Paul Meurisse

Biography: life and films

Paul Meurisse was a French film actor. He was born in Dunkirk, France on 21 December 1912 and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France on 19 January 1979. Starting out as a music hall singer in the 1930s, Paul Meurisse turned to acting in the early 1940s via supporting roles in several films. His big break came in 1946 when he appeared alongside Simone Signoret in Marcel Blistène's Macadam. In his subsequent career, Meurisse proved to be remarkably versatile, as comfortable with comedies as serious dramas. In most of his films, he had the air of a French aristocrat, impeccably dressed and carried along by an unflappable insouciance - this is exemplified by his best known role, Commandant Théobald Dromard, a.k.a. Le Monocle, which he played in three films, beginning with Le Monocle noir (1961). Whilst pursuing a busy film career, Meurisse also distinguished himself as a stage actor. His best work is to be found in two films for Jean-Pierre Melville - Le Deuxième souffle (1966) and L'Armée des ombres (1969) - and he was at his most chilling in H.G. Clouzot's Les Diaboliques.

Filmography