CineScope
Jean Martin picture

Jean Martin

Acting
Known For

86 Years Old

Jean Martin (6 March 1922 - 2 February 2009) was a French actor. Coming from a Berry family, he spent part of his childhood in Biarritz, where his father worked for a furrier. During the Second World War, he hid to escape the Forced Labor Service. Staying in Paris, he appeared in two films by Maurice Tourneur: "The Devil's Hand" (1942) then "Cécile Est Mort" (1943). At the twilight of the forties, he started doing theater. In 1953, Jean Martin gained notoriety by playing the new play by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, "Waiting for Godot", under the direction of Roger Blin, becoming the first to take on the role of Lucky. The same Roger Blin produced “End of the Game” (1957), by the same Beckett, a few years later, and entrusted the same Jean Martin with the role of Clov. In 1960, Jean Martin staged his first play, “Letter Dead”, by Robert Pinget. In 1962, he again staged a play, “The Representatives”, by Aglaé and Mona Mitropoulos, adapted by Michel Arnaud. Alongside this theatrical career which would prove to be rich, Jean Martin returned to cinema: “Notre-Dame de Paris” (1956), by Jean Delannoy, “Paris belongs to us” (1958), by Jacques Rivette, “Ballade for a thug " (1962), by Jean-Claude Bonnardot, "La foire aux dunces" (1963), by Louis Daquin and "À toi de fait mignon" (1963), by Bernard Borderie. In 1960, he was a signatory of the Manifesto of the 121 entitled “Declaration on the right to insubordination in the Algerian war”. In 1965, a role marked his career, that of Colonel Mathieu, in a film retracing the struggle in 1957 for control of the Casbah district of Algiers between FLN militants and French soldiers: "The Battle of Algiers" . Three years after the end of the Algerian War, the subject is still sensitive on each side of the Mediterranean; the film was banned in France upon its release, then censored until 2004. Jean Martin, very convincing in this role of division commander (historically, the commander is General Massu, but the character is inspired by Colonel Bigeard), is the only professional actor in the film. His large stature, his strong personality and his imperious face predispose him to notable roles generally showing authority: chief doctor, police commissioner, high-ranking military officer, ecclesiastical dignitary...; one of the most impressive will undoubtedly be that of a doctor vehemently expelling from his hospital a judge Fayard, Patrick Dewaere, a bit of a cavalier in "Le Juge Fayard Dit Le Shérif" (1976). Claude Zidi mocks these roles in his comedies: principal in “La moutarde monte au nose” (1974), bank director in “La Course À L'Échalote” (1975), chief doctor in “L'aile ou la thigh” (1976), principal inspector in “Bête mais disciplined” (1979) and examiner in “Inspecteur la Bavure” (1980). Alongside Jean-Paul Belmondo, he is… cardinal in “L’Hériter” (1972) and… divisional commissioner in “Peur Sur La ville” (1975)! But also alongside Terence Hill in “My Name is Nobody” (1973) in the role of Sullivan, or “One Genius, Two Associates, One Bell (1975). After devoting a large part of his career to the theater, appearing in around fifty films, Jean Martin died on February 2, 2009, in Paris.

Born

Paris, France on 6th March 1922

Died

2nd February 2009

All Credits

Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre Image
Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre
Gaston
Police Commissioner Moulin Image
Police Commissioner Moulin
Larsen
The Day of the Jackal Image
The Day of the Jackal
Victor Wolenski
Baal's Companions Image
Baal's Companions
M. De Plassans
Mandrin Image
Mandrin
Robert de Cazes
My Name Is Nobody Image
My Name Is Nobody
Sullivan
The Wing or the Thigh? Image
The Wing or the Thigh?
Duchemin's Doctor at Clinic
The Battle of Algiers Image
The Battle of Algiers
Colonel Philippe Mathieu
No Image
Rendez-vous en noir
Le commissaire
The Beguines Image
The Beguines
René
No Image
Les Jupons de la révolution
Marquis de persan
Inspector Blunder Image
Inspector Blunder
Examination policeman (uncredited)
The King and the Mockingbird Image
The King and the Mockingbird
L’oiseau (voice)
The Night Caller Image
The Night Caller
Divisional commissioner Sabin
A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot Image
A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot
Colonel Pembroke
Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime Image
Je T'Aime, Je T'Aime
Un responsable d'édition
I'm Losing My Temper Image
I'm Losing My Temper
Headmaster
Don't Take God's Children for Wild Geese Image
Don't Take God's Children for Wild Geese
A henchman of Charles (uncredited)
Lucie Aubrac Image
Lucie Aubrac
Paul Lardanchet
The Nun Image
The Nun
Monsieur Hébert
Troubleshooters Image
Troubleshooters
Homme de Varèse
The Wild Goose Chase Image
The Wild Goose Chase
Le directeur de la banque
Successive Slidings of Pleasure Image
Successive Slidings of Pleasure
The Priest
Dossier 51 Image
Dossier 51
Vénus
The Messiah Image
The Messiah
Pontius Pilate
Paris Belongs to Us Image
Paris Belongs to Us
The Inheritor Image
The Inheritor
Mgr. Schneider
The Associate Image
The Associate
M. Bastias
The Cat Image
The Cat
Legrand
Promise at Dawn Image
Promise at Dawn
Igor Igorevitch
Cry of the Heart Image
Cry of the Heart
M. Bunkermann
Judge Fayard Called the Sheriff Image
Judge Fayard Called the Sheriff
Surgeon
Cecile Is Dead Image
Cecile Is Dead
Le garçon d'étage (uncredited)
A Woman at Her Window Image
A Woman at Her Window
Drieu La Rochelle (uncredited)
Soldier Martin Image
Soldier Martin
Monnier
Safety Catch Image
Safety Catch
Fortunate Image
Fortunate
faux croque-mort
La Femme flic Image
La Femme flic
Le colonel Morange
The Companions of Baal Image
The Companions of Baal
Mauvouloir
Le Gentleman des Antipodes Image
Le Gentleman des Antipodes
Sainte-Rose
Your Turn, Darling Image
Your Turn, Darling
No Image
Les filous
La nuit bulgare Image
La nuit bulgare
The Crime of Ovide Plouffe Image
The Crime of Ovide Plouffe
Sculpteur
Les Culottes rouges Image
Les Culottes rouges
Un homme de la troupe (uncredited)
The Invention of Morel Image
The Invention of Morel
Stoewer
The Carpathian Castle Image
The Carpathian Castle
Orfanik, the Inventor
The Time of the Beginning Image
The Time of the Beginning
Direttore clinica / Sottocapo
La Puce et le privé Image
La Puce et le privé
Gérard Le Tizou, head waiter
An Invitation to the Hunt Image
An Invitation to the Hunt
Marquis of La Rocherie
HPW ou Anatomie d'un faussaire Image
HPW ou Anatomie d'un faussaire
Bjorn
Alouqa or the Comedy of the Dead Image
Alouqa or the Comedy of the Dead
Jean Croix
Forgotten Stones Image
Forgotten Stones
Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers Image
Marxist Poetry: The Making of The Battle of Algiers
Self
Gustave Moreau Image
Gustave Moreau
Narrator