Editing Louis de Funès (section)

== Film career ==
[[File:DeFunes-1947-StudioConty.png|thumb|De Funès in 1947]]
In 1945, thanks to his contact with Daniel Gélin, De Funès made his film debut at the age of 31 with a [[bit part]] in [[Jean Stelli]]'s ''[[The Temptation of Barbizon|La Tentation de Barbizon]]''.<ref>Louis de Funès called Stelli ''Ma Chance'' ("My Luck") whenever they were together (''Louis de Funès : Jusqu'au bout du rire'', p. 43.).</ref> He appears on screen for less than 40 seconds in the role of the porter of the [[cabaret]] ''Le Paradis'', welcoming the character played by Jérôme Chambon in the entrance hall and pointing him to the double doors leading to the main room, saying: ''"C'est par ici, Monsieur"'' ("It's this way, Sir"). Chambon declines the invitation, pushing the door himself instead of pulling it open. De Funès then says: ''"Bien, il a son compte celui-là, aujourd'hui!"'' ("Well, he had enough, today!").<ref>{{cite web |url=http://le-cinema-de-louis.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/la-tentation-de-barbizon.html |date= 12 December 2012 |title= La Tentation de Barbizon |publisher= Le cinema de Louis |access-date= 30 October 2016}}</ref>

He went on to perform in 130 film roles over the next 20 years, playing minor roles in over 80 movies before being offered his first leading roles. During this period, De Funès developed a daily routine of professional activities: in the morning, he did dubbing for recognized artists such as [[Totò]], an Italian comic of the time; during the afternoon, he did film work; and in the evening, he performed as a theatre actor.

From 1945 to 1955, he appeared in 50 films, usually as an extra or walk-on. In 1954, he went on to star in such films as ''[[Ah! Les belles bacchantes]]'' and ''[[The Sheep Has Five Legs|Le Mouton à cinq pattes]]''. A break came in 1956, when he appeared as the black-market pork butcher Jambier (another small role) in [[Claude Autant-Lara]]'s well-known World War II comedy, ''[[La Traversée de Paris (film)|La Traversée de Paris]]''. He achieved stardom in 1963 with [[Jean Girault]]'s film, ''[[Pouic-Pouic]]''. This successful film guaranteed De Funès top billing in all of his subsequent films. At the age of 49, De Funès unexpectedly became a major star of international renown with the success of ''[[Le gendarme de Saint-Tropez]]''. After their first successful collaboration, director Jean Girault perceived De Funès as the ideal actor to play the part of the scheming, opportunistic and sycophant [[gendarme]]; the first film would lead to a series of six.

Another collaboration with director [[Gérard Oury]] produced a memorable tandem of De Funès with [[Bourvil]]&mdash;another great comic actor&mdash;in the 1965 film, ''[[The Sucker|Le Corniaud]]''. The success of the de Funès-Bourvil partnership was repeated in ''[[La Grande Vadrouille]]'', one of the most successful and the largest-grossing film ever made in France, drawing an audience of 17.27 million. It remains his greatest success.<ref>''Mémoires d'éléphant'' (Paris 1988), p. 250.</ref> Oury envisaged a further reunion of the two comics in his film ''[[Delusions of Grandeur (film)|La Folie des grandeurs]]'', but Bourvil's death in 1970 led to the unlikely pairing of De Funès with [[Yves Montand]] in that film. Notwithstanding, the film was a success.

[[File:Louis de Funès — L'Homme orchestre (1970).jpg|thumb|De Funès on the set of ''[[L'homme orchestre]]'' in 1970]]
Eventually, De Funès became France's leading comic actor. Between 1964 and 1979, he topped the French [[box office]] of the year's most successful movies seven times. In 1968, all three of his films were in the top ten in France for the year, topped by ''[[The Little Bather|Le Petit Baigneur]]'', with its memorable [[Mass (liturgy)|mass]] scene.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=15 January 1969|page=41|title=French Public Favored Their Own Features in '68; 2 Yanks In Dozen}}</ref>

He co-starred with many of the major French actors of his time, including [[Jean Marais]] and [[Mylène Demongeot]] in the ''[[Fantômas]]'' trilogy, and also [[Jean Gabin]], [[Fernandel]], [[Coluche]], [[Annie Girardot]], and Yves Montand. He also worked with [[Jean Girault]] in the famous ''Gendarmes'' series. In a departure from the gendarme image, De Funès collaborated with [[Claude Zidi]], who wrote for him a new character full of nuances and frankness in ''[[L'aile ou la cuisse]]'' (1976), which is arguably one of the best of his roles. Later, De Funès' considerable musical abilities were showcased in films such as ''[[The Sucker|Le Corniaud]]'' and ''[[Le Grand Restaurant]]''. In 1964, he [[Fantômas (1964 film)|debuted]] in the first of the ''Fantômas'' series, which launched him into superstardom.

In 1975, Oury turned again to De Funès for a film entitled ''[[Le Crocodile (cancelled film project)|Le Crocodile]]'', in which he was to play the role of a South American dictator. But in March 1975, De Funès was hospitalized for heart problems and forced to take a break from acting, causing ''Le Crocodile'' to be cancelled. After his recovery, he appeared opposite another comic of the time, Coluche, in ''L'Aile ou la cuisse''. In 1980, De Funès realised a long-standing dream of making [[L'Avare (film)|a film version]] of [[Molière]]'s play ''[[The Miser]]'' (''L'Avare'').

De Funès made his final film, ''[[Le Gendarme et les Gendarmettes]]'', in 1982.