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Jean Delannoy

A well-regarded, meticulous craftsman, writer-director Jean Delannoy has had a career which spanned an incredible eight decades, from his days as an actor in silent films to his later forays in television and in big screen religious biopics. The son of a civil servant and a schoolteacher, Delannoy was educated in Paris and after a string of unfulfilling jobs (i.e., bank salesman, journalist) he decided to try his hand at acting in films. Dashing and handsome, Delannoy soon found employment in roughly 10 movies, including 1927's "Casanova," but quickly became disenchanted with appearing in front of the camera. While serving in the military, he worked with the film unit of the army and after his discharge secured a position as an editor at Paramount's French studios. Working quickly (by his account, it took less than two weeks to assemble a feature), he accrued credits on some 40 films. At the same time, Delannoy began dabbling in the medium, shooting a handful of short films, the best known of which was 1934's "Une vocation irresistable," focusing on a barber with aspirations for a life as a performer.