Michel Galabru died – Le Figaro

DISAPPEARANCE – The comedian, who celebrated 93 years on October 27, died in his sleep Monday, January 4th. Neither success nor public recognition could never persuade her immense talent.

He would like to die on stage. Michel Galabru died at dawn on Monday in a hospital in the Paris region. He was 93 years old. He was very affected by the death of his brother physician and his second wife, former judge, who had fought for years against the disease.

In November, Michel Galabru had to cancel were representing two shows. The Dunce when, alone on stage in the theater of Montmartre, he recounted his journey and a Pagnol show, Jofroi , he was to play on tour.

There are two years old, was on tour with Galabru The Woman of the baker, of his favorite author, he had himself staged. The public plébiscitait comedian whose eloquence and earthiness seyaient so the magnificent cuckold. Galabru had also lent his wit Jules Raimu alongside Philippe Caubère by Marcel Pagnol. “We’re the entertainment, we never know where it will fall,” he philosophized. His motto was “going!”.

Born October 27, 1922, in Safi in Morocco, a civil engineer father and pavements and a housewife, the young Michel is in school in a religious boarding school in Montpellier, but dreams of becoming a professional footballer. At 15, the last in his class, he became, thanks to a passionate theater aunt, another fan dunce: Sacha Guitry. This is his admiration for the playwright who lead on stage in Paris. The teenager dresses like his idol, wearing copper rings, walks with a cane, dream finally to be “author and actor.”

Michel Galabru was quite proud to recall that he had won a first prize at the Conservatoire and had to Professor Louis Jouvet. He also imitated perfectly: “Bizarre, you say weird …” he repeated, grinning. And more seriously “. He spoke highly of me” In 1950, at age 26, Galabru between the French Comedie. It begins by interpreting George Dandin by Molière. His performance was greeted by Pierre Brisson, director of Le Figaro. A tireless worker, Galabru spend seven years in the House of Molière, which he left in 1957. Without regrets. Suzanne Flon integrates it into his band to play The Taming of the Shrew, with Pierre Brasseur and Jean-Paul Belmondo.

In the following years, the actor, who is still regarded primarily as “a man of theater “, is illustrated on television – especially in the costume of Nestor Burma, in big drama, and film. “I prefer the cinema because it brings in more money, the theater is okay, but not great,” he said willingly. It is thus distinguished in War of the Buttons and especially in holding Gerber, memorable Gendarme de Saint-Tropez, Jean Girault, Jean Lefebvre and Louis de Funes (1964), the first installment of a series that marks the annals the 7th art. “At the time, we said we were clowns, today we offer DVDs Gendarmes children!”, He had found.

Michel Galabru often regretted that the public considers the still like the character Gerber, he also mingled with that of Cruchot (that of Louis de Funès). “I will be eternally nerdy gendarmes of Saint-Tropez, he lamented. Nothing is ever … I’m not Belmondo or Funès; I was the Poulidor theater … “

Yet this gruff deeply generous, gourmet and delicious, would love to be a” playwright “and even set up a school to train young shoots in all fields (theater, music, painting …). Proud, he preferred to wait until the phone rings rather than going out to meet the roles. If he often spoke of the many “turnips” he turned, he also explained that he spent more than it earned and that he was “good laugh” on the plates. To continue receiving the hallmarks of Gendarmes, he refuses Navel, the play by Jean Anouilh, however he creates Goldfish. “One is never sure to end the month,” he launched, cheerful

Michel Galabru wait twenty-five years for a character to his measure on the big screen. The murderer in The Judge and Assassin, Bertrand Tavernier (1976). A first role for Jacques Dufilho and which earned him the César for best actor. François Truffaut was right “. This boy, when you give him a starring role, he will make a misfortune”

Michel Galabru then followed that with a small part in Special Section of Costa-Gavras (1975). And later, One Deadly Summer, by Jean Becker (1983). On television, it is remarkable in The Missing Saint-Agil, where he succeeds Michel Simon (1991). But the comic natural and cast their spots. Michel Galabru combines new comedies: The Under-gifted, of Claude Zidi (1980), Papy fait de la résistance, of Jean-Marie Poiré (1983), La Cage aux Folles, with Michel Serrault (1978 and 1985). Impossible to name them all!

At the theater, he rocks the house with Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme from Molière (1994) and already Woman baker. In 2004, he played with his daughter Emmanuelle and her son John, his favorite room, The Rustres, Carlo Goldoni, under the rule of Francis Joffo. A comedy he had created in a staging Roger Mollien Jean Vilar and in the courtyard of the Papal Palace at Avignon Festival in 1961.

In 2008, at 85, “at an age when I could not hope for anything,” confided the former French boarder, Michel Galabru is crowned by Molière for Best Actor for Socks, opus 124, Daniel Colas. The same year, Dany Boon thinks of him to Welcome to the Sticks and Laurent Tirard’s Le Petit Nicolas committed to. Gérard Desarthe compared it to Harry Baur, Raimu and Carette. Modest, the applicant felt that it was not of their caliber.