Paul Grimault
Directing
Biography
Paul Grimault (23 March 1905 – 29 March 1994) was one of the most important French animators. He made many traditionally animated films that were delicate in style, satirical, and lyrical in nature. His most important work is Le Roi et l'oiseau, which ultimately took over 30 years to produce. He began it as La Bergère et le Ramoneur (The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep) in 1948 and it was highly anticipated, but Grimault's partner André Sarrut showed the film unfinished in 1952, against Grimault's wishes. This caused a rift between partners and a stop in production. In 1967, Grimault got possession of the film and subsequently was able to complete it in 1980 under a new title, Le Roi et l'oiseau, incorporating some footage from the original and re-hiring the original animators, together with some new, younger ones. There are many names for it in English that have been used in various releases, including: The King and the Bird (literal), The King and the Mockingbird, The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird and The King and Mr. Bird (1980). He also collected his best shorts in a retrospective compilation movie, La table tournante (1988), which is included in the deluxe edition of Le Roi et l'oiseau. In 1936 Grimault founded, with André Sarrut, Les Gémeaux, which was the second significant French animation venture, following the work of Émile Cohl, which had closed years earlier. During World War II, Americans films being unavailable, its films found a captive audience. The studio produced a number of shorts, then closed its doors in 1952 following the expense of making La Bergère et le Ramoneur, which was the first feature-length French animated movie. Grimault was part of the agitprop group Groupe Octobre. At this group he met Jacques Prévert, with whom he went on to collaborate on several animated films, most notably Le roi et l'oiseau. Source: Article "Paul Grimault" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
A talk show presented by Michel Drucker
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
Animation TV magazine.
De l'autre côté
A young shepherdess and a chimneysweep plan to get married and escape the clutches of a tyrannical king in love with her, assisted by the guile of a cheeky mockingbird, the king's archenemy.
The King and the Mockingbird
Mild-mannered novelist of Western fiction, Amédée Lange, and his colleagues take over a publishing house after their exploitative boss disappears, only for the superior to return and try to reclaim the profits from their successful cooperative.
The Crime of Monsieur Lange
A pathetic police chief, humiliated by everyone around him, suddenly wants a clean slate in life, and resorts to drastic means to achieve it.
Coup de Torchon
Newly married couple Juliette and ship captain Jean struggle through marriage as they travel on the L'Atalante along with the captain's first mate and a cabin boy.
L'Atalante
Inhabitants of a flophouse struggle to survive under the harsh treatment imposed by the landlord, Kostyleva. One resident, young thief Wasska Pepel, ends his affair with the landlord's wife, Vassilissa, and takes up with her sister, Natacha. Pepel also befriends the baron, a former nobleman fallen on hard times, but Pepel's attempts at happiness are complicated when he's accused of murder by a spiteful Vassilissa.
The Lower Depths
A chimney sweep and his beloved shepherdess are aided by Wonderbird in their escape from a ruthless dictator
The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird
A budding romance between two toy dancers is put into dangers when the boy is conscripted into the toy army.
The Little Soldier
There's never a dull moment at the Hôtel du Libre Echange. Deceptions, hitches and other misunderstandings make a few people mingle whereas, for their own sake, they should not. An example among others: an expert who has come to the hotel for professional reasons had better not meet his wife, who is there to cheat on him with his best friend.
The Free Trade Hotel
Morir en Madrid brings together several papers on the Spanish Civil War and integrates capturing different points of view, intended to represent the continuity of the suffering of the Spanish during the Franco regime. The death of Federico Garcia Lorca, Guernica, the defense of Madrid, the International Brigades, are some of the items comprised in this document.
To Die in Madrid
Once upon a time there lived in the same village two men bearing the very same name. One of them chanced to possess four horses, the other had only one horse, so, by way of distinguishing them from each other, the proprietor of four horses was called "Great Claus," and he who owned but one horse was known as "Little Claus"...
Little Claus and Big Claus
Chris Marker’s documentary traces the course of the Cuban Revolution, from its early optimism to the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs invasion. Through on-the-ground footage and interviews—including two with Fidel Castro—the film captures the spirit and contradictions of a nation in transformation.
¡Cuba Sí!
No description available.
Paul Grimault, image par image
On a winter night, the author of "The King and the Mockingbird" is visited by the cartoon characters he created in his studio. Along with a little clown, he screens a selection of his favorite shorts
Turning Table
No description available.
Le Colisée
A minstrel, barred from entering a castle, is given a magic flute that can manipulate movement.
The Magic Flute
This short documents the important role played by bread in the daily life of the city of Paris.
Paris mange son pain
A futuristic cruise ship with a crew of robots is ready to take its first flight. A boy follows his curious dog on board of the ship, but then the ship takes off. The robots sees the boy as a blind passenger and try to get him off the flying ship.
The Passengers of Ursa Major
An encounter on a rooftop between two policemen and a thief who specializes in lightning conductors.