Pierre-Louis(1917-1987)

Pierre-Louis, does this name remind you of anything? Most probably not. And yet this affable unpretentious actor has played in no fewer than sixty films, debuting at the tender age of 14. But as he was too sweet and humble a person to impose himself he remained just another actor, likable but transparent, and none of his roles stands out in memory. And yet, the first two characters he embodied when he was a teen were for famed German director Georg Wilhelm Pabst. And yet, he played a major part in one of the best French 'resistance films' of the postwar period "Le bataillon du ciel", directed by 'Alexandre Esway'. And yet he was fine as the French officer in SS disguise in the excellent Fernandel vehicle "La vache et le prisonnier" (1959). On the other hand, what a lot of mediocre movies he took part in, particularly between 1948 and 1952. Being in idiotic 'Jean de Létraz' adaptations did not restore his reputation nor did his roles in a series low-grade commercial films by such undistinguished directors as René Sti, Jean-Paul Paulin, Jean Gourguet, René Jayet, Alfred Rode or Henri Lepage. Pierre-Louis even directed three pictures in the early 1950s, nothing to be ashamed of but the result was nothing more than three lackluster crime movies that left no imprint whatsoever. Feeling he would never be the great actor everybody craves to see on the big screen, Pieer-Louis gradually gave up his acting career and turned to radio and TV, successfully teaming with Pierre Tchernia for three popular programs 'Mardi Cinéma", 'Monsieur Cinéma' and 'Ces messieurs vous disent'.