Jules Auguste Muraire, better known by his stage name Raimu, was born on 18th December 1883 in the French harbour town of Toulon.  Destined to become a formidable personality of French cinema in the 1930s, he came from very humble origins, but this did not deter him from seeking out a career as an entertainer.

Using the stage name Raimut (he later dropped the ‘t’), he made his stage debut at the age of 16 in the Casino de Toulon, imitating his comic idols Félix Mayol and Polin.  It was Mayol who enabled Raimu to make a promising debut in Paris in 1908. 

For the next two decades, Raimu would make a name for himself as a comic entertainer, appearing in music halls, dance halls and bars, and then as a stage actor, appearing mainly in comic shows.  He also appeared in minor roles in some silent films, his first being in Le fumiste (1912).

The first significant milestone in Raimu’s career was in 1929, when he starred in a stage production of Marcel Pagnol’s play, Marius .  The play was an astonishing success and established Raimu’s credentials as a serious stage actor.  He reprised the role in the 1931 film of the same name, produced by Pagnol himself.  It was the first in a series of roles with which the actor would be closely associated – strong-willed, working class characters, wavering between between tragic pathos and comedy. 

In the 1930s, Raimu became one of the most highly respected members of his profession, renowned for his moving performances.  His greatest successes were in films such as: Marius (1931), L’Étrange Monsieur Victor (1937), La Femme du boulanger (1938) and La Fille du puisatier (1940).  During the second world war, Raimu began to turn away from his film work to pursue his stage career.

Shortly after making his final film L’Homme au chapeau rond, Raimu died in hospital during an apparently benign operation, on 20th September 1946.  The national grief was reflected in his funeral service at the church Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in Paris, which was attended by thousands of well-wishers.  In a moving speech, Marcel Pagnol said about his former friend and collaborator, “One cannot make a speech on the grave of a father, a brother or a son.  You were all three at the same time.” Raimu now lies in a cemetery in his town of birth, Toulon. 

For further information on Raimu visit:
http://www.ifrance.com/raimu/