|''[[Cocagne (film)|Cocagne]]''
|Marc-Antoine
|Maurice Cloche
|
|-
|''[[The Last Judgement (1961 film)|The Last Judgement]]''
|the widower
|[[Vittorio De Sica]]
|
|-
|''[[Don Camillo: Monsignor]]''
|Don Camillo
|Carmine Gallone
|
|-
|''[[Dynamite Jack]]''
| Dynamite Jack / Antoine Espérandieu
|Jean Bastia
|
|-
|rowspan=3|[[French films of 1962|1962]]
|''L'assassin est dans l'annuaire''
|Albert Rimond
|Léo Joannon
|
|-
|''[[Le Diable et les Dix Commandements]]''
|Father Gilbert
|[[Julien Duvivier]]
|
|-
| ''[[The Changing of the Guard (film)|The Changing of the Guard]]''
|Attilio Cappelaro
|Giorgio Bianchi
|
|-
|rowspan=4|[[French films of 1963|1963]]
|''[[The Trip to Biarritz]]''
|Guillaume Dodut
|Gilles Grangier
|
|-
|''Blague dans le coin''
|Jeff Burlington
|Maurice Labro
|
|-
|''Le bon roi Dagobert''
|Monsieur Pelletan / Le roi Dagobert
|Pierre Chevalier
|
|-
|''{{Interlanguage link|La Cuisine au beurre|fr}}''
|Fernand Jouvin
|[[Gilles Grangier]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1964|1964]]
|''[[Relax Darling]]''
|François Faustin
|Jean Boyer
|
|-
| ''[[That Tender Age]]''
|Adolphe Lartigue
|Gilles Grangier
|
|-
|[[French films of 1965|1965]]
|''[[Don Camillo in Moscow]]''
|Don Camillo
|[[Luigi Comencini]]
|
|-
|rowspan=2|[[French films of 1966|1966]]
|''[[Your Money or Your Life (1966 film)|Your Money or Your Life]]''
|Charles Migue
|Jean-Pierre Mocky
|
|-
|''Le voyage du père''
|Quantin
|Denys de La Patellière
|
|-
|[[French films of 1968|1968]]
|''L'Homme à la Buick''
|Armand Favrot
|Gilles Grangier
|
|-
|[[French films of 1969|1969]]
|''Nuit de Terreur''
|Fernando
|Camillo Mastrocinque
|
|-
|[[French films of 1970|1970]]
|''Heureux qui comme Ulysse...''
|Antonin
|Henri Colpi
|
|}

== Selected discography ==
* "[[Félicie aussi]]" (1939)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0272794}}
* [http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4a2i5_fernandel-les-gens-riaient_music Fernandel singing 'Les gens riaient']
* [http://fernandel.online.fr Fernandel by Diggi]

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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:French male comedians]]
[[Category:French comedy musicians]]
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in France]]
[[Category:1903 births]]
[[Category:1971 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Passy Cemetery]]
[[Category:Knights of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:Nastro d'Argento winners]]
[[Category:Male actors from Marseille]]
[[Category:People of Piedmontese descent]]
[[Category:French male stage actors]]
[[Category:French male film actors]]
[[Category:French male television actors]]
[[Category:20th-century French male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century French musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century French comedians]]
[[Category:Comedians from Marseille]]