Biography: life and films
Originally employed as a set designer in a Paris repertory theatre, Dauphin made his stage debut in 1930 when he took over the part of a stricken actor without rehearsal. This so impressed the playwright-producer Tristan Bernard that he gave Dauphin the lead part in his next play, La Fortune. It was the start of a distiguished and busy career on stage and screen. During the war, Dauphin served in the French resistance whilst touring with his theatre company. Narrowly avoiding capture by the Nazis, he fled to England, where he joined the British secret service and Charles De Gaulle's Free French forces.
With his suave manner, boyish good looks and seductive voice, Dauphin was a natural matinee idol, popular on both sides of the Atlantic. He often lent his voice to Fred Astaire in French dubbed versions of his films. In the course of his career, he worked with some of the most distinguished directors in France, including Sacha Guitry (Faisons un rêve, 1936), Marc Allégret (Félicie Nanteuil, 1945) and Jacques Becker (Casque d'or, 1950). He also appeared in Roger Vadim's Barbarella (1967), Otto Preminger's Rosebud (1975) and Roman Polanski's Le Locataire (1976).
Claude Dauphin was married three times, including to the actress Maria Mauban. His son, Jean-Claude Dauphin, followed his example and has enjoyed an equally prolific career as an actor. Dauphin died in Paris on 16th November 1978 from an intestinal blockage at the age of 75 and is buried in Père-Lachaise cemetery in Paris.
© James Travers 2013
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Filmography
Key: a = actor
Figuration (1931) [a]
La Fortune (1931) [a]
Aux urnes, citoyens! (1932) [a]
Clair de lune (1932) [a]
Claire de lune (1932) [a]
Paris-Soleil (1932) [a]
Un homme heureux (1932) [a]
Une jeune fille et un million (1932) [a]
Boubouroche (1933) [a]
D'amour et d'eau fraîche (1933) [a]
La Fille du régiment (1933) [a]
Les Surprises du sleeping (1933) [a]
Pas besoin d'argent (1933) [a]
Le Billet de mille (1934) [a]
Le Voyage imprévu (1934) [a]
Nous ne sommes plus des enfants (1934) [a]
Dédé (1935) [a]
La Route heureuse (1935) [a]
La Fessée (1937) [a]
Les Perles de la couronne (1937) [a]
Conflit (1938) [a]
Entrée des artistes (1938) [a]
Les Surprises de la radio (1940) [a]
L'Étrange Suzy (1941) [a]
La Belle aventure (1942) [a]
Les Hommes sans peur (1942) [a]
Promesse à l'inconnue (1942) [a]
Une femme disparaît (1942) [a]
Les Deux timides (1943) [a]
Une femme dans la nuit (1943) [a]
English Without Tears (1944) [a]
Cyrano de Bergerac (1945) [a]
Dorothée cherche l'amour (1945) [a]
Nous ne sommes pas mariés (1946) [a]
Une femme coupée en morceaux (1946) [a]
L'Éventail (1947) [a]
Rendez-vous à Paris (1947) [a]
Croisière pour l'inconnu (1948) [a]
L'Impeccable Henri (1948) [a]
Parade du rire (1948) [a]
Van Gogh (1948) [a]
Ainsi finit la nuit (1949) [a]
Jean de la Lune (1949) [a]
L'Inconnu d'un soir (1949) [a]
Le Bal des pompiers (1949) [a]
Deported (1950) [a]
La Petite chocolatière (1950) [a]
Adorables créatures (1952) [a]
Les Trois mousquetaires (1953) [a]
Little Boy Lost (1953) [a]
Phantom of the Rue Morgue (1954) [a]
Les Mauvaises rencontres (1955) [a]
Seven Wonders of the World (1956) [a]
Mon coquin de père (1958) [a]
The Quiet American (1958) [a]
Pourquoi viens-tu si tard? (1959) [a]
The Full Treatment (1960) [a]
Le Diable et les dix commandements (1962) [a]
Tiara Tahiti (1962) [a]
Symphonie pour un massacre (1963) [a]
The Visit (1964) [a]
Lady L (1965) [a]
Grand Prix (1966) [a]
Lumière (1966) [a]
Da Berlino l'apocalisse (1967) [a]
L'Une et l'autre (1967) [a]
Lamiel (1967) [a]
Two for the Road (1967) [a]
Hamilchama al hashalom (1968) [a]
Hard Contract (1969) [a]
Églantine (1971) [a]
Adolphe, ou l'âge tendre (1972) [a]
La Più bella serata della mia vita (1972) [a]
Au rendez-vous de la mort joyeuse (1973) [a]
Vogliamo i colonnelli (1973) [a]
L'Important c'est d'aimer (1975) [a]
La Course à l'échalote (1975) [a]
Rosebud (1975) [a]
El Anacoreta (1976) [a]
Mado (1976) [a]
Le Point de mire (1977) [a]
Le Pion (1978) [a]
De force avec d'autres (1993) [a]
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