Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ Raymond Bussieres

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Raymond Bussieres was born in Ivry-la-Bataille, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France on November 3, 1907. He was the youngest child of parents from Corrèze, Pierre Bussières and Marie Chataignier, running a bar-tabac in the city. His father was a teacher and ran for the Corrèze deputation under the socialist label.

Bussières was a student at the Rotrou College in Dreux from 1920 to 1925 where he became friends with the future painter Maurice Buffet (1909-2000), He wanted to study medicine, but his mother could not afford to pay for it. He then worked for a quantity surveyor who encouraged him to take the competitive examination for topographic draughtsman at the city of Paris; An exam that he passes.

With a few friends, he founded a theatre troupe, politically involved on the left: "Revolutionary propaganda was carried out there. It was called "the October Group" after the name of the Soviet Revolution.

He obtained a few small roles in the cinema while remaining a civil servant in the city of Paris. In 1936, he almost got the role of Jacques, one of the characters in the quartet of Julien Duvivier's famous film “La Belle Équipe”, alongside Jean Gabin, Charles Vanel and Aimos; he was finally replaced by another actor of the same age as him, Charles Dorat. Bussières, who was then very involved in the events of the Popular Front of 1936, would always regret not having participated in this film that he loved.

Undeterred, he went on to appear in more than 160 films from 1933 to 1982. His cheekiness and his Parisian titi accent made him one of the most popular actors of the 1950s and 1960s, always used in a very distinguished supporting role.

He was married to the actress Annette Poivre and adopted her daughter actress Sophie Sel, born from a first marriage of Annette Poivre to Jean-Marie Cassel, whom she divorced on November 2, 1942.

After three weeks in a coma following a heart attack, Raymond Bussières died at the Bichat hospital, on April 29, 1982, in Paris.

Bussieres appeared in two Spaghetti westerns: “I quattro pistoleri di Santa Trinità” (The 4 Gunmen of the Holy Trinity) in 1970 as Doctor Jonas Barrett and “Il West ti va stretto, amico... è arrivato Alleluja” (The Return of Hallelujah) in 1972 as Sam.

BUSSIERES, Raymond (aka R. Bussieres, Raimond Bussieres, Raymond Bussière, Bussières) [11/3/1907, Ivry-la-Bataille, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France – 4/29/1982, Paris, Île-de-France, France] – producer, writer, film, TV actor, singer, married to actress, singer Annette Poivre (Paule Marie Jeanne Perron) [1917-1988] (1945-1982) stepfather of actress Sophie Sel [1936-2003], co-founder of the theater group Octobre.

The 4 Gunmen of the Holy Trinity – 1970 (Doctor Jonas Barrett)

The Return of Hallelujah - 1972 (Sam)