Raymond Bussières Movies
French actor Raymond Bussières began his career in cabarets and on stage. During the early '40s, he began getting supporting roles in French films; later he began a long career playing character roles. Bussières usually played tragic blue-collar Parisians. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
A stage comedy by Jacques Sommet was the source for L'Ami de la Famille (Friend of the Family). Comedian Darry Cowl plays the title character, a lovesick young sap named Pierre. Talked out of committing suicide over an unhappy romance by his friend Paul (Raymond Bussieres), the grateful Pierre moves in, bag and emotional baggage, with Paul's family. Within a few days, Paul begins to regret persuading the obstreperous Pierre not to kill himself: in fact, he and his entire family are seriously contemplating murder! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darry Cowl, Raymond Bussières, (more)
- 1957
Port de Lilias was Rene Clair's first film since 1955, and his last until 1960. It is more serious than most of Clair's efforts, ending with a death that is all the more surprising in that the director never quite prepares us for it. Pierre Brasseur plays Juju, a likeable ne'er-do-well who suddenly finds himself the "guardian" of a murderer named Barbier (Henri Vidal). When his identity is discovered by the heroine Maria (Dany Carel), Barbier wins and betrays the girl. This galvanizes the otherwise easygoing Juju into drastic action. Functioning as a Greek chorus throughout the proceedings is well-known balladeer George Brassens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Brasseur, Georges Brassens, (more)
- 1957
El Abuele Automovil was the title bestowed upon this Czechoslovakian production when it was entered into competition at the San Sebastian Film Festival. It was also distributed in English-language communities as Model T and The Grandfather Automobile. Set in the early 20th century, the story concentrates on the development of motorcars, as seen through the eyes of a Czech auto enthusiast and the daughter of a French mechanic. The film benefits immeasurably from the slapstick antics of French comic actor Raymond Bussieres. El Abuele Automovil had much of the same breezy charm as the 1953 British car-race comedy Genevieve. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ludek Munzar, Raymond Bussières, (more)
- 1955
In this dark drama, a young American is on his way to take his final vows as a priest when he encounters a troubled nightclub singer with a checkered past. He honestly wants to help her and soon falls for her and finds himself tempted by her seductive ways. But giving in to temptation could have more serious repercussions than the damnation of his immortal soul, as she is a murderess. The story was filmed in Paris. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Baxter, Steve Forrest, (more)
- 1954
It's the Paris Life (C'est La Vie Parisienne) is set at the turn of the century. The point of the film is summed up by the old French adage which begins "Plus ca change": The more things change, the more they remain the same. Director Alfred Rode uses two romantic subplots -- one set in the 1890s, the other in the 1950s -- to illustrate how little "affaires d'amour" have changed in 60 years. The characters in the modern portion of the film are the descendants of the people introduced in the earlier scenes, with the actors introduced in the 19th century scenes playing their own 20th-century grandchildren. The most interesting performance is offered by Philip Lemaire, cast in the dual role of a dissipated nobleman and a jaded jazz trumpeter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudine Dupuis, Raymond Bussières, (more)
- 1954
Originally a character in a Gaston Leroux novel, Cheri-Bibi was transformed into a popular French comic-strip character in the 1930s. The character was also featured in two films, the second of which was in 1955. Jean Richard plays the title character, a born loser who undergoes plastic surgery in order to resemble his rival for the hand of Lea Padovini. Once he emerges from the bandages, Cheri-Bibi is plunged into a series of melodramatic misadventures. Though never "camp" in its tone, Cheri-Bibi is engagingly tongue-in-cheek, having fun with its source material rather than poking fun at it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Richard, Raymond Bussières, (more)
- 1953
A bevy of beautiful strippers team up with a handful of risqué comedians in this feature that documents a typical burlesque show from 1953. Filmed at the Follies Theater in Los Angeles, CA, Peek-a-Boo includes pulse-quickening dance numbers from Venus (billed as "the World's Most Exciting Body"), Virginia Valentine, Suzette, Jennie Lee, and Sherry Winters, with additional routines from the DuPonts and the glamorous hoofers of the Peek-a-Boo Lovlies. Funnymen Leon DeVoe, Jack Mann, Billy Foster, and Johnny Maloney deliver the laughs, and Pat O'Shea's vocals add some class to the proceedings. While a bit more daring in its humor than most of its brethren and willing to let its dancers briefly go without pasties, Peek-a-Boo did undergo a brief bit of prerelease censorship that removed the punch line from a comedy routine, which still appears in bowdlerized form on all existing prints. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The Paris demimonde of 1900 is the setting for Casque d'Or. Georges Manda (Serge Reggiani), an honest woodworker, falls in love with Marie (Simone Signoret), the "moll" of minor crook Roland (William Sabatier). Gangster boss Felix Leca (Claude Dauphin) orders Georges and Roland to fight a duel to the death over the girl, as prescribed by the "code of the apache." Felix then pins the blame for Roland's death on Georges' boyhood chum, Raymond (Raymond Bussières), knowing that the woodworker will nobly accept the blame; this will leave Marie alone, which is what the lustful Felix has wanted all along. When Georges learns he's been set up as a dupe, he escapes from the police and kills Felix. Casque D'Or was based on the true-life Leca-Manda scandal, wherein an otherwise decent man was guillotined for shooting down a gangster boss in broad daylight. Since the scandal was common knowledge in France, the downbeat ending of this film was hardly unexpected but still extremely moving. Completed in 1951, Casque D'Or was a failure on its first release but then built up an excellent word-of-mouth reputation abroad. The film was released in the U.S. in 1956 as Golden Marie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, (more)
- 1952
Director René Clair insisted that his 1952 production Beauties of the Night (Les Belles du Nuit) was intended as a comic variation on Griffith's multipart Intolerance (1916). The Clair film deals with a disillusioned music teacher (Gérard Philipe) who dreams of the beautiful women of history, envisioning himself as the central male figure in each dream. The imaginary ladies (including such internationally famous lovelies as Martine Carol and Gina Lollobrigida) begin converging on the hero all at once, much to the delight of both Philipe and the audience. At several junctures, Clair revives a technique from his earliest talkies by having the characters sing their lines and thoughts rather than speaking them. These treasured musical moments are somewhat dissipated when Beauties of the Night is seen in an edited, redubbed American print -- which also "fudges" the film's notorious Gina Lollobrigida nude scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Philipe, Martine Carol, (more)
