Paul Bonifas
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. He came to the Comedy Theatre, London with Théâtre Molierè in 1943 and 1944, performing in L'Anglais Tel Qu'on Le Parle, Le Malade Imaginaire, Gringoire, Le Misanthrope et L'Auvergnat, Les Femmes Savantes, Le Paquebot Tenacity, La Testament Du Pere Leleu and L'Extra. His Company included Andre Frere, Georges Rex, Suzette Marquis, Elma Soiron and Paul Clarus. 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.
Known For

At Theatre Tonight

Charade

Sherlock Holmes

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

The Train

Les Dossiers de l'Agence O

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Les Misérables
All Movies (72)
- Le Père Amable1975 · as Vatinol
- Rosebud1975
- The Common Man1975 · as Le Maire
- Antigone1974 · as le choeur
- The Return of the Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe1974 · as le père de François Perrin
- The Last Train1973 · as Le voisin
- Love Me Strangely1971 · as Hotel porter
- Cold Sweat1970 · as The doctor
- An Artistic Couple1970 · as Henri Faroy
- The Horse1970 · as Witness to Car Accident
- The Christmas Tree1969 · as (uncredited)
- Secret World1969 · as Gustave / servant
- La Séparation1968 · as Prêtre
- Triple Cross1966 · as Charlie
- Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?1966
- The Sleeping Sentinel1966 · as Lanier
- Le Naïf amoureux1965 · as 'Tonton Louis'
- Lucky Jo1964 · as Légiste (uncredited)
- The Train1964 · as Spinet
- Greed in the Sun1964 · as Doctor Magnart, former professor in Lyon
- Jeff Gordon, Secret Agent1964 · as Le notaire
- Charade1963 · as Mr. Felix
- La parole est au témoin1963
- The Depths1963 · as Mons. Lapeyre
- The Trip to Biarritz1963 · as Bourrély
- Sundays and Cybele1962 · as Grocer
- Les Célibataires1962 · as Chandelier
- Keep Talking, Baby1961
- Blood on His Sword1961 · as Le chirurgien / Doctor of Louis XI
- Fanny1961 · as The Postman
- Goodbye Again1961 · as Cellarman
- The Truth1960 · as Un greffier
- The Gigolo1960 · as (uncredited)
- The Enemy General1960 · as Mayor
- Love and the Frenchwoman1960 · as Le père de Ginette (segment "La Virginité")
- A Woman Like Satan1958 · as Innkeeper
- A Legitimate Defense1958 · as le président de la cour
- Les Misérables1958 · as Hospital doctor
- Sinners of Paris1958 · as L'inspecteur Renaud
- Mademoiselle and Her Gang1957 · as Marcel, owner of the hotel
- Love in the Afternoon1957 · as Police Chief (uncredited)
- The Case of Dr. Laurent1957 · as Guillaumin
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame1956 · as Master Lecornu
- The Terror with Women1956
- Frou-Frou1955 · as Le réceptionniste de l'hôtel (uncredited)
- Their Last Night1953 · as le commissaire principal
- Lettre ouverte1953 · as Honoré, the father-in-law
- Holiday for Henrietta1952 · as The Newsagent (uncredited)
- Ils sont dans les vignes...1952 · as American
- Piédalu fait des miracles1952
- Dans la vie tout s'arrange1952 · as Monsieur Bleubois
- The Green Glove1952 · as Inspector
- The Truth About Bebe Donge1952 · as Traveler (uncredited)
- Duel à Dakar1951 · as The Commander
- Amazing Monsieur Fabre1951 · as Le ministre Victor Duruy
- Pardon My French1951 · as Monsieur Bleubois
- Clara de Montargis1951
- Juliette, or Key of Dreams1951 · as Captain of the cargo ship
- Bedelia1946 · as Insurance Manager
- Lisbon Story1946 · as Stephan Corelle
- Johnny Frenchman1945 · as Jerome
- Dead of Night1945 · as French Nightclub Patron (Segment "The Ventriloquist's Dummy") (Uncredited)
- The Man from Morocco1945 · as French Mayor
- Champagne Charlie1944 · as Targetino
- English Without Tears1944 · as Monsieur Rolland
- Candlelight in Algeria1944 · as French Proprietor
- Two Fathers1944 · as The Frenchman
- Aventure Malgache1944 · as Michel
- The Foreman Went to France1942 · as Prefect of Rouville
- Maxim's Porter1939
- The Five Cents of Lavarede1939 · as Sailor
- Crime and Punishment1935
All TV Shows (8)
- La Duchesse d'Avila1973 · as L'aubergiste
- Maurin des Maures1970 · as Pons
- Les Dossiers de l'Agence O1968 · as Le vieux Vick
- At Theatre Tonight1966 · as Félix Ducotel
- Illusions perdues1966 · as Camusot
- Bayard1964 · as Aymon Terrail
- Sherlock Holmes1954 · as Prof. von Gaulkins
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951