About
Marcel Achard, born Marcel-Augustin Ferréol, was a French playwright and screenwriter born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon in 1899. After starting as a schoolteacher, he became a prompter at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier and then a journalist for Le Figaro. His play Voulez-vous jouer avec moâ? (1923) brought him recognition. He achieved success with sentimental comedies such as Jean de la Lune (1929), Domino (1932), and Patate (1957). He also wrote for cinema, including Mayerling (1936). Elected to the Académie française in 1959, he presided over the juries of the Cannes and Venice film festivals. He died in Paris in 1974.
* 1899-07-05 — † 1974-09-04
Major works
- Voulez-vous jouer avec moâ? (1923)play
- Jean de la Lune (1929)play
- Domino (1932)play
- Patate (1957)play
- Mayerling (1936)film
Key milestones
- 1959Elected to the Académie française, seat 21.
- 1958President of the Cannes Film Festival jury.
- 1960President of the Venice Film Festival jury.
Themes
sentimental comedyboulevard theatrecommedia dell'artelovewhimsy
Sources: data.bnf.fr · id.loc.gov · nytimes.com