Friday, September 4, 2009

Remembering Christian-Jacque

Born Christian-Albert-Francois Maudet on September 4, 1904 in Paris, France. He was the son of Edward Maudet, casting director, and his wife Josephine Baumert. Il poursuit sa scolarité au collège Rollin à Paris. He continued his education at the College Rollin in Paris. Bachelier, il effectue ensuite des études d'architecture aux Ecoles nationales supérieures des beaux-arts et des arts décoratifs, à Paris. Receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, he then studied architecture at National School of Fine Arts and Decorative Arts in Paris. En 1924, il dessine des affiches de cinéma pour une compagnie américaine, la First National, en collaboration avec Jacques Chabraison (ils signent leurs travaux de leurs prénoms accolés, celui de Chabraison étant simplifié ; Christian-Jaque conservera ce pseudonyme). In 1924, he designed film posters for an American company, First National, in collaboration with Jacques Chabraison (they signed their names to their work in multiples, one of Chabraison being simplified, Christian-Jaque kept this pseudonym). Deux ans plus tard, il est journaliste pour la revue Cinégraph , puis devient décorateur de cinéma de 1927 à 1931. Two years later, he became a journalist for the magazine CineGraph. He started working on films in 1927. He directed two films during World War II which received great success. He would go on to film a series of films with his then wife Martine Carol among which were Lucrezia Borgia (1953) and Madame du Barry (1954). In 1959 he directed a very young Brigitte Bardot in 1959’s ”Barbette s’en va-t-at war”. Christian Jacque would direct his only European western, again with Bardot and Claudia Cardinale “The Legend of Frenchie King” (1971). Christian-Jaque died in Boulogne-Billancourt, France on July 8, 1994. Today we celebrate what would have been his 105th birthday.

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