Jacques Besnard
Birth nameJacques Besnard
Birth date15 July 1929
Birth placeLe Petit-Quevilly, Seine-Maritime, France
Death date9 November 2013 (aged 84)
Death placeBoutigny-Prouais, Eure-et-Loir, France
Years active1955–2004

Jacques Besnard (Also known as Jacques Treyens; born 15 July 1929 in Le Petit-Quevilly - died 9 November 2013 in Boutigny-Prouais) was a French film director, assistant director, producer, actor and screenwriter. Best known for Le Grand Restaurant (1966), Le Fou du labo 4 (1967) and La situation est grave... mais pas désespérée (1976).[1][2][3]

Life and career

Jacques Besnard was born on 15 July 1929 in Le Petit-Quevilly, Seine-Maritime, France. He began his career in 1962 as the first assistant to director André Hunebelle, after having had some previous experience as an actor in 1955 and as an assistant director under Maurice Régamey, Yves Robert and Alberto Lattuada between 1956 and 1961. Besnard worked alongside Hunebelle on movies such as: Les Mystères de Paris (1962), Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117 (1964), Fantômas (1964), Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117 (1965) and Fantômas se déchaîne (1965). It was during this time that Besnard met actor Louis de Funès when they worked together on the two Fantômas movies.[4][5]

Besnard would go on to direct his own movie titled Le Grand Restaurant in 1966, which he co-wrote with Jean Halain and Louis de Funès. It starred de Funès and Bernard Blier as the main characters of the comedy film, and ranked as the eighth-most-popular film at the French box office that year. In 1967 Besnard would go on to direct the comedy film Le Fou du labo 4 starring Jean Lefebvre and Bernard Blier, from which he attainted much acclaim and public popularity. Besnard directed a few Boulevard comedies in the 1970s with varying degrees of success. He most notably worked as assistant director under Gérard Oury in the 1973 comedy Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob, starring Louis de Funès. However, by the 1980s, Besnard left the silver screen to focus on directing opportunities for television shows and movies.[6][7][8]

In 1976 he directed the erotic film Et si tu n'en veux pas (also known as Joëlle et Pauline or Baby Love) with Joëlle Coeur, Gilda Arancio and Alice Arno in the cast.

Jacques Besnard died on 9 November 2013 in Boutigny-Prouais, Eure-et-Loir, France, aged 84. He is the father of French director Éric Besnard.[9][10]

Filmography

Director & Screenwriter
YearTitleCastNotes
1966Le Grand Restaurantstarring Louis de Funès
and Bernard Blier
1967Estouffade à la Caraïbestarring Jean Seberg
and Serge Gainsbourg
Le Fou du labo 4starring Jean Lefebvre
and Bernard Blier
1972La Belle Affairestarring Michel Serrault,
Rosy Varte
and Michel Galabru
1974C'est pas parce qu'on a rien à dire qu'il faut fermer sa gueulestarring Bernard Blier,
Michel Serrault
and Jean Lefebvre
1975La situation est grave... mais pas désespéréestarring Michel Serrault
and Jean Lefebvre
1976Le Jour de gloirestarring Jean Lefebvre,
Pierre Tornade
and Darry Cowl
Et si tu n'en veux passtarring Joëlle Cœur,
Gilda Arancio
and Françoise Pascal
distributed under his pseudonym Jacques Treyens
1978Général... nous voilà !starring Darry Cowl
and Roger Dumas
1982Te marre pas... c'est pour rire !starring Michel Galabru
and Aldo Maccione
1984Allo Béatricestarring André Dussollier
and Nicole Courcel
television series (6 episodes)
1985Hôtel de policestarring Corinne Touzet
and Olivier Granier
television series (2 episodes)
1988La Belle Anglaisestarring Daniel Ceccaldi
and Catherine Rich
television series
1990Le Retour d'Arsène Lupinstarring François Dunoyer
and Sophie Barjac
television series (1 episode)
1992Feu Adrien Musetstarring Jean Lefebvretelevision film
994Avantistarring Patrick Bouchitey
and Farid Chopel
television film
Assistant director
YearTitleDirectorNotes
1956Honoré de MarseilleMaurice Régamey
1957Comme un cheveu sur la soupeMaurice Régamey
1959Cigarettes, Whisky et P'tites PépéesMaurice Régamey
Signé Arsène LupinYves Robert
1960À pleines mainsMaurice Régamey
La Famille FenouillardAlberto LattuadaItalian film, co-produced by France
1961L'imprevistoYves Robert
1962Les Mystères de ParisAndré Hunebelle
Le Masque de ferHenri Decoin
1964Banco à Bangkok pour OSS 117André Hunebelle
FantômasAndré Hunebelle
1965Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117André Hunebelle
Fantômas se déchaîneAndré Hunebelle
1968Sous le signe de Monte-CristoAndré Hunebelle
1971La Folie des grandeursGérard Oury
1973Les Aventures de Rabbi JacobGérard Oury
1974The Four Charlots MusketeersAndré Hunebelle
Writer only
YearTitleDirectorNotes
1995Un si joli bouquetJean-Claude Sussfeldtelevision film
1997Un petit grain de folieSébastien Gralltelevision film
2004L'AntidoteVincent de Brusfilm
Actor
YearTitleDirectorNotes
1955Série noirePierre Foucaud
Du rififi chez les hommesJules Dassin
ChantageGuy Lefranc

References

  1. ^ "JACQUES BESNARD". mubi.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ^ "De beste films van Jacques Besnard". filmvandaag.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. ^ "DEATH: Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". filmdeculte.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". imdb.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". lefilmdujour.fr. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ "JACQUES BESNARD". filmtotaal.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  7. ^ "Jacques Besnard". fransefilms.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Jacques BESNARD". notrecinema.com. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Jacques Besnard (1929-2013)". data.bnf.fr. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Jacques Besnard". moviemeter.nl. Retrieved 9 December 2022.