Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: The Molière Players , Henri Paul Bonifas , Paul Boniface , Victor Boniface , Bonifas , Bonifas de la Comédie Française

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Paris, France

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 39

TV Involvements: 3


Most Famous Work

Biography

Paul Bonifas (3 June 1902 – 9 November 1975) was a French actor, born in Paris. In the 1920s, while working for the French customs service, Bonifas took classes in acting at the Conservatoire de Paris in his spare time. He left with the first prize for comedy, which allowed him to join the Odéon Theatre in 1933, then the Comédie-Française in 1938. He made his first film appearance in 1935 in a version of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, directed by Pierre Chenal. During World War II he served as a lieutenant in the artillery, was badly wounded, and evacuated from Dunkirk with his unit. In London he joined the Free French, and worked for Radio Londres broadcasting to occupied France. In 1942 he appeared in the film The Foreman Went to France. In 1943 he formed "The Molière Players", who staged a repertoire of mainly Molière works in London theatres, as well as in regional towns and at French army barracks. In 1944 "The Molière Players" appeared in the short film Aventure malgache directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This was written by, and based on the experiences of, Jules Francois Clermont, an actor in Bonifas' troupe working under the name of Paul Clarus, who had operated an illegal radio station Madagascar Libre in Madagascar while the island was under Vichy control. Bonifas then appeared in a number of other British films, including Two Fathers with Bernard Miles, directed by Anthony Asquith, and had minor roles in the musicals Heaven Is Round the Corner and Champagne Charlie, the action adventure film The Man from Morocco, the comedy-drama Johnny Frenchman and the horror film Dead of Night. Bonifas returned to France in 1946 and resumed his career in theatre, specializing in comedy, but also taking dramatic roles. His later film career included appearances in Trapeze (1956), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1956), Fanny (1961), Charade (1963), Greed in the Sun (1964), The Train (1964), Is Paris Burning? (1966), Triple Cross (1966), and The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1974). Bonifas died on 9 November 1975 at Vernouillet, Yvelines, France. Source: Article "Paul Bonifas" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.  

Most Famous Work

Les Dossiers de l'Agence O
Average
10

Les Dossiers de l'Agence O

(1968) Le vieux Vick
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Average
7

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(1956) Master Lecornu
Illusions perdues
Average
0

Illusions perdues

(1966) Camusot
The Train
Average
8

The Train

(1964) Spinet
Les Misérables
Average
7

Les Misérables

(1958) Le médecin de l'hôpital
Triple Cross
Average
6

Triple Cross

(1966) Charlie
La Vérité
Average
8

La Vérité

(1960) Un greffier
Cold Sweat
Average
6

Cold Sweat

(1970) The doctor

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1975 Vatinol
Le Maire
1974 le choeur
le père de François Perrin
1973 Le voisin
L'aubergiste
1971 Le portier de l'hôtel
1970 The doctor
Witness to car accident
N/A
1969 (uncredited)
Gustave / servant
1968 Le vieux Vick
1966 Charlie
N/A
Félix Ducotel
Camusot
1965 'Tonton Louis'
1964 Légiste (uncredited)
Spinet
Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
Le notaire
1963 Mr. Felix
N/A
Mons. Lapeyre
1962 Grocer
Chandelier
1961 Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
The Postman
Cellarman
1960 Un greffier
Mayor
Le père de Ginette (La Virginité)
1959 N/A
1958 le président de la cour
Le médecin de l'hôpital
L'inspecteur Renaud
1957 Marcel, owner of the hotel
Police Chief (uncredited)
Guillaumin
1956 Master Lecornu
N/A
1955 Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
1954 N/A
1953 le commissaire principal
Honoré, the father-in-law
1952 The Newsagent (uncredited)
N/A
N/A
Monsieur Bleubois
Inspector
N/A
1951 The Commander
N/A
Le ministre Victor Duruy
Monsieur Bleubois
N/A
La capitaine du cargo
1946 Insurance Manager (as Paul Boniface)
Stephan Corelle
1945 Jerome
French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
French Mayor
1944 Targetino
Monsieur Rolland
French Proprietor
The Frenchman
Michel
1942 Prefect of Rouville
1939 N/A
N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

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