Remembering Henri Verneuil

Henri Verneuil was born Achod Malakian in Rodosto, Turkey on Ocotber 15, 1920. He migrated with his family to Marseille, France in 1925 and became a naturalized French citizen. After his schooling Verneuil became an engineer and then a journalist before turning his life to film. He produced about 30 short films before attempting a full length motion picture. He became a popular director in the 1950s often working with French comedian Fernandel and later Alain Delon, Jean Gabin, Jean-Paul Belmondo. Some of his films include “The Sicilian Clan” (1969), “The Brain” (1971) and his only Euro-western “Guns for San Sebastian” (1969) with Charles Bronson and Anthony Quinn. Verneuil died of a heart attack on January 11, 2002 in Bagnolet, France. Today we celebrate what would have been Henri Verneuil’s 90th birthday.