Happy 90th Birthday Michel Lemoine

 Michel Charles Lemoine was born on September 30, 1922 in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. He made his film debut in late 1940. Michel appeared frequently in the films of Sacha Guitry and Julien Duvivier. His physique gave him the opportunity to appear in young romantic characters and also embody mysterious and disturbing characters. Throughout the 1960s, he appeared extensively in Italian films, in peplums, Spaghetti westerns: “The Road to Fort Alamo” (1964) and “Cemetery Without Crosses” (1968) and fantasy films. He also worked for Jess Franco and José Bénazéraf. In the 1970s, he was seen primarily in erotic films.

Michel later became a director in films where eroticism mingled with drama or comedy. His films did not receive positive criticism, but he nevertheless was recognized for technical qualities. He was misaligned for his first achievement, according to him, for strong autobiographical accents. He often appeared with Janine Reynaud [1930- ], his wife, alongside his favorite performers, Martine Azencot, Nathalie Zeiger and Marie-Hélène Règne.

In 1976, his film “Les Week-ends maléfiques du Comte Zaroff” was prohibited in theaters. He reluctantly turned towards the realization of making pornographic films and used most often the pseudonym Michel Leblanc, Olinka Hardiman and made a star of X (Marilyn, mon amour). He left the industry in the 1990s, with only sporadic appearances afterward.

Today we celebrate Michel Lemoine’s 90^th birthday.