Jean Martin (6 March 1922 - 2 February 2009) was a French actor. Coming from a Berry family, he spent part of his childhood in Biarritz, where his father worked for a furrier. During the Second World War, he hid to escape the Forced Labor Service. Staying in Paris, he appeared in two films by Maurice Tourneur: "The Devil's Hand" (1942) then "CĂ©cile Est Mort" (1943). At the twilight of the forties, he started doing theater.
In 1953, Jean Martin gained notoriety by playing the new play by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, "Waiting for Godot", under the direction of Roger Blin, becoming the first to take on the role of Lucky. The same Roger Blin produced âEnd of the Gameâ (1957), by the same Beckett, a few years later, and entrusted the same Jean Martin with the role of Clov. In 1960, Jean Martin staged his first play, âLetter Deadâ, by Robert Pinget. In 1962, he again staged a play, âThe Representativesâ, by AglaĂ© and Mona Mitropoulos, adapted by Michel Arnaud. Alongside this theatrical career which would prove to be rich, Jean Martin returned to cinema: âNotre-Dame de Parisâ (1956), by Jean Delannoy, âParis belongs to usâ (1958), by Jacques Rivette, âBallade for a thug " (1962), by Jean-Claude Bonnardot, "La foire aux dunces" (1963), by Louis Daquin and "Ă toi de fait mignon" (1963), by Bernard Borderie.
In 1960, he was a signatory of the Manifesto of the 121 entitled âDeclaration on the right to insubordination in the Algerian warâ. In 1965, a role marked his career, that of Colonel Mathieu, in a film retracing the struggle in 1957 for control of the Casbah district of Algiers between FLN militants and French soldiers: "The Battle of Algiers" . Three years after the end of the Algerian War, the subject is still sensitive on each side of the Mediterranean; the film was banned in France upon its release, then censored until 2004. Jean Martin, very convincing in this role of division commander (historically, the commander is General Massu, but the character is inspired by Colonel Bigeard), is the only professional actor in the film. His large stature, his strong personality and his imperious face predispose him to notable roles generally showing authority: chief doctor, police commissioner, high-ranking military officer, ecclesiastical dignitary...; one of the most impressive will undoubtedly be that of a doctor vehemently expelling from his hospital a judge Fayard, Patrick Dewaere, a bit of a cavalier in "Le Juge Fayard Dit Le ShĂ©rif" (1976). Claude Zidi mocks these roles in his comedies: principal in âLa moutarde monte au noseâ (1974), bank director in âLa Course Ă L'Ăchaloteâ (1975), chief doctor in âL'aile ou la thighâ (1976), principal inspector in âBĂȘte mais disciplinedâ (1979) and examiner in âInspecteur la Bavureâ (1980). Alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo, he is⊠cardinal in âLâHĂ©riterâ (1972) and⊠divisional commissioner in âPeur Sur La villeâ (1975)! But also alongside Terence Hill in âMy Name is Nobodyâ (1973) in the role of Sullivan, or âOne Genius, Two Associates, One Bell (1975).
After devoting a large part of his career to the theater, appearing in around fifty films, Jean Martin died on February 2, 2009, in Paris.
as Paul Lardanchet
as Marquis de persan(1 ep)
as Sculpteur
as Saint-Quentin(4 eps)
as GĂ©rard Le Tizou, head waiter
as Examination policeman (uncredited)
as Lâoiseau (voice)
as Le colonel Morange
as M. Bastias
as Bully
as VĂ©nus
as Legrand
as Le commissaire(6 eps)
as Surgeon
as Orfanik, the Inventor
as Drieu La Rochelle (uncredited)
as Sainte-Rose
as Le médecin
as Larsen(1 ep)
as Colonel Pembroke
as Pontius Pilate
as Le directeur de la banque
as Jean Croix
as Divisional commissioner Sabin
as Marquis of La Rocherie
as Direttore clinica / Sottocapo
as Headmaster
as M. Bunkermann
as The Priest
as Sullivan
as Victor Wolenski
as Mgr. Schneider
as René
as Robert de Cazes(6 eps)
as Bjorn
as Homme de VarĂšse
as Igor Igorevitch
as Frédéric Fairlie(13 eps)
as Butler
as A henchman of Charles (uncredited)
as M. De Plassans(7 eps)
as Un responsable d'Ă©dition
as Stoewer
as Gaston(1 ep)
as Monsieur HĂ©bert
as Monnier
as Colonel Philippe Mathieu
as Un homme de la troupe (uncredited)
as Narrator
as faux croque-mort
as Le garçon d'étage (uncredited)
